Questions about Owen and Marketing & HOP Concentrations

A prospective student asked me to answer the following questions...thought it might be helpful for others as well. Please see below.

What made you select the combination of marketing and HOP:

I love marketing ­ always have, my background fits and truthfully, it is one of the only aspects of business that really excites me. As for HOP, there are a few reasons. I really wanted a better understanding of how to effectively manage the people aspect of business as I move up the corporate ladder. I realize that we tend to do less of the day-to-day functional stuff and more of people management (all aspects of it, including talent management) the higher we go so HOP was a perfect concentration. Plus, Vandy has one of the BEST HOP programs in the country. The other big reason I chose to add HOP as a focus is because of one of my favorite Professors Tim Vogus. He teaches a core class Leading Teams and Organizations (LTO)- during MOD and he was awesome ­ really got me interested in learning more.

"What extra-curricular's have you become involved in to enhance the classroom experience, specific to marketing and/or human capital management"

Students generally get involved with clubs. Most of them are career or business focused. For instance, we have clubs for every concentration and some for different industries. They focus on getting speakers and helping students prepare for internships and full time position interviews. I am a part of the Marketing Association and a few other clubs. Leadership in any club will help enhance the classroom experience.

"What made Owen stand out for you?"

Owen stood out to me from the start. The flexibility and strength of the program is what first attracted me but, through the process, I fell in love with everything it had to offer. The admissions process is nerve-racking enough, and the Owen admissions team was SO helpful and nice. I felt comfortable instantly. They also said something that really stood out: if there is something you want to do here and we don't have it ­ we will work with you to make it happen. That is huge ­ and the best part is that they mean it. (For example, I know a student that is interested in going abroad, not for a semester but only for one MOD. A program of this length is not common but she talked to the administration about it and they were able to come up with a few options for her to take advantage of.) They also try to shape the personality of the student body so each person here contributes in his or her own way. I love my class and they are amazing ­ they come from diverse backgrounds. All of them are smart and well rounded. They are fun and supportive.

"The downside"

The marketing department is not as strong as other programs, and they have hired professors that worked for B-school programs like Stanford and Wharton but it is in a revamp period. Next year should be better and Owen changes class content, core class scheduling and other parts of the curriculum based on information/suggestions provided by students- we do surveys at the end of every mod. Finding a job in HOP is extremely easy here but ones in marketing are a bit more competitive given our location and the fact that we are not a top 10 program.