Jones Graduate School of Business
(Rice University)
QUICK FACTS
- Location: Houston, Texas, USA
- Program Length: 2 years
- Program Cost: $138,000
- Average GMAT score: 702
- Acceptance Rate: 39%
- Average Work Experience: 5 years
Employment Reports (2022)
- Accepted an Offer: 88%
- Average Salary: $123,786
- Average Bonus: $33,828
RANKINGS
- #29 Financial Times 2023 MBA Ranking
- #24 US News - Best Business Schools
- #80 QS Global MBA Rankings 2023
CLASS OF 2024
- Total Enrollment: 160
- Women: 39%
- Average GPA: 3.41
ABOUT
Located in the most diverse city in the U.S., The Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University is a small school that strives to realize its big ideas. Jones emphasizes the small size of its student body, whereby classmates and professors know each other by name. The average class size at Jones is 40 students, with the student-to-faculty ratio being 9:1. Because of its size, Jones students learn strong collaboration skills and build lasting connections, With team-based learning, and opportunities to take up leadership roles, students become part of a university where their voices are heard and their opinions matter. Central to the mindset of Jones students and faculty is their entrepreneurial spirit. Teaching at Rice is forged by this entrepreneurial mindset, meaning students graduate from Jones with the toolkit necessary to become the entrepreneur of their dreams to create the change they have been striving for.
APPLICATION DEADLINES
- Round 1: October 9th, 2023
- Round 2: January 8th, 2024
- Round 3: March 25th, 2024
- Round 4: May 1th, 2024,
APPLICATION PROCESS
Transcripts
To apply for the Deferred Enrollment MBA program, you must submit unofficial transcripts for all earned degrees, including the degree name and conferral date. Include transcripts for completed courses and a list of current enrollments. Upon admission and enrollment, official transcripts from U.S. institutions are required. For non-U.S. degrees, transcripts must be evaluated by specified services. Inaccurate or illegible unofficial transcripts may necessitate submission of official transcripts before a final decision is made.
GMAT or GRE
Applicants to MBA programs are required to submit standardized test scores. Accepted tests include GMAT, GRE, and Executive Assessment (EA) for all MBA programs. Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA, and Hybrid MBA applicants might qualify for a test waiver. Unofficial test scores need to be uploaded during the application process. MD/MBA dual degree applicants can submit MCAT scores for consideration. If admitted, official test scores must be sent using specific codes. Retaking tests is allowed; the highest score will be considered, and updated scores are accepted, possibly affecting the application round.
2 Recommendations
Applicants to Rice MBA programs are required to submit letters of recommendation. One recommendation is mandatory if a current or former supervisor provides it, and a maximum of two recommendations is allowed. If a supervisor’s recommendation is not available, two recommendations are required. Recommendations emphasizing professional abilities are preferred. The GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation, allowing consistent responses for multiple business school applications, is utilized. For Deferred Enrollment MBA applicants, one recommendation can be from an academic source, and one must be from a work or extracurricular activity supervisor. Upon entering the recommender’s information, an electronic Common Recommendation form is sent to them automatically.
Essay Description
Applicants to Rice MBA programs are required to submit essays to provide insight into their perspectives and aspirations. For Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA, and Hybrid MBA programs, two short answer responses are needed, each with a 100-word limit, outlining short-term and long-term career goals. Additionally, a creative essay is required, either in a traditional written format (500-word limit) or a video response (one to three-minute time limit), where applicants share the story of a significant photo from their life experiences.
Executive MBA applicants must write a 750-word essay explaining how their educational, professional, and personal endeavors have led them to this point and how the Rice EMBA fits into their future plans. An optional essay (500-word limit) allows applicants to provide additional information or clarify aspects of their application, such as employment gaps or academic performance.
Resume
Applicants are required to submit a professional resume reflecting their work experience. It is essential for the resume to be current and tailored for a business school application. The resume should not only highlight job responsibilities but also provide insights into extracurricular involvement. In a dedicated section of the application, applicants can list memberships in groups, leadership roles in activities, and contributions made to their community. Additionally, applicants have the opportunity to showcase any awards or special recognition they have received.
For Deferred Enrollment MBA applicants, the focus of the resume should be on extracurricular activities, including but not limited to internships, involvement in student clubs, and volunteer work. This section allows applicants to present a comprehensive view of their experiences and contributions both within and outside of their professional roles.
Interview
For Executive MBA applicants, admission interviews are conducted via Zoom and are by invitation only. The interview serves as a platform for applicants to express their motivations for pursuing an MBA at Rice Business and demonstrate their alignment with the school’s culture. While not every applicant receives an interview invitation due to the high volume of applications, the absence of an invitation does not necessarily indicate exclusion from consideration. In-person interviews will be available again in the future, and applicants will be notified of this change when it occurs.
Application Fee
Application fee of US$200
PROGRAM STRENGTHS
Global Field Experience
The Global Fiel Experience at Jones offers students the opportunity to live and learn 1 week long in a country. This is a required experience where students are immersed in another culture and learn to expand their perception of the world. During this opportunity, students take their theoretical knowledge and transform it into hands-on practice. Through this experience, students build strong connections and become leaders in the global realm.
Rice Business Plan Competition
The Rice Business Plan Competition is the largest and richest intercollegiate startup competition as has been around for 21 years. This event is hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. Currently, 54 teams compete for over $1.6 million in cash and prizes. Students at the competition bring with them their entrepreneurial ideas and compete against fellow students to showcase their business ideas.
STUDENT LIFE
Rice campus is located in the heart of Houston. The diverse setting is filled with cultural events and activities, meaning students have the opportunity to experience campus life to the fullest. The campus at Rice is boke friendly and green, offering students neat hangouts and study spots where they can get together with their peers and friends. Whether one is a wine connoisseur or striving to become a business professional, students at Jones have access to the larger Rice University student-led clubs and activities.
MBA PROGRAM OVERVIEW
First Year
All students must participate in the core curriculum during their first year. These courses are foundations for students to succeed during the entire program. At the end of the spring semester, students embark on a global field experience. They also can select elective courses or customize their core courses to better suit their interests and needs.
Fall Semester
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Operations Management
- Strategy II: Formulation & Implementation
- Managerial Accounting
- Leading Change
Spring Semester
- Managerial Economics
- Data Analysis
- Negotiations
- Leadership
- Financial Accounting
- Organizational behaviour
Second Year
During the second year, students can expand their student by choosing from over 100 different elective courses. Students can also choose to participate in specialization areas, such as:
- Accounting
- Energy
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Healthcare
- Marketing
- Operations Management
- Real Estate
- Strategic Management
Grading Scale
The grading system at Jones Graduate School of Business typically follows a standard letter grade scale, including A (Excellent), B (Good), C (Satisfactory), D (Poor), and F (Fail). Plus/minus grades may also be used to indicate a slightly higher or lower level of achievement within a specific grade range. Specific grading policies, including the scale and the use of plus/minus grades, may vary between institutions and courses.
FEATURED PROFESSORS
Yael Hochberg
Professor Buraschi is the Finance Chair at Imperial College Business School. His research interests include Financial Economics, Asset Pricing and Derivatives, and Financial Econometrics. He has worked previously at the University of Chicago Booth of Business as well as the London Business School and Columbia University. His work has been published in numerous journals, including the Journal of Finance, The Journal of Financial Economics, among others. He also received numerous awards for his work and teaching capabilities.
Kerry Back
Professor Back in the J. Howard Creekmore Professor of Finance. His research interests include Asset Pricing Theory and Empirics, Market Microstructure, Auction Theory and Corporate Investment. he has authored two textbooks including Asset pricing and Portfolio Choice Theory and A Course in Derivative Securities. He worked previously at Northwestern University, Indiana University, Washington University and Texas A&M.