B-Schools such as Harvard, Columbia, London Business School, INSEAD and HEC Paris have begun adding courses on social media to their MBA curricula, addressing the corporate demand for social-network-savvy employees, BusinessWeek recently reported.

“In the realm of technology it’s possible for us to teach our students a tool that their bosses don’t have, and they can provide that added value from day one,” says John Gallaugher, associate professor of information systems at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.

“Social media skills are the ones that can set them apart. Those are the skills that employers are looking for.”

Who’s Teaching What, and Where

Columbia Business School offers four Internet marketing courses, BW reports. Two of them, “Social Media,” taught by Rachel Sterne, CEO of GroundReport.com,  and “Media and Technology,” taught by New York Times technology columnist David Pogue, will be offered for the first time next spring, according to professor Rajeev Kohli, chair of the Columbia marketing division.

A new social media course at Stanford Graduate School of Business on the “Power of Social Technology,” taught by marketing professor Jennifer Aaker, promotes social good through nonprofit businesses.

Meanwhile at Harvard Business School, professor Mikolaj Jan Piskorski introduced a second-year elective course, “Competing with Social Networks,” last fall and BW says 172 students enrolled—three for every available seat.

INSEAD professor Andrew Stephen created the “Advertising and Social Media Strategy” course after joining the faculty in June 2009 to address what he saw as a need to train MBAs in nontraditional marketing techniques, says BW. The two-month course made its debut in January of this year. “My feeling was that all the B-schools were lagging behind in preparing MBA students for dealing with the new media landscape,” he explains.

The online syllabus for the “Internet Marketing” course at LBS speaks to an emphasis in hands-on learning. Students participate in the Google Online Marketing Challenge, running an online advertising campaign that will benefit a real business, the syllabus says. Student teams taking part in the challenge develop a strategy, assess the results of the campaign, and make recommendations for the company, according to the Google website.

Students’ need to learn about Internet marketing and social media strategy couldn’t be more apparent, with 190 million users on Twitter’s social networking site and Facebook reporting 500 million active members.Tomorrow’s MBAs have got to be able to develop and manage marketing strategies that address the nuances of the online world.

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Co-sponsored by the African American MBA Association (AAMBAA), Wharton Hispanic American MBA Association (WHAMBAA), Out for Business (Out4Biz) and Wharton’s MBA Admissions Office, Explore Wharton offers a great opportunity to experience Wharton first-hand.

This two-day event focuses on Wharton MBA opportunities for prospective LGBT and under-represented people of color. You will meet current students and administrators, attend classes with Wharton’s top professors and gain invaluable insights in the admissions process.

Discover how Wharton’s collaborative environment, innovative learning channels, global reach, and diversity of talent, place you at the leading edge of new ideas that shape worldwide practice in the business, nonprofit and government sectors.

Registration is required for Explore Wharton 2010. Click here to complete the registration process.

*  If you’re trying to boost your GMAT score, Stuart at Simply Brilliant is an experienced GMAT instructor / tutor. He offers an online GMAT class and private tutoring at reasonable prices. See www.simplybrilliantprep.com.

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1st Deadline: November 15, 2010
Notification: February 15, 2011

2nd Deadline: January 15, 2011
Notification: April 1, 2011

3rd Deadline: March 15, 2011
Notification: June 1, 2011

Essay 1: Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:

(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?

Essay 2: Your Stern Experience
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

We take great care to shape the Stern community with individuals who possess both intellectual and interpersonal strengths. We seek individuals who are highly intelligent, collaborative and committed to flourishing as Stern leaders. Please answer the following questions:

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? Tell us what actions you have taken to learn about us.
(b) Describe what most excites you about Stern from both an academic and extracurricular perspective.
(c) How do you anticipate making your mark on the Stern community? Be specific about the roles you will take on and the impact you hope to achieve.

Essay 3: Personal Expression
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.

For more information, listen to Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA Admissions, discuss Essay 3 on Public Radio’s “Marketplace”.

If you have a multimedia submission, you may:

• Mail a CD, DVD or USB flash drive.
• Include an online link in your submission description.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to request an alternate Essay 3 if we are unable to view your submission. Do not submit anything perishable (e.g. food).

If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.

*  If you’re trying to boost your GMAT score, Stuart at Simply Brilliant is an experienced GMAT instructor / tutor. He offers an online GMAT class and private tutoring at reasonable prices. See www.simplybrilliantprep.com.

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Essay 1
What are the key issues facing organizations in your sector over the next three years? What course of action would you recommend to such organizations? (300 words)

Essay 2
What did you learn from your most spectacular failure? (200 words)

Essay 3
What are your short and long term career objectives? What skills/characteristics do you already have that will help you to achieve them? What do you hope to gain from the degree and how do you feel it will help you achieve the career objectives you have? (please do not exceed 500 words)

Stay tuned for the Fall 2011 application, which will open in the late summer.  Click here for the application deadlines, and be sure to consult the school website for additional information.

*  If you’re trying to boost your GMAT score, Stuart at Simply Brilliant is an experienced GMAT instructor / tutor. He offers an online GMAT class and private tutoring at reasonable prices. See www.simplybrilliantprep.com.

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For the first time in the 129-year history of the school, one person will run both admissions and career placement, the school revealed Monday. In his new role as Deputy Vice Dean of MBA Admissions, Financial Aid, and Career Management, J.J. Cutler (1997 Wharton MBA alumnus) will oversee the full life-cycle of Wharton MBA students, which includes the transition from hopeful applicant to MBA student to actively engaged alumnus.

Wharton representatives point out that no other MBA program is taking this approach.

Cutler brings his expertise in both the private sector and in academia to the brand-new position.  His unique career path includes earning a B.A. in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School; several years at Johnson & Johnson, where he won the prestigious “Standards of Leadership” award for his work building an MBA recruiting strategy for Wharton; and most recently, as a fast-rising administrator on the Wharton campus.

As Wharton explains, this novel approach is founded in the belief that students will see continuity between the application and job placement processes – two of the most stressful times of the MBA experience – and benefit from working with one person who has seen their development as a student, a professional and a person.

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