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· MBA Programs · MS Accounting · MS Taxation · Doctoral Programs · Program Brochures |
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Evening MBA Program Survival Guide Table of Contents
Get Ready to Study Business! Welcome to the University at Albany's Evening MBA Program for Working Professionals. You have been admitted into a competitive, internationally accredited program of study. You will be working in classes with teams of students with varied business backgrounds and studying with professors who teach, research, and immerse themselves in their fields. It will be a rigorous program, but one that will be well worth your time and effort. The following pre-work has been designed by the faculty to help students succeed in their classes by beginning each class fully prepared with the knowledge, skills, and ability to succeed. Since each of you comes to the MBA program with different backgrounds, each of you will find different parts of this program to be challenging. We have tried, where possible, to provide you with places to go or sources to consult for more information if you find the topic to be unfamiliar or difficult. General MBA Expectations The MBA degree is a rigorous, demanding program of study. Graduate study is unlike undergraduate study: students are expected to actively participate in all classes, group work is expected, self-study is necessary and expected, and professionalism (even under pressure) is demanded. Students should ask themselves how individuals would react and respond in an organization because that is what the MBA program tries to simulate an organization filled with deliverables, projects, personalities, diversity, competition, managers, friendships, mentoring relationships, good days and bad days, peers, but most importantly: success and growth via hard work. As in any setting where interaction with others is crucial to your success, you will find that your ability to work effectively with individuals (peers, faculty and staff) will help you succeed. It is expected and understood that there will be some whom you enjoy working with, and some you won't. You will learn valuable lessons from all. Evening students also bring with them the added element of current or past work experience. It is expected that this knowledge will be shared in classes with fellow students and that what you learn in class will be applied to your current organizations. These experiences add to the depth of the program and provide alternative perspectives for other students. It is also expected that students will respect the classroom environment and, when required, the confidentiality of information discussed. In order to give you a feel for how MBA programs operate, we have recommended the following text book: How to Get an MBA by Morgen Witzel It is available in paperback for about $16.00 and can be found at larger bookstores like Barnes and Nobles, Borders, or Amazon.com. While much of the information is valuable, several chapters have been found to be most beneficial. These include chapters on learning via case studies and working in teams. We have provided some excerpts below: Learning through Case Analysis and Study Critical Thinking In elementary school, students are "spoon fed": information is delivered in a variety of ways in a repetitive fashion until learning is accomplished. As you moved on in your studies, much of your learning centered around memorization of facts and concepts. But at the Graduate level in the Business School, students must be able to analyze, find meaning, be able to apply information to new, unfamiliar situations, determine which models apply — in other words, be able to think critically. If you would like to learn more about thinking critically, please read the following: Innovation through Learning: What Leaders Need to Know in the 21st Century by Salvatore Belardo (Professor in the ITM Department) and Anthony Belardo Chapter 2 is available here by permission of the authors and the publisher. If you would like to purchase the book it is available from the publisher at www.whitston.com for approximately $35.00. Readings Please begin your MBA program by reading, on a regular basis, the popular business press. Be aware of current business events and question the point of view of the various authors. Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, the business section of major newspapers, Business Week, Inc. Magazine, etc. all are good places to start. Be up-to-date on local business issues and commentary via the Capital District Business Review. And note that most of these have on-line versions if you prefer. It is also important that you develop the habit of reading business periodicals regularly as your instructors will reference current business events in class discussions and assignments. Business Ethics Need more help? This exercise is a great way to refresh your web searching skills. Try using some of the different web search engines like Google, Lycos, Yahoo, and AltaVista. Try going to query websites like Ask.com (formerly AskJeeves.com). Look in on-line archives from some of the popular business press like BusinessWeek.com. WWW and E-mail Skills It is essential that you have an e-mail address. We will use this to communicate with you and you will use it to work with your student teams. Make sure that your email address is up to date and that it does not filter out all distribution lists (you are now part of the Evening MBA Program distribution list!). Check your e-mail frequently: the increased speed of business and reliance on information is critical for success in the business world today and it is also critical for your success in this MBA program. Additionally, you will need to have access to the WWW and should be familiar with various search engines and able to find and access information quickly. If you have not had much experience navigating the Web, practice this before you start the program. As you proceed through the program, you will be conducting high-level business research using the databases and electronic resources of the University Library. There are training courses offered by the library to aid you in this sort of research, and to utilize these aids, it is assumed that all students have basic WWW navigation skills. Also, please review the section in your Orientation Guide books on "Bringing the Library Home" as this will help you utilize the vast reference materials now available to you without having to come to campus. Math Ability Pre-Test Knowing basic algebra and logic is necessary and assumed for MBA course work. Many of your MBA classes like economics, finance, statistics and marketing, will require these math skills. The attached test is designed to help you refresh those math skills. If you are currently entering as a non-degree student, the GMAT exam is a prerequisite to becoming a degree student. Preparing for math section of the GMAT will also help you in your MBA classes. If you have already taken the GMAT and feel comfortable with your math skills then a quick review may be all that is necessary. The answer key is also included so that you can check yourself and determine what you know and (perhaps) what you need to review or study. All of the problems can be solved with high school level math skills — but some of you may need to refresh these skills. Quick Check-List of Required Math Skills:
Need more help? Try reviewing the math portion of the GMAT test in any GMAT review or prep book. And since this is all high school level math, you may want to consult a Regents Exam Review book series like Barrons Review for Math A and Math B Examinations. Current MBA students also offer the following suggestion: a financial calculator will help you in many of your quantitative courses. Computer Skills Pre-Test Throughout all your classes, you will need top-notch computer skills. The check lists below are based on the Microsoft Office user certification and contain the basic skills you will need for success in this program. Please review the check-list and make sure that you can do all the items listed in MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Also attached is a PowerPoint presentation that was designed and delivered by a team of students this past year. We recommend that you first view this through the PP "slide show" function and then make sure you could create something similar to it with your knowledge of PowerPoint. Lastly, we have attached a sample MBA report to give you a feel for the type of projects you will be working on in your MBA Program. Make sure you can use Word and Excel to create imbedded charts and graphs, add footnotes and citation, divide into sections, use subheadings, etc. Need more help? Try some of the "how to" books like Excel for Dummies or the tutorials that came with the purchase of the software. Play around with the various "buttons" and pull down menus, and consult the "Help" function in the software program itself. Career Development Skills Evening students choose the MBA program for a variety of reasons. These may focus on a career change, a company change, or advancement within the same company. Once you are a fully matriculated MBA student, there are several resources available for you. Career Development Center (CDC): Although they function primarily during typical working hours, they are also located on the Albany web site at www.albany.edu/cdc. Here you may register to receive notification about career workshops, events, and fairs as well as search MonsterTrak's online database for college students and alumni. You must be registered through the CDC to utilize their services. Please refer to their web site for further information. Supplemental Course Resources
WebCT At the University at Albany, WebCT is offered by the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and is available for use by all UA Faculty and Teaching Assistants who wish to add an online component to their classes. Instructors may use WebCT in several ways. These include, as a means of communication with the class or a single student through email and discussion boards, to post notes or Power Point slides for upcoming classes, to administer exams, or post projects. Overall, WebCt provides a centralized place for sharing specific course information. When a professor chooses to supplement their course with this resource students are encouraged to check the course site several times per week. Faculty and students who wish to use WebCT require only a web browser (Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer) and an active Internet connection. No additional software is necessary. WebCT is accessed through the web browser directly or through the university web site. WebCT offers a password-protected environment for online courses. It is only accessible to registered students, the instructor, and the administrators.
ERes — Electronic Reserve System Faculty and students who wish to use ERes require only a web browser (Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer) and an active Internet connection. No additional software is necessary. ERes is accessed through the web browser directly or through the university web site. ERes offers a password-protected environment for online courses. It is only accessible to registered students, the instructor, and the administrators. Writing Skills All writing done in the MBA program should conform to all the rules, spelling convention, and grammar of basic written English. Need more help? The standard for how to write is Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It is available at all major bookstores in paperback.
Evening MBA Student Advisement The University at Albany and this MBA program works hard to provide students with plenty of information to make decisions about classes, class choices, University offerings, and current events. Throughout your MBA Program, there will be many ways to receive information about the program, your advancement through it, and your options throughout it. The following is meant to provide you with information about what to look for, but is not intended to replace the information provided to students throughout their program of study.
Look for dates and further information about these all information sessions as they become relevant to you as you progress through the MBA program. Individual Course Information What you have accomplished and learned via this web site is tied to your success in your MBA classes. Therefore, we have included a list of the required courses, their descriptions, and the skills required to succeed in them. Please use this as a guide throughout your MBA study to be fully prepared for each and every course you take. Ten Time Management Tips One of the biggest challenges that you will face in the MBA program is learning to manage your time wisely. Juggling work, family, and play can already be tough. Add school to the mix and things can get real tricky. The following tips provide some suggestions for how to make the best use of your time, so that you can make the most of the precious little bit that you have.
Good luck and don't forget to share what works for you with your peers! Again, congratulations on beginning your MBA program of study. We hope that this web site helps you throughout your time in the Evening MBA program. |
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