Southern California Marshall

History

In 1879, Judge Robert Maclay Widney dreamt of establishing a university at Los Angeles and secured a donation of 308 lots of land for transforming his vision into reality. The University of Southern California opened its doors in 1880 with 53 students and 10 teachers. The Marshall School commenced as the College of Commerce and Business Administration in 1920. The Graduate School of Business Administration was established in 1960. The country’s first ever Entrepreneurship program, which is now known as The Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, was established in 1972 at Marshall. The Pacific RIM Education PRIME program, implemented in 1997, was the first ever MBA course of the country that required all MBA students to participate in an international experience.

MISSION STATEMENT

Goal of understanding how innovation is changing global competition and how managers can better manage it.

Core Strengths of the School

The comprehensive curriculum of the program exposes the students to all disciplines of business and is structured to build strong management skills in its students. The foundational courses help students understand the theories, principles and concepts of the business world. Students participate in a two-week orientation program held before the fall semester classes, where they identify their communication and leadership styles. The classroom discussion, study groups and outdoor team-building exercises foster a collaborative environment among students and teach them essential lessons on interpersonal skills and team-effectiveness. The Case Competition held during the Orientation week enables the students to tap their creative potential and come up with innovative solutions to the business problems. Students are able to select four elective courses during the first year that would enable them to emerge successful during their summer internships. The second year of the program gives the option to choose from a wide array of electives, thus ensuring that the students can tailor their MBA to suit their goals and aspirations.

Uniqueness in MBA Pedagogy

Marshall’s Experiential Learning Center ELC promotes ‘learning by doing’ through interactive and engaging exercises. Students participate in a range of management simulations and structured activities that are video-recorded. Students view these pre-recorded videos and reflect on their own actions. The Graduate Student Investment Fund SIF Course enables students from the finance stream to apply their skills to real-world business scenarios. Students are given the opportunity to manage $5 million in four equity and one fixed-income portfolio.

Global Education has been a part of Marshall’s MBA program, where students get a myriad of opportunities to travel across the globe and develop a holistic perspective of conducting business in today’s dynamic marketplace. PRIME, GSBA-580, The Global Context of Business is a compulsory course for the MBA students. Students delve into the business practices followed by other countries, and compare and contrast it with the current best practices followed in the U.S. The uniquely structured course comprises of three main components namely- common sessions, country-specific sessions and PRIME International Experience Learning, where students are required to make 10-day overseas site visit. Students visit local and multinational companies, and government institutions and interact with top-notch executives and government officials to understand the trade policies, economy and commerce of the visiting country. They work on capstone projects, where they incorporate the concepts of global strategy and economics in their recommendations to the companies. The International Exchange Program IEP is another initiative by the School to give students insights into the culture of another country. Students study business at one of the 14 partner schools in locations such as China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, etc., and develop a global perspective on business issues. The ABAC Research Project is a platform for students to study the current market forces in APEC (Asia Specific Economic Cooperation) countries and research on topics such as sustainable energy, and non-tariff barriers to trade and present their findings at the annual ABAC CEO Meeting.

The Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies aims to impart entrepreneurial education to the students at Marshall by equipping them with the requisite tools and resources necessary to launch, manage and sustain a successful venture.

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

LOCATION ADVANTAGES

The School is located in Los Angeles, which is considered as the largest manufacturing center in the western part of the U.S. The economy of LA is driven by international trade, aerospace, technology, petroleum and tourism. The city houses around 6 Fortune 500 companies. The city has been labeled as the “Creative Capital of the World” as it is home to several artists, film-makers, writers, actors, dancers and musicians. Los Angeles is home to Hollywood and hosts the Annual Academy Awards. The Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Cathedral of our Lady of Angels, and Angels Flight, etc., are some of the important landmarks of the city.

CAREER SUPPORT

The MBA Career Services Professionals work closely with the students to identify their area of focus and introduce them to the renowned companies of the industry through their network to pursue a summer internship. The Career Management workshops include one-to-one guidance from career coaches, where they guide the students on crucial decisions of their careers like switching their industry or pursuing their entrepreneurial ambitions. The interview coaching prepares the students to respond to a range of behavioral and professional interview questions. The on-campus recruiting events, industry seminars and job fairs provide details regarding the potential employers and equip the students with the necessary information before they take up the job offer.