At RBS-NB (not Newark), I plan to major in BAIT, while at JMU I would like to major in CIS. JMU is CAC-ABET accredited, but Rutgers is close to NY and known nationally, so I guess that would be a plus. Which is the better business school overall and for these specific IT-oriented majors? Thanks.
Plus, per year, Rutgers would be 20k more than JMU. As a Virginian, my whole degree at JMU would be less than a 100k (including room and board, etc.), while at Rutgers, every year would be >45k (including tuition and room/board).
Cost isn’t an issue for my parents (my parents can EASILY afford up to 50k an year), but I was just thinking that JMU would have an absolutely excellent ROI for me. CIS seems to be one of the best majors there, and a lot of grads seem to get 70k jobs in DC out of college. Same with Rutgers, as their BAIT major seems to have the highest starting salary in the B-school (66k). Pls help. THX
Yikes. Rutgers is a great school but no way I would pay $100k more for it over JMU. Have you visited? I’m guessing you’ll get a very different vibe from each school.
I like both schools, but cost isn’t an issue (still, RUNB would be 85k more for a whole degree). I was just making the point that my ROI at JMU would be very good when compared to most other schools, including Rutgers. I guess it boils down to prestige and quality for me. I know that they are both great schools, but which is better? Thanks.
BTW, I have visited both (I went to Piscataway a few weeks ago)
Probably the best part of the Rutgers Business School is the Road to Wall Street program in which I believe 50 students are selected to go to Wall Street with an internship and it has a 90% job placement rate. Also the location next to NYC and not too far away from Phili means they always have people coming over aside from career fairs. And rutgers has the #1 public mba program and you won’t have to take the GRE if you meet a minimum GPA requirement. However, these benefits are not worth $100k more honestly.
Is BAIT a true IT degree, or is it another hyped up business degree with a couple of CS related courses? I just have my doubts about it, but I don’t want to say it sucks. Overall, is BAIT a career-wise degree in RBS, or is it too similar to MIS? Thanks.
Also, VT has a similar major called Business IT, which (I think) is even more businessy than BAIT. Why I considered JMU in the 1st place was because it is one of the very few programs in the US that have both AACSB and ABET accreditation (this proves that JMU CIS has a good amount of computing in the degree). Neither RUNB or VT have this accreditation. Plus, JMU grads are known to find consulting/IT jobs in DC very easily, and coupled with the cheap tuition, I just thought it would be a wise investment. But I wouldn’t give up prestige and opportunity for a lesser-quality degree though, considering that I could still easily afford a Rutgers education.
Also, is the RWS program restricted to Finance sophmores, or does a BAIT major also have a shot at it?
BTW, the future leaders BS/MBA qualifications say that u still need to take the GMAT (instead of the GRE) and maintain a 3.0 GPA to qualify.
It is a business degree coupled with an MITA degree according to the website, but most people in BAIT who are serious about going into CS and such classes double major in CS because CS has many more job opportunities than IT.
I wouldn’t say that JMU undegrads could find DC jobs easily as it is only one city. I imagine there is a lot of competition if there are jobs primarily in the DC area. You should look at the job placement rates at RUNB and James Madison and compare them as well as starting salary. RUNB is in the tristate area which in general has more opportunities to apply for work and intern.
I would say that Rutgers Business school is more prestigious because it is ranked higher than JMU COB according to usnews (Rutgers business school is 58 while JMU COB has no ranking). However, this is not worth the extra $100k you will be paying in the long run if the starting salary and job placement are roughly the same.
JMU isn’t ranked because it is regional, but it is said that JMU has a very good rep (alongside w/ VT) in DC area. The CIS program is also more technical than BAIT it seems (due to the accreditation).
If you are alright with going to a school that is reputable only in the DC area, I think you should go for it and save a lot of money too in the long run
I live in the DC area, so I don’t think of this as a particular con.
@“1lalalalala!lalalalalala!” JMU is a wise investment. You get the benefit of in-state tuition and a brand new business facility next fall. Add that to JMU’s stellar rep in DC/NOVA, and indeed your overall college experience/ROI is solid. My oldest daughter is a recent grad and working with a well-known consulting firm doing IT work. She had a solid job offer in hand the fall of her senior year. Suffice it to say, she bleeds purple - Go Dukes!