MBA Options
Open to opinions on where I should do my MBA. I am currently on the West coast in my first year as an analyst. I know that I want to end up in the South and also want to get my MBA, so I am planning to start a full time program after two years in an analyst role. My top choice is UNC due to their amazing reputation for their real estate MBA concentration, but I want to have a plan B and C. I want the school to be in the south (SEC). Does it make sense to do a finance concentration at a top school in the South (Emory, Duke, Georgia Tech) or should I make sure it is a real estate concentration since that is the industry I’ll want to remain in post grad? Thank you!
Based on the most helpful WSO content, it seems like you're on the right track with your thinking. UNC indeed has a strong reputation for their real estate MBA concentration, and it's great that you're considering your interests and future career path in your decision.
As for your question about whether to pursue a finance concentration at a top school in the South or stick with a real estate concentration, it really depends on your long-term goals. If you're certain about staying in the real estate industry post-graduation, a real estate concentration could provide you with specialized knowledge and skills that could be beneficial.
However, a finance concentration at a top school like Emory, Duke, or Georgia Tech could also be a strong choice. It could provide you with a broader skill set that could be applicable in a variety of roles and industries, including real estate. Plus, these schools have strong reputations and could provide valuable networking opportunities.
In the end, it's a personal decision that depends on your career goals, interests, and the specific opportunities available at each school. I'd recommend researching each program thoroughly, talking to alumni if possible, and considering what skills and experiences you want to gain from your MBA. Good luck with your decision!
Sources: UNC Chapel Hill vs. UGA vs. Vanderbilt vs. Boston University vs. Boston College vs. Northwestern vs. Northeastern, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/real-estate/mba-programs-for-real-estate?customgpt=1, Ask mbaMission about Business School Admissions, MBA or Masters of Science in Real Estate??
Self Bump lol
Not sure why you're dead set on the MBA having to be in the Southeast, but I think your targets are correct. I would go UNC > Duke > Emory > Tech for real estate. I would perhaps throw UVA in there but that might be even more of a stretch if you're concerned about missing UNC. You could also throw Vanderbilt in there. Generally once you get past the top 15 MBA's it becomes extremely regional, ie Emory is going to land you a job in Atlanta, Vandy in Nashville, etc. Not to say high caliber people don't go elsewhere, but UVA grads can go across the country if they so choose.
I work in real estate in the southeast - UNC is definitely the gold standard for a real estate MBA. Duke has a good nationwide name brand so it will be more helpful than the others. Emory has more of a preppy institutional feel than GA Tech in my opinion - Tech is very engineering dominated even in the business school. Emory and Tech also highly prioritize consulting - you may be 1 of 5 people in your class looking to go into real estate. UNC I think 15% of the class is in real estate so substantially better networking if you plan to be in real estate for forever.
Thanks so much! This is helpful. I want it to be in the Southeast for personal/family reasons. UNC remains my first choice for sure.
Any thoughts on Vanderbilt? They rank decently for southern schools.
They rank decently but I've honestly never met anyone who went there. As I mentioned at a certain ranking point the program becomes hyper regional. If you want to live in Nashville then Vandy is probably the best program to do that. In the same vein I bet it is rare to run into an Emory MBA in Nashville because they're going to place in Atlanta.
I was actually looking really closely at Vandy just before the pandemic and they seem to do quite well with placement and have a really solid/helpful alumni base, but it definitely did seem like they overwhelmingly landed in the Southeast. That said, the students/alumni that I had spoken with had all personally preferred to stay down South in areas like Nashville or Charlotte, but it sounded like it was certainly possible to make your way outside of the region without too much effort.
Out of gratitude, I also think it's worth mentioning that they were hands-down the kindest and most helpful group of people of any of the business schools that I looked into, ranging from the admissions officers on tour to any of the students or alums that I reached out to and spoke with.
.
No - 1 out of 5 total people. Maybe 3-5% of class body.
UT Austin also has a great MBA program, though not as far east as you may like it's still a big name and I feel like you won't have trouble landing something solid from it.
Anyone have any thoughts on Rice or SMU for Texas opportunities?
If you want to live and die in Dallas then SMU is a great program. If you don't want to be in Dallas I'd probably look elsewhere. Don't know much about Rice.
Sure feels like >50% of the DFW real estate community has either an MBA or undergrad from SMU. Don't think I've ran across a single SMU grad in Houston or Austin though.
make sense hhh~
Wisconsin has a great program focused on Real Estate. That said, they have reach all over the country, but I'd imagine the SE is one of their weakest reaches. Most in that MBA program go to Chicago. I know LA does well too, and a few in New York. I've run across lots of Wisconsin grads in Texas but mostly all undergrad.
What sort of real estate career do you want to have? I think that makes a big difference in where you want to target. For example, do you want to work for Blackstone, Brookfield, etc.? In that case, I'd probably target the best MBA program you can get into and not worry whether they have a specific RE program. Do you want to go work for a local developer or operator? In that case, I'd figure out your top destinations and go to the best real estate program in that area (example - Want to work in Austin / Houston? Go to UT. Want to work in Dallas? UT or SMU. Want to work in Miami? I'm not familiar with that market but guessing Emory, Georgia, FSU, etc.). If you plan to have a career that is localized (such as the aforementioned local developer or operator) the name of the game for you is going to be having the best connections in that market which is why you want to go to the program that employs the most graduates in that market. If you want to be at the top of an institutional shop running nationwide REPE acquisitions, pedigree is going to be of large importance so you go to the best name brand you can get into.
Thank you for your comment! My goal is to land with a local developer/operator to learn the ropes and eventually start my own firm. Given I am currently on the West Coast and want to move to the South, I agree that getting the MBA from where I eventually want to be is important for getting connected in the city. I would love to go to UNC and end up in Atlanta, Nashville, or Raleigh.
If I were you, I'd find 5 - 10 shops in each of those markets you'd like to work at. See if there are any MBA's working there, get on the phone with them and ask their thoughts on the program, etc. When you finally graduate, you already have a contact whose advice you took.
I'll be that guy and mention that literally none of the schools you mentioned in the OP are in the SEC?
Any thoughts on Texas A&M program?
First WSO comment here so go easy on me!
Currently doing MBA at UT Austin. Background is in the industry and I plan on continuing in CRE afterwards. I'm only a few months into the program but can attest that the real estate center is very well connected to development/acquisitions/PE/Pension shops in Texas (think Lionstone, Affinius (formerly USAA), Pennybacker, TRS, etc.) as well as larger multinationals like Hines (HQ is in Houston) and Trammell Crow Company. Also, there's a Real Estate Investment Fund that a professor runs and puts MBAs in over a few undergrads, which I'll be doing next year and seems very educational.
Someone asked me once "Why UT Austin for CRE? Why not UNC/other school?" and my response to that is that I want to stay in Texas, and unless I wanted to go work for a Blackstone, etc. I'll likely get the best recruiting and network (very important in CRE) by going to a school in the area I want to live and do business in. I'm already seeing the power of the MBA network in my LinkedIn outreach at companies I'm targeting.
How many years experience did you have before you started your program?
I had 3 years of post-grad experience in CRE as well as 1-2 years of pre-grad experience in the industry, including internships. I believe the program requires you to have 3 years of post-grad experience by the time you start the program. My class has an average of 5.9 years of post-grad work experience (https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/graduate/mba/full-time-mba/admissions/cl…).
Est voluptatem eaque dignissimos quia ut. Qui quas temporibus ut autem earum voluptas repellat.
Nam hic minima delectus illum quia est ex veniam. Ipsa facere earum officia nisi.
Quisquam temporibus repellat sint fuga omnis quae labore. Non enim sit sed. Dolores voluptate qui tempore consequatur. Aliquid est similique enim exercitationem sit deserunt ea. Dignissimos quis unde magni sunt in assumenda id facilis.
Ea rerum est dolores deleniti dolores impedit soluta. Ut distinctio porro consequatur similique ut nostrum. Dolor voluptates architecto omnis est pariatur id. Perferendis vel dolores deserunt qui repellendus quasi. Sint tempore commodi dolorem minima. Magnam ratione voluptas sed corporis est itaque.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Dolores sed distinctio consequatur blanditiis quia perferendis nemo praesentium. Temporibus enim mollitia rerum. Tempore dolore culpa quasi nihil sint ut. Explicabo enim ducimus voluptatem qui voluptatibus est eum. Voluptatum occaecati laborum est quidem neque.