Enrollment: 717
Average GMAT: 573.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 530-610
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.20
Regular Application Deadline: 05/01
Rolling Admission: Yes
School Type: Public
Average Age: 28.00
Average Work Experience (months): 48
Student Faculty Ratio: 4:1

Part Time Program: Yes
Evening Program: Yes
Executive MBA Program Offered: Yes
Total Faculty: 155

Average Starting Salary: $73,000.00
Hired Consulting: 7%
Hired Finance: 51%
Hired Operations: 7%
Hired Marketing: 0%

Out-of-State Tuition: $16,079.00
In-State Tuition: $9,335.00
Financial Aid Deadline: 04/01
Students Receiving Some Aid: 54%
Average Annual Total Financial Aid: $18,350.00

Students Say - Academics
Marshaled by a team of experienced business leaders and located in a patently commerce- friendly city, Bauer College of Business enjoys "prominence in the Houston business community" and distinguishes itself from other Texas schools through its "very strong academic focus on the energy industry." If you want to learn about business straight from the mouth of high-power executives, you'll have ample opportunity at Bauer, where "professors are knowledgeable and generally have experience from industry, not just academia." A current student enthuses, "My professors in the past year, for example, included the senior M&A executive for a global Fortune 500 company, and a former Treasurer of Exxon-Mobil."

Each entering student is assigned to a "cohort," which is a group of students that works through the MBA curriculum together. Providing continuity throughout the program, as well as an excellent opportunity to begin networking, "the cohorts allow you to get to know the other students and each semester's classes are tied together very well." In fact, many Bauer students say the "most valuable part of class is often the insight that your colleagues bring to the table." Drawing students from "almost every industry" you'll meet plenty of energy industry folks, with "other experiences are sprinkled throughout: high tech, real estate, non-profit, health care, government, aerospace, banking, commodities trading, all contributing to a very diverse experience."

Another benefit to the University of Houston is the ample extracurricular opportunities to enhance your education. Special programs like the Leadership and Ethics Week, "the Distinguished Lecture series, the Rockwell Career Center, and the active students organizations also enrich the academic experience." For future investors, the school also offers "excellent Financial Services Management program that involves participation in the Cougar Fund. This fund is a mutual fund that affords students enrolled in the concentration the opportunity to serve as portfolio managers and analysts for over a year." To put the icing on the cake, University of Houston's "administration is so well run that you hardly ever have an issue or question that is not answered even before you can come up with them."

Students Say - Admissions
The University of Houston prides itself on diversity, and therefore, they understand that the strengths of each student vary. However, on the whole, the school seeks to admit students with a strong academic background, quantitative aptitude, management potential, and diversity of experiences. There are no minimum test scores or GPA required for admission; however, average Bauer admits had GMAT scores of 600 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.30. Entering students have an average of five years' work experience; however, two is generally considered the minimum acceptable years of professional experience.

Students Say - Campus Life
Bauer students describe their classmates as "bright, ambitious, stimulating people with diverse personal, cultural, and professional backgrounds. They range from recent undergrads to successful executives." It's fortunate that students express such respect for their cohorts, because networking, group work, and collaboration are fundamental to the Bauer experience. Happily, "students are respectful of one another, and group projects generally go well." In fact, the spirit of work and collaboration seems to permeate the entire Bauer community, and "the academic advisors, career center, Dean's office, and even Starbucks, work long late hours, just like the students."

Hailing from across the greater Houston metropolitan area, "the MBA students are virtually all commuters. There are strong student chapters [and] professional organizations, but in general, MBA students do not participate much in campus life." Even study gro u p s tend to form away from campus, that is, if they physically form at all. A student in the evening program explains, "I do a lot of collaboration with classmates via conference call and e-mail. Since Houston is so large, commuting to campus for every group meeting would be challenging. Working in virtual teams is a huge plus for those of us with a lot going on." But don't fret if you'd like to make a friend or two in business school; social life isn't totally non-existent. As proof, a student shares this perspective: "While a lot of student gatherings on the weekend are for group work, I would venture to say that students form very strong relationships with others from our classes and some of us do meet up socially [when] we have the time." In addition, the commuter vibe may soon be a thing of the past, as "recent and ongoing campaigns have been focused on creating a family atmosphere, where more MBA students live in new on-campus housing and commuting students spend more time on campus to socialize. These efforts have largely been successful, and even professors will occasionally attend after-hours functions."

Students Say - Careers
After graduation, Bauer students have plenty to look forward to: "the city of Houston has lots of career opportunities and Bauer has an exceptional reputation. Our graduates are synonymous with hard work and dedication." In fact, the Houston job market is so hopping that a current student tells us, "Several of my classmates have offered me very well paying jobs at their companies. Most of my close friends work in management positions at major Fortune 500 companies."

In addition to the networking that naturally takes place between students, the Rockwell Career Center is always busy helping students make connections. Their full events calendar includes "two huge and industry-diverse career fairs specifically for Business and MBAs." Among the numerous companies that bought booths at recent career fairs are AAIG, Allied Waste, Cameron, CenterPoint Energy, Central Intelligence Agency, Chevron, Chevron Phillips, CITGO Petroleum, Commerce Bank, Compass Bank, Continental Airlines, Deloitte Consulting, EC Power, El Paso Corporation, Intel Corporation, Koch, Merrill Lynch Commodities, Million Air, Nabors Industries, Prudential Financial, Sears Holdings, Sequent Energy Management, Serenity Systems, Shell Oil, Smith Barney, Spectra Energy, Suez Energy, SunGuard Consulting, Tesoro Corporation.

Rice University
Texas A & M Universityâ€"College Station

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