Cin8

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Hello, Im looking into applying for this program and had a few questions.
What is the difference between a program "concentration" and "specialization"?
I am a bit torn between the 3 program areas: Project Management, Finance, Data Analytics... does anyone have any insight on the classes for these specializations?
Also I was curious how forgiving this program is for students who were not business/econ majors?
thanks

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Hi, I finished the program last year with a concentration. It does not show on the diploma but it does in the transcript. Personally, I see it as an extra-effort to show that there was a particular area of the MBA you demonstrated an expertise in. I do know that in the tech world, having data analytics or finance concentration could be some extra brownie points in a FP&A role. For a concentration, you'll need to take all three of your elective classes in that track, for a specialization, take two of the three. It is optional and personal choice. The general track is all fine too.

Regarding the program, I did not have a business major undergrad, but working in corporate America for nearly two decades helped. If you have no business background through work, etc. you may find the quant classes tough. Good luck on your decision! For me, looking back, I'm so glad I did it!

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In SE TX they do. To my chagrin, its apparently considered the Devry of the bayou.

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Wow, I don't get why that perception would exist.... I actually provided a reference to the AACSB board for the school when they were going through the accreditation renewal process. Looked to be very rigorous and AACSB only certifies 5% of business schools in the world. The accreditation is one of the main reasons I picked the school.

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I also just took the exam 3 for MKT 701, which I studied extremely hard for and I thought I knew most of the answers before I hit submit.

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Macy87 - same here... I'm going through the slides and cannot figure out where I went wrong... Many of the questions were not addressed in the slide content.

I was in the same boat bj03sm. The other contender for me was the UMass Amherst. This forum and the wealth of information made me feel comfortable with moving forward with LSUS. :geauxtigers:

Hi FL Sun,

Last year, Dr. Knotts sent over a PDF to read before going to Australia, but nothing substantial pre-trip. I forgot to mention that beyond the ppt, paper, and final, we had to write a short "reflection" paper after the trip due 3 days after the program. The course itself is really 10 days and happens during that 6 week break between Fall AP2 and the start of Spring AP1.

Hi FL Sun, apologies for my delayed reply.. I'm doubling up this term and it's been exhausting...

m123 provided some great insight and I am so happy to have made friends on the trip such as her! Overall, yes, I thought the trip and the learnings were worth the cost. We were the first group from LSUS to go on the trip last year and the professors were learning the first time what the program structure was like, so they couldn't really answer our questions. There were several things that I wish I knew before going, so I will try to address them here. Below are some of the pros and things to be aware of since this year's trip is going to Australia again and through the same organizing company:

Pros:
- It will be summer in Australia, the weather is great and you can hit the beach, etc. The city itself is beautiful and I would totally go back.
- Bonding with fellow online classmates and forming personal connections.
- Immersion in a country, actually living like a local for nearly 2 weeks in Sydney gives you a different perspective.
- Several of the speakers were excellent, high caliber such as the CFO of Costco Australia, GM of NAB, etc.

Things to be aware of:
- I thought "company visits" meant we would go out and visit/observe/work with a particular company. In actuality, you sit in a classroom and different speakers come in.
- You are combined in the classes with students from other universities. For us last year, we were the ONLY MBA students, the rest were all undergraduate students. The issue with that is, I wanted a deeper dive into the business, operations, etc. from the speakers, yet most of the presentations were surface level "sales" presentations. This is likely due to having a more "general" content approach vs. tailored to MBA students.
- It is "dorm" style accommodations. Having a roommate is fine, but I did not expect that you will need to supply your own towels, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, bath mat, hand soap, trash liners (use shopping bags). In other words, it is not a "hotel" type with maid service. You are on your own. My recommendation: bring your own towels, laundry detergent (I brought some tide pods), a bath mat, and be prepared to buy other items you may need.
- The apt. we stayed at is a bus ride away from the University where classes take place. You will be provided with a transportation card to take the bus, but give yourself ample time in the am to get there.

For Assignments, we had a group presentation powerpoint, group paper, and a final exam.

Overall, I am so happy I went. I just wished I knew more about the living situation to be better prepared. Scrambling to shop for basic necessities was not what I expected on day 1. Let me know if you have other questions!

Hi Multis10,

My experience thus far has been different from yours. I'm taking econ summer AP2 with Shaungnessy and have heard great things and agree with you on Meeks. I'll also add that I found Ambrosio (ACCT) and currently taking Vines (FIN) to be excellent professors too. They genuinely care about the students succeeding and provide lots of Zoom sessions to help. I've been a corporate executive for years and feel that I'm learning and challenged in this program. AACSB certification requires meeting a level of standards and for the price, this program is incredible.

Just like any other university, there's a mixture of great, ok, and poor professors, but at LSUS I've found more of the great in proportion to the requirements to complete. I recommend the program and have a few family members thinking about it too.

I took Meeks's 760 class Fall AP2 and he graded pretty fast, I would say, by Wed/Thurs grades were posted.

Thanks for sharing the article RunningBlake. I use Sharebuilder/CapOne and had not seen this.

Hi TigerDragon, I'm enrolled in MADM730 too. It's a new class so we'll be the first students taking it. If I remember correctly, Dr. Menon is the head of the graduate program.