Academics
A longstanding and thriving relationship with the resources and business leaders of the nearby Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metropolitan areas and a highly collaborative environment helps elevate students of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park to perform at their highest levels. The theme of “Terps Helping Terps” runs throughout the Smith School, which prides itself on having “a community of inclusiveness, support and encouragement, which can be seen in job search teams, clubs and professional networking events.”
The Smith Experience offers five different focus areas—consulting, global, social value creation, investing, and entrepreneurship—and “there are a ton of opportunities for both leadership and experiential learning,” some of which are available to students just weeks into the program. The New Markets Venture Capital Clinic lets students gain professional experience in venture capitalism, case competitions are hotly anticipated events, and the chance to help manage the $2 million Mayer Fund (managed by a select group of second-year MBAs) are all projects that are “unique and very enriching and allow us to really put our learnings, knowledge and skills to good use.” The school’s international study programs provide a close-up of business operations around the world (in countries such as India, China, Brazil, and Spain), and Smith is also home to one of the country’s thirty-one Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBER).
Lots of effort is put into creating a well-rounded experience, and professors “love to talk about current events and will come to our weekly socials to do so,” according to students. They are “generous with their time,” “open to feedback,” and “continuously aim at improving all aspects for better performance as a group.” This top faculty “brings their research directly into the teaching environment” and have access to special guest speakers that add to the MBA experience and potential career networks.
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