Located in Durham in North Carolina, Fuqua Business School is the business school of Duke University. Ranked #10 in the United States & #16 in the world by the Financial Times in 2020, today, the Fuqua School MBA program is one of the most prestigious business administration degrees in the world. The school has also been ranked #6 for having the lowest acceptance rate, & #10 for having the highest application yield across the top 50 MBA programs in the United States. The school has given many famous alumni like Tim Cook (CEO, Apple Inc.), Melinda Gates (Co-founder Bill & Melinda gates foundation), Brian L. Derksen (Deputy CEO, Deloitte), Mark Rosenbaum (CEO, MySpace), & Pamela J. White (CFO, Victoria’s Secret) among others.
The class of 2021 saw a class size of 395 students. Out of this, 37% of the students are international candidates, while 43% are women. The average age of the class is 28 years old, and the average work experience stands at 5.5 years. Let’s get to know more about the Fuqua School MBA Program below:
The curriculum for the Fuqua School MBA program is one of the most rigorous & flexible curricula globally. In the first year, there are a total of 14 required core courses. Students are also required to choose four or more electives. The second-year includes 12 electives that are divided equally into four terms.
In the first year, students are assigned a team of 4-5 fellow students who work together for various group projects for different courses. The idea of this structure is to promote teamwork among the students, a leadership quality that every business leader should have in them. Core courses include subjects like Financial accounting, Managerial economics, Probability & statistics, Marketing management, Operations Management, Global financial management, etc. And Elective courses include subjects like Impact investing, Negotiation, Value chain innovation in business process, & Entrepreneurial strategy, among others.
Along with the above program, there are various concentration & certificate courses which are available to full-time MBA students. Although they’re not compulsory, it helps the students gain further knowledge in a particular area. Students can opt for a concentration in courses like Decision science, Energy & Environment, Energy finance, FinTech, Leadership & ethics, etc. Or they can apply for the certificate course on subjects like Finance or Healthcare management.
The school is also famous for its global experience programs like Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE), where students, after a rigorous 6-week study of a particular region/country, visit those very countries for a 2-week study tour. And International exchange programs, where students spend a term in Fuqua’s partner school like London Business School, Melbourne Business School, HEC Paris, NUS Business School, Indian school of business, & Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, etc.
Eligibility
- Academic requirements:
The candidate is required to have an undergraduate degree. The Fuqua school accepts international bachelor’s degree of 3-year from England, Scotland, Wales, & Australia.
In India, the bachelor of commerce 3-year degree is considered equivalent of a U.S. business degree, & hence are considered.
- Professional Experience:
There is no minimum work experience required to apply for the Fuqua School MBA program. However, the average work experience of the class is generally 5-6 years. Hence, professional expertise can give you an edge.
- Tests/Exams:
There is no minimum GMAT or GRE score required from the candidates applying for the Fuqua School MBA program. However, the admissions committee pays particular attention to the candidate’s performance on the Quantitative section. The English Language Test is not mandatory for international students to apply to the Duke Fuqua business school. However, if you choose to submit, Fuqua School accepts IELTS, TOEFL, & PTE.
The tuition fee for a one-year Fuqua school MBA program is USD 70,000. There are other estimated expenses like Medical insurance & fees ($7,746), Educational supplies ($624), & living expenses worth $18,990. It totals a 1-year program to cost you an approximately $97,330 (that’s around 73 Lakh in Indian rupees.)
The Fuqua business school provides several merit-based scholarships to the students enrolled in the Fuqua School MBA Program. All the applicants are considered for the scholarship. There is no separate application required to apply for the same. The awards range from partial to full-tuition fees. The decision is taken by the admissions scholarship committee, based on the candidates’ academic achievements, demonstrated leadership skills, ability to contribute to the Fuqua community, & professional accomplishments. Some of the well-known scholarships provided by the school are:
Thomas F. Keller Scholarship
Covers the full-tuition fee and is provided to students with excellent academics and a strong commitment to improving the community through leadership & service.
University Scholarship:
It covers one half to full tuition costs & is provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The award is merit-based and awarded to outstanding innovative students.
The Manning Scholarship:
This scholarship covers the full tuition amount and is provided by the Manning family foundation to students with strong academics & leadership potential.
Along with this, there are many specialized scholarships, diversity scholarships, & general scholarships available for the students. Also, there are various Loan Assistance Programs offered at the Fuqua School to alumni who are pursuing their career post-MBA in the field of non-profit, government organizations, or start-ups. The main aim of the program is to reduce the burden of student loans.
Some of the well-known loan assistance programs include Rex & Ellen Adams loan assistance program and The Fuqua Entrepreneurship loan assistance program. Please note that International loan options (consignor & no-consignor) are also available for the international students admitted to Fuqua School MBA Program.
The class of 2019 received a whopping 97% job offers within 3-months of Graduation. Reportedly, 95% of the students accepted the job. Nearly 94% of the students were placed within the United States, while the rest 6% got the job internationally, including Asia & Europe. The median annual base salary received by the class was USD 135,725, with the highest salary reported being $325,000. And the median signing bonus received was $30,000. Reportedly, 80% of the students received the signing bonus in a range of USD 4,000-150,000.
The top 3 industries who hired the majority of the students include:
Consulting 32%
Technology 23%
Finance 20%
The top 3 job functions of 2018-19 placement sessions are as follows:
Consulting 34%
Finance 23%
General Management 21%
Top employers:
In the placement session 2018-19, a total of 59 diverse companies hired three or more students.
Some of the top employers include:
McKinsey & Company (45)
Amazon (38)
The Boston Consulting Group (37)
Microsoft (23)
Dell (18)
- Online Application:
Your online application will consist of personal & program information like:
Educational background
Transcripts
Employment history
Business resume
Activities & achievements
Self-reported GMAT/GRE score
Essay
Preferred interview location
Dual degree (if applicable)
Application Fee of $225
- Interview
There are two interview options available for the applicants. One is the ‘Open interview period’ & the other one is ‘Interview by invitation.’ During the open interview period, all the interviews are conducted virtually regardless of your location. The open-interview is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. If you do not interview during the Open Interview Period, you will only be able to interview if invited to do so. Your interview can either be on-campus with a second-year student, with alumni from your geographical region or via Skype.
Most of the Indian applicants have their interviews via Skype or with alumni. The questions are fairly basic & include traditional MBA interview questions. Duke Fuqua focuses a lot on the candidate’s leadership potential, & teamwork skills. The interview is blind & generally lasts for 30-45 minutes. The interviewer doesn’t have access to your application, but only your resume. After your interview, the interviewer shares a feedback form with the admissions committee, who then make the final decisions regarding your acceptance in the Fuqua School MBA Program.
As a part of the application process, the applicant will need to submit the response on a short question and 2-mandatory Essays.
Required short-answer essay question:
- What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first choice career plan and your alternate plan.
(Limits: 500 characters only.)
Required Essays:
- Tell us 25 random things about yourself.
- The Fuqua community & you.
How do you see yourself engaging in & contributing to our community outside of the classroom?
Your response will be limited to 1 page (300 words maximum)
The other detailed guidelines of these essay topics are given on the official website of the Fuqua business school. Make sure that you use 1.5-line spacing and a font size no smaller than 10-point. Respond to the questions thoroughly and with clarity. The Fuqua School MBA Program will give a boost to your dream & brand you for life. With its lowest acceptance rate, getting into the Fuqua business school may be hard, but if you think you have it in you, go for it.
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