Duke's Fuqua School of Business
Duke University's full-time program is noted as one of the South's best. Duke separates classes into six-week terms, which allows students to take five or six more electives—Fuqua offers 90—by the end of their first year, giving them an advantage when it comes to internship opportunities. The university, in Durham, N.C., is surrounded by more than 7,000 acres of the Duke Forest, a natural outdoor laboratory for Duke and surrounding schools. The dominant feature of Duke's West Campus is the 210-foot bell tower of the Duke Chapel, an example of Gothic design built in 1932. For more information on Fuqua and Duke, continue on the virtual tour of its campus.
Photos provided by Duke University. Caption information provided by the school, data from Fast Track: The Best B-Schools, (McGraw-Hill 2008) and BusinessWeek research.
Fuqua Atrium
Fuqua's facilities, like the Atrium, pictured here, are a tribute to creative, functional design. Located in the heart of Duke University's main campus, Fuqua is designed to foster interaction among students, as well as among students and faculty. Fuqua was founded in 1969, and its structure is said to be less formal, allowing students to take entrepreneurial initiatives.
Breeden Hall
Duke's full-time enrollment was 826 in 2008, with an average age of 29. Fuqua offers many specializations for students, which include international business and corporate social responsibility. In addition to developing expanded course offerings, in the summer of 2008 Fuqua opened Breeden Hall, an 86,000-square-foot addition to the school's campus. Breeden Hall houses classrooms, meeting space, the acclaimed Ford Library and state-of-the-art distance learning facilities.
Videoconferencing
Fuqua's TeleSuite, a global conference and teaching system, features the newest technology in Internet and ISDN-based videoconferencing. Fuqua is committed to utilizing emerging technologies to enhance the learning experience: multimedia workspaces, digital whiteboards, tablet computers, and network-equipped study areas.
Diversity
Diversity—in all its forms—is integral to the Fuqua experience. The full-time MBA population is 40% international and 32% are minorities. Fuqua believes the free exchange of opinions, ideas, and perspectives leads to a more complete education, instilling an appreciation of the wide range of factors that make up national and regional economies.
Research Studies
Researchers at Fuqua are engaged in analysis of socially relevant issues, generating ideas and theories aimed at providing business leaders and consumers with new ways to address problems. A recent study from two Fuqua faculty members demonstrated the advantages of calculating fuel efficiency in "gallons per mile" rather than "miles per gallon" terms.
Faculty
Fuqua boasts some of the world's most renowned researchers and thought leaders. These are not austere and inaccessible educators, however. The Duke MBA faculty members are as "real" as the students with whom they share the Fuqua experience. Fuqua professor and best-selling author Dan Ariely is even known to anthropomorphize an apis mellifera to illustrate a point.
Medical Center
Fuqua offers a specialty in Health Sector Management. Faculty members are not only affiliated with the Fuqua School of Business, but many hold joint appointments with Duke University Medical Center and other schools across Duke as well as affiliations with dynamic health sector companies around the globe.
Travel
Fuqua's International Center provides Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) courses, three-credit electives giving students a chance to study the business, cultural, economics, and political aspects of a country or region for several weeks before a 12-day trip to that area. Students gain insights into international business through visits with multinational corporations, local enterprises, government agencies, partner schools, alumni, and others in the region.
Global Consulting
Fuqua's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) has launched a new field study course offering students the chance to travel to developing nations to consult with nonprofits and small businesses. In countries such as South Africa and Nicaragua, students of the Global Consulting Program witness the positive impact entrepreneurship can have on communities.
Volunteer Projects
The Duke MBA programs have a strong commitment to social responsibility and service to the community. Volunteer opportunities—such as Habitat for Humanity projects—abound, offering students the chance to hone their teamwork, leadership, and perhaps even carpentry skills while making a very tangible contribution to their neighbors.
MBA Clubs
tudents can participate in more than 50 student clubs offered by the Fuqua MBA association. The group of clubs includes international clubs, arts and music, business, entrepreneurship, finance, health, leadership, sports, and volunteer. Clubs provide another opportunity for students to form relationships and learn from one another outside the classroom. Pictured here is Fuqua Dean Blair Sheppard at the International Business Club's talent show.
School Spirit
Fuqua contributes to and benefits from the Duke University's unique culture. Duke believes in rigorous academics, with the core learning experience complemented by social and cultural activities that often combine lessons and laughs. In 2007 the Cameron Crazies—student supporters of the Duke Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams—swapped their traditional blue garb with green shirts to raise awareness of Duke's commitment to environmental sustainability.
MBA Games
Camaraderie is an important element of the Fuqua experience, manifested in classrooms as well as on playing fields. Held at Duke's Durham, N.C., campus, the MBA Games bring together teams from business schools across the U.S. and Canada to compete alongside Special Olympics athletes in a spirit of competition and lighthearted fun. Participants are serious about fund-raising, however; the Duke MBA Games have raised nearly $2 million for Special Olympics programs in North Carolina in the past 20 years.
Career Opportunities
Duke MBA graduates are in high demand, with more than 160 companies making recruiting visits to Fuqua and 3,000 job postings received by the school each year. Companies participating in on-campus recruiting at Fuqua include: 3M; American Express; Anheuser Busch; Apple; Bank of America; Booz Allen Hamilton; Coca Cola; Deloitte Consulting; Ford; JPMorgan; M&T Bank Corporation; PricewaterhouseCoopers; and UBS Financial Services. The average post-MBA salary is around $97,384, with top functional areas for Fuqua graduates being in marketing/sales, finance/accounting, and consulting.
Alumni Leadership
Fuqua describes its alumni as "leaders of consequence." This leadership takes on many forms, ranging from the boardroom to the battlefield, providing numerous outlets for applying the Duke MBA to professional and personal endeavors. There are currently around 40 active alumni clubs, and there are around 11,920 living alumni. U.S. Army Majors Chip Daniels (left) and Michael McElrath are friends from their days at Fuqua and ended up serving together in Iraq, using their business acumen to help rebuild Baghdad's infrastructure.
Non-Degree Offerings
The Duke MBA programs are complemented by a number of non-degree executive education offerings. Fuqua's relationship with Duke Corporate Education—a leading provider of executive education services—allows the school to offer flexible corporate training sessions in a range of formats. Fuqua also offers an executive MBA program, with leading areas of study in general management and a specialization in health-care management.