The Isenberg School of Management MBA: What You Need To Know

The Isenberg School of Management MBA at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is ideal for individuals who want a hands-on, real-world education on campus.

The B-School is in Amherst, Massachusetts – a city that offers a rich cultural experience, where students can explore museums, art galleries, and theaters, including the University Museum of Contemporary Art and the Emily Dickinson Museum. The town is nestled in the Pioneer Valley, which is known for its picturesque landscapes, rolling hills, and farmlands.

Uniquely, MBAs can attend the program essentially for free. Every on-campus MBA student is offered an Isenberg MBA Fellowship that fully funds their degree. In exchange for 10 hours of work per week over the 39-week academic year, MBA fellows receive full tuition support, an annual stipend, and health insurance. They’ll also gain valuable hands-on experience and marketable skills while working on real business problems and strategic initiatives for the school.

The MBA is a rigorous 1.5-to-2-year program with a small number of students (60 this year) by design, which helps foster a close-knit community and makes individualized academic and career support possible.

The program kicks off with a three-day Leadership orientation, where MBAs practice writing resumes, presentations, and team building skills so that they can begin networking immediately.

Isenberg MBAs choose focus areas in order to hone in on their interests in four different areas – Analytics, Finance: Asset Management, Healthcare Administration, and Management & Entrepreneurship.

If the fully on-campus MBA isn’t the right fit, students looking for a balance between flexibility and in-person time can enroll in Isenberg’s hybrid MBA, with courses both online and in person at the B-School’s Boston and Worcester campuses. Isenberg also offers a fully online MBA.

In addition to academics, Isenberg students can network with fellow MBA candidates during weekly dinners and happy hours hosted by the Graduate Business Association, the National Association of Women MBAs, Net Impact, and the Sustainable Business group.

Research-driven MBAs can delve into the dynamics of the sports industry at the Center for Spectator Sports Research, study global market behavior at the Center for International Securities and Derivatives Markets, or discover how complex networks of logistics, finance, and telecommunication interact through the Virtual Center for Supernetworks. Isenberg students can also gain real-world experience in small business development through the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network.

“The MBA community here at Isenberg is unparalleled. I have found that there are endless opportunities to collaborate with my classmates. This environment has allowed me to learn from my classmates, as well as provide insight when my personal background or skills are helpful,” says MBA Hannah Krauth on Isenberg’s website.