Haas School of Business

Haas students appreciate the diversity their MBA program provides. When asked to name the field of study that attracted them to Berkeley, students reel off a virtual laundry list of subjects. Some come for the nationally renowned Real Estate Development program, administered in conjunction with the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Politics. Others cite the certificate program in technology offered by Haas and Berkeley's School of Engineering. Still others appreciate the availability of numerous courses in public and nonprofit management. Haas's entrepreneurship program is also well regarded. For those willing to exert the Herculean effort necessary, Haas also offers a joint JD/MBA, an MBA/MA in Asian Studies, a combined MBA/Masters in Public Health Services Management, and an MBA/MIAS (International Studies).
Such diversity is one of the benefits a program at a large university can provide. Typically at large schools the downside is that students feel lost in the enormity of their program, ignored by professors, administrators, and even fellow classmates. Not so at Haas, however. Professors here receive high marks for being very accessible and helpful. They use a lot of cross-referencing to integrate concepts taught in other disciplines (i.e., finance will refer to an economic theory). "One student notes, "I knew the professors at Berkeley would be top notch, but I didn't realize how personable they would be. I talk to my professors outside of class all the time." Administrators are "extremely responsive" and "put a lot of energy into protecting us from the UC bureaucracy."

Like most b-schools, Haas fills its first year with requirements, allowing students only a single elective. Students appreciate the integrated core: "Some of the top faculty teach the core, which dramatically impacts the quality of the first-year experience. Core courses are very well integrated, ensuring one receives each component as part of the big picture." Courses are "challenging and demanding without being too high pressure. Emphasis is on learning, not grades." One respondent concludes, "My only complaints is that the outside world does not know the quality of education and students at Haas."