Villanova School of Business

The Villanova School of Business is Villanova University's business school and offers eight undergraduate degrees; six graduate programs; an executive MBA program; and several executive education programs. The programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The school is located in Villanova, PA (which is part of Radnor Township, PA).

History of Villanova School of Business

The Villanova School of Business (VSB) was founded in 1922 by Father Joseph C. Bartley, a former dean. Villanova was founded by the Roman Catholic Order of Saint Augustine, and Augustinian values of truth, community, caring, and leading through service are infused throughout the University. The School of Business is known for creativity and innovation, hands-on and service learning opportunities, an outstanding liberal arts foundation, a firm grounding in ethics and an applied education that prepares students to become outstanding leaders and global citizens within the ever-changing, complex, and fast-paced world of business.

Bartley Hall, home of VSB, houses a state-of-the-art Applied Finance Lab, making it a more user-friendly and technologically advanced facility to benefit students, faculty, and staff. The VSB Applied Finance Lab is a trading room where students use the same technology and real-time information as Wall Street traders. To learn more about the lab, visit VSB Applied Finance Lab In addition to serving as a home base for faculty and administration offices, Bartley Hall includes 33 classrooms, 6 lecture halls, and a 130-seat auditorium.

The school has increased its intellectual capacity as well, adding nearly 100 full-time faculty members and seven "Centers of Excellence".

Academics

Undergraduate

As of 2015, 1,668 students are enrolled full-time in the VSB undergraduate business program.^[1]

VSB offers academic business degrees including:

• Accountancy
• Economics
• Finance
• Management
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing
• International Business (co-major)
• Real Estate (co-major)

These areas of study are also available as minors, in addition to Business Analytics, Business Law & Corporate Governance, and Entrepreneurship.^[2]

Graduate

• Master of Business Administration
  • Part-Time MBA (Fast and Flex Track)
  • Executive MBA
  • Online MBA
  • JD/MBA
• Master of Accountancy
• Master of Science in Analytics
• Master of Science in Finance
• Master of Science in Church Management
• Master of Taxation
• Post-MBA Certificate

All programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The Clay Center at VSB, named after the late VSB Dean Emeritus Alvin A. Clay, serves as a hub of undergraduate program activity and academic advising.^[3] The center’s mission houses both the advising team and the Charlotte and James V. O'Donnell Center for Professional Development, which provide students with academic guidance, as well as career and professional opportunities. Every VSB undergraduate student works closely with the advising team, consisting of a Clay Center advisor, a peer advisor, and a faculty advisor. Students receive guidance on various areas including: college transition issues, selecting classes and areas of study, available VSB and university activities, on-campus resources and programs, study abroad planning, and exploring potential career paths. Advisors reach out to incoming freshmen during the summer before students arrive on campus, and continue working with their advisees throughout their four years at VSB.^[4]

In order to prepare students for the global business environment, VSB connects its students with a range of opportunities for them to gain international exposure through travel, coursework and internships. VSB’s undergraduate and graduate curricula emphasizes global themes through required courses like Global Political Economy, a dynamic substitute for International Economics that cover emerging economic regions of the world.^[5]

International education is not just limited to classrooms. Specifically designed for second semester freshmen, the Global Citizens Program (GCP) offers the unique experience to spend a semester abroad in London or Hong Kong. The program includes four courses intended to fulfill freshman year VSB requirements, as well as a 6-week professional practice internship in a wide array of industry sectors.^[6]

Altogether, about sixty-two percent of VSB students study abroad at one point during their four year career at Villanova. Villanova sponsors eight different summer business programs, hosted in countries including Chile, China, Italy and Spain. Depending on the program, internships may be integrated in the curriculum to provide students with international business experience.^[7]

Admissions

For the incoming class of 2018, the number of applications received for admissions was 4,599 with the matriculation of the incoming class being 410. The SAT mid-range scores for typically-accepted students was 1260–1410 and the mid-range GPA was 3.68-4.09.^[8]

Student Life

VSB is home to a wide array of active student societies. Membership and involvement in the organizations provides outlets to gather information focused on a specific industry and/or career path, connect with employers, and network with students who share similar professional interests. Some of these clubs include: Accounting Society, Villanova Entrepreneurship Society, Business Without Borders, Beta Alpha Psi and Villanova Women in Business. There is also the Villanova Equity Society, VSB’s student-run organization that actively manages portfolios of equity securities and fixed income funds. The society's mission is to provide opportunities for students interested in obtaining real-world investment experience. Analysts perform in-depth analysis while utilizing the Villanova Applied Finance Lab, a trading room where students use the same state of the art technology and real-time information as Wall Street traders.^[9]

Notable student programs

• B-Week: VSB Week was initiated by VSB students in 2011 as way to celebrate and showcase VSB, as well as expose students to emerging business trends. The week-long series of events is now an annual, college-wide program bringing together VSB students, faculty, staff, and professionals to consider a wide array of business topics through a variety of formats, including roundtable discussions, panel presentations, keynote speakers, product demonstrations, and hands-on workshops. Each year’s VSB Week celebration features more than 20 activities with the intent of encouraging development of new skills, sharing ideas, and progression as business leaders.

• Wall Street Series: For students preparing for careers on Wall Street, there is a three-part series of programs focusing on the stages of successfully attaining a job in the financial services industry. Two of these programs are held during the summer in New York City, with the third being held on campus during the fall semester. Students hear about the importance of networking and get the chance to do so with the numerous alumni who participate in these events.

• Villanova on the Set: In the pursuit to broaden Villanova students’ opportunities, the Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Institute sponsors students to travel to the studios of Hollywood and Los Angeles to see the behind the scenes operations of the movie and television industries. Students from across the Villanova community witness the production of television shows and movies, as well as experience the business side of Hollywood.

Academic Centers of Excellence

1. Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate supports advancing scholarly research, teaching, curricular innovation, and business leadership in the area of real estate.
2. Center for Business Analytics helps students develop analytical capabilities and supports our cross-disciplinary faculty and staff in analytics education, practice, and research.
3. Center for Global Leadership promotes the guiding principles of cross-cultural awareness, ethical international business relationships, and responsible global leadership by offering educational programs, research, and service and outreach activities.
4. Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship Institute creates scholastic, educational, and professional development opportunities in the areas of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
5. Center for Marketing and Consumer Insights supports initiatives that foster an unmatched student experience and also improve the science and practice of marketing as it relates to the consumer experience.
6. Center for Church Management and Business Ethics equips Catholic Church leaders and their communities with the training to apply sound business methods to church decision making.

VSB Rankings

U.S. News & World Report – 2015 Best Online Degree Programs: Graduate Business

• #6 in the nation
• #4 for Student Services and Technology
• #8 for Student Engagement

Bloomberg Businessweek - 2014 Best Undergraduate Business Schools

• #24 in the nation
• Overall Academic Quality Rank: #12
• Student Grade for Teaching Quality: A+
• Student Grade for Job Placement: A+

Bloomberg Businessweek - 2013 The Villanova MBA

• #19 in the Nation, #3 in the Region
• #13 for Academic Quality
• Student Grade for Curriculum: A+
• Student Grade for Caliber of Classmates: A+

^[10]

References

External links

• Official website

Villanova University Academics School of Business School of Law Campus Arboretum Villanova St. Thomas of Villanova Church Villanova, PA People Alumni Fr. Peter Donohue (President) Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.) Media The Villanovan WVTV WXVU Athletics Villanova Wildcats Holy War Men's basketball Women's basketball Men's lacrosse Football (Battle of the Blue) The Pavilion Villanova Stadium Jake Nevin Field House

Coordinates: 40°02′13″N 75°20′36″W / 40.037029°N 75.343316°W / 40.037029; -75.343316