MBA Program Tops Employment Rankings

For the second year in a row the placement success of UW MBA graduates is among the highest of all MBA programs in the nation. According to the MBA Career Services Council most schools are reporting placements ranging between 80 and 90 percent three months after graduation. That puts the UW Business School well above the curve, with nearly 96 percent of all 2003 MBAs having accepted a job three months after graduation. As of November nearly 98 percent of the grads had accepted jobs.

That's a significant increase over the past two years. In 2001 the School had placed about 85 percent of all graduates three months after graduation; in 2002 that number rose to nearly 88 percent.

According to Dan Poston, executive director of the MBA program, the increase in job placements is a direct result of a change in philosophy. The School is now working directly with individual students to better understand where their career goals, skills and interests lie.

"We've changed our approach to career services from telling students how to do it to helping students make the connections with companies," says Poston. Such a strong showing in placements has an impact both on the School and on graduates. Successful placements speak strongly about the candidates the School is graduating and entice recruiters to take a harder look at graduates. High placement numbers also have a direct impact on rankings, such as those published by U.S.News & World Report. This year the School jumped from 49th to 35th in the magazine's annual "Best Graduate Schools" rankings.