Microsoft's most loyal users ask for Surface trade-in program

One of the most common questions posed to Microsoft's Surface team Monday was whether the company would buy back used tablets so that customers could upgrade to the newest models set to ship in a month.

The Microsoft developers, engineers and program managers who hosted a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" chat Monday afternoon didn't ignore the buyback questions, but had little to offer as an answer.

[ Also on InfoWorld: Surface 2 branding, specs, and pricing: Wrong, wrong, and wrong. | Get expert advice about planning and implementing your BYOD strategy with InfoWorld's 29-page "Mobile and BYOD Deep Dive" PDF special report. | Keep up on key mobile developments and insights with the Mobilize newsletter. ]

For two hours Monday, the Surface team, led by Panos Panay, the executive who heads the group and who earlier in the day introduced the new Surface 2 line to reporters and analysts, took on Reddit readers in a wide-ranging online Q&A.

While Panos and others from Microsoft revealed a few news nuggets, notably that the company will launch Surface tablets early next year that can connect to mobile data networks, one issue that came up time and again was about a first-generation Surface trade-in program.

One of the first questions during the two-hour chat session was on just that topic.

"Any news on a potential trade-in scheme for current Surface RT/Pro owners to get money off the new devices?" asked someone identified as "Exilify."

Others jumped on the idea. "I'd love to shell out some for [Surface Pro 2] if I had a good incentive," said "johnlennin," joining the chorus. "Dealing with eBay and Craigslist would be a pain ... I hope you guys consider it and if so announce it soon."

Some argued that they should be rewarded for being early Surface adopters who jumped on the bandwagon while others dissed the platform.

"Would love to see a trade-in program for all of us first movers for [Microsoft] products (family has Nokia Lumias, etc.)," wrote "hoosiers99" during the AMA. "My Surface RT has been greatly devalued by both price and a new version available in less than a year. Microsoft owes its most loyal buyers and first movers a quality trade-in program."

Such arguments aren't unusual amongst technology-buying consumers, especially when a new product replaces one they recently bought, or a company sharply lowers prices. In 2007, after Apple dropped the price of the original iPhone from $599 to $399, those who had already bought the new smartphone complained loudly, saying that they had been penalized for being first.

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Sprint's early upgrades program to launch Friday, same day as new iPhones

September 16, 2013 10:00 AM ETComputerworld - Sprint will reportedly launch a One Up early upgrade program on Friday that allows customers to get a new device every year with a smartphone or tablet trade-in.

With the move, Sprint would be the fourth major carrier to provide early trade-in initiatives, started with T-Mobile US's Jump program launched in July, then followed by AT&T Next and Verizon Edge.

Sprint had no comment today on the first report of the new One Up program carried by CNET on Sunday.

Separately, Sprint announced it has turned on LTE in 34 more markets in the U.S., for a total of 185. Last week, the carrier acknowledged that the new iPhone 5s and 5c, going on sale Friday, won't support Sprint's add-on TD-LTE network running over the 2.5 GHz spectrum. Both new iPhones, however, will support Sprint's 1900 MHz LTE network rollout that has reached 185 cities, and Sprint said there will be no impact from the absence of support for 2.5 GHz spectrum.

With Sprint One Up, a customer can get a new phone with no down payment and 24 monthly installments.

An unsubsidized phone under One Up costs $650 (which is the price for a new iPhone 5c) and would cost $27 a month for 24 months, with slightly more on the final payment, according to the report. A customer would be required to pay off the device's entire balance for leaving Sprint's service before the end of the full term.

An upgrade would be possible with a trade-in of the device after a year, the report added. Sprint's eligible plans include Unlimited, My Way or All-In.

This article, Sprint's early upgrades program to launch Friday, same day as new iPhones , was originally published at Computerworld.com.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed. His email address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

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Small and midsize businesses are moving to the cloud to host their communications capabilities. Learn how enterprise-quality phone benefits, online management, conferencing, auto attendant, and ease of use are built into a system that is half the cost of a PBX.

Read now.

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Univ. of Maryland’s Smith School of Business and Maryland Bankers Association to Offer Program for Community Bank Board Members

Univ. of Maryland’s Smith School of Business and Maryland Bankers Association to Offer Program for Community Bank Board Members

College Park, Md. – December 7, 2010 – The Center for Financial Policy at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and the Maryland Bankers Association are partnering to deliver a Bank Director Training Program. Targeted to business leaders who serve on the boards of community banks in Maryland, the series of short courses will lead participants through new regulations in the wake of the financial crisis and leverage Smith’s world-class faculty and research from the Center for Financial Policy.

Courses will give board members the financial skills and understanding to work more effectively with their banks and better navigate complex decisions, even though many are not professionals in the industry. The program will be offered in six, four-hour modules, beginning in January 2011. The Smith School’s finance faculty, in conjunction with the Office of Executive Programs, will teach the courses at the school’s College Park, Md. campus, with one module to be held in June in conjunction with the Maryland Bankers Association annual meeting.

“As we’re emerging from the financial crisis, there is no better time for a formal program for community bank board members,” said Clifford Rossi, executive-in-residence at the Center for Financial Policy and academic director of the Board Director Training Program. “Having board directors who understand the new state and federal regulatory reforms is critical to the ongoing stability of the banking sector in Maryland.”

Rossi, a 25-year banking industry veteran, will teach the first course on credit risk management in January 2011. Rossi will bring his experience as chief risk officer, most recently with Citigroup, to give board members an overview of credit risks faced by banks, what to look for and how banks can better control these exposures. Subsequent courses will cover asset liability, deposit insurance, capital management, corporate governance and strategic planning.

“We are excited to be partnering with the Smith School on this program,” said Kathleen Murphy, president and CEO of the Maryland Bankers Association. “With more than 700 business leaders currently serving on the boards of Maryland’s community banks, this program will provide an ongoing resource with some of the premier educational financial faculty in the country. This will be a wonderful added benefit for our members.”

Launched in 2009, the Center for Financial Policy offers an unbiased source of expertise on complex policy issues related to financial institutions, financial markets and public companies through cutting-edge research, outreach and executive education. Center leaders interact with policymakers to provide impartial help in steering and influencing policy, and provide thought leadership to industry executives in the public and private sectors. The center also offers the Directors’ Institute, an intensive, three-day program for corporate board members held in April in Washington.

The Smith School is widely recognized as a world-leading source of business management education and research, consistently ranking among the world’s best for faculty research. It was recently ranked No. 15 in the United States for its executive MBA program and No. 1 in corporate strategy by the Financial Times.

About the Maryland Bankers Association
Founded in 1896, MBA’s member banks have more than 25,000 employees and hold
97 percent of the FDIC insured deposits in Maryland in more than 1,800 branch offices. MBA serves member banks and thrifts as a legislative and regulatory advocate at all levels of government, as the public relations voice for the industry, as a provider of professional education to members and a promoter of consumer financial education to adults and students.   

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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Univ. of Maryland’s Smith School of Business EMBA Program Ranks No. 15 in the U.S.

Univ. of Maryland’s Smith School of Business
EMBA Program Ranks No. 15 in the U.S.

Financial Times Executive Education Ranking Places Smith School No. 1 in Corporate Strategy Worldwide; No. 9 for Faculty Research, Entrepreneurship

College Park, Md. – October 25, 2010 – The executive MBA program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is ranked No. 15 in the United States and No. 36 in world, according to the 2010 Financial Times executive education rankings published today. The influential rankings place the Smith School's EMBA No. 1 in the world for corporate strategy and No. 9 globally for entrepreneurship and for faculty research, an area of strength for which the school is consistently recognized as a leader.

“We are proud to be the No. 1 program in the world for corporate strategy – a recognition we’ve worked hard to achieve since starting our EMBA program less than 10 years ago,” said G. “Anand” Anandalingam, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. “We are the highest ranked program in the Baltimore-Washington region, following a previous great ranking by the Wall Street Journal. This ranking is a testament to the strength of our faculty and the real-world leadership development and applied research they bring into the classroom. With our emphasis on action learning and entrepreneurial problem solving, our students emerge as leaders and innovators in their organizations.”

Smith’s EMBA program was ranked No. 22 in the world by the Wall Street Journal in September 2010, which also ranked Smith No. 15 for how well it imparts management skills to students and No. 16 according to alumni rating. In addition to the EMBA degree program, Smith’s top faculty share their expertise through the school’s several non-degree programs. Executives can take part in the recently launched miniMBA2.0 certificate program, which emphasizes practical skills development and professional networking for the increasingly technology- and analysis-focused business environment.

The Financial Times rankings are compiled from two questionnaires – one that focuses on business school and program information, the other that focuses on alumni achievement three years after graduation for the EMBA class of 2007. The corporate strategy and entrepreneurship program rankings are based on the alumni survey. The research ranking is calculated according to the number of faculty publications in 45 international academic and practitioner journals. Points are accrued by the business school at which the author is currently employed and the total is weighted for faculty size. 

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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University of Maryland Health IT Seed Grant Program: Investing in Research & Innovation to Accelerate Health Transformation

University of Maryland Health IT Seed Grant Program: Investing in Research & Innovation to Accelerate Health Transformation

April 18, 2011 - The University of Maryland Center of Excellence in Health Information Technology Research (COEHITR) is pleased to announce the launch of the inaugural Health IT Seed Grant Program. The University of Maryland is committed to investing in research and innovation that accelerates the transformation of health care. The objective of this program is to foster teams of investigators crossing disciplinary boundaries working to establish specific research foci and generate preliminary data with the ultimate goal of submitting research proposals to funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ), the National Science Foundation (NSF), or other federal or private funding agencies. The program is also intended to foster collaborations between junior and senior investigators and provide mentorship for new investigators in the art of grant writing and research. Three thematic areas are the focus of this year’s program:

The Patient-Centered Medical HomeElectronic Health Information Exchange: A Core Foundation for Healthcare TransformationHealth IT Applied to Public Health Priorities

The COEHITR Seed Grant Program is currently accepting grant applications for the 2011 – 2012 funding period. Proposals must be received by 11:59p, Wednesday, May 18th, 2011, for consideration.

Review complete program details at: www.hit.umd.edu/resources/Grant.php.

About the Center

The University of Maryland Center of Excellence in Health Information Technology Research (COEHITR) is an interdisciplinary initiative with a mission to accelerate health promotion and health care transformation through the research, design, development and integration of health information and decision technologies. The initiative will address the issues of health care quality, cost, patient safety and access, as well as health literacy, health equity and health promotion.

The University of Maryland, between its College Park and Baltimore campuses, has a wealth of research capabilities and resources that are collectively coming together in this effort. The initiative is being co-led by the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems at the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the School of Public Health along with a broad Steering Committee representing all partners and an external Board of Advisers.

For more information contact Kenyon Crowley at kcrowley@rhsmith.umd.edu.

About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, executive MS, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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University of Maryland Partners with PRSA to Advance Public Relations Instruction in MBA Program

University of Maryland Partners with PRSA to Advance Public Relations Instruction in MBA Program

Pilot program aims to create better understanding of corporate communication strategy,
methodology and value among current and future business leaders

College Park, Md. – June 12, 2012 — The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is one of five business schools selected by The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) to participate in a groundbreaking pilot program aimed at enhancing the strategic communication and reputation management education provided to the nation’s MBA candidates.

The schools selected by PRSA have demonstrated a commitment to teaching the strategic value of public relations at the MBA level, and currently offer or have previously offered public relations classes or coursework in their MBA and/or Executive MBA programs. Under the pilot program, the Robert H. Smith School of Business will integrate a new, turn-key public relations course into its MBA curriculum for the 2012-2013 academic year.

“Communication and reputation management are necessary skills for executives and all leaders,” said G. “Anand” Anandalingam, dean of the Robert H. Smith School. “We have always stressed the importance of these competencies to our students by delivering workshops and short courses. Our students will benefit further from this semester-long format.”

The Smith School will work collaboratively with the other business schools in the pilot on identifying and documenting best practices in terms of subject matter and teaching methods, and on incorporating its findings into a formal report to be released at the pilot program’s end.

“Being a part of this pilot gives us the opportunity to positively influence business education across the country,” said Ken White, assistant dean of Marketing Communications, who will teach the course. “We will work together with the other pilot schools and PRSA to offer a best-practices guide for the public relations course curriculum to business schools nationwide.”

The other institutions taking part in the pilot include Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business; Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management; Quinnipiac University’s School of Business; and the University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Business Administration.

“We’re extremely proud of the quality and diversity of the university programs that showed interest and were selected to take part in our MBA pilot program,” said PRSA Chair and CEO Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA. “Our aim was to identify schools that were best-in-class in their respective categories and representative of various geographies, sizes and specializations, and I’d say we exceeded those goals, given the caliber of the institutions selected.”

PRSA Study Underscores Need for Public Relations Training

In October 2011, a Kelton Business Leader Study commissioned by PRSA surveyed 204 American business leaders (vice president and above) to gauge the organizational value that U.S. business executives place on corporate communications and reputation management, and on senior managers having advanced knowledge and grounding in those areas.

The survey results showed that many American business leaders view recent MBA graduates as being under-prepared in the areas of strategic communication and reputation management. The results also showed that many of the business leaders surveyed believe MBA programs lack sufficient emphasis on communications strategy and related leadership skills.

To help address this lack of training, PRSA’s MBA initiative is a multi-year, collaborative effort to advocate the value of including foundational communications strategy in MBA programs. Ultimately, the program is intended to give MBA candidates a better appreciation of public relations’ strategic value and help them understand the communications methodologies required for success in the future.

The program has the support of the Arthur W. Page Society, Council of Public Relations Firms and International Association of Business Communicators. Initial funding was provided by the PRSA Foundation, and ongoing financial and material support is being provided by MWW Group, Kelton Research, Hilton Hotels Corporation and Southwest Airlines.

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
PRSA is the largest professional organization serving the U.S. public relations community. With a mission to “advance the profession and the professional,” PRSA provides news and information, thought leadership, continuing education and networking opportunities; sets standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct; and advocates for the business value of public relations and greater diversity among public relations professionals. Based in New York, PRSA comprises 112 local Chapters; 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on specific industries and practice areas; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which is active at more than 320 colleges and universities.

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University of Maryland Smith School of Business MBA Program Ranked No. 24, No. 2 for Student Satisfaction, Teachers and Career Services

University of Maryland Smith School of Business MBA Program
Ranks Among Nation’s Best
No. 2 for Student Satisfaction, Teachers and Career Services

College Park, Md. – November 15, 2012 – The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business offers one of the best MBA programs in the nation and ranks No. 2 for the quality of its teachers, its career services and overall student satisfaction, according to a ranking published today by Bloomberg Businessweek magazine. The Smith School ranks No. 24 in the nation and No. 9 among public universities.

“We’re so pleased to see our commitment to our students and our investments in our programs recognized with this ranking,” said G. “Anand” Anandalingam, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. “We have been focused on strengthening the learning experience for our students. We have some of the best researchers in the world who truly excel at translating their work in the classroom for our students. And we’ve made significant investments to transform our career services offerings to help our students develop as strong leaders.”

Students rated the Smith School “A+” across the board for career services offerings, the quality of teachers, leadership skills they acquired in the program and the caliber of their classmates.

The Smith School completed a multimillion-dollar revamp of its Office of Career Services in fall 2011, introducing a host of new student programs and a state-of-the-art physical space for interviews that have attracted many additional employers to campus. The office’s innovative offerings include a series of improvisation workshops led by a Broadway actor and soft-skills leadership training.

The MBA student experience is a top priority for the school, both in the classroom and through the six-credit, required Smith Experience program. Renowned researchers serve not only as top teachers, but as mentors and leaders for the experiential learning program’s consulting projects and global study trips.

The Bloomberg Businessweek rankings published November 15, 2012. The list appears every two years and is based on three main sources of data: a survey of MBA students, a survey of corporate recruiters, and an intellectual capital rating. The surveys are conducted online and ask students to rate their programs on teaching quality, career services, alumni network and recruiting efforts, among other things. The recruiter survey asks companies to rank top schools from which they recruit and hire MBAs. The intellectual capital score is determined by the number of faculty books published and articles published in the top 20 academic journals in the past five years. The magazine also evaluates programs on a range of statistical information submitted by the schools.

The complete rankings can be seen online. Additional information about the Smith School’s MBA program is available at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/mba.

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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University of Maryland’s Center for Social Value Creation Expands Grassroots.org Social Venture Consulting Program to MBA Students Nationwide

University of Maryland’s Center for Social Value Creation
Expands Grassroots.org Social Venture Consulting Program
to MBA Students Nationwide

College Park, Md. – January 10, 2011 — The Center for Social Value Creation at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is expanding its Grassroots.org Social Venture Consulting Program in partnership with Grassroots.org, an organization that provides free technologies and resources to nonprofits. The innovative experiential learning program matches MBA students with nonprofit organizations around the country for semester-long consulting projects. Make Change! Trust provided a $120,000 grant to expand the program and the Center for Social Value Creation is inviting students nationwide to participate.

Since 2006, the competitive program has served more than 75 organizations and involved nearly 300 students, providing MBAs with practical consulting experience and the opportunity to give back to their community. Make Change! Trust has supported the program since its inception.

“This program provides a valuable service to nonprofits around the country and gives our students the hands-on experience coming up with innovative solutions to solving social issues,” said G. “Anand” Anandalingam, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. “This type of experiential learning is what all MBA students need to develop as the next generation of leaders. We’re happy we can help provide this beyond Smith to students around the nation.”

The consulting projects range from creating marketing campaigns, to designing donor outreach, to building financial models. U.S. nonprofits served by Grassroots.org apply to the program each semester to receive the consulting work from MBA student teams at no charge. Currently, the popular program can only serve about 10 percent of nonprofits that apply, but Make Change! Trust hopes that number will increase with the expansion of the program. The trust and the Center for Social Value Creation share the goal to provide more nonprofit organizations with mission-critical project work while providing a skills-based volunteer opportunity to more MBAs across the country.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide a greater number of nonprofits with capacity-building expertise,” said Melissa Carrier, executive director of the Center for Social Value Creation. “We’ve had tremendous success with our students and this program and we’re excited to replicate that success with MBAs at other schools.”

Smith’s Center for Social Value Creation and Grassroots.org will support other business schools that apply to take part in the program with a database of projects to match with student consulting groups, templates for successful outcomes, and a knowledge toolkit. The center will also provide ongoing advising to participants, much in the way center staff and faculty currently advise Smith student teams. Each consulting project is managed and completed by a group of three to five students.

The Grassroots.org Social Venture Consulting Program fulfills one of the main missions of the Center for Social Value Creation, which was launched in September 2009 to engage students in courses and experiential learning programs to enable them to become global leaders who understand how to use business as a vehicle for both economic prosperity and transformative social change. The center also supports faculty research in related areas.

About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, executive MS, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

About Grassroots.org
Grassroots.org serves as a catalyst for positive social change by leveraging modern technologies and best business practices. Grassroots.org provides nonprofit organizations with free valuable technologies and resources to increase their efficiency and productivity. Grassroots.org’s goal is to adopt 10,000 nonprofit members, and to provide each of them with an average of $10,000 per year worth of services at no charge (for a total savings of $100 million per year!). Today Grassroots.org offers nonprofits free technology and business services available through its “Nonprofit Toolbox” and currently serves more than 3,500 nonprofits worldwide!

About Make Change! Trust
Make Change! Trust is a charitable fund developed by Internet entrepreneurs and philanthropists devoted to using technology to improve the world. MC!T makes donations to nonprofit organizations that are empowering other nonprofits and the underserved through innovative uses of technology. MC!T has donated more than a million of dollar to technology-focused organizations serving others, and directly to nonprofits fighting disease, homelessness, poverty, and supporting other humanitarian causes.

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Congratulations Graduates of Smith Executive MBA Program, Cohort 12! [VIDEO]

Congratulations Graduates of Smith Executive MBA Program,
Cohort 12!

Thirty-eight students from the Robert H. Smith School of Business Executive MBA Cohort 12 gathered at the University of Maryland’s Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center on July 26, 2013, for a very special occasion: graduation ceremonies.

With family, friends, faculty, and staff on hand, the close-knit and supportive culture of our community was clearly on display as Vice Dean Joyce Russell acknowledged the sacrifice on the families and the milestone achievement of the graduates.

Greg Hanifee, assistant dean of executive programs, said, “We’re extremely proud of this group of executives, as they have pushed us to become better as a program, but they also have represented the Smith EMBA brand with incredible professionalism. I especially want to thank our outstanding faculty and staff (as the students have done today) for delivering on our promise of a leading EMBA degree.”

Two big highlights of the ceremony included a speech and a song from graduating students. Bob Smith – with help from Amadou Cisse’ – offered a “Top 12 Ways You Know You've Finished Your EMBA at the Robert H. Smith School of Business” list. Undoubtedly the most memorable part of the ceremony for the attendees was a song from Dionne Kimble-Walker. Words can’t do justice to these highlights – so watch them online via video captured from an audience member.

EMBA graduate Rebecca Winner offered some words of wisdom to prospective Executive MBA students: “The Smith Executive MBA program truly changed the way I think about myself, my career and the work I do. Immerse yourself in the experience and take advantage of all the opportunities it offers to grow and develop,” said Winner.

Already highly ranked by the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Businessweek, Smith’s EMBA program recently ranked 26th in The Economist's inaugural EMBA world rankings and 13th among U.S. programs.

Would you like to be wearing your own EMBA cap and gown in July 2015? You can start the process by attending an information session.

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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The Economist Ranks Smith EMBA program #26 (World) and #13 (US)

ONE business school emerges as the clear winner in The Economist’s first ranking of executive MBA programmes. The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University near Chicago has four programmes in the top ten. Number one is its joint programme with Schulich School of Business at York University, just across the border in Ontario, Canada. Programmes run in conjunction with Hong Kong UST and WHU in Germany also make the top ten, and Kellogg’s standalone EMBA is number eight.

Our ranking measures business schools on two broad criteria: personal development/educational experience and career development. Within these categories, we look at 27 criteria, including the quality and diversity of students, the quality of the faculty, the percentage of students who receive a promotion after they graduate and the average salary increase graduates can expect. The data are a mixture of student-reported figures, student ratings and data provided by the schools (see methodology).

Joint programmes seem to be a particular hit with students. Participants on the Kellogg-Schulich programme gave the highest marks for the quality of their classmates as well as for faculty and facilities. It also came top when alumni were asked the extent to which the programme helped them achieve their pre-MBA career goals. The joint MBA offered by Kellogg and the Hong University of Science of Technology, meanwhile, got the top rank for the overall quality of its students. Students who enrol on this programme are particularly high-powered, earning on average $261,000 with 15 years’ work experience.

It is interesting to note that a school’s joint EMBA will often rank higher than its standalone programme. Kellogg’s single-campus programme, although ranked a creditable eighth, lags behind those offered with partners. The UCLA-National University of Singapore joint EMBA, ranked third, fares better than the standalone programmes at UCLA (13th) or the NUS (43rd). The ESADE-Georgetown EMBA is 12th, whereas the one offered solely at Georgetown is 27th.

One reason for this is that joint programmes are generally more international. The UCLA-NUS EMBA, for example, insists that students take at least four one-week assignments overseas during the programme. Joint programmes also enrol more experienced students. Those on the UCLA-NUS programme will have, on average, three years’ more work experience and earn close to $40,000 more than the UCLA single-campus alternative.

American programmes dominate the ranking. Well over half the programmes on our list are based—solely or partly—in America. But two Spanish schools also perform well. This may come as a surprise, given the travails of that country’s economy. But students on these programmes are often not Spanish residents. The EMBA at IE Business School, ranked second, makes extensive use of distance learning, and face-to-face classes take place in Spain, China and Brazil, so it is not essential for students to be too near at hand. Its programme performs particularly well in the salary category, which is the most heavily weighted in the ranking. IE students reported that their basic salaries had risen by 52% by the time they graduated, from $101,569 to $154,281. Within two years they could expect their salaries to have increased by 125%, more than those of students at any other school. Career advancement is also a big selling point at neighbouring IESE, ranked fifth—88% of its students said that they had either been promoted or grown their company since graduation.

While EMBA students are recruited from around the world and come from a wide variety of industries—18 of the programmes surveyed comprised students from at least 11 different industry sectors—one criterion on which all schools fare badly is the percentage of women students in their classes. None of the schools on our list enrol more women than men. The highest ranked in this regard is Concordia in Canada where 41% of students are women. At IMD in Switzerland it is a desultory 12%. For a degree in which students are said to learn more from their classmates’ experiences than their lecturers’ pontifications, EMBA programmes fall woefully short in this regard. The Economist plans to run this ranking every two years. In this area, at least, we very much hope to report improvement.

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University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business Launches Online MBA Program

University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business Launches
Online MBA Program

College Park, Md. – June 17, 2013 – The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland will offer an online MBA program beginning in January 2014. Designed to accommodate working professionals, the flexible online program allows students to earn an MBA degree largely on their own time with minimal on-campus requirements. The program courses are taught by the same top faculty and adhere to the academic rigor of the Smith School’s other top MBA programs.

“This is a major step forward for the university and for business professionals who need flexible access to academic excellence,” said UMD President Wallace Loh. “The Smith School is combining a state-of-the-art online platform with the academic rigor that makes it a leader. University-wide we are exploring how best to use technology-based learning, and this is an excellent model.”

The Smith Online MBA is modeled after the school’s top-ranked and highly successful executive MBA program, but it is delivered primarily online. Students begin and end the program with structured, in-person residencies at the University of Maryland’s campus in College Park. The remainder of the program is completed online. Students can earn their MBA degree in 21 months.

The online MBA program offers a broad base of knowledge on a wide range of business concepts, such as entrepreneurship, managerial economics, information systems and global economic development to prepare students with a strong business background. Students select one of four specializations — accounting, information systems and analytics, finance or marketing – to focus on their own particular area of interest or they may choose the general track, which allows course selection in each of the areas.

Courses will include two “live,” approximately hour-long sessions per week, where students will log on at a specific time to interact with faculty and fellow students. Other coursework can be completed at times that work best for each student.

The program is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, AACSB International, the premier accrediting agency for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting. GMAT or GRE entrance exams will be required for admission.
“Different educational formats work best for different kinds of learners – this program is best for working professionals who can learn within a rigorous, structured program, but more-so on their own time,” said G. “Anand” Anandalingam, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. “The elements that make our MBA degree programs so successful will still be in place with this program, but the key difference will be the level of flexibility.”

The Smith School’s MBA curriculum is focused on experiential learning opportunities for students and the online MBA program will also offer these experiences. Students will work together in groups on action learning projects, using knowledge gained in courses to tackle a real challenge or opportunity faced in a team member’s organization. Students will self-select teams, conduct remote project meetings and deliver presentations virtually.

These team projects and online group discussions give students many opportunities to create relationships with business professionals in the program across the nation and the world. The two residencies also provide the chance to establish strong professional connections with peers and professors.

For more information about the curriculum or the program requirements or to apply, go to www.rhsmith.umd.edu/onlinemba or contact a school representative at 1-877-807-8741.

About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, executive MS, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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