Reflective of a changing business world, students pursuing MBAs have a wide range of career goals and come from diverse backgrounds.
“There remains a lack of diversity in the boardroom in corporate America, and frankly, the business school world reflects that to some degree,” says Alex Lawrence, assistant dean of MBA admissions and financial aid at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
The long-term goal at Anderson is to have the student body resemble the general population. Most top-tier business schools embrace that goal and are laying the groundwork to make it reality.
“We have a multipronged approach to recruiting a diverse class,” says Julie Barefoot, associate dean of MBA admissions at the Emory University Goizueta Business School. “You have to be very intentional in recruiting for these different populations. If you are not, it’s not just going to naturally happen.”
In the contemporary world of business schools, people of color, women and LGBT people are encouraged to shed the long-held notion of White males headed into financial or corporate careers and explore how a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree can fit into their plans.
Business goals
Today’s students envision using their MBA degrees in many different ways. While there are still a significant number who want to venture into careers traditionally associated with the MBA, such as financial services, consulting and marketing, many see themselves working in startup ventures, nonprofits and new technology.
