Cornell Johnson

History

The Cornell University was founded by Andrew Dickson White and Ezra Cornell in 1865. The Morris Hall, which was the main building constructed on the main Ithaca campus, was opened in 1868. Ezra Cornell proposed a Department of Trade and Commerce for the new university, though the formal movements towards establishing a business school started only in 1914. The idea of business school took a backseat during World War I and the financial difficulties surrounding the Great Depression further delayed the establishment. The School of Business and Public Administration was opened in 1946 with Paul M. O’Leary as the dean. In 1984, Samuel Curtis Johnson Jr. and his family endowed the School with a fund of $20 million and thus, the School was renamed as the S.C. Johnson School of Management in honor of Johnson’s grandfather Samuel Curtis Johnson Sr. In 1998, the School was relocated to the newly renovated Sage Hall.

MISSION STATEMENT

Cornell’s mission is to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge; produce creative work; and promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community. Cornell also aims, through public service, to enhance the lives and livelihoods of our students, the people of New York, and others around the world.

Core Strengths of the School

The entire MBA program is structured around the following three basic principles- “1. The value of a solid education in all key business functions, including marketing, finance, human resources, and production 2. The importance of strong analytical and decision-making skills 3. A focus on offering the greatest flexibility in tailoring individual curricula” The first year focuses on the key business fundamentals and students acquire relevant business management knowledge to succeed as future business leaders. The classroom coursework is closely integrated with Performance Learning in order to provide valuable hands-on experience to the students. Students collaborate with each other on team-based projects, where they apply the analytical and strategic thinking techniques learned in the classrooms to solve complex real-world business problems. The course on Principled Leadership in the first year enables the students to acquire important aspects of leadership skills like motivating others, issue selling and responding to crises. The highly flexible elective courses equip the students with the relevant knowledge and expertise in their area of interests.

Uniqueness in MBA Pedagogy

Johnson has an intense and unique immersion program that comprises of cutting-edge coursework and fieldwork related to a specific industry that enables the students to solve real-world business problems. Students opting for a consulting career can get benefited from the Consulting Program that would help them hone their consulting skills as well as acquire a deep understanding of the industry. The Management Cases and Problem Solving Courses have case work studies, where students analyze the business problems and develop a structured approach to arrive at the solution. Students work in teams to solve the real world business issues faced by Fortune 500 companies as part of the Management Practicum courses and deliver cutting-edge solutions after conducting deep-rooted analysis. Students can also indulge in BR Consulting and provide consulting services to local and regional clients. Students aspiring to make their careers in the world of Corporate Finance and Leadership can be benefited by participating in the Managerial Finance Immersion MFI program that comprises of a series of courses and practical application of the theoretical and functional skills acquired in the classrooms. Students aspiring to be bankers may opt for Investment Banking Immersion program that simulates a real-world investment banking environment within the confines of the classroom. Students seeking careers in Brand Management, Product Management or General Management can enroll for Strategic Marketing Immersion SMI, where they get the chance to serve as consultants to companies on semester-long projects. Students who aim to seek a competitive advantage through sustainable global strategies and become successful business leaders are well suited for the Sustainable Global Enterprise SGE Immersion, where they serve as consultants on multidisciplinary projects of a company and acquire competencies in all the areas of management. Through the Customized Immersion program, students can customize their program if the standard immersion programs do not meet their career objectives.

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

LOCATION ADVANTAGES

The School is located in Ithaca, New York. The city is known for its resident musicians. The city plays host to a diverse and talented band of musicians hailing from different backgrounds, who want to pursue their careers in Ithaca. The Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance that is held annually in the month of July has attracted hundreds of bands to this region and further enriched the musical palate of the city. There are several professional theatre companies such as the Kitchen Theatre Company, Hangar Theatre and Icarus Theatre at Ithaca that speak of the rich and engaging theatrical culture of the region.

CAREER SUPPORT

The Career Management Center works hand-in-hand with the students to prepare them for the competitive job market by providing them an array of resources and tools that would aid them in advancing in their careers. The Integrated Career Management Program comprises of JPrep Programs, Career Work Groups, Immersions and One-to-one Career Advising. First year students can become well-versed with the ideas, best practices and current trends of the industry through the JPrep programs. Students can reap benefits through Career work groups that are functionally-aligned groups led by second-year students. Immersions provide a semester-long hands-on experience in the field of interest of the students. There are eight professional advisors and each student is assigned to one of them. The professional advisors interact one-on-one with the students and provide personalized guidance after assessing the skills and aspirations of each student.