Pennsylvania State University’s Smeal College of Business

The Smeal College of Business MBA: What You Need To Know

The Penn State Smeal College of Business full-time residential MBA program has been offered since 1960. It was ranked No. 4 in the alumni salary increase category, and No. 11 in faculty quality by The Economist 2022. The program consists of small, community-based cohorts where students form deep and lasting connections with a community of diverse perspectives, cultural viewpoints, and business experiences.

Big changes are happening at Smeal. In fall of 2022, the 2-year program will have a new format based on student need and preference collected over the last ten years. Fall 2022 marked the final intake for the two-year resident MBA program, and beginning Fall of 2023, the two-year MBA will become an early career one-year STEM designated program.

“We recognize that one size does not fit all when it comes to the evolving needs of our students,” says Charles Whiteman, John and Karen Arnold Dean of Smeal. “In the past decade, Smeal has built one of the largest and most robust professional graduate business portfolios in the country, affording working professionals learning options across all career stages and life circumstances. As enrollments in Smeal’s online and one-year specialty business master’s degrees continue to increase, this transition will provide Penn State students with new opportunities for customized degree programs that help them meet their educational and career goals.”

The one-year program is the third MBA format in the college, including the executive MBA in Philadelphia and the online MBA led by Smeal in partnership with Penn State World Campus. The MBA offers a core curriculum that emphasizes the valuable components of leadership, from strategic thinking and team performance to ethics and communications, to prepare students for their next great opportunity.

The program consists of 34 core credits divided into four seven-week modules and split between the fall and spring semesters. Students will begin in August and graduate in May upon completion of their assigned coursework.

From business sustainability strategy to marketing analytics, students can select concentrations in 13 different focus areas. They also have the option to stack the MBA with other one-year programs including accounting, accounting analytics, business analytics, finance, real estate, and coming in 2024, supply chain management. In addition to student organizations, MBA students frequently participate in case competitions, leadership immersion experiences, and several local and global immersions.

According to Christina Yantorno, Smeal’s Director of Admissions for resident professional graduate programs, “The ideal candidate for the STEM-designated program is any individual who wants to boost their leadership and see immediate career impact. Whether you’re coming straight from your undergraduate degree or have a few years of experience, the early career MBA allows you to build your business foundations in nine months while providing you the flexibility to stay an extra year and specialize in a given area.”

Smeal College of Business MBA Rankings Data

Smeal College of Business MBA Employment Stats

Relevant Features:

2019 Best Online MBAs: Ariel Prochowski, Penn State University (Smeal)

2019 Best Online MBAs: Matt Franz, Penn State University (Smeal)

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