Vanderbilt MBA Distinctives

Be a part of a unique collaborative community. 

You’re not just part of a school. You’ll be part of a community of colleagues and friends who work hard, play hard and enjoy Owen’s rich social life together. Owen is a diverse and tightly knit community where students, faculty, staff and alumni support collective and individual achievement. The atmosphere is competitive, but it’s even more collegial, where students work collaboratively and help each other succeed. Students commonly say it’s an atmosphere they didn’t find when visiting other schools, but you’ll notice it from the first day you’re here.

Rigorous curriculum prepares you for the real world.

The curriculum—built around a strong foundation of general management skills and career specializations—is carefully crafted with input from business professionals, so that your education is market-driven. An exceptionally high number of our faculty (including our Dean) combine academic distinction with experience as actual business practitioners, entrepreneurs and corporate CEOs. Their understanding of what it takes to meet the needs of business helps shape our MBA program. You will have access to the world class Walker Management Library offering a sand-box of elite business information resources. The library staff provide personalized service to help you incorporate data and facts into your business analysis and solutions. 

And the unique modular format promotes accelerated learning. By the time you interview for all-important summer internships midway through your first year, you’ll have the career-focused knowledge to give you an edge over competitors from schools with a more traditional curriculum. Our emphasis on immersion experiences and practical, hands-on education (not just case studies) give you opportunities to develop in-depth, high-level strategies for “client” companies such as GE, Coca-Cola, Nissan, Brown-Forman and Humana. Real projects for real companies often lead to real jobs.

An emphasis on leadership development that sets you apart.

Our Leadership Development Program—a Vanderbilt hallmark—uses best-in-class tools personalized to each student’s unique needs and strengths. Through the program, you’ll build and hone skills that equip you to be a leader within your organization. Vanderbilt is the only business school in partnership with Korn/Ferry International and Hogan Assessments, premier tools used by Fortune 200 companies to help build leadership skills. You are also empowered to develop leadership skills through involvement with more than 30 student associations. Examples of successful student-driven initiatives include Project Pyramid and OwenBloggers.

Master a world of cultural differences.

Choose from a number of international experiences, including exchange opportunities and immersion trips that give you an advantage in the global marketplace. We offer MBA exchange programs with 21 partner schools around the world, on every continent except Antarctica. You can also choose from shorter trips or May/summer study-abroad opportunities. Examples include Doing Business in China (Beijing and Shanghai); Explore the Heart of Europe (Vienna); and Changing Environment for International Business in Europe (Koblenz, Germany). Our trips incorporate the practical learning that is a hallmark of the Vanderbilt MBA experience. For example, during the China trip, students have helped companies such as FedEx and The Home Depot address particular challenges of working in China.