As far as ‘upping the ante’ for this program, off the top of my head, I think it would be awesome to have some form of formalized internship or work experience opportunity built in or offered as an option for credit. I don’t know the feasibility, especially since it’s largely an accelerated program and San Luis Obispo isn’t exactly a capital of industry. However, I do know that there is no substitute for experience. In the spirit of ‘learn by doing’ I would like to see a greater emphasis placed on job and internship placement, especially since that was my number one objective when deciding to pursue my MBA.

Along those same lines, I tend to heed the advice of people who have proven their leadership ability. So, I believe opportunities to hear the insights of successful people through such programs as the Distinguished Speaker Series are invaluable.

A very simple way to emphasize the ‘cutting edge’ of leadership theory might simply be to add the reading of bestselling management books into the curriculum. I have personally learned quite a bit about leadership, communication, and self-composure from books by Jack Welch, Warren Buffet, Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Etc….. These books would be a much welcome relief from textbook reading. Again, I tend to place much more value on the insights and opinions of Jack Welsh, than I would on a dry textbook. If not done in an individual class, or across classes, maybe it can be a requirement to read 3 such books before graduating (much in the way that the China reading is structured.)

Do you think that they are not expressly asking you about finance, accounting, etc. because it is implied/assumed you have those skills nailed? I am curious what your read is on this.

No question that one of the strengths of the Cal Poly MBA program is the sense of community and cohesiveness. That is not to say it does not get competitive, but my read is that here it’s less dog-eat-dog than other programs and is one of the draws of the program. Of course, this can cut both ways.

This “balance” between healthy competition and looking out for each other is something I hope we can maintain here for a long time. Both have their time and place in a program, for sure.

You are also right and correct that throughout the program there are places where students can lead and feel comfortable developing their leadership skills. This is truly valuable and is a big part of learning in any graduate program, and each of you should continue to emphasize this fact in your interviews.

The comments in my post were directed more toward how we might, as a program, up the ante and take things to the next level in terms of more formally institutionalizing leadership learning and training in the curriculum, and most importantly, be able to test and assess whether we are doing a good job in this regard. By doing so we would also force the folks in each MBA class who are not naturally gifted leaders or who see themselves as shy or feel more comfortable staying in the “shallow end of the leadership pool” to move more into the deep end of the pool to test themselves and see what they are really made of.

I welcome your, and other students comments and thoughts on this very important subject.

And finally, no doubt, you are also right that the continued vitality of the Cal Poly MBA brand and degree depends on what you folks go out and do with this piece of paper. The better you do, the more it helps all boats rise and increases the value of that Cal Poly line item on your resume.

As the associate dean of our grad programs, I will continue to need the good work and success of each of you in this regard to continue to move this forward. Our best intangible asset is each of you and your future success.

1) I have not been asked a single technical question (no finance, no accounting, no case, no analytical problems.)

2) I have been asked ad nauseam to provide examples of leadership and communication ability.

In fact, some recruiters have gone so far as to confide that they are having a real problem finding people who have technical skills AND the ability to communicate and get along with coworkers.

I think that a particular strength of this MBA program is that there is a true spirit of community and cohesiveness. Within that context, I believe that everyone gets an opportunity to lead and feel completely comfortable communicating and actively participating in every class.

I believe that when it comes to MBA programs, success begets success. Our program will ultimately be judged on the success and loyalty of its alumni (us!) Our performance will directly reflect upon the reputation of this program, so I encourage us all to prove our worth, stay loyal, and foster personal and business relationships for years to come.