Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management

Willamette’s Early Career and Career Change full-time MBA is on a mission to foster experiential learning, teamwork, and, as their name suggests – prepare professionals for a career change.

The B-School is situated in Salem, Oregon, where students enjoy skiing the Cascade Mountains, visiting beautiful beaches along Oregon’s Pacific Coast, windsurfing in the picturesque Columbia River Gorge, and hiking in the many forested areas in and around Salem.

Oregon is home to a multitude of businesses including northwest legends such as Intel, Hewlett Packard, Columbia Sportswear, and Nike. Better yet, the state capitol is across the street from campus.

“Our Early Career/Career Change MBA program is the best of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, and one of the very best nationally, because it emphasizes applied, experiential, AND consequential learning. The consequential learning aspect is the most distinctive because very rarely do MBA students have an opportunity to immerse themselves in actually running an organization that can positively affect the community and bottom line. There’s no better way to learn to be a business professional!” says Örn B. Bodvarsson, Ph.D. and Dean of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management.