<p>Okay, even coming in with AP credits does not necessarily guarantee that you can do two or three programs in 4/5 years. You’ll have to consider many variables, what will your primary major be? i.e. if engineering, there is a rigid course schedule, if biology, there are 28 credits of ancillary work besides the major requirements. Some majors require minors. Some students will retake classes that they had AP credit’s for -in order to get a better understanding of the subject material. Some students will pick up a second major or a second minor to acquire a well-rounded education. Other students want to try a study abroad or a co-op. Please, give your students a chance to become an educational explorer, they may not even wind up in their original majors, they may find a different path than they originally set out on.</p>
<p>Just a reminder for freshmen: Don’t overload your schedule, you will need time to adjust to your new college environment and routine.</p>
<p>Could someone currently in the program (or with detailed knowledge of it) share the typical flowchart for courses taken? I read the article, and it referenced that 1.5 hours of business classes were typically taken by an undergraduate engineering major. What are those classes? My freshman S is somewhat interested and may have room to apply for an invitation given the credit he entered UA with and the courses he took locally before leaving for school, plus those he plans to take this summer. THANK YOU!</p>
<p>I agree with robotbldmom on the fact that in a field such as engineering it is difficult (although I am sure not impossible) to graduate early because of the rigidness of the the schedule. My son began with 35 credits of AP/dual credit, but will still take 4 years to graduate due to prereqs that must be completed before moving into upper division courses, and then once in the upper division courses not being overloaded with too many upper division engineering courses in a single semester. What the credits will allow him to do is complete a minor and also complete the requirements for university and international honors within a four year timeframe. In that sense I am sure it would be possible to do a program such as the STEM MBA within 4 years if coming in with AP/dual credits because you can mix the businesses courses with the engineering courses for some balance, but it may be more difficult to squeeze a BS/MS into the same 4 year period because of the prereqs required to get into the higher level courses.</p>
<p>Also I specifically looked into this regarding civil (my son’s major) when we learned about the STEM MBA program. What my research turned up that in civil it is very important to have a MS. The work that can be assigned to civil engineers that only hold BS degrees is limited and in order to advance in the field it is essential to have an MS. However an MBA is less desirable. In fact I have read that sometimes it is more difficult for new grads with MBAs to get entry level positions in the field because employers will view them as not being committed to engineernig and just looking for a transitional position from which they can move into management. (Of course there will be exceptions to that). I also know that from completing my own MBA that MBA programs often look for students that have a substantial amount of work experience. Some MBA programs actually won’t accept students that don’t have 2 or more years of work experience. That is becaue MBA programs are a very high level overview of many different facets of the business world and many of the courses focus on group projects where students are encouraged to share knowledge and expertise and students are expected not just to learn from the instructor but to learn from other students. It would be difficult to get a MS in engineering as a part time student, but there are many, many, many part-time, distance, and executive MBA programs designed for business professionals.</p>
<p>For those reasons, I have encouraged my son to look into the the university scholars program so that he can complete his BS/MS within 5 years. (For the program you begin taking some graduate level courses during your senior year which count towards both the undergrad and grad requirements, then complete the requirements for the MS in 1 additional year). I have also STRONGLY encouraged him to do as many internships as possible prior to graduation so that he is not graduating with an MS and no work experience as employers are also sometimes reluctant to pay more for someone with an advanced degree when they have no actual work experience. I have told him then if he wants to return for an MBA, it is very easy to do so on a part time basis and many employers will even reimburse the costs of the program.</p>
<p>lisa6191, I was referring to the fact that certain firms which recruit at UA’s business school for undergraduates and master’s students will not directly hire* MBAs from UA because UA’s MBA program is not as prestigious as other schools, something which will hopefully change in the near future. This is not common for firms which recruit students majoring in engineering and the hard sciences.</p>
<p>*Plenty of firms still hire UA MBAs, even more so if said MBAs are experienced professionals.</p>
<p>I highly recommending getting as much relevant work experience as one can while maintaining a high GPA. In addition, don’t forget to apply to positions with companies that don’t post positions on Crimson Careers.</p>
<p>Hi! My D is her second year of the STEM MBA program. </p>
<p>She enrolls in a 1.5 hour class every semester which is covered by her scholarship. The class is listed as STEM Business Honors level 400. The students have lectures, guest speakers, a book, and work in teams to do projects. The inaugural class of 46 students were split into 2 groups with different teachers and meet up times. The class times are decided every term by polling the students, as they have their completed schedules at that time. Classes are generally at night. You can change between the teachers if it fits your schedule. My D has stayed with her original teacher all 3 semesters.</p>
<p>The students take a 1.5 hour class every semester at UA. So a total of 12 hours =1.5*8 semesters. After completing their 4 year degree, the student enrolls in the “rest” of the MBA program. For example, my D graduates Spring 2015. She would enroll in the MBA program for Summer 2015 and go for a full year to graduate with the STEM MBA in Summer 2016. At least that’s the way I understand it.</p>
<p>She is having a great time in the class and learning a great deal about business. They are going on field trip to Huntsville very soon to tour a business. </p>
<p>There is a new group of incoming frosh that started this fall. I don’t know how many students started this fall. I think you might be able to start in the spring. Not completely sure. </p>
<p>I neglected to add that if your student is a STEM major and interested in research, there will be many long hours, including nights, at the lab. Also if your student is selected for the UFE or CBHP programs, these are very time consuming.</p>