What Are MU's Top Programs?

[Tugg Speedman]

In the other thread about MU raising its profile, the Business School's AIM program was mentioned.

AIM stands for Applied Investment Management.  After your Sophomore year you have to apply to the program for your Junior and Senior year.  30 kids are taken.  It is considered one of the top finance programs in the country.  Nearly 100% are placed in a job before graduation (and nearly 100% have a summer internship between their Junior and Senior year).  These kids do very well financially after graduation.  (anyone from the AIM program please correct and/or expand on this description).

So this got me thinking (always dangerous) ... what other highly regarded UNDERGRADUATE programs does MU have?  Can anyone enlighten?

[RideMyBuycks]

In the other thread about MU raising its profile, the Business School's AIM program was mentioned.

AIM stands for Applied Investment Management.  After your Sophomore year you have to apply to the program for your Junior and Senior year.  30 kids are taken.  It is considered one of the top finance programs in the country.  Nearly 100% are placed in a job before graduation (and nearly 100% have a summer internship between their Junior and Senior year).  These kids do very well financially after graduation.  (anyone from the AIM program please correct and/or expand on this description).

So this got me thinking (always dangerous) ... what other highly regarded UNDERGRADUATE programs does MU have?  Can anyone enlighten?

The Supply Chain Management progrm is supposed to be top 15 in the country

[Dunk The Ball Eric]

AIM 2010 Grad here, not always 30 kids taken, I think it's closer to 25 but there also isn't a set number, if there aren't 25 qualified students then they don't take that many. Other thing to add is the program prepares you to take Level I of the CFA. I won't get into specifics on pay, some make more than others (depends what area of finance you go into) but I would assume pay is higher than a typical finance grad right out of school and the earnings growth after that is probably a steeper curve.

I was unaware of any similar programs in other majors at Marquette.

They should start introducing some of the MU alums in the NBA to former AIM grads. Many are in areas of investment management, I'm sure D Wade, Novak, Wes, and eventually Jimmy could use some of those services.

[moomoo]

In the other thread about MU raising its profile, the Business School's AIM program was mentioned.

AIM stands for Applied Investment Management.  After your Sophomore year you have to apply to the program for your Junior and Senior year.  30 kids are taken.  It is considered one of the top finance programs in the country.  Nearly 100% are placed in a job before graduation (and nearly 100% have a summer internship between their Junior and Senior year).  These kids do very well financially after graduation.  (anyone from the AIM program please correct and/or expand on this description).

So this got me thinking (always dangerous) ... what other highly regarded UNDERGRADUATE programs does MU have?  Can anyone enlighten?

Accounting, top 25 in country. The biggest firms recruit from there, and that is a big deal.

[kmwtrucks]

I can vouch for the accounting.  I graduated roughly last in my accounting class and passed the CPA on my 1st try.   The national pass rate was about 8-10% for 1st time people back 20 years ago and Marquette's was way higher. 

[Blue Horseshoe]

They should start introducing some of the MU alums in the NBA to former AIM grads. Many are in areas of investment management, I'm sure D Wade, Novak, Wes, and eventually Jimmy could use some of those services.

Guy, get over yourself.

[PBRme]

This only works with certain programs, I cannot imagine that by limiting the number of social work, art history, or romance language grads you would have any significant impact on starting hourly pay.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

AIM 2010 Grad here, not always 30 kids taken, I think it's closer to 25 but there also isn't a set number, if there aren't 25 qualified students then they don't take that many. Other thing to add is the program prepares you to take Level I of the CFA. I won't get into specifics on pay, some make more than others (depends what area of finance you go into) but I would assume pay is higher than a typical finance grad right out of school and the earnings growth after that is probably a steeper curve.

I was unaware of any similar programs in other majors at Marquette.

They should start introducing some of the MU alums in the NBA to former AIM grads. Many are in areas of investment management, I'm sure D Wade, Novak, Wes, and eventually Jimmy could use some of those services.

Yes - Jimmy's paltry $1m salary is below what most CFAs would want to attract as their clients.

[lurch91]

Knew many in Physical Therapy during my undergrad years.  Was a top 3-5 program back then.  But I think they change the curriculum, now it's a 5 year program and you have your undergrad and masters degree when done.  Probably still a top program.

[WarriorInNYC]

Accounting, top 25 in country. The biggest firms recruit from there, and that is a big deal.

I heard a stat from an accounting alum the other day that Dr. Akers was a top 6 professor in terms of student's scores on the Audit section of the CPA exam.  This is the first I've heard this and I've tried searching for it on the internet and hadn't found anything, but doesn't surprise me.

An MU alum in 2008 and another in 2009 won the Elijah Watt Sells award.

[Benny B]

The undergraduate real estate program is relatively new, so it's still too young to have built up a "national" reputation; however, the program did have a 100% placement rate - in real estate careers, no less - for last year's graduates... if they keep that up, they're definitely going to be widely-recognized on a national level very soon.  Nevertheless, most top-flight real estate programs are at the graduate level, not to mention that very few offer a focused real estate curriculum for undergrads, so MU is probably somewhere in the top 10-15 programs in the country already.

[GOO]

Not exactly on topic, but Marquette checks in at 123 out of 3500 colleges for ROI.  Basically the main article says the top 150 colleges are worth the investment.  I think UW-Madison is around 150.  The top schools are the usual suspects and engineering schools for the obvious reasons.

http://www.payscale.com/college-education-value-2012

Marquette in at 220 on an updated 2013 list:
http://www.payscale.com/college-education-value-2013

[muarmy81]

Overall, the engineering school isn't very highly ranked (#132) but the biomedical engineering program is considered very good.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Knew many in Physical Therapy during my undergrad years.  Was a top 3-5 program back then.  But I think they change the curriculum, now it's a 5 year program and you have your undergrad and masters degree when done.  Probably still a top program.

PT is a 6 year program. You get an undergraduate degree by the end of your 4th year and a doctorate in PT at the end of 6 years. Top 20 program in the nation at the moment.

[lurch91]

PT is a 6 year program. You get an undergraduate degree by the end of your 4th year and a doctorate in PT at the end of 6 years. Top 20 program in the nation at the moment.

Thanks knew it had changed but wasn't sure on the particulars.

[🏀]

Overall, the engineering school isn't very highly ranked (#132) but the biomedical engineering program is considered very good.

Engineering school is ranked low due to lack of research overall, but the Civil program is highly regarded as well. The Discovery Learning Center will help improve that.

[marquette20]

Overall, the engineering school isn't very highly ranked (#132) but the biomedical engineering program is considered very good.

As a kid that will be attending marquette next year the engineering rankings are all standarded base scores
Purdue which isn't much different than marquette IMO is a top school
Class size is small at marquette which is good and the co op program makes finding jobs after college easier

[PJDunn]

From and undergrad perspective the engineering school is topnotch.  An MU EE or ME will almost certainly make more than and MU AIM student upon graduation

[ZiggysFryBoy]

The undergraduate real estate program is relatively new, so it's still too young to have built up a "national" reputation; however, the program did have a 100% placement rate - in real estate careers, no less - for last year's graduates... if they keep that up, they're definitely going to be widely-recognized on a national level very soon.  Nevertheless, most top-flight real estate programs are at the graduate level, not to mention that very few offer a focused real estate curriculum for undergrads, so MU is probably somewhere in the top 10-15 programs in the country already.

100% placement in real estate?  Isn't that like being a "financial advisor" for NML or Mass mutual straight out of school?

[martyconlonontherun]

I heard a stat from an accounting alum the other day that Dr. Akers was a top 6 professor in terms of student's scores on the Audit section of the CPA exam.  This is the first I've heard this and I've tried searching for it on the internet and hadn't found anything, but doesn't surprise me.

An MU alum in 2008 and another in 2009 won the Elijah Watt Sells award.

I have no idea how they would determine this stat. I don't remember anywhere on the CPA app saying who you had for auditing and a lot of students have up to 3 audit teachers. My guess this is a someone's opinion that turned into a ranking?

[muarmy81]

As a kid that will be attending marquette next year the engineering rankings are all standarded base scores
Purdue which isn't much different than marquette IMO is a top school
Class size is small at marquette which is good and the co op program makes finding jobs after college easier

No worries...I'm an ME grad from the engineering school so I was trying to be unbiased with my response. That being said, you will do just fine with an engineering degree from MU. 

[PBRme]

Have yet to meet a fellow MU Eng student that was not doing well and that is after 25 years in the field

[Newsdreams]

Son is graduating next week was interviewed and offered a job about two months ago. He accepted the offer for 57K (Electrical Engineering).

[Eldon]

The Supply Chain Management progrm is supposed to be top 15 in the country

The supply chain management program is indeed pretty good.

I've long thought that Milwaukee should be a (the?) manufacturing hub for the 21st century (e.g., making high-end medical equipment), focusing especially on supply chain management and engineering (and quality engineering).

Milwaukee has three respectable engineering schools in its city limits (UWM, MSOE, and MU) as well as three supply chain management programs (same three schools).  I don't know about MSOE's, but I know MUs and UWM's supply chain programs are solid to say the least, each focusing on the decision sciences.  If data is the new oil, then supply chain management/decision sciences will be a hot field as time goes on and MU could reap the rewards if it keeps up the program.  Plus, Milwaukee is home to the American Society for Quality (ASQ) so the potential is there.

In addition to the supply chain program, I know that the econ students always put up a respectable showing at the annual Fed Challenge at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (though we always lose to Northwestern).

[drewm88]

From and undergrad perspective the engineering school is topnotch.  An MU EE or ME will almost certainly make more than and MU AIM student upon graduation

Son is graduating next week was interviewed and offered a job about two months ago. He accepted the offer for 57K (Electrical Engineering).

Nothing against newsdrms's son, as that is fantastic (both the job and the salary), but if that's typical, EE's aren't coming close to the AIM students. Depends on the type of finance, but it's not uncommon for AIM grads to have a 6 figure starting salary.