jb12

Can anybody share any information on School of Business @ JMU? It's ranked in top 30 Business Schools by BusinessWeek. Is it really the case?

phillibuster87

Yeah, it definitely is. And the thing is, the requirements to get into the COB are only increasing. Their increasing admission requirements while decreasing the total enrollment. So if you're looking for an intensive and hands on experience in a business school, you'll find it at JMU. I don't know too much about it from personal experience, but two of my roommates just finished up their junior years in the COB, and for them it definitely wasn't easy, but I feel like they both gained a lot from their experiences.

UVAgrad11

Yeah, JMU has a killed b school. COB 300 is real world knowledge that you can use when you get into the workforce. I think that JMU is now 51 or 52 in 2005 it was 34th. Its a top B school because of its Quantitative Finance program, Math, Finance, and and I think Marketing all in one. VERY HARD only 16 kids graduated with it as their major and none of them had honors. But they get great jobs and most are making over 100,000 out of college.

peanuttrader

Qfin is a difficult program that consists of primarily a Finance major with minors in Mathematics and Economics. Most people go ahead and take the extra 1 or 2 classes to fulfill a double major in Mathematics and QFIN, and some (who typically have come in with AP credits, or have pushed themselves really hard) can graduate with a triple major, a B.S. of QFIN, Mathematics, and Economics. It is an accelerated program which allows you to begin taking upper level courses, especially in math and finance at a very early level (fresh/soph) compared to others who typically begin their junior year.

UVAgrad is right. QFIN is a very difficult major. It involves a lot of advanced math and this usually weeds out those who cannot do it. I am not sure whether or not this is the reason that JMU's College of Business is in the top rankings, but it certainly contributes to it.

Grade-wise, you will see kids who have near perfect GPA's (3.7+) to not so great GPAs sub 2.0s, with the majority of kids in the latter. This shows you how difficult it is.

Recruitment for this major is very strong as well. If you want to work on Wall Street, then this major can help strengthen your credentials. There numerous of alumni that work in NY who know the difficulty of the major, and sometimes will selectively choose qfin majors. It will give you an edge when looking for internships or a job. However, this should not be the deciding factor in choosing to major in QFIN. A lot of people who do Finance/Econ or just regular Finance do just as well. (If you are looking into this type of work).


If you are interested in simply a business major, then the COB program would be a very good fit. The COB 300s are very tough,but will truly prepare you for a real world job. The skills you learn is transferable and attractive to employers. You work in a team-based environment to complete a business plan, among other things. This culminates to an end of semester presentation similar to what would potentially occur in the real world.

Anyways, I have gone on for long enough. JB, if you any other q's feel free to ask.

jb12

My D is interested in International Business. I understand that JMU offers it as a major. How difficult is this program? She's O.K. with math but it's not her favorite subject. We were thinking of taking a long ride in October for open house.

peanuttrader

Hi,

Sorry for getting back to you late. I was interning all day.

I am sure you have checked out the JMU website, but I wanted to direct you to this link as a reference, 2008-2009 Undergraduate Catalog

The IBUS degree at JMU is definitely a good degree.

After taking a look at the courses that she would have to take, it seems hard (like any major would), but not incredibly difficult. She would have to take two math courses (Either pre-calc or calculus). The second course is Business Statistics. I've taken both courses, and did not think it was impossible.

Besides this, the two next hardest courses that uses some type of math/charts would be Macroeconomics (GECON 200) and International Economics (ECON 270). The Macro course would count twice, one for your major, and one for your Gen Ed requirements (which is a bonus). GECON is not too hard because the professors will help you out if you are having trouble in any areas. I have not taken ECON 270 yet, so I cannot offer advice on that matter.

None of these classes are hard, but it does take some effort and time to get an A.

Other than that, you will have to take the COB courses during your first two years, which is traditional of any business student. They are simply basic skills that you would need in the business world. (think powerpoint, computer info skills, accounting, legal environments, communication skills, management).

In your Junior year, you will take the COB 300s. (People dread this) It is a semester long set of courses that focus on finance, operations, management, and marketing. These are the fundamentals of any business, and this set of courses would teach your D the basic skills necessary for success in the business world. This is KEY in your undergrad education. Employers love this because it essentially gives your real life experience. (developing a professional business plan with a team.)

Alongside your 4 years, I think you will need to learn a foreign language, complete your Gen Ed requirements, and take several international bus-related courses.

I definitely recommend study abroad summers/semesters as this will help build your experience and perspectives on the world. It will help you become a better student/person. There are numerous of opportunities, such as Alternative Spring Break (you go abroad to help/volunteer), study abroads in various countries, and also honors study abroad (Oxford, University of St Andrews, Cambridge, etc).

This may seem alot to do, but this wont take up all of your time. You will find yourself with plenty of time to take interesting electives, discover different clubs, and enjoy yourself during the school year. Trust me, I am still looking for things to do, and I have alot on my plate.

I hope this helps you out. Let me know if you are more curious about something, or need something clarified.

Also, curious, what other schools is your D considering?

jb12

Thank you for reply. We leave in Philly burbs so we were looking at Pitt since it has same IB program. Penn State has pretty good School of Business. The problem with state schools that fees double up for out-of-state students. And majority of private school set themselves too far of a reach as far as fee. We're still paying for our older D college.