Recently, I’ve decided to leave Depaul Kellstadt MBA program (ranked 6th on US New & World Report part-time MBA) and transfer over to University of Illinois UIC Liautaud MBA program (ranked 24th out of 300 US News & Report part-time MBA). I firmly believe that I’m one of only a handful of students that have ever done this. In addition, Crain’s Chicago (Chicago top authority in business news) recently ranked Depaul 3rd in Chicago and UIC 6th in Chicago.
Now why would I want to leave Depaul MBA (ranked 6th) which has a massive alumni network in Chicago and transfer over to UIC (ranked 24th) with a much smaller alumni network? Sit down, sit down.. let me explain my madness.
- I was paying out of pocket for my MBA with which Depaul cost around $50k for the whole program while UIC MBA cost around $36K if finished within two years.
- UIC offers Graduate Assistant Position in which you’re paid a monthly stipend and basically half your tuition is waived (will go into more detail about this on next post)
- I wanted to go back for my MBA to actually learn and apply the principles to businesses. In which case:
Depaul VS UIC
Case study: 11 % Case study: 31 %
Distance Learning: 5 % Distance Learning: 9 %
Experiential Learning: 10 % Experiential Learning: 4 %
Lecture: 50 % Lecture: 20 %
Simulations: 3 % Simulations: 6 %
Team Project: 11 % Team Project: 30 %
Other: 10 %
- This was a HUGE deciding factor for me. Almost 30% less lectures and more attention on case studies, team projects, and distance learning. I find it hard to justify paying $3000 a class if I’m going to be only reading from a book and listening to a teacher lecture about it.
- While test scores do not really prove anything: Depaul (Average GMAT 573 and accepted 88% of applicants) while UIC MBA (Average GMAT 610 and accepted 45% of applicants). This tells me that UIC is trying hard to bring in quality students while Depaul is relaxing their admissions.
Although I have not started at UIC yet, I feel confident that I made a right choice. My goal from an MBA program was to take the principles I learned to apply to my future businesses. Don’t get me wrong, Depaul is a great school also. I met some really great people there. I believe that given the time and money constraint, UIC Liautaud Graduate School of Business was the better decision of the two.
Posted under UIC MBA Liautaud
This post was written by Jay on September 8, 2008
Jay Lin,
As a soon graduating student of the Liataud School of Business, I can tell you this much- if you find some friends, make some connections and choose the correct classes and professors, you will have a truly wonderful learning experience. While no one was an absolute “dud”, they have some amazing professors that are simply above the cut, thus missing the opportunity to learn from them would be a shame. Further, many of them have incredible connections, given the schools proximity to the largest trading centers in the world. You truly will have the opportunity to sit in the same room as some of the greatest financial guru’s of the last few decades. While in hindisght I unfortunately did not concentrate on finance, I would venture to say that any publication not placing UIC’s finance MBA concentration in the top ten, would be suspect to conflicting interests. That being said, my concentration on global business and strategy was an amazing experience. Given the tremendous diversity of the program and rigid entry standards, you are subsequently exposed to some of sharpest young minds across the globe. To this end, I would argue as well that while others may be higher ranked, I again would question the actual utility ranking of the programs themselves. Welcome and good luck, and I agree- you did make the right choice. But it probably wasn’t the “easier” one.
You will enjoy UIC. Its a very underrated business program. Crains ranked in 4th in the city for 2008. Given the current economic conditions, more students and professionals will be looking to get in to a concentration not just in Finance, but also entrepreneurship…They have a top 10 entrepreneurship program…If I were you, I would also take advantage of that…Only reason UIC is not well known is because its a new school when you compare to other major colleges all across the nation and Illinois. UIC is the youngest campus from all the major universities in the states and has come a long way…good luck
I agree w/ your decision…UIC is a great business school…it is often underrated due to its siter school down south and because of Northwestern & University of Chicago being in the same city…At UIC, you will learn a lot more practical stuff from actual traders and quants instead of professors who teach theory and never traded in their life…Some of the professors run their own business as well…its a matter of time before people start to figure out UIC…I do agree that we as alumni need to be more involved
Good Luck! Great choice! UIC is affordable and offers quality education and connections in once of the best business cities in the world….You cant beat the location as many major employers hire UIC grads.
The professors are great and have graduated from top rated programs from across the globe….only downside is that globally, the business program is not known as much as Urbana campus…but in Chicago, everyone knows UIC…
Jay,
Thanks for posting your thoughts about UIC MBA program. I am interested in pursuing MBA in fall 2010 and was under same quandary whether to choose DePaul or UIC.
Ditto with Triv. I’ll be starting MBA in Fall 2010 or Spring 2011. I’m going to a UIC info session this Saturday.
I’ll be graduating from NU in poli sci, probably a 3.6, and I can reasonably predict a > 600 GMAT. Not much job experience though. I’m gonna feel outclassed.
UIC’s respectability (which I was in some doubt of) and DePaul’s ease of entry are both comforting notions. Thanks for the comparisons.