UCI FEMBA: How is it as a "Regional" Degree?

Expert replies

bgmat745: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 6; Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 7:58 am

by bgmat745 » Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:03 pm

What is the Beat The GMAT community's view on the UCI FEMBA as a regional degree? I am local to Southern California and intend on staying in SoCal for at least the next 5-7 years. My employer offers tuition reimbursement, and I have been looking at UCLA, USC, and UCI's part-time MBA programs. I've had several promotions in my line of work in a very short amount of time, but further advancements/promotions based on the traditional career path for what I do are limited. I'm looking to stay in the same industry, but feel I need an MBA to make the jump to the next level (management role) and make sure my career continues moving forward.

I'm crossing USC off my list as I have doubts as to whether my employer will approve it for tuition reimbursement, and I can't afford to spend the time and energy with submitting an application with a low probability of it getting approved for tuition coverage. It's unfortunate, because it's within my GPA and GMAT range (I have a 3.1 undergrad GPA and a 640 GMAT).

UCLA seems to be a bit of a reach for me given my academic profile. I would also be on the lower range of their mid-80% as far as age range, work experience, salary, etc. so I have my doubts as to my fit with the program and whether I would be able to get much out of it if my peers are, by comparison, already working at elite firms with many more years of experience than I. (By comparison, I am in my mid-20's, with 4 years of work experience, at a mid-sized credit union. Hardly anything one could consider "elite".)

UCI seems to be my best choice and I am trying to determine how best to manage my time and energy when it comes to MBA apps. Obviously, I don't want to go to a no-name MBA program, but most here seem to consider UCI as a second-tier business school. I'd like to revisit that topic and see what your thoughts are.

Are my concerns about my potential "fit" with UCLA unfounded? Should I take the leap of faith by going for UCLA and delaying my other business school apps? Would you take the time and energy and risk having to fight the uphill battle for tuition reimbursement at USC? Would UCI still be worth it?

Source: Beat The GMAT — Research MBA Programs | Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:03 pm

interviewbay22: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 162; Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:45 pmFollowed by: 8 members; Thanked: 23 times

by interviewbay22 » Thu Sep 25, 2014 5:07 am

Hello

UC Irvine's Part time MBA is ranked much below UCLA or USC. UCLA's part time MBA is one of the best in the country; USC is also ranked in the top 15. You will definitely achieve a lot more by attending one of these schools in comparison to UCI.

As far as the affordability of USC is concerned, the part time MBA at USC costs about $ 100,000 to $110,000 while that of UCI costs about $ 95,824. As you can see, the difference is not staggering. If your employer is ready to sponsor you for UCI, I don't see why he/she won't sponsor you for USC. Even if your employer doesn't offer you sponsorship, USC has some scholarship opportunities that you can consider. I would advise you to seriously consider applying to USC.

Your GPA and current GMAT scores may be close to or above the average of USC, but other parameters of your application such as your work experience will have a very important role to play in determining whether you will receive a call from the school or not. What matters more is not the company you have worked for but the quality of work you have done there. Your performance in comparison to your peers, your accomplishments and achievements, your contributions to your firm are the most important aspects of your application. Having had many promotions speaks of the quality of work you have done and is quite an advantage. Business schools value leadership quality and organizational skills above all. Your extracurricular activities are also very important.

With your present credentials getting into UCLA will be very difficult. You will definitely need a much higher GMAT score to begin with as your GPA is lower than the lowest for UCLA. If you can show exceptional leadership skills through your work experience and extracurricular activities, then you consider applying to UCLA. I will be able to advise you better if you tell me about your work experience and ECs in more detail. Other than your promotions did you assume any leadership roles during work and college? Have you won any awards? What all extracurricular activities were you involved in?

So my advice is, to certainly consider applying to USC. I would also suggest you to consider University of California San Diego. You could probably keep UC Irvine as your safe school.

This article could probably help you in preparing a stellar application for business schools. https://www.interviewbay.com/blog/6-comp ... pplication

All the best
www.interviewbay.com

Application Reviews and Mock Interviews by alumni of your Target B-School.

GMAT Course Reviews

563 reviews

1168 reviews

431 reviews

359 reviews

147 reviews

5/5

5 Star (563 Reviews)

"Target Test Prep is the closest to the official version of the GMAT exam, about 99% accuracy in terms of the quality and quantity of information. The course has excellently created singular sets of focused lessons and tests for every possible topic that one could come across in the official GMAT exam."

"The TTP course maximizes the efficiency of the time you spend studying. It will take time and effort but I could almost guarantee that if you complete the course exactly as it is laid out you will get an amazing score. They also have a very responsive team willing to help with any questions you might have."

"TTP has two things that I think no other test prep company offers: A teaching approach that reinforces understanding and an attitude that will give you the mental preparedness needed to succeed on the test. TTP gives you a deep understanding of the concept you need to know while teaching you how to think."

Write a Review