Samford University, School of Business, Graduate Studies Admission
Samford University, School of Business, Graduate StudiesUndergraduate Program
Samford University, School of Business, Graduate Studies Application

The Facts

Samford University is a rather small, private institution located in the town of Birmingham, Alabama, and is affiliated with the Baptist church. The university has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 4,365 students, however, the graduate school of business is significantly smaller, and is home to about 188 graduate business students. All of the currently enrolled students have had an average of 7 years of full-time professional experience, a factor taken into serious consideration by the admissions committee when reviewing applications. Perhaps as a result of this fact, the average age of enrollment is around 29, however, ages range from 24 to 56. Approximately 1% of the currently enrolled students entered directly from undergraduate school, while about 5% of the students already have a graduate degree of some sort. The school is perhaps best known for its emphasis on hands-on learning methods including case studies as well as discussion and student interaction. The school offers graduate business degrees in the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Accountancy (MAcc), as well as joint degrees in law (MBA/JD and MAcc/JD), divinity (MBA/MDiv), nursing (MBA/MSN), as well as accounting and business administration (MBA/MAcc). The school also offers plenty of internship opportunities throughout the community. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of marketing, organizational behavior, human resources, accounting, as well as entrepreneurship.

Admission to the university's graduate business program is fairly competitive among the relatively few students who apply; last year, over 85 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 47 of those students were accepted. Eventually, all 47 of the admitted students enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.2, as well as an average GMAT score of about 490. The admissions committee requires all applicants to have a minimum undergraduate GPA of at least a 2.0, as well as a minimum GMAT score of at least 400. Students are able to begin their graduate course work in the fall, winter, spring, or summer, and are usually notified of their admission status on a rolling basis.

The graduate business program has 18 full-time faculty members, of whom 89% hold a doctorate degree. There are no part-time faculty members. The average graduate business class usually numbers around 21 students, and most faculty members teach an average of 6 courses at any given time.

Placement Services

The school has rather limited placement services, as most students are already employed full-time when they enroll. The services that do exist, however, are available to both current students as well as alumni for an unlimited amount of time after they receive their degrees.

What's Good

"I love the fact that all the faculty members are here full-time. It makes them much more accessible."

"The internships available here are really fantastic learning experiences."

"People here are very friendly, and there is a surprising lack of overt competition."

What's Bad

"I wish more companies came here to recruit. It would certainly make job hunting a lot easier."

"There isn't very much graduate housing available. You have to strike out on your own."

"Some professors pile on the work like they think theirs is the only class you're taking."

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