Stern School of Business

The Stern School of Business at New York University is very much a product of its setting. Located just a couple of miles north of Wall Street, Stern boasts the connections and the access to industry heavyweights to sustain a great finance program. Because New York is also America's most international city, Stern has the capacity to focus its curriculum on world business issues. And, because the city is home to so many your executives looking for a leg up, NYU is also home to one of the nation's top-ranked part-time MBA programs.
First year at Stern is devoted almost entirely to core curriculum (this sequence takes two years for most part-timers). Those who cannot demonstrate proficiency in writing, analytical methods, economics, or calculus must being their tenure at Stern with noncredit courses in those subjects. All students take the Stern Pre-Term, a noncredit "series of exercises, seminars, and other experiences that provide a focused first exposure to the Stern MBA program." They then proceed to a series of required core courses and "menu" core courses (students chose three such courses from a menu of four). Students report that "First year is much more difficult than second year" and happily report that "Stern makes an effort to have core courses taught by senior faculty, which really enhances that first-year learning experience." Second-year students must select a major area requiring twelve hours of course credit; students give glowing reviews to study in finance, marketing, international business, and media studies.

According to our survey, "Most of the professors are good. There are a few great ones and some bad ones. Professors are well tuned to what's going on currently and apply it to the topics of the day. Many are consultants to well-known companies." Students also tell us that "The administration has become much more responsive to student input. Many recent and proposed changes to faculty, facilities, and coursework are very positive" and that "Overall, things run quite smoothly at Stern, including registration, scheduling of events and career resources." On the downside, students complain that the school needs to "main a better balance between full-time and part-time student life." Observed one MBA, "There is a lack of participation in team-building and school spirit of community." Full-time students also complain that "too many classes are given at night to accommodate the schedules of part-timers."