Western Connecticut State University, Ancell School of Business Admission
Western Connecticut State University, Ancell School of Business Undergraduate Program
Western Connecticut State University, Ancell School of Business Application

The Facts

Western Connecticut State University is a rather moderately-sized, public institution located in the town of Danbury, Connecticut, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population over 6,000 students. The university's graduate business program, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 105 graduate business students. Approximately 90% of the currently enrolled students have had an average of 3 to 10 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 34, however, ages range from 22 all the way up to 65. Approximately 10% of the currently enrolled students enter directly from undergraduate school, while about 15% of the students already have a graduate degree of some sort. The school is perhaps best known for its emphasis on traditional business principles in tandem with case studies and real world experience. The school offers graduate business degrees in the Master of Business Administration (MBA), as well as internship and work-study opportunities. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of management information systems, finance, accounting, strategy, as well as organizational behavior.

Admission to Western Connecticut State University's graduate business program is quite competitive among the relatively few students who apply; last year, over 150 students applied for admission to the school and approximately 40 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 30 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.1, as well as an average GMAT score of about 525. The admissions committee requires all applicants to have a minimum undergraduate GPA of at least a 2.5, as well as a minimum GMAT score of at least 450. Students are able to begin their graduate course work in the fall, spring, or summer, and are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis.

The graduate business program has 28 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 17 students, and most faculty members teach an average of 4 courses at any given time.

Placement Services

The school has rather limited placement services, as most students are already fully employed when they enroll. The services that are available, however, are available to both current students and alumni for an unlimited amount of time after they receive their degrees. Some of these services include career counseling, online job listings, alumni newsletters, resume critique and referral, as well as networking events.

What's Good

"The classes are really intimate, and you get a chance to really get to know your professors."

"There are some terrific internships available; you can make some great connections for the future."

"The required courses give you a great base of skills from which to expand your horizons."

What's Bad

"There isn't any on campus housing for graduate students, which I find very irritating."

"I wish there was more of a career development center, and there isn't a whole lot of recruiting going on."

"Because it isn't a terrifically large program, competition is quite tough."

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