Poets&Quants | Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business

Fisher MBAs spend their first two semesters in cohorts, completing a multidisciplinary core curriculum. The core ensures that every student has a solid understanding of key management principles. Fisher MBAs select a major to give their optional coursework a central focus. They can major in one of nine disciplines including International Business, Corporate Finance, or Make Your Own Major.

To complement their majors, many Fisher MBAs pursue individualized tracks by taking three or four courses related to a particular specialization. Each track is designed in close collaboration with faculty who are experienced in specific niches such as healthcare, consulting, and financial services.

Fisher College offers more than 100 elective courses within the business school. These electives can be used to complete requirements for majors, pursue career tracks, or simply round out the MBA experience. In addition to the electives in the business school, students are encouraged to enroll in any course offered at The Ohio State University.

Watch Poets&Quants’ John A. Byrne interview Anil Makhija, dean of the Max M. Fishers College of Business at The Ohio State University, to hear more about the school’s multi-faceted approach to business education and services. Watch the full interview.

Rankings Analysis: The Fisher College ranked 26th among the top 100 U.S. MBA programs on the Poets&Quants’ 2013 list, up from a rank of 40 two years earlier. The major reason: The school made both The Financial Times and The Economist’s 2011 rankings after having been unranked in 2010. And Fisher also moved up five spots to 34th in the latest Forbes ranking which measures MBA programs on the basis of their return on investment. It also did well on BusinessWeek’s 2012 list, moving up to 27th from 32nd.

As one Class of 2012 MBA told BusinessWeek in its graduate opinion survey: “Fisher is unique because of the large institution of Ohio State and the close community feel of the MBA program. Most classmates are truly friends and that helps when spending so many hours together. The range of interests in our classmates keeps things interesting. Fisher students definitely work hard and play hard. We cap off our busy weeks with an End-of-the-week (EOTW) event on Thursday nights where first and second years can blow off steam in the great city of Columbus. I know all of my classmates by name, but if it ever starts to feel to small, there are thousands of other graduate students at OSU that keep things exciting.”

FROM FISHER:

Recognized as among the top business schools in the U.S., The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business provides MBA students with an environment that blends diversity of thought and experience for a collaboratively competitive education.

Hands-on experiential learning and a curriculum led by faculty thought leaders prepares Fisher MBA students for fulfilling and successful careers. Each year, more than 90 percent of Fisher’s full-time MBA graduates secure jobs within three months of graduation and do so with an average starting salary of more than $100,000.

MBA students at Fisher have access to internationally recognized faculty whose experience in leadership and academia inspire in the classroom, and whose dedication to research creates significant impacts in business and industries around the world. Fisher provides students with countless global work opportunities and robust leadership development offerings designed to bring learning to life and to equip students to lead.

Fisher’s collaborative educational environment offers students a team setting in which to hone critical business skills. Core teams of four or five MBA students partner together during their first year at Fisher for core classes that utilize a variety of learning tools, including case studies, team presentations and group projects. Completely customizable majors and dual degree programs offer MBA students the ability to tailor an education unique to their experiences and career aspirations.

Fisher provides MBA students with a dedicated Office of Career Management, matching them with career consultants for individualized guidance based on shared knowledge and business expertise. Consultants work with students on crafting compelling and effective résumés and cover letters, training for job...