University of San Francisco - School of Management

In all programs, USF’s “strong connections with venture capitalists in the area” as well as “the technology and innovation of the Silicon Valley” help make entrepreneurship “such a strength” of this MBA program. The MBA program’s “international draw”—43 percent of students here are internationals—makes USF a great place for those interested in international business to learn and network. “I believe that anyone looking to get into international business would find USF a great fit,” one student tells us. Each of USF’s MBA programs maintains “small class sizes” that promote “personal relationships with professors,” especially valuable since professors here “will get you business contacts.” Each program embodies “the Jesuit approach toward a well-rounded education” and works at “ensuring ethics” throughout the curriculum.

The program places “an emphasis on group cooperation while nurturing individual growth.”

For those pursuing new positions after graduation, USF Graduate Career Services hosts a variety of workshops, events, and individual advising sessions to help students with career planning and professional development. The department typically collaborates with stu- dent clubs for speakers and strongly encourages student participation at various business community events. Despite these services, students feel the office can continue to improve. “The ability to bring in more big name companies or even jobs for the MBA students” is an area for improvement, one student writes, adding “I believe it is difficult because we have to compete with Stanford and Berkley, but USF MBA grads have a lot to offer and I believe being in San Francisco they should be marketing the MBA program much better to the job market.”

Full timers, on the other hand, tell us that extracurricular life is “very active: a lot of clubs, good sport programs, a lot of speakers from Silicon Valley.” There’s also “Thirsty Thursday events, where students get together at local bars on Thursdays and have a drink.” The event calendar is easy to track, as events “are summarized each week in an email from the VP of Marketing from the Graduate Business Association.”

All here agree that San Francisco is an “excellent location” where there’s “always some- thing to do.” There are “plenty of attractions nearby, including bars, parks, and museums. Students hang out with each other outside of school at these places.” The MBA population is “a good mix of students in terms of background, gender, work experience” and include “many international students, students from across the U.S., married and single students, as well as students who come from all sorts of professional backgrounds.”