Cox students - tell me about your experience

[Digetydog]

If he had an engineering degree he would have found a job after college with any decent GPA. You can then get your MBA later once you decide you want to be management.

Or you could just become a teacher and start at 45k in any large Texas school District. Why bother spending another $100k for a masters to start at $55k?

1) Unless time travel is possible, he cannot become an Engineer.
2) Maybe he doesn't want to be a teacher? Even if he did, he would probably need another year of school to get a teaching certificate.
3) If he really wanted to make out like a bandit and have lifetime job security, he should become a Nurse Practitioner. You get to join the "Six Fig" club and work anywhere in the US that your want.

[eric513]

Yeah, it's a little too late for me to switch to petroleum engineering. And I'm not too confident right now in the energy job market, just look at the Halliburton/BH merger. Things will get better, but if I had come out looking to get into oil or natural gas, then I might be in the same boat. Who knows?

If money and job security were my only goals, then your comments would make more sense. But I majored in economics because I enjoyed it in high school and it came pretty easily to me relative to my peers. It didn't give me the specialization that engineering or other degrees offer, but I have to live with that decision and decide where to go from here.

I know you were only half-serious when you mentioned getting an engineering degree and wanted to open a discussion on the viability of certain majors versus others, but working in risk or corporate finance is something that I'd enjoy. It's not my biggest passion, but it would certainly pay the bills, and I believe that this is the best way to go about doing that. An BS in Econ isn't going to get me into that unless I have a stellar GPA (which I don't, sitting at a 3.1), go to a target school, network my way into it, or all of the above.

I do appreciate your input, though, and you're definitely right. UTD is a strong engineering school (mostly electrical and mechanical, don't think they have petroleum) and it's tough to see many of my friends graduating in a few months with great job prospects.

[PonyTime]

Because I graduated with a BBA in a year when every bank/S&L in Texas closed, I feel your pain. It sounds like you have a good plan and I hope it works out for you.

Advice: regardless of where you elect to attend.
1) from your first day on campus, your job is to find a good job. Start networking immediately.
2) don't go to UTD if you can avoid it. While it is a fine school, a "new" school expands your network in a way that UTD cannot. Building your network is critical. 2 schools > 1 school.

I will keep this in mind, that's definitely the plan. I've already started making a list (from LinkedIn) of program alumni to contact once I decide where to go, so I just have to follow through with that over the summer and once I'm on campus. I'm definitely not going to UTD, I'm pretty sure their program is upwards of 80% international students.

My friend's son is in UT-Austin's MS Finance program. No matter where you go, heed digetydog's advice #1. My friend's son hustled like crazy and after many interviews landed one. He followed #1 impeccably. If you want to end up in Dallas, going to SMU will make informational, and real, interviews easier. If you're open, UT is solid as well.

A former colleague of mine recently hired an SMU MS Finance student at a $2B revenue CPG and she has turned out quite well.

Unfortunately UT requires 3 letters of recommendation and I only have 2 solid ones, so I didn't think it was worth applying if my last one was weak and filled with cliches due to them not knowing me as well. Their program was definitely on my radar since it's McCombs. One of my friends, a UTD alumnus, will be heading to Vanderbilt in the Fall for their MS Finance program, so it's interesting to see UTD produce graduates making their way into top business school programs.

As for the % of international students in the MSF program - it is actually lower than most MSF programs. Cox tries to ensure that only 50% of the incoming MSF class is from outside of the US for balance and so that the Career Management Center is not overloaded.

Many MSF programs are much higher International % than that (see Wash U., UTD, and especially Tulane - where 95% of the class of 100+ MSF students are coming out of China).

Eric - As a Cox alum (grad and undergrad), I can tell you that you will not regret the Cox experience - and you will be a part of the larger University and be a part of the Cox tailgates for home games. Hope you do choose SMU and end up a lifelong Mustang!

Yeah, I did notice that many MSF programs had higher percentages of internationals; I didn't find it worth applying to those, especially since many of their classes are small (<50 students). I do hope I end up here too, it's between here and Wake Forest's MA in Management program. If SMU matches my offer, then it's a no-brainer... if not, then I'll have to make some tough decisions.

Eric - If you are looking at Wake's MA in Management - I would strongly look at Cox's MS in Management. With Cox MSM - all of the courses that you are taking can later be applied to an MBA which would then allow you to attain the MBA in one year. With the Wake program, this is not the case - actually - Wake just shut down their Full Time MBA program. The Business opportunities in Winston Salem are not even remotely the same as in Dallas.

Plus, you have to worry about any Business School that feels that it needs to pay Terry Bradshaw a large sum of money to promote it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgMslKBBDM0

Could they not afford Howie Long?

[CalallenStang]

Yeah, it's a little too late for me to switch to petroleum engineering. And I'm not too confident right now in the energy job market, just look at the Halliburton/BH merger. Things will get better, but if I had come out looking to get into oil or natural gas, then I might be in the same boat. Who knows?

If money and job security were my only goals, then your comments would make more sense. But I majored in economics because I enjoyed it in high school and it came pretty easily to me relative to my peers. It didn't give me the specialization that engineering or other degrees offer, but I have to live with that decision and decide where to go from here.

I know you were only half-serious when you mentioned getting an engineering degree and wanted to open a discussion on the viability of certain majors versus others, but working in risk or corporate finance is something that I'd enjoy. It's not my biggest passion, but it would certainly pay the bills, and I believe that this is the best way to go about doing that. An BS in Econ isn't going to get me into that unless I have a stellar GPA (which I don't, sitting at a 3.1), go to a target school, network my way into it, or all of the above.

I do appreciate your input, though, and you're definitely right. UTD is a strong engineering school (mostly electrical and mechanical, don't think they have petroleum) and it's tough to see many of my friends graduating in a few months with great job prospects.

^Very good perspective in this post. You have a good head on your shoulders, and that will certainly lead to success in the long-run whether you attend SMU or elsewhere.

[eric513]

Well, just wanted to update anyone that cares: SMU offered me a small amount, but it was more than enough to tip the scales. I would probably have just bitten the bullet if I didn't receive any merit scholarships, anyway. Just paid my deposit and filled out my acceptance form. Looking forward to attending in the fall, anything I need to know before I set foot on campus?

[mrydel]

Don't fall in love with the first one you see. There will be another coming around the corner.

[PonyTime]

Well, just wanted to update anyone that cares: SMU offered me a small amount, but it was more than enough to tip the scales. I would probably have just bitten the bullet if I didn't receive any merit scholarships, anyway. Just paid my deposit and filled out my acceptance form. Looking forward to attending in the fall, anything I need to know before I set foot on campus?

Cox Tailgates are one of the best networking events you can attend on campus.

[smupony94]

Meet Kevin Knox

[PonyTime]

Meet Kevin Knox

^^^^This!

[whitwiki]

Congrats and welcome to our dysfunctional family

[Chnash318]

I was in SMU's first MSF class ('13) and went to SMU for undergrad as well (Real Estate Finance major in '12). Feel free to shoot me an email if you want

[email protected]

[smupony94]

You just signed up for some rather interesting emails

[RebStang]

Stupid Question: Why are you looking at a MS in Finance rather than a MBA program?

If there is a specific job/career that the MS/Finance gets you that the MBA does not, you are probably making the right choice.

If not, you should consider post-graduation opportunities. Some employers (in particular HR departments) are idiots. If the job requirement includes "MBA-Finance" as a requirement, they will turn down people with MS-Finance degrees.

Good luck.

An actual stupid question: Why is it that, for younger individuals, a specialized masters degree is valued so much lower than an MBA?

I've always believed that an MBA is about preparing for management... but, let's be honest here... a kid with 2 years of real experience and an MBA isn't getting into an actual management role just because he got that MBA. He's still going to have to work 5 or more years before he gets that first 'manager' job and, even then, is still probably 4 or 5 years from a director or VP level job where strategic management skills are actually applied. So, why is an MBA so important for someone in their twenties when a specialized masters degree would probably do more to prepare them for what they're actually going to do as an individual contributor? Obviously, I'm talking about the more specialized niches like finance or marketing.

[CalallenStang]

RebStang, I read your question as: why do companies hire MBA grads into those lower level manager jobs rather than grads of specialized masters degrees?

The answer is, of course, two-fold:

1) companies want to build a pipeline of future talent to choose from for those Director and VP roles, and
2) companies don't want to hire someone fresh out of school for the director/VP roles when they come open. They want tested talent, preferably at that company or in that same industry.

[whitwiki]

And 3) many people who don't like their jobs just go get an MBA and don't have true experience necessary for upper management