Arizona Eller

History

In 1885, the territorial legislature granted a sum of $25,000 for establishing the University of Arizona in Tucson. The first classes were held in 1891 at the original building “Old Main” with thirty-two students and six teachers. During the early days, there were more enrolments in the preparatory department than in the University proper, which had a maximum of ten graduates a year. Later, when Arizona became a state, the University underwent rapid expansion. In 1903, the first two masters’ degrees were awarded by the University of Arizona. The Graduate College commenced in 1934 and the tuition fee was $2 per credit.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Eller College is to support and develop a community of scholars and learners whose knowledge, integrity, and entrepreneurial spirit will transform business and society; this is the Eller Experience.

Core Strengths of the School

Innovation, Application and Communication are the three pillars of the Eller MBA program. The School is home to the renowned McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, which fosters the entrepreneurship spirit among students by bringing the latest research done by its faculty into the classrooms. The Eller MBA provides Experiential Learning to its students in the form of Consulting projects, internships and global business trips. The College has an intensive Business Communication course for its students that enhances their managerial skills and instills a strategic thinking approach while solving business problems. The course works in sync with the Career Development office and Experiential Learning Program in order to enhance the interpersonal and communication skills of the students through skill-based workshops, simulations and individualized coaching.

Uniqueness in MBA Pedagogy

The curriculum has a 16-week Consulting Project, where the students work in teams for a local, regional or global company. Students develop business model, devise strategies and business plans, and manage the resources and budget of the project. This experience enhances the capability of the students to work in a team environment and they learn to communicate, lead, organize and plan the tasks well. Earlier, students have worked on topics such as Sales forecasting, Strategic Market Plans, Feasibility Studies, Cost Analysis and several such important aspects of business. The Eller MBA program offers students to add an international flavor to their academic experience through an International Consulting Project with one of their corporate sponsors. Students travel to the developing countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico and China and enrich themselves by interacting with the top-notch executives of prominent business concerns.

The Eller MBA focuses on training the students on the much sought-after leadership skill, which is required by the employers. Apart from the regular classroom training, the program offers several opportunities outside the confines of the classroom, which would nurture the leadership potential of its students. Several student organizations such as Consulting Club, MBA Student Association, Entrepreneurship Club, etc. plus Case Competitions are an effort by the School to inculcate leadership skills in its students. The Intel Case Competition is an opportunity for the students to showcase their business knowledge and apply their strategic thinking approach to solve a complicated business case and win cash awards worth $2000. The PAC-10 Case Competition challenges the students to come up with a unique solution to the complex business case by applying their analytical skills and present their findings in front of the panel of eminent judges.

Business Intelligence Quotient BIQ gives a broad overview of a major enterprise. Students can develop their business intelligence by enhancing their understanding of stock valuation, business strategy, crisis management and other corporate activities through a series of simulations and presentations.

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

LOCATION ADVANTAGES

The college is located amidst the centre of Tucson, Arizona, less than 120 miles from the fifth largest city of the nation, Phoenix. The beach at Rocky Point on the sea of Cortez is just about 200 miles away. Surrounded by mountains, which are 9000 feet high, the place offers skiing opportunities in winters for its residents. The pleasant climate throughout the year is an opportunity for the locals to engage themselves in outdoor activities. The strong public and private partnerships between the state and the local governments has proved to be advantageous for the economy of Tucson, with over 1200 technology conglomerates occupying the city.

CAREER SUPPORT

The Office of Career Management guides the students in choosing their career path by exposing them to the vast variety of options available to them. The Eller MBA career exploration program, held during the first semester, helps students to identify their target organization or industry. The Career Management staff works individually with each student and devises a job search strategy based on the student’s goals, skills and interests. The Career Management office takes the full responsibility of internship and on-campus recruitment processes. The Office of Career Management trains the students to enhance their professional network by connecting the current students with the alumni, who are holding leadership positions in several leading corporate companies across the world.