Graduate School Links

Following the nationwide trend, many JMU Finance students are finding an advanced degree to be a necessary "next-step" for advancement in their field. Students can earn a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree, a Masters Degree in Finance, or a Ph.D.

There are numerous excellent schools, and it is recommended that you attend the best school that you can. Acceptance at the better Business Schools is extremely competitive. Be prepared to spend time and money to apply to several schools. Additionally most schools require a campus interview before they will grant admission. Many schools, although not all, require some work experience and most require a GMAT and/or GRE test be taken. There are many excellent resources are available for each of these tests. The Princeton Review and Kaplan are two of the more established firms that offer courses on taking the test as well as fairly good informational sites that can help you know what to expect.

The cost of graduate school is obviously something any good finance student would be examine. Depending on the school, the cost of a graduate education can be substantial. However, there are many places to turn for the money. Many large firms will pay a portion of the tuition for their employees (be sure to ask in interviews!). Additionally most schools offer Graduate Assistantships, Fellowships, and other financial aid packages that greatly reduce the cost of the education. Indeed the recruiting of the top students can be quite intense, and depending on the degree, many students actually get paid for going to school and do not pay any tuition.

Any list of graduate Business Schools would be incomplete. Business Week and US News and World Report are but two of many periodicals that publish annual surveys of the top Business Schools. You will be required to take the GMAT test

The following is a partial list of Business School Web Sites:

James Madison Graduate School
Carnegie Mellon University
Duke
Georgetown School of Business
Harvard Business School
North Carolina
Northwestern
Ohio State
Pennsylvania State University
Simon School at the University of Rochester
University of Georgia
University Of Virginia