Ohio Fisher

History

The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 as a land grant university educating students in the agriculture and mechanical disciplines. Hence, it was called as Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The School was earlier located within a farming community on the northern edge of Columbus. The first class commenced in September 1873. The Institute’s vision for expansion led to the institution being renamed as “The Ohio State University”. In the 1880s, the Ohio state began accepting graduate students, with the university awarding its first master’s and doctoral degrees in 1886 and 1890 respectively. The Ohio Graduate School commenced in 1912.

MISSION STATEMENT

We exist to advance the well-being of the people of Ohio and the global community through the creation and dissemination of knowledge.

Core Strengths of the School

The Fisher MBA program aims at creating innovative business leaders who are well-equipped to make a positive impact on their careers, employers, society and world at large. The intimate learning environment enables students to capitalize on the personalized attention from renowned faculty who are thought leaders, thus ensuring that students make full use of their stay at Fisher. “Innovative, Individualized and Immersive” are the pillars of the Fisher MBA curriculum. The curriculum is designed to equip students with critical thinking skills and a strong foundation in business concepts that are imperative for a successful business leader. Students have the flexibility to tailor their degree to meet their individual goals by opting from a range of elective courses. Students immerse themselves into the powerful learning environment offered by the school that comprises of live business projects, field studies, exchange programs and study abroad trips. The Leadership and Professional Development LPD program commences right from the first day of the MBA program as the School lays high emphasis on enhancing the teamwork skills and leadership and communication capabilities of the students. The Leadership Development Speaker Series is one such component of the LPD where students seek guidance from enthusiastic business leaders who share their experiences during presentations and intimate executive lunches at the campus. There are custom workshops, experiential learning activities and regular assessments as part of the LPD program that focus on ingraining team-based business practices and transforming the students into confident and successful business leaders. Today’s leaders are expected to collaborate and work collectively towards the team goals; hence, Fisher’s LPD program engages the students in case studies, analysis of group dynamics, team presentations and group projects in order to make them understand the synergy of team work.

Uniqueness in MBA Pedagogy

Action Based Learning is one of the pillars of the Fisher MBA’s learning model. The Field Courses that are a part of the curriculum expose the students to the current tools and resources being used in the industry. Student Investment Management SIM is one such program where the students play the role of a portfolio manager and learn the fundamental concepts of asset valuation in financial markets through real-world portfolio management experience. There are Case Competitions like Fisher Invitational Case Competition organized in the campus where the students’ analytical skills are put to test. Students are also encouraged to participate in Case Competitions held at national and international levels which would prepare them for the global business challenges of the future. The Ohio State Business Plan Competition organizes workshops where students are taught by top-notch executives of the corporate world on topics such as developing and writing a business plan, creating a new venture management team, evaluating the market potential of new technologies, making financial projections and studying legal issues in new venture creation.

The School is aware that employers list strategic international understanding and cross-cultural experience as the top-most employee traits they look for in potential candidates. Hence, the School lays high emphasis on providing an array of international learning opportunities for the students where they can put their theoretical learning into practice in a global location. The Global Applied Projects GAP is a platform for the students to collaborate and immerse themselves into a real-world project where they acquire global business knowledge. Global Business Expeditions GBE is a program that conducts business and cultural classes led by a Fisher faculty member with extensive functional knowledge of the topic. Students become aware of the unique ways of conducting business in a specific country or region and develop a global perspective on the business challenges. The Global Student Exchange GSX program is a more traditional option for students who are eager to travel abroad independently for a semester long study with Fisher’s partner Graduate Business Schools.

The Ohio State Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship aims at assisting students who dream to have their own venture in future or wish to expand their family business. Students are trained to address issues or problems of global dimension that emerge while developing new products and services for existing businesses or creating new ventures.

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

LOCATION ADVANTAGES

The Fisher College of Business is located in Columbus, which is one of the largest cities in Ohio. Columbus has been tagged as the “Midwestern style capital” by the New York Times and has embraced people of all age groups. Columbus has a strong business base and is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies. There are walking and biking trails along the Clintonville area and Olentangy River respectively where there are several picnic spots and parks for recreation purposes. The Schottenstein Center, Nationwide Arena and Lifestyle Communities Pavilion are some of the finest avenues for theatre and art lovers.

CAREER SUPPORT

The Office of Career Management not only supports the students in seeking a job post their MBA, but also partners with the students in developing an effective plan to accomplish their long term goals. The Office of Career Management has an individualized, strategic and consultative approach while charting out the career plans of each student. The Career Foundation Seminars led by industry professionals, alumni and faculty are a guiding source for the students. There are workshops conducted in the Career Success Series where the students are trained to refine their resumes and enhance their networking skills, and taught effective job hunt techniques. There are discipline-specific career consultants who play an integral role in developing the marketing plan for the students and guide the students to alleviate their interview and negotiation skills. There are on-campus recruiting events, job fairs, information sessions and group trips for the students to connect with potential employers and seek information regarding the company.