Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management Admission
Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management Undergraduate Program
Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management Application

The Facts

Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management is a rather large, private, coeducational institution located in the town of Glendale, Arizona, and has a total undergraduate and graduate enrollment of 1,100. There are approximately 1,020 graduate business students all of whom have had an average of 5 years full-time professional experience. The average age of enrollment is about 29, however, it ranges from 25 to 52. The graduate business school is a major draw for international students, and approximately 57% of the students are in fact from foreign countries. The school also has year round campuses in Japan, France, as well as Mexico, and 12 international sites where 3 week intensive courses are offered. The school offer graduate programs in the Master of International Management (MIM), Master of Business Administration in International Management (MBAIM), as well as a joint MBA/MIM degree with Arizona State, Case Western Reserve, Michigan State, Fordham Universities, the Universities of Arizona, Houston, Florida, Texas Arlington, Michigan, Colorado, Virginia Tech, Escuela Superior de Administracion y Direccion de Empresas (ESADE) in Barcelona, Spain, Instituto Technologico y Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Mexico, as well as Bond University of Australia. Some of the most popular areas of study include courses in international marketing, international finance, international political economy, international management, as well as finance and marketing.

Admission to Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management is relatively competitive among the students who apply; last year, over 930 students applied for admission to the school and approximately 740 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 380 of those students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.3 as well as an average GMAT score of 600. Students are able to begin course work in the spring, summer, or fall, and admission is done on a rolling basis. The admissions committee looks for previous academic achievement, evidence of motivation, as well as strong mathematical skills.

The school has a full-time staff of 64 faculty members, of whom 97% hold a doctorate degree, as well as 23 part-time faculty members, 47% of whom hold a doctorate. The average business class is about 40 students, and professors teach an average of 14 credit hours.

Placement Services

The school has extensive placement services through their Career Management Center; last year, over 63 companies were actively recruiting on campus, most of which were national and international corporations. The average starting salary of last year's graduating class was $63,100, however, it ranged from $10,000 to $125,000. Placement services are also available to alumni for an unlimited number of years after they graduate. Last year, over 80% of the graduating class found jobs within three months of graduation.

What's Good

"There is a really great interdisciplinary emphasis here, and you get a chance to explore other areas of business you wouldn't normally be able to."

"The professors here are incredible; they all are at the top of their respective fields."

"There are so many awesome international opportunities available. You're marketability is really increased."

What's Bad

"There tends to be quite a bit of competition between students here, which can be kind of tiresome."

"Some of the classes could be smaller. It would be nice to have more discussions."

"The on campus facilities could use a little work. You have to rely on your own resources in that regard."

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