Not a Good Investment

Experience during the program

I was really let down by my experience at the University of Maryland. I took a very big risk leaving the workforce to pursue an MBA full-time, and do not feel my decision has been validated. I will say that my peers were very supportive, but many of us shared frustrations with the school. Career Services did not do much more than provide generic advice and well wishes. On-campus recruiting is extremely limited, and most of the companies they bring in are either 1. not recruiting MBAs or 2. willing to hire an MBA student but at an undergraduate level of pay. We ended up with less than 30 people graduating in our class, so clubs were basically non-existent. The administration seems intent on putting their focus into other programs in the business school. Our internal case competition (sponsored by a bank) gave out prizes worth $40 while multiple undergraduate case competitions going on at the same time awarded hundreds of dollars in cash. We were given capstone projects with a pre-revenue app and one-man garbage company. The other masters programs worked with billion dollar firms. When I talk to alums about their experience, they speak of a drastically different (better) culture at Smith. I am aware that the economics of the degree have changed, but there seems to be an acceptance of an atrophying program from apathetic administrators. Constructive feedback is brushed off repeatedly and the administration has been very defensive regarding its decision. I can't recommend Maryland, especially if you are an international student taking a giant leap of faith to pursue your degree.

About professors, classes and curriculum

There are some great professors and some not so great professors. Few electives exist specifically for MBA students, and there is a trend towards combining classes with other programs. A few of the classes have undergraduate students in the class and the classroom experience is significantly diminished in my view. The school pulled its supply chain concentration despite overwhelming interest and decided to add concentrations in AI and Sustainability. There doesn't seem to be much of a plan with these however, as there are not going to be any sustainability classes offered this fall.

About job placement process

The job placement process was extremely frustrating. While the job market hasn't been great for MBA programs across the country, it was an incredible grind for most of our class. A handful of companies came on campus for information sessions for MBA-specific jobs (M&T Bank, Deloitte, FBI), but these were few and far between. After November, there was no MBA-specific programing until April. But even the event in April was extremely lackluster with a handful of companies that honestly seemed disinterested in our students. We are consistently lumped in career events with undergraduates. These border on disrespectful. The recruiters at these events have no interest in engaging with MBA students looking for salaries consistent with UMD historical outcomes. Alumni engagement appears haphazard, as the people brought in are not always in positions to network effectively. This results in most of the networking being done through LinkedIn. I have repeatedly asked myself what I am paying for and how the school expects students to speak highly of the program with the air of carelessness that exists within career services.

Overall BSchool experience (1.0)
Schools contribution (1.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Location
Facilities

Best fit at this program:

Consulting

Can be improved:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Student body, diversity
Alumni Network
Career opportunities provided by school
Culture & Student Support
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)