Up to the Challenge

CSS Graduates Target MBA Programs

Ever since the founding of the Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management (CSS) in 1980, a small but growing number of CSS graduates have continued their study of management in MBA programs in the US and abroad. "Although the CSS was established as a one-year alternative to the MBA, and most CSS graduates treat it as such, a modest number of recent graduates--I would estimate five percent of our approximately 245 graduates per year--opt to go for their MBA after graduation," said Raymond Comeau, assistant dean of university extension and director of the CSS Program.

A partial list of MBA programs that have accepted CSS graduates during the past two years include those offered at the following colleges and universities: Bentley, Chicago, Harvard, INSEAD (Europe campus), The Johns Hopkins University, MIT, Suffolk, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM, Mexico), Notre Dame, and Yale.

"What impresses me most about our MBA-bound students is the careful thought they put into selecting their programs," said Comeau. "Their CSS experience often plays a role in their decision-making." After much consideration, for example, Hans Tung, CSS '02, chose MIT over Yale because he concluded that MIT would give him the tools he needed to pursue interests stoked by his CSS coursework, namely, international IT and telecom ventures. Location was also a factor; he favored MIT because it was close to Boston's high-tech belt. Olivier Carnohan, ALB '99, CSS '01, chose to study at INSEAD because he wanted to complement his CSS with an international degree, offering an option for a career in either Europe or the US. In order to build on the foundation in finance she acquired in the CSS Program, Nelly da Silva, CSS '00, decided to focus on finance in her MBA studies at Suffolk University.

A major concern of most CSS graduates applying to MBA programs is transfer credit: Will the MBA program accept CSS credits toward fulfillment of the degree? "We have learned that many MBA programs do not accept transfer credit as a matter of policy, but some do. If graduates are targeting certain MBA programs, they are well advised to explore transfer credit policies in advance," said Comeau. Monica Gonzalez, CSS '00, who is pursuing an MBA at The Johns Hopkins University, offered an additional bit of advice: "CSS courses are at the MBA level, so negotiate hard for courses that can be transferred as earned credit."

Nelly da Silva, CSS '00

CSS graduates do not always prefer the traditional two-year MBA program. Nelly da Silva and Olivier Carnohan, for example, reported that one reason they chose MBA programs at Suffolk University and INSEAD was because they could be done in a year. "Do apply to a one-year MBA," said Carnohan, "as CSS courses already cover much of the MBA curriculum." Another option is to choose a part-time program, as Monica Gonzalez did. She said that pursuing the MBA part time allows her to care for her children while transitioning to a second career.

All of the CSS graduates queried expressed satisfaction with both their CSS and MBA experiences, mentioning specifically the personal and academic interaction fostered in their programs. "The CSS gave me best techniques and best practices; the MBA is providing me with team leadership skills," Carnohan said.

Neyran Sen, CSS '00

All responded positively when asked if the CSS Program helped them get into their MBA programs. Neyran Sen, CSS '00, who is completing her MBA at Bentley College, said "having reference letters from well-known CSS professors was a big plus." "I wouldn't have been admitted to the MBA without the CSS," Carnohan said. "My success in the CSS Program confirmed to INSEAD that I was up to the challenge."