世界顶级商学院概览——Harvard Business School之旅

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Harvard Business School
Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S. and one of the most well-known. Founded in 1636 to provide an English university education in England's colonies, Harvard now offers academic programs ranging from law and business to divinity. Breaking with its English roots, Harvard awarded an honorary degree to George Washington after his army pushed British troops out of Boston in 1776. The university has educated seven U.S. Presidents and has more than 320,000 living alumni worldwide.

Harvard Business School has been educating aspiring business leaders since 1908, when the first class of 80 students entered the school. Soon after, the school adopted the case method of instruction, in which students apply classroom principles to real-world problems. The case method has since spread to many other business schools, and HBS now sells more than 7 million cases a year. In addition to a highly ranked two-year full-time MBA, HBS also offers doctoral and executive education programs.

Photos provided by Harvard University and specified photographers.

2010-9-26 11:35

chanyeen

Strolling Through History
Sitting on a bend on the Boston side of the Charles River, HBS is just a short walk away from many of the attractions of both Boston and Cambridge, Mass. Harvard students can catch a Celtics or Red Sox game or explore historic sites and shopping malls. The two cities also have one of the highest concentrations of students in the world, with more than 250,000 people pursuing higher education in the area. In addition to academic and business opportunities, Boston offers America's oldest St. Patrick's Day parade every March.

2010-9-26 11:36

chanyeen

Back to the Dorms
HBS encourages students to interact with professors and each other by offering a self-contained residential campus. More than 80 percent of Harvard's 1,800 MBA students choose to live on-campus in one of five residence halls. The campus also includes classrooms and a library, a gym, and of course places to eat.

Harvard fosters collaboration by assigning incoming students to six- or seven-person "learning teams" at orientation. Students work with their teams throughout their first year at HBS, sharing ideas and asking questions about cases and classwork.

2010-9-26 11:38

chanyeen

A Harvard Student
"The hardest part of the program is getting in," an HBS graduate said in a Bloomberg Businessweek survey. Indeed, just 12 percent of the 9,000 students who apply each year are accepted, and the mean GMAT score for those students is 719. Close to 90 percent of admitted students choose to attend Harvard, where tuition, room, and board alone add up to more than $64,000 a year.

A typical MBA student is 26 years old and has worked for about 3.5 years before coming to HBS. About a fifth of all students are minorities and a third are women. Thirty-six percent of students come from outside the U.S., a third of those from Asia. But no matter where students come from, each one gets the same MBA—Harvard does not offer concentrations or specializations.

2010-9-26 11:39

chanyeen

Hanging Out in Spangler
The Spangler Student Center is a popular place for MBAs to meet up—and not just because it offers coffee and food throughout the day. Spangler has 29 project rooms and a 350-seat auditorium, and wireless Internet access is available throughout the building. The center's lower level has a post office, a bookstore, and a tech support location.

On many Friday afternoons, the Student Assn. sponsors a "Thank Goodness It's Friday" happy hour at The Grille, located on Spangler's lower level. Throughout the week, The Grille serves burgers, sandwiches, and pizza, as well as wine and beer in the evenings. Students can also grab food in Spangler's food court, which has many breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, including an Asian station, a salad bar, and hot entrées.

2010-9-26 11:40

chanyeen

The Case Method
Since 1924, HBS has used the case method to teach real-world lessons to business students. The cases, used in 80 percent of courses, are based on actual events and business conflicts. They expose students to the challenges they may face at graduation and teach them valuable decision-making skills. "Harvard changed my life, and as long as a person is comfortable with the case method, I would absolutely recommend the school to anyone," an HBS graduate said in a Bloomberg Businessweek survey.

2010-9-26 12:41

chanyeen

The Classroom Experience
At HBS, students learn not just from their professors, but also from each other. Classes often involve active discussions among students from different industries and diverse parts of the globe. The average HBS core class has 90 students, while a typical elective (there are 95 offered) has 60. Harvard has recently added courses in financial markets and global health to its elective offerings.

"The quality of the professors, the network you are able to create, and the academic curriculum is simply outstanding," an HBS graduate said in a Bloomberg Businessweek survey.

2010-9-26 12:46

chanyeen

Student Life
MBAs have their pick of more than 70 clubs to explore their interests and meet new friends. There are also more than 200 club leadership positions available to students who want to develop leadership or management skills. Some clubs are organized around professions or networking; there's even a Wine Club. Student clubs plan about 20 conferences a year and bring more than 300 speakers to campus.

2010-9-26 12:48

chanyeen

Business Plan Contest
The Business Plan Contest is another HBS feature to take learning beyond the classroom. By working with professors and classmates, students learn to become entrepreneurs, developing and presenting their own business plans. MBAs have turned many past business plans—both winners and non-winners—into successful enterprises. Past winning plans put into action have included an upscale dessert restaurant and a program to build modular homes in Mexico. Pictured above, the designers of contest winner "Diagnostics-For-All" celebrate their victory. The nonprofit creates inexpensive and easy-to-use medical tests for the developing world, such as one that measures liver function.

2010-9-26 12:57

chanyeen

Faculty and Research
HBS has 272 faculty members, 246 with PhDs; many are leaders in industry, government, or academia. These professors are a diverse group, with nearly a third coming from outside the U.S.

Professors publish about 20 books and 150 research articles each year, but their most important duty is training MBAs to lead in the business world. HBS has Global Research Centers around the world that enable professors to work with industry and government leaders, as well as with other academics, no matter where they might be located.

2010-9-26 13:00