William & Mary Mason

History

The College of William and Mary is the second oldest university of the nation next to Harvard. The College was founded way back in 1693, when King William III and Queen Mary II of England signed the charter for a “perpetual College of Divinity, Philosophy, Languages and other good Arts and Sciences” in the Virginia Colony. In 1919, the President of the College Julian A.C. Chandler established the Department of Business. The MBA program was started in 1966. In 1968, the Department of Business became the School of Business. In November 2005, the School of Business was named in honor of its alumnus, Raymond A. “Chip” Mason, former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Legg Mason.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary is to serve the Commonwealth, the nation, and the global community both by offering high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels and by creating and communicating new knowledge.

Core Strengths of the School

The newly introduced curriculum of Paths of Distinction is tailor-made to suit today’s market requirements. The curriculum is an initiative to accommodate the needs of the employers combined with unique and pragmatic learning opportunities. The Mason MBA offers concentrations in areas specific to the requirements of the job market that can enhance a student’s learning in the specific field. The two seven-week Career Acceleration Modules are intensely designed to provide benefitting results to the students. The modules provide a holistic approach to the business concepts through a composite blend of academic and experiential learning activities. The module comprises of consulting projects, case study analyses, and field trips to various companies, where students learn the application of the analytical tools and business concepts to real world business situations. The enriching sessions from guest speakers who have been business leaders and played pivotal roles in the company for a long time bring different and widespread perspectives to the table, thus adding on to the practical content of the module.

The Leadership Development Experience course has a uniquely crafted Leadership Competency Model that focuses on three essential things- personalized growth, developing interpersonal skills and leading with impact. Each student is assigned a coach from the list of Executive Partners who mentor the students to acquire the necessary skills desired in the business world and work towards nurturing the leadership potential of the students. These Executive Partners are proven business leaders with abundant years of experience in diverse set of industries. Their experiences are a source of guidance to the students at Mason.

Uniqueness in MBA Pedagogy

The International Study tours offered as a part of the Global Business Immersion program expose the student to the business environments of different countries and varied industries. This is an opportunity for the students to understand the economy, market and culture of visiting countries. The students will gain first-hand experiences on interactive business challenges and develop their viewpoint about doing business in a global environment.

The Field Consultancy Programs provide challenging assignments to students in the field of corporate and operational finance, information technology, marketing and several such disciplines of the corporate world. The students interact with the client organization and identify the root cause of the business issues faced by the client. Students act as a consultant to the client organization and propose a relevant and efficient solution to the business problem based on the client’s requirements after doing thorough research on it.

The Allan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center taps the entrepreneurial potential of the students. The business visionaries support the business ideas of the students and guide them towards embarking on their entrepreneurial venture. Net Impact Club comprises of a global network of business leaders representing start-ups and Fortune-500 companies. The eminent speakers of the panel provide insights into the current business challenges and macroeconomic issues faced by the companies today. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Club encourages the member students to come up with innovative business ideas and helps implementing these ideas. The 3-day start-up is a campus-workshop that focuses on learning-by-doing and provides hands-on working environment to the students to acquire entrepreneurial skills. Juntos is a student led club that fosters mutual improvement. The students are free to choose their own topics, form groups, and dig deeper into business issues and analyze the facts in groups.

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

LOCATION ADVANTAGES

The School is located on the East Coast city of Philadelphia, which is a hub of a diverse set of industries such as bio-tech, pharmaceuticals, health care and life sciences, technology, telecommunications, manufacturing and business services. The city’s music scene ranges from opera, classical and chamber music to original jazz, rock, folk and hip-hop. Tourists have the chance to explore the four centuries of history and architecture of the city through the remarkable museum collections and architectural landmarks. Adventure lovers can indulge themselves in running, cycling and riding in the trails of the nearby Fairmount Park.

CAREER SUPPORT

Mason’s Career Development Center helps in planning the careers of the students through a comprehensive and intensive array of workshops, classes, one-to-one coaching and online resources. The Career Advisor helps in developing the individual career plan of each student aligning it with his/her career goals. The workshops and classes further aid the students in acquiring the necessary skills for cracking interviews and train them to leverage their professional network efficiently. The Executive Partners, who are attuned to the requirements of the company, know the exact set of skills desired by the company and hence, are able to guide the students to acquire such skills.