The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University is the youngest business school in the top ten, yet has been ranked as high as #1 in BusinessWeek’s annual ranking. Its youthfulness is reflected in a fun and collaborative culture. A driver of the innovative classroom, Fuqua applicants clamor over the relatively small number of seats each year. With one of the highest average ages among all business school students, Fuqua’s mature student body knows the value of experience. Here are three of the most attractive characteristics of one of the most popular b-schools in the world.
1) Flexible, Student-Driven Curriculum
Fuqua doesn’t just like to see students involved in the curriculum, they require it. One of the key questions to answer in the application process is, “how will you contribute to the program?” Fuqua learned a long time ago that they have some of the brightest young minds in the world at their fingertips for two years, and to leverage them for Fuqua’s betterment would be good for everyone. Students not only start and run clubs, they also work in all administrative aspects of running the school itself—they even conduct all the interviews for prospective applicants. Putting students in charge of who gets in is a real vote of confidence, a compliment which is not lost on the students who lend their minds to the program. This approach has resulted in one of the most thoughtful and innovative academic programs available, and they were the first school to creatively split up semesters into two 6-week terms, giving students the opportunity to take more classes than other schools.
2) Teamwork, Teamwork, Teamwork
Team Fuqua is more than a clever name because business schools the world over have adopted Fuqua’s approach to collaborative business education. Students are divided into study groups from the very first semester, and work together both inside and outside the classroom on practically every project and assignment. With a mix of lecture, case study, and experiential learning opportunities, there is little left on the table to get students exactly what they need to ready themselves for a successful business career. Team Fuqua is such a part of the fabric at Duke, students have even been known to give tips to classmates who interview for the same job.
3) Healthcare
With one of the leading university hospitals in the country right there on campus, it would be difficult to find a better choice if your MBA goals include a career in the healthcare industry. If you are not quite sure if a healthcare career is your target, Fuqua still offers the ability to add a Health Sector Management certificate to any MBA of 14 separate concentrations in the program. To sweeten the pot, Fuqua happens to be located near RTP, or Research Triangle Park, a nationally recognized innovation center and home to leading pharmaceutical, biotech, and other leading healthcare companies.
To find out more about your options and how we can guide your business school application process, email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com or contact us via http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact.