UCI’s MBA Program Moves Higher on Magazine’s List

UC Irvine’s Graduate School of Management has made the grade.

The school has broken into U.S. News & World Report’s annual listing of the nation’s top MBA programs in 46th place--a good, solid B. Last year, the management school ranked 62nd.

Vijay Gurbaxani, associate dean of the school, said the program has been revamped in the past year to meet corporate America’s increasing need for managers who are up to speed with technology: computers, Web pages, computer-assisted research and business modeling, automated manufacturing and a host of things involving high-speed telecommunication.

In addition to recognizing the school’s information technology curriculum, U.S. News & World Report also cited UCI’s new health-care management MBA program.

The boost in the rankings comes when many are complaining that the nation’s colleges and universities have glutted the market with newly minted MBAs from more than 300 graduate management schools. But UCI officials say that those with top-notch training from name-brand schools still get job offers.

“This is the hottest year in recent history for our graduates,” Gurbaxani said. With three months to go until graduation, “about half the 100 [graduating] class members already have been placed, and there are scores of recruiters on campus every day,” he said.

Most of UCI’s MBA grads this year “will receive four to five offers” with starting salaries ranging from $55,000 to $75,000, placement director Randy Williams said.

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John O’Dell covers major Orange County corporations and manufacturing for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5831 and at john.odell@latimes.com.