UCI Paul Merage MBA Program is offered by the graduate business school of the University of California, Irvine. The school offers several master programs, including Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Accountancy, Master of Science, etc. Additionally, the school also offers undergraduate and Ph.D. programs. Established in 1965, the school has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The UCI Paul Merage MBA Program has been ranked #57 by the Financial Times in its Global MBA Ranking 2020. It is also ranked #42 by the Forbes in US MBA Ranking.
The school has a large alumni network of influential leaders around the world. Some of the renowned alumni of the school include Nick Tran (Head of Global Marketing, TikTok), Wright Massey (Founder & CEO, Brand Architecture), Jillian Amaris Kraus (Water Polo Player), Noel Alaka (Director, Parexel), Samiran Karmakar (Product Manager, Samsung), etc. Every year, an average of 60 students enrolls for the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program. For the class of 2021, 30% of the students are female, while 33% are international candidates. In this article, we shall let you know everything you need to know before applying for the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program.
Curriculum:
The curriculum for the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program has been strategically designed to ensure that students are equipped with knowledge and skills that every leader should have in them to succeed in this world. The program allows the students the freedom to customize the MBA. Most of the core courses are completed in the first year. In the second year, students have the liberty to design their programs according to their interests.
You will start your MBA journey with the mandatory core courses. Some of the core subjects include Statistics for Management, Financial Reporting for Management, Marketing Management, Managerial Finance, Organizational Behavior, Operations Management, Strategic Management, etc.
In the second year of the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program, you can customize your program structure according to your career goals & interests. The school offers numerous electives to choose from. The school also organizes various career development seminars throughout the year to help you prepare for the placements.
One of the ways to customize your experience is to complete an MBA specialization. The school offers specialization in Digital Transformation, Health Care Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, & Real Estate & Urban Development.
As a second-year student, you will also have several opportunities to gain hands-on international experience. The school offers a quarter-long international exchange program with its partner institutions throughout Asia, Europe, & Latin America. UCI Paul Merage students have earlier lived & studies in a variety of countries, including China, France, Hong Kong, Italy, South Korea, Netherlands, & Singapore.
Eligibility:
Academic Requirement:
Applicants must have a US bachelor’s degree or its international equivalent. Additionally, an overall GPA of 3.0 is preferred to apply for the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program. If your overall GPA is less than a 3.0, the admissions committee will take into consideration your undergraduate institution attended, major, as well as additional degrees and licenses obtained.
Professional Requirement:
While work experience is not a requirement for admission, the vast majority of MBA students have an average of 5 years of full-time work experience.
Standardized Tests:
All applicants are required to take either GMAT or GRE. The school doesn’t give preference to either of them. While there is no minimum GMAT or GRE score required to apply for the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program, the school does expect a competitive score. For the class of 2022, the average GMAT score of the class is 671.
International applicants are also required to submit English language test scores, like TOEFL or IELTS. This requirement can be waived if the applicants have completed their bachelor’s degree from a country where the primary and dominant language is English, and English was the language of instruction of the school. The minimum score requirement for TOEFL & IELTS is 80 and 7.0, respectively.
Course Fee:
The total tuition fee for the academic year 2019-2020 for the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program is $54,118. It also includes a one-time document fee of $80.
Please note that the tuition fee is subjected to change by a certain percentage every year.
Additionally, the estimated living expenses for one academic year are $18,593. It includes books & supplies ($1,361), room & board ($14,034), transportation ($1,580), & other personal expenses ($1,618). However, the living costs may vary depending on the type of lifestyle students choose.
Scholarships:
The school offers several awards and scholarships to exceptional students. Over 80% of the students receive some sort of merit-based scholarships. All the students are automatically considered for scholarships. There is no additional application needed. If you are selected as a scholarship recipient, you will be notified upon admission.
The MBA admissions committee awards merit-based scholarships based on a holistic evaluation of your potential taking into consideration your overall application, including academic achievement, quality of work, experience, demonstrated leadership, and extracurricular activities.
The school also provides assistantship opportunities to second-year MBA students within the Merage School. You may be shifted to other departments on campus, depending on your area of expertise. Through this assistantship, students can earn some stipend every month.
International students can also avail of private loan options to fund their MBA program. Private student loans have a range of interest rates and fees, and students should determine the interest rate of, and any fees associated with, the private student loan included in their financial aid award package before accepting the loan.
Employment report:
Reportedly, 77% of the class of 2019 received a job offer within 3 months after graduation. The median base salary received by the class was $100,000. Nearly half of the class packed signing bonus. The median signing bonus received by the class was $10,000. Candidates with more than 5 years of work experience bagged the highest salaries.
The top three industries where the majority of the students went to work were
Consulting 17%
Financial Services 17%
Consumer Products 12%
The top three functions were
Marketing/Sales 29%
Finance/Accounting 26%
Consulting 24%
Some of the employers of full-time MBAs in 2019 were as follows:
Amazon
Deloitte Advisory
L.E.K Consulting
PwC
The Walt Disney Company
Toyota Motors
Uber Technologies
Verizon
Zulily
Check here for complete details.
Application Process:
Online Application checklist:
Academic Transcripts
Official GMAT or GRE score
Official TOEFL or IELTS score
Two letters of recommendation
Two essays
Resume
Application fee of $150
Interview:
The interview for the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program is by invitation only. The interview is a way for the school to evaluate your interpersonal and communication skills, as well as a way for you to ask questions and determine whether the Merage School is right for you or not.
If your application is shortlisted by the admissions committee, you will be informed about your interview via email. The school encourages applicants to interview on campus. However, for those applicants unable to travel to Irvine, the school arranges Skype interviews.
In some cases before an in-person or Skype interview, candidates may be invited to participate in a separate video interview. This is not an indication of an applicant’s increased chances of admission, but rather an additional step the school use to learn more about you.
Essay Details & Tips:
The school requires applicants to answer the following essays to complete their application for the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program.
1. Describe your career goals upon graduation from the Merage MBA program. Please be as specific as possible including the desired position, function, industry, and/or target companies. (150 words or less)
2. We must adapt both ourselves and our businesses for the disruption inherent in the digital environment. With this in mind, please identify an emerging trend in your stated industry or function of interest. How will the impact of technology and the skills you develop at Merage help you navigate this trend and be a value-add to a future employer? (500 words or less)
Optional Essay
At the Paul Merage School of Business, we are ambitious. We are intellectually hungry. We have a calling to deliver educational excellence valuing diversity, collaboration, inclusivity, and respect. In an effort to better understand the context of your achievements, is there any other information about your background, family, or experience that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (300 words or less)
Your essay should illustrate your professional accomplishments, career goals, and values that you will bring to the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program. Please remember that essay plays a very important role during your application evaluation process. So make sure you give a quality amount of time into it.
Check here for essay tips – Application essays, Structured Thinking, Visualization, Story Telling
Having been ranked #33 in the US by the Financial Times in its full-time MBA ranking 2020, the UCI Paul Merage MBA Program is one of the most sought out business programs in the world. The Merage’s proximity to California’s best employment hubs and the amazing scholarships available make this program the best. If you are planning to start your MBA journey from this school, go for it without any doubt.
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