Montclair State University - Feliciano School of Business

Graduate students get a good return on their investment at Montclair State University, an “affordable” public school with an “up-and-coming business program” near New York City. Having recently reworked their graduate curriculum, Montclair ’s Feliciano School of Business offers several distinct MBA options on its New Jersey campus: an evening program, an Executive MBA and a Hybrid Saturday MBA. For all three programs, the school has introduced a “redesigned cohort-based MBA,” through which students complete a comprehensive core curriculum in tandem with a small group of classmates. The structure encourages greater interaction and networking between MBA candidates—a huge asset to the experience, given that “fellow students are competent, pleasant to work with, and provide an engaging atmosphere in the classroom.” A new online MBA is offered beginning in Fall 2016.

Beyond classroom instruction, the Montclair MBA curriculum provides a “complete educational experience,” from the ongoing executive speaker series to the “foundations toolbox,” an online resource to help students prepare for the MBA. For a global perspective, students participate in a nine to ten day “international [study] trip,” an intensive course taught overseas, which focuses on the political and cultural aspects of global business. While the program offers a range of excellent resources, prospective students should carefully review the course offerings before enrolling, to ensure a cohort structured program is the correct fit for them. On the whole, “the administration for the MBA has been very receptive to students.” Whenever a problem arises, “the MBA office is very quick in their responses and follow up.”

Thanks to the small class size, “you do not get lost in the crowd” at Montclair, and “the professors do seem to offer a lot of assistance outside of class.” The majority of the “professors are outstanding,” though students admit that while there are “rock stars,” a few professors can be lacking. In particular, finance and accounting professors get good marks from students, and “the economics professors are above average.” Essential to working adults, practical education is a focus in the coursework; in the classroom, professors “use their real life experiences to teach us and get us up to date.”

The majority of Montclair students are already employed when they begin the program, using the MBA to advance in their current position. Those looking for new jobs will ben- efit from the school’s proximity to New York City, one of the largest and most diverse job markets in the world. Currently, graduates of Montclair School of Business hold jobs at companies including Northwestern Mutual, Market Analytics, Enterprise RAC, Disney World, New York Life, Deloitte, Citigroup, CH Robinson, Estee Lauder, Merrill Lynch, KPMG, MTV, Prudential, The Hampton Inn, Bayer Healthcare, Party City, Target, Ernst & Young, and others.

The School of Business Career Services office is available to help undergraduate and grad- uate students explore careers and prepare for the job hunt through workshops, speakers, Internet resources, and individual career counseling sessions. With regards to the assis- tance offered by Career Services, a current student explains, “You basically post your resume, which they pass on to employers involved in in-campus recruiting. They call you for interviews, when they feel you are a match for a position.” While this system does produce opportunities, students would love to see more networking events on campus.

Montclair ’s graduate business programs principally attract students from the local area, in addition to a smaller population of international students. Within the student body, there is a “very diverse mix ethnically, and many different professions represented.” No matter what their background, students are generally “hard-working professionals that are attending the MBA program at night.” A student in the Saturday program attests, “My fellow students within the cohort are very intelligent, hard working, reliable, and goal oriented.”

Outside the classroom, the business school hosts networking events and frequent business speakers for the benefit of the MBA program, and it recently began hosting case competitions as well. While most students cannot find the time for extracurricular activities, others take advantage of the collegial atmosphere. “On campus, life is pretty rich. You get to meet lots of people, interact, network and have fun.” A current student adds, “I have always been a commuter in my studies. Montclair is the first school that I felt truly encouraged [to have] an on campus social life.”

The School of Business moved into a new building in summer 2015, and overall, the school’s 250-acre campus is “very nice with many improvements in the past few years.” Only fourteen miles from New York City, it’s easy to take advantage of the big city’s recreational, professional, and entertainment options, while enjoying the more tranquil, suburban atmosphere in Montclair and the surrounding area.