The Neeley School of Business MBA: What You Need To Know
The Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University aims to unleash potential in their MBAs with leadership and innovation at the core of their MBA program. For three years in a row now, Neeley proudly holds the title for No. 1 in the world for faculty quality ranked by The Economist.
The university was established in 1873 as one of the Southwest’s first coed institutes. They deliver a tried and true MBA that draws upon one of the fastest growing areas for business innovation — the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area which many Fortune 500 call home.
Fort Worth is also the 12 largest city in America by population, has an average of 229 days annually of sunshine, and hosts the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock show every year – the longest-running rodeo in the United States. TCU also has an ever-growing reputation for their Pac-12 football team, the Horned Frogs.
The MBA draws professionals with an average of 3-5 years of working experience – 28 years old on average. The B-School also offers an accelerated MBA option which can be completed in 12 months. Small class sizes are key at Neeley – MBAs receive personal attention from faculty and build meaningful relationships with peers in a collaborative, not cutthroat, environment.
“The class sizes at Neeley are very small. In our core classes we have between ten to fifteen people, and that’s truly important,” says MBA Sherene Smikle in a YouTube video.
Neeley revamped the program after assessing the degree over a period of 18 months, with input from over 200 students, faculty, staff, business partners and external resources through a series of discussions, questionnaires and moderated workshops to identify needs and solutions.
The full-time MBA spans 2 years, with 30-33 hours of core courses, and at least 21 hours in a concentration in either Brand Management, Corporate Finance, Investments, or Supply Chain Management.
Their first year, Neeley MBAs study core material such as finance, statistics, marketing, supply chain, global business, ethics, legal issues and various courses focused on leadership.
At the end of the first semester, they take on a weeklong business simulation that integrates everything they’ve learned to date – testing their strategic thinking, team leadership and presentation skills. For many, it’s a foot in the door for internship opportunities with major companies especially in the technology, health care, energy, and finance sectors.
The second year of the MBA focuses on strategic management and a choice of electives that fit goals. The B-School also offers opportunities to travel and experience business in Asia, Europe and South America.
Extracurriculars include working with real market companies through Neeley’s Educational Investment Fund, or working with Neeley & Associates Consulting – consulting paying clients as big as Nike, PepsiCo and Alcon. The B-School also has a variety of case competitions.
In a YouTube video, alum Dustin Schelle was asked what his most memorable experience in the MBA was. “My time consulting with companies was my first time changing career paths, and I got to spend a lot of time with people who are in executive level positions, and we were doing important projects with those companies,” he says.
Neeley School of Business MBA Rankings Data
Neeley School of Business MBA Employment Stats
Neeley has not published in its employment report its top employers, preferring to list a sample of firms that hired the school’s graduates.
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2019 Best 40 Under 40 Professors: Brad Harris, Texas Christian University (Neeley)
