Professional development

BS/MBA social activities start with a New Student Orientation Program for incoming First Year students and their parents, and class assignment that allows for incoming BS/MBAs to form a cohort of support and learning.

This continues with other events like the start of semester informal dinners, which continues a chance for students across all classes to form a tight and supportive cohort and serves to shape mutual motivation for academic achievement.

From time to time special events occur like a luncheon hosted by President and Mrs. Barron for BS/MBA students. Another event was held in conjunction with the Science Dean’s Advisory Board meeting, whereby BS/MBA students got to interact with Science leadership staff and alumni advisors in an informal setting.

First Year BS/MBA students participate in a First Year Seminar course designed just for them, which includes exercises on leadership, group dynamics, presentation skills and business topics.

All undergrads have the opportunity to participate in the BS/MBA Spring Seminar, which provides familiarity with key business terms and concepts that will be useful for Co-ops, Internships and the Smeal MBA itself.

Several learning opportunities give the students a chance to mentor each other formally and informally.  There is a formal mentorship program where by upper class members and MBA candidates are available to advise first and second year students.

Many BS/MBA events involve food, and the internship and co-operative pizza party held during the Fall semester, is an example. This event gives the students a chance to learn from each other’s experiences best practices for obtaining undergraduate work experience. The “tips and tricks” as well as the networking with class program-mates helps to clarify and refine student career objectives.

In the spring the students completing the MBA present their experiences over their years in the program, in another casual setting. Undergraduates learn from the them and have another opportunity to question those who have preceded them.

Alumni Meetings and Guest Speakers offer students information and interesting perspectives on the career paths of past graduates from the program and leaders in various fields, while helping them to build their career network.

For each of the last three years, the students have visited New York City to get a sense of the careers and lives of BS/MBA alumni and other professionals working in Manhattan. Students learned from: consultants at Deloitte, A.T. Kearney, and Ernst and Young; from business people at pharmaceutical companies, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer; from alumni professionals in Software as a Service companies, Medidata and Salesforce; from finance professionals at UBS and Dorilton Capital; from science-oriented public relations firms Area 23 and 21Grams, and a Senior Vice President alum at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2018, students in the program visited the New York Stock Exchange.