Columbia

History

The university was founded in 1754 as King’s College by royal charter of King George II of England. The first classes were conducted by Samuel Johnson at the Trinity Church schoolhouse. The growth of the institution came to a halt due to the American Revolution, forcing it to shutdown in 1776. The College reopened by the name of Columbia in 1784. In 1857, the College shifted from Park Place to Forty-Ninth Street and Madison Avenue, where it remained for the next forty years. Columbia was the nation’s earliest institutions to offer graduate education in political science, philosophy and pure science. In 1896, the trustees officially announced the name of the institution as Columbia University. In 1897, the university moved to its present location on Morningside Heights at 116th Street and Broadway. Columbia Business School was founded in 1916 owing to the generous contribution made by bank executive Emerson McMillin.

MISSION STATEMENT

Columbia University is one of the world’s most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

Core Strengths of the School

The School’s comprehensive curriculum gives in-depth knowledge of the various functional disciplines of business and enables the students to acquire mastery over the basic principles and concepts of business management. The case-based learning approach and collaborative learning model ingrains a critical thinking approach in the students, who learn to look at a problem from multiple perspectives before arriving at any decision. The broad spectrum of over 200 electives allows the students to deepen their understanding on a specific area of study. The classes are taught by renowned faculty members who are at the forefront of innovation in their fields and practitioners who bring real-world experience into the classrooms. Community building is integral to Columbia MBA program and hence, the students are assigned to clusters that comprise of 65-70 students. Each cluster is made up of students with different academic backgrounds, skills, leadership styles and ideas, thus fostering a mutual learning and collaborative environment where students work intimately in teams and learn from the experiences of their peers.

Uniqueness in MBA Pedagogy

In order to expose the students to the real-world business challenges, the School has taken several initiatives that would nurture the students’ thought process and enable them to analyze the consequences of their decisions. Students can choose from a wide range of consulting projects, field studies, case studies and independent study opportunities offered by the School. The Small Business Consulting Program SBCP is a student-run organization that allows the students to gain hands-on experience in area of strategy consulting. Students liaise with clients such as Bain, Deloitte and ATKearney and get a chance to do a client presentation at the end of the project. The Non-Profit Board Leadership Program NBLP is an excellent opportunity for the students to indulge themselves into strategic and tactical issues facing the non-profit boards. Students undergo training sessions at School that throw light on the operations of a non-profit organization. These training sessions are followed by a student project, where the students liaise with the alumni of the School and the executive director of the relevant non-profit organization. The Tamer Center for Social Enterprise promotes the students who want to indulge in consulting for non-profit organizations, NGOs and public organizations outside the United States by providing financial support through International Development Consulting Project IDCP Travel Fund. Students can join Spark, which is a platform for social innovators to tap the resources and connections within the university and the social impact community of the New York area and develop potential solutions for social enterprises.

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

LOCATION ADVANTAGES

The School is located in the New York City, which is a hub of international business and commerce. Several Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters in the city. The city is home to numerous industries such as banking and finance, retail, world trade, transportation, tourism, real estate, etc. The city ranks first among all cities in terms of attracting foreign investment. The world’s largest stock exchange New York Stock Exchange NYSE is headquartered here. Students are benefited by this strategic location of the school as they get ample of experiential learning and internship opportunities. Better known as the cultural and financial capital of the world, the city is also home to the headquarters of the United Nations.

CAREER SUPPORT

The Career Management Center CMC plays a crucial role in building lifelong career management skills in students through targeted workshops, seminars and one-to-one career advising sessions. Whether a student wants to get into the private, public or non-profit sectors, career advisors are always at the forefront to help the students by formulating effective job search strategies. The career workshops train the students on resume building, personal branding, interview preparation, and networking and negotiation skills. The CMC offers a range of resources and tools for the students that aid them with the job search process.