Meet UCLA Anderson’s MBA Class Of 2025

UCLA Anderson students shaking hands on Briskin Family Plaza on the Anderson campus.

A WORLD-CLASS CAREER CENTER

Looking at the Class of 2023, over half of Anderson MBAs entered consulting or technology right after graduation. Another popular option is entrepreneurship. In 2023, UCLA Anderson ranked 11th globally in Poets&Quants Entrepreneurship ranking. From 2018-2022, according to P&Q research, 10% of graduates joined a startup. That’s hardly surprising considering nearly 83% of Anderson MBAs took an entrepreneurship elective during the 2022-2023 school year. Even more, UCLA Anderson ranked 4th in the world for entrepreneurship courses, with 38% of electives focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. Such resources appealed to first-years like Maria Carolina Travieso.

“I’m very interested in the entrepreneurship career path that UCLA Anderson has to offer. The curriculum includes assessing potential opportunities and simultaneously managing organizational operations, transitions, and growth. It will help me develop skills as a leader in this evolving market and provide me with resources and opportunities to pursue my dream job. I’m excited to become a member of the Entrepreneur Association and meet like-minded entrepreneurs. This will lead to opportunities for collaboration, partnerships and ultimately develop a strong network and support system.”

Real Estate and Finance programming are also considered strengths at UCLA Anderson. This spring, Anderson ranked among the ten-best in both areas according to a survey of academics conducted by U.S. News & World Report. Earlier this year, Anderson finished 18th globally in the Financial Times MBA Ranking. In a FT survey, the school notched the 15th-best scores for the quality and involvement of alumni. When the numbers were crunched, UCLA Anderson placed 9th in Faculty Research by the Financial Times.

That said, one number consistently stands out at Anderson: Career Services. This year, the Parker Career Center finished 2nd in the world in this area based on survey data collected by the FT. One reason, says Sadhvi Mathur, is that the Parker Center engages with MBAs long before they start school – and stays involved with them throughout their two years at Anderson.

“Before I had even committed to Anderson, the Parker team offered 1-on-1 advising appointments where we had frank conversations about what MBA program would be best for me to achieve my ultimate career goals in the media and entertainment industry,” Mathur explains. “I met with Jenna Dobrin, and she gave me kind and honest advice on my career journey that I am still carrying with me as I start at Anderson. This commitment continued once we arrived on campus. We were all automatically enrolled in the Parker Career Series, which is meant to prep us for our recruiting season starting as early as August. The Parker team also held 101 sessions in popular MBA industries and functions, encouraging all students to shop around and see what career paths interest them most. Finally, we were assigned a Parker advisor and were able to start working with them as early as the third week of summer quarter.”

UCLA Anderson students working on their field study presentation.

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER UCLA ANDERSON

Here are some additional benefits to earning an MBA at Anderson:

1) Global Immersions: “My favorite class has been the Japan Global Immersion: The Business Environment and Opportunities in Japan course taught by Professor Mariko Sakakibara. The course included a week-long session in Japan, where we visited different companies such as Panasonic, Costco, BCG, DeNA, and more. I learned a lot about Japan’s strong technological and cultural base, how Japanese companies are prioritizing innovation, and insights on Japan’s competitive position in the world. The trip to Japan was one of the best trips of my life and I learned a lot about Japan’s cultural differences and how to be a better international businessperson. My biggest takeaway from the class was that while it is important to recognize and appreciate cultural differences, there are more points at which we are alike than different. The mindset that is needed to succeed internationally is to realize that it is more productive to look at our similarities and commonalities and build on those when working with other people.”
Stephen Jesus Mendoza (’23)

“I recently returned from South Africa for the Global Immersion course on Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which was my favorite course at Anderson. The class not only combined all of my professional interests, but also truly challenged me to think differently about solving complex problems and allowed me to learn more about the history and culture of the country. During our time in South Africa, we had the opportunity to visit and hear from entrepreneurs and social enterprises focused on solving some of the country’s greatest challenges. It was extremely inspiring to connect with and learn from these leaders firsthand, and I am confident that I will bring the insights that I gained in this course into my future career.”
Amara Barakat (’23)

2) AnderNoons: “Every Thursday, students gather for an informal social mixer around food and drinks. AnderNoons is a great way to stay connected with the Anderson community, catch up with your friends, and meet new people – it’s amazing how we keep meeting new classmates up until the end of the program! This moment is all the more valuable in the second year, when students take different electives and don’t spend as much time together. Most students attend AnderNoons, and we always have a great time.”
Tiphaine Grosse (’23)

3) Anderstories: “During the pandemic, a new tradition was started at Anderson called Anderstories. Nothing fancy – it’s held about once a month at our outdoor terrace with seating, a microphone, projector/screen, and some food and wine. Two people share an intimate story from their lives, whatever they wanted. I loved that people felt safe enough to be vulnerable in this space and that we were fortunate enough to be the recipients of that vulnerability. I cried many times from these beautiful stories and always came away with new, refreshed perspectives thanks to these brave classmates. It really highlighted that we were a community that values every part of our lives – the successes, the failures, the cleaned-up, professional sides, and the messy sides.”
Lillian Fan (’23)

4) Parker Career Center: “Parker definitely lives up to the expectation! I spent many hours working with Parker coaches, taking in their advice on crafting my resume, incorporating their feedback after mock interviews, and listening to very sound advice on how to build and maintain a network. They played a very big role in my recruiting process and helped me land several internship offers!”
Tiphaine Grosse (’23)

5) Los Angeles: “I consider myself a native Angeleno since I’m from Los Angeles County so I may be a little biased. But what I love most about LA is that there really is something for everyone. We have beaches, mountains, desert, valleys – we also have Michelin star restaurants, every cuisine you can think of, theme parks, state parks – you name it. There aren’t enough weekends in the MBA experience to try everything but I love that every weekend is different. Except for street tacos – my go-to is Brothers Cousins on Sawtelle and you’ll never convince me to go anywhere else.”
Lillian Fan (’23)

“Many metropolitan hubs in the United States are strong in a few industries—such as tech in the Bay Area and oil and gas in Houston. Los Angeles is one of the few cities in this country that has a strong presence in almost every industry that an MBA candidate could want—finance, consulting, entertainment, tech, health care, and more! This provides incredible opportunities for students to explore multiple industries and career opportunities in their own backyard. Furthermore, the weather in Los Angeles is worth calling out. It’s not just that Los Angeles’ beachy climate makes for good hikes and surfing (though that is true). It’s also that Los Angeles’ idyllic weather makes it very easy for MBA students from all over the world to adjust so that they can focus on their studies and recruitment. After all, nobody wants to deal with rain, snow, and other weather-related concerns while also trying to adjust to being a full-time student again!”
Sadhvi Mathur (’25)

Morning in Marion Anderson Courtyard

MEET THE CLASS OF 2025