ReachIvy Exclusive: Top College Series – An Interview with Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School
Name: Michael Joseph Cuneo
Designation: Assistant Director of Global MBA Admissions
School Name: Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School
1. Many of our students are curious to know the kind of profile you seek in applicants. So can you tell us: Who should be applying to Carey Business School?
Of course all schools are looking for the best students as far as test scores, GPA, and work ex go, but fit is also very important. Even if our students aren’t planning in going into entrepreneurship (though many do), we are looking for students with an entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit. Those characteristics are important on many levels. Collaboration occurs in group projects, but it also occurs between the program and school and the student. It’s not just about what your graduate business education will do for you, but just as important, how you will grow by making your contribution to your class, to the program, and to the school! A spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship is very important to the interplay and sense of commitment to each other between the school and the student.
Featuring concentrations and Specialty Masters Degrees in focus areas such as Finance, Marketing, Health Care Management, Information Systems, Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics & Risk Management, understanding of the fourth industrial revolution, Real Estate & Infrastructure, and Entrepreneurship our students partner with a Career Coach to determine the right mix of concentration (for the MBA), electives, outside of the classroom experiences, and internships to create a skillset to advance any career. We have students who have been successful in securing careers in every industry imaginable. That said, the largest groups of students have wound up in healthcare, consulting, finance, and technology. We have also had successful entrepreneurs who have created various enterprises in Baltimore and throughout the U.S. Master’s students can pursue Finance, Marketing, Health Care Management, Real Estate & Infrastructure, Business Analytics & Risk Management, and Information Systems (a STEM program). Global MBA students can pursue concentrations or specializations (or a mix) in Finance, Marketing, Health Care Management, Real Estate & Infrastructure, or Entrepreneurship.
2. What according to you are the most interesting classes or professors at your college?
By far the most unique and career-changing experience in the Global MBA program are the two experiential learning projects which are like having internships Built into the curriculum. Students work on real-life consulting projects with outside clients with real business problems. Under the guidance of faculty, out students are able to learn and practice, simultaneously, the skills important to solving real-time problems in the business world.
3. Can you share any updates or interesting changes or any new programs you have introduced or will be introducing?
We recently took over the 24th floor of the skyscraper the school is in (it happens to be the top floor and have one of the best views in Baltimore City :)). The school is located in the Legg Mason Building in the Harbor East neighborhood of Baltimore. We started out with the 2nd, 12th, and half of the 13th floors. We have expanded over the last 8 years to the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 12th, half of 13, and the 24th floors.
An exciting program change is that our Enterprise Risk Management MS program has been improved and is now Business Analytics and Risk Management!
While MSIS is currently our only STEM program, we are working on soon having other MS programs join in the STEM designation.
The ordering of the MBA curriculum has changed a bit and now there are three options for the 2nd required experiential learning projects. All students will still do the Innovation for Humanity project but will choose between Discovery to Market, CityLabs, and a Healthcare Management consulting program for their 2nd project.
4. What are some of the resources available to students who want to explore cutting edge careers, or pursue entrepreneurship while in the program?
Being part of Johns Hopkins University opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with our many other schools (engineering, international studies, medicine, public health, etc.) Some of this is part of the experience with the Innovation Factory (a student driven entrepreneurial organization), the Venture Capital Club (which brings together students from all over the university), and Innovation and Incubation opportunity such as Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, FastFoward, The Social Innovation Lab, and JHU Bootcamp for Technology Entrepreneurs. When there is something that is missing that students want to create the perfect opportunity, we encourage and support our students in working with others from across the university to create it.
5. What is a classic day like in the Carey Business School? Could you describe it for us?
For the MBA, depending on their cohort, students will spend the morning or afternoon of each day in the classroom. The rest of “business hours” can be filled with activities sponsored by Career Development and student organizations. The rest of students’ time will be filled with working on group projects and assignments and study groups. I tell students to expect to be at school at least from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday. MBA students will be in a set regime of courses during their first year based on which cohort they are in. During the second year they will have more flexibility in designing their own scheduled based on which concentration they pursue and which electives they are interested in.
MS students will expect a very busy year. Each MS program goes from August to August and students are in a cohort with the majority of classes assigned to them as part of their cohort. As with Global MBA students, “free” time for the MS students is generally filled with working on group projects, student organizations, and career development opportunities.
6. For Indian students:
a. What assistance does Carrey B-school provide to help Indian students chalk their career paths?
Our students have access to a full-menu of online and in-person (group and individual) resources through the Career Development Office. Students have access to individual Career Coaches and programming that gives them insights and preparations for applying to various functional areas and industries. There is a schedule of career intensives, career retreats, alumni panels, guest speakers, leadership development workshops, skills assessments, professional development week, career treks, affinity conferences, and career fairs that keep students almost as busy outside of the classroom on a weekly basis as they are working on the curriculum! So far, very few of our students have looked to and returned to India (all of our MBA graduates have, so far, stayed in the United States after graduation).
b. Is there any financial aid available to international students? If yes, who according to you would be the ideal candidate?
We evaluate all applicants to our full-time programs for merit scholarships. These awards are primarily based on GMAT (or GRE) scores, overall GPA in previous degree programs, It is possible to receive a full-tuition scholarship. We consider all international students for merit scholarships when they apply. There is no difference between international and U.S. applicants for merit scholarships. Beyond those, there are opportunities to students to work on campus during their programs and there are some companies that consider international students for loans. All applicants are considered for merit scholarships as part of the admissions process. There is no separate application.
7. Your final word of advice for students:
Applicants should think of us as an educational equivalent of a start-up (backed by a world-renowned university) and be prepared to not only take advantage of what we have to offer, but join their fellow students in creating value and opportunity for the rest of the community. We are building something together that will be an asset to graduates, current students, and future students.
