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The full-time MBA at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland- often called Maryland Smith is a two-year, 54-credit programme designed for early-to-mid-career professionals in a global business environment. Established in 1947, the MBA has evolved into a STEM-designated curriculum, emphasising data-driven decision making, leadership and functional mastery in areas such as finance, operations and marketing. The programme begins in August with a cohort averaging five years of work experience, and guides students through foundational business courses in year one followed by concentrated electives aligned with specialisations such as AI & Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Finance, Marketing and Sustainability. Located in College Park, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., the programme leverages proximity to federal agencies, major firms and international organisations for internships, consulting projects and global modules. Students benefit from small class size, personalised career coaching and a network of more than 70,000 alumni. Through its rigorous curriculum and real-world learning projects, the Maryland Smith full-time MBA equips graduates to lead functionally and strategically, whether in consulting, tech, finance or operations roles.
Our team of trusted MBA admission consultants helps you navigate every stage of the MBA application process. By opting for our MBA admission consulting, you work with a team of specialists rather than a single consultant. We assign five mentors who guide different aspects of the application, including brainstorming, storyboarding, essay finalization, application work, and interview preparation. For a free strategy session, please inquire about our MBA admission consulting service.
| Maryland Smith MBA Class Profile | |
|---|---|
| Average Work Experience | 6 years |
| Average GMAT Score | 640 |
| Average GPA | 3.25 |
| US News Rank | 52 |
| Pre-MBA Education | Business: 39% Engineering: 18% Economics: 8% Mathematics/Sciences: 9% Humanities: 12% Other Social Sciences: 7% Computer Science: 2% Other: 5% |
| Tuition Fee | In-State: $49,710 Out-of-State: $60,443 |
| Maryland Smith MBA Placements | |
|---|---|
| Average Base Salary | $120,446 |
| Average Joining Bonus | $41,111 |
| Employment 3 Months After Graduation | 81.8% |
| Employment by Industry | Technology Consulting Financial Services Consumer Packaged Goods Healthcare/Pharma Manufacturing |
| Employment by Function | Consulting Marketing/Sales General Management Finance/Accounting Operations/Logistics |
Air Products, Amazon.com, AT&T, Bank of America, BD, Booz Allen Hamilton, Campbell’s, Capital One, Citi, Deloitte, Ford, Gallup, GE, General Mills, Google, Hershey, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Marriott, McCormick, M&T Bank, Northrop Grumman, PepsiCo, PetSmart, PwC, Stanley Black & Decker, Target, Unilever, Verizon
The employment data above is for the class of 2024.
Maryland Smith MBA program page
Maryland Smith MBA application details, essay questions, deadlines, and more…
Maryland Smith MBA admission consulting by Experts’ Global
Entering the Maryland Smith full-time MBA is a major step. To maximise value, begin by defining your target role, industry and geography. Do you aim to move into product management in technology, transition into strategy consulting, shift into operations leadership in supply chain, or launch a venture in fintech? With your goal in place, map the skills and experiences you will need by graduation. This clarity will help you select electives, internships, networking activities and projects that directly support that outcome. Because the programme spans two years, you have time to build, but you also must act with intent.
Year one of the programme covers core business functions: Financial Accounting, Managerial Economics, Data-Driven Decision Models, Leadership and Teamwork, Operations, Marketing, Finance and Strategic Management. Each of these courses is your chance to build a professional artefact rather than just earn a grade. If you target operations leadership, in the operations class build a process-improvement model you can keep. If you aim for consulting, use your finance class to construct a valuation case you can discuss later. Collect these deliverables-they become concrete evidence you can share with employers. The STEM-designation at Smith underlines the emphasis on analytical rigour; leverage that by including data-driven work in your coursework.
Once you enter the elective phase, align your course selection with your destination. For instance, if your goal is AI and Business Strategy, select electives such as Advanced Business Analytics, Digital Business Strategy and AI for Business. If your goal is entrepreneurship, pick Venture Concepts, New Venture Finance and Startup Strategy. After each elective, produce a deliverable tied to your target area-say a go-to-market strategy for a startup, or a predictive model for consumer behaviour. These become your stories in job interviews. Your electives should reinforce the professional narrative you are building, not distract from it.
Maryland Smith’s campus in College Park offers access to the Washington-D.C. region’s business, government and tech ecosystem. Use this advantage by attending events at nearby federal agencies, lobbying organisations, major consulting firms and technology companies. Seek short consulting projects or internships with D.C. area players or global firms with Washington presence. These experiences expand your region-specific knowledge and give you a competitive edge. For example, if you aim for public-sector strategy consulting, volunteering on a policy-driven business challenge adds credibility. Make attending local industry gatherings and company tours a regular habit.
Your classmates will bring diverse backgrounds and strong professional experience. Form study groups that rotate leadership roles and keep each other accountable for networking and job-search progress. With faculty, go beyond lectures: visit office hours, discuss their research interests, volunteer to support a faculty case update or connect them with industry contacts. These relationships often translate into mentoring, introductions and recommendation letters. Create your support network early-it will carry you through the job search and beyond.
Leadership is a distinguishing feature in your post-MBA path. At Maryland Smith, join or lead a student organisation that aligns with your career goal-such as the Data Analytics Club, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Club or Consulting Association. Organise a speaker series, case competition or company trek, and document measurable results-attendance numbers, sponsors, team size, budget, outcomes. Additionally, participate in consulting practicum or global project work offered by the school. These leadership roles and practical engagements help you develop and demonstrate your capacity to lead, manage ambiguity and drive outcomes.
Across your MBA tenure, aim to build three to five standout pieces of work: a consulting engagement, an analytics dashboard, a strategic brief, a venture pitch. Structure each with context, your action, measurable outcome and your role. Example: “Led a team of five to analyse a consumer-goods company’s go-to-market for sustainability packaging, identified three options, projected cost savings of 10 %, presented findings to the C-suite.” Store each in your personal portfolio and reference them during recruiting. Employers value evidence of practical impact far more than ambition alone.
Maryland Smith’s Career Team offers resources-but you must drive the engagement. In your first semester meet with your career coach and present your target role, the skills you plan to build, the companies you will approach, and your networking strategy. Set weekly outreach metrics-number of LinkedIn conversations, company visits, applications submitted. After your first internship or project, review with your coach: what worked, what didn’t, and what your next move will be. Your job search should be treated like a management project with milestones, deliverables and review cycles.
Your classmates, alumni and local professionals are key resources; but networking must be strategic. Identify 30 alumni or industry professionals who work at your target companies or in your target region. Reach out with a clear ask: “Could we schedule 15 minutes for your insights into consulting at firm X?” Prepare for each call with research and one ask. Follow up with a summary of what you learned and your next step. Attend firm visits and alumnus events in the D.C.-Baltimore corridor and leverage the school’s global network for contacts abroad if you aspire to international roles. Each interaction should lead to one action: follow-up, introduction or next meeting.
The MBA journey is demanding. Set aside at least one hour each month to reflect: What skill improved this month? What challenge did I face? What will I do differently next month? Use the school’s leadership modules to deepen self-awareness and resilience. Record one leadership story weekly: design, decision, outcome. Over time you will build a leadership archive you can draw from during interviews: “During the analytics club project I led cross-functional teams, managed stakeholders, secured buy-in and delivered a dashboard that informed pricing strategy.”
As you approach your final semester, synchronise all of your materials-resume, LinkedIn, cover letters, interview stories-around your target role and your portfolio. Secure references from faculty or project sponsors who can vouch for your delivery. When interviewing, draw directly from your portfolio and articulate how the MBA helped you bridge the gap to your next role. Particularly for employer functions requiring readiness, emphasise your two-year Maryland Smith journey as evidence of execution and growth.
Graduation is a launch point, not an endpoint. Stay engaged with Maryland Smith’s alumni network, attend reunions, mentor younger students, and update your portfolio annually with your professional outcomes. Continue monthly reflections, maintain your leadership habits, and revisit your career goals annually. The skills you built, the relationships you formed and the deliverables you produced during your MBA will fuel your career growth for years.
