The Case for Wake Forest

You will find more than high rankings at the Wake Forest University Schools of Business. You will find graduate degree programs that not only support the development of your technical skills, but also the development of your professional life.

We can do this because we have kept our community intentionally small, making it possible for students, faculty and alumni to develop strong personal and professional connections—connections that can lead to internships, jobs and insight into your future.

At Wake Forest, we want more for you than jobs. We want you to graduate inspired to build brilliant careers.

So why Wake Forest?

Read on.

Global Perspective

Global themes are woven throughout our programs through specific courses, study abroad opportunities, classroom discussions and international study tours.

Develop global understanding and business savvy through:

The Flow Institute for International Studies, which helps you develop your understanding of other countries’ economies, businesses and cultures through study tours, speakers and seminars.

• Past International Business Study Tours have included China/Hong Kong, Japan, Latin America and India

Hands-on Learning

Recognizing the challenges of today's business climate, Wake Forest encourages you to get involved inside and outside the classroom through internships, class projects, breakfast meetings with business and civic leaders, student activities, consulting projects or international study tours. At Wake Forest you will learn by doing.

Entrepreneurial Leadership

Wake Forest infuses entrepreneurial thinking throughout our graduate programming, so you become accustomed to thinking innovatively regardless of your career path.

We host the WFU Elevator Competition--an international business plan contest--and support the Angell Center for Entrepreneurship, a leader in connecting faculty and students with local business projects. 

Wake Forest has also amassed significant rankings in entrepreneurial education, including:

• Wake Forest was listed in Fortune Small Business Magazine's compendium of America’s best colleges for entrepreneurs in 2007.
• Wake Forest was ranked in the top tier of national colleges and universities for entrepreneurship by TechKnowledge Point Corp. in 2006.
• Stan Mandel, executive professor of entrepreneurship, was named No. 3 among the nation’s entrepreneurship directors, by Entrepreneur (2005).

Teamwork

Understanding the value of teamwork is vital to a successful career. 

At Wake Forest, students work regularly in teams with people of diverse backgrounds. Learning to build and participate in highly effective teams readies students to excel in the real and virtual teams that characterize global business today. 

As one student put it, "Wake Forest's focus on team-based learning prepared me for the world beyond the classroom."

Communication

Whether you are "building your personal brand" through social networking or pitching an idea for venture capital, strong writing and public speaking skills are essential.

Our small class sizes become de facto communication laboratories where students get real experience exchanging ideas with faculty and classmates, honing writing and presentation skills and supporting their ideas with data. As a result, you will graduate confident in your ability to put forth an idea and substantiate your point.

Dedicated Faculty

Wake Forest faculty members are scholars, teachers, and in many cases, practitioners as well. Actively engaged in research and publication for leading scholarly journals, our professors also develop cases, textbooks and other classroom materials.

Approximately 90% of our full-time faculty members hold a PhD or other doctoral degree.

Professors in our graduate programs combine significant management experience with their other credentials, so they can relate academic theory to real-world scenarios:

• More than 35% of our faculty members serve on a company board of directors,
• 38% percent have experience running their own company,
• 80% have international consulting, teaching, work or research experience.

Personal Connections

By keeping our programs small and inviting alumni to participate, we make it possible for students, faculty and former students to develop close personal and professional connections--connections that pay off during job searches and business launches.

These close connections also reap dividends as students investigate different career paths. By offering students advice, internship connections and points of contact, we can help them discover their life's work.

Results

Equipped with strong technical and communication skills, practical experience, global awareness and personal drive, our graduates are succeeding in all sectors of the world economy. 

Wake Forest attracts an enormous range of recruiters that include representatives from a wide array of multinationals. We have alumni working all over the world, people who have developed their skills and found their passion through our programs.

• The mean starting salary for 2008 MBA graduates was $79,392 with average signing bonuses of $14,588.
• Historically, the placement rate for MSA graduates is nearly 100% with firms including Ernst & Young, PwC, Wells Fargo Securities and KPMG