Yale School of Management - Yale University
In 1701, Yale University was established, becoming the third higher education institution in the United States. It is now one of the most prestigious in the world.
Over 250 years after its founding, Yale opened its doors to a program in management, now known as the Yale School of Management. When the business school was first being discussed, Yale’s leaders had the vision of educating students with the same excellence in management as they already did in medicine, law, and divinity.
Today, Yale SOM is known for the education and research it conducts in a variety of areas including leadership, entrepreneurship, and operations management. Yale SOM is part of the Global Network for Advanced Management along with thirty-one other leading business schools. Yale SOM is an extremely selective MBA program – close to eleven applicants compete for each seat.
History
The history of Yale SOM goes back to the days following World War II. Business was changing from entrepreneurs and single families to public ownership. Leaders at Yale were discussing the need for a school that taught the skills needed to manage this type of operation. Unfortunately, a school of management was not actually established until many years later due to differing opinions among Yale’s leadership.
In 1971, Frederick W. Beinecke provided the financial backing to establish a program in management. A few years later, in 1973, Yale Corporation approved the School of Organization and Management where students could earn a master’s degree in public and private management (MPPM). The first class began in the fall of 1976.
Yale offered a two-year program to train managers to lead in the business, government, and non-profit sectors. In 1994, the school changed its name to Yale School of Management and in 1999, the school began offering a master’s in business administration.
Degrees Offered
- Accounting
- Consulting
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- Ethics
- Finance
- General Management
- Health Care Administration
- Human Resource Management
- International Business
- Leadership
- Marketing
- Not-For-Profit Management
- Public Administration
- Supply Chain Management/Logistics
- Quantitative Analysis/Statistics and Operations Research
Special
- Executive MBA
- Master of Advanced Management
- MS Asset Management
- MS Global Business & Society
- MS Systematic Risk
- PhD
- Executive Education
Program Details
Are you divided into cohorts? Yes
In their first week at Yale School of Management, students are divided into 70-person cohorts. Each cohort is distinguished by a color: blue, silver, green, or gold. Within each cohort, students are further divided into learning teams of seven or eight. These groups are designed to give students an opportunity to work with people from diverse backgrounds.
During the first year of study, SOM students attend every class of the core curriculum together. Cohorts participate in team-building activities during their first days at Yale to create close community. Every few weeks, inter-cohort competitions are held. The relationships created during this first year shape the larger Yale SOM experience for most MBA students.
Core curriculum classes fall into two categories: Orientation for Management and Organizational Perspectives.
In their first week at Yale School of Management, students are divided into 70-person cohorts. Each cohort is distinguished by a color: blue, silver, green, or gold. Within each cohort, students are further divided into learning teams of seven or eight. These groups are designed to give students an opportunity to work with people from diverse backgrounds.
During the first year of study, SOM students attend every class of the core curriculum together. Cohorts participate in team-building activities during their first days at Yale to create close community. Every few weeks, inter-cohort competitions are held. The relationships created during this first year shape the larger Yale SOM experience for most MBA students.
Core curriculum classes fall into two categories: Orientation for Management and Organizational Perspectives.
Orientation for Management Classes:
- Managing Groups and Teams
- Basics of Accounting
- Probability Modeling and Statistics
- Basics of Economics
- Modeling Managerial Decisions
- Introduction to Negotiation
- Global Virtual Teams
Organizational Perspectives Classes:
- Competitor
- Customer
- Investor
- Power and Politics
- Sourcing and Managing Funds
- State and Society
- Workforce
- Innovator
- Operations Engine
- The Global Macroeconomy
- The Executive
The second year at Yale SOM provides students with a unique opportunity to engage with the rest of Yale to learn from the experience, perspectives, and expertise of many. In fact, 75% of SOM master’s students take electives outside of Yale SOM. See below a small sampling of available elective courses:
- Introduction to Marketing
- Competitive Strategy
- Strategic Management of Nonprofit Organizations
- Global Social Entrepreneurship: India, Business Ethics
- Urban Poverty and Economic Development
- Mastering Influence & Persuasion
- Corporate Finance
- Pricing Strategy
- Consumer Behavior
- Marketing Strategy
- Energy Systems Analysis
- The Future of Global Finance
14% of Yale MBA students pursue a joint degree. Most of the time, students spend one year enrolled at Yale SOM full-time to complete the core curriculum. The following year, they will be enrolled full-time in the other program. In their third and final year, students will take classes in both programs. This is one year less than it would take a student to complete the degrees sequentially.
Applicants must go through the application process and be admitted to both programs individually. Applying to the programs at the same time is recommended in order to have a more integrated learning experience. Requirements for programs vary.
Can you do a joint degree while at the school? Ex: MBA/MD between HBS and Harvard Medical School: Yes
What Makes Yale SOM Unique?
There are over 50 student clubs available to Yale SOM students. Clubs give students opportunities to discuss relevant topics and hone leadership and business skills. Professional, cultural, and sports clubs are all available. Clubs include Business Students for Racial Equity, the Association for Hispanic and Latin American Students, Asian American and Pacific Islander Association, SOM United Soccer, Women in Management, Golf, Jewish Students Association, and more.
Yale SOM hosts several speakers, seminars, club meetings, major conferences, and social activities. These events provide students with the opportunity to hear directly from business leaders, work with classmates, and engage in meaningful discussions. Conferences include: Yale Philanthropy Conference, Economic Development Symposium, Fempire (The Yale Conference on Women, Technology, and Power), and the Yale Healthcare Conference.
Yale SOM has 90 full-time faculty members. According to The Economist, professors at Yale are rated 4.42 out of 5.
What is the Yale SOM campus like?
In 2014, Yale SOM moved into a new building known as Edward P. Evans Hall. It’s located at 165 Whitney Avenue, a block away from the former campus on Hillhouse Avenue. Edward P. Evans Hall has technology-enabled classrooms, faculty offices, academic centers, and student and meeting spaces surrounding a courtyard.
Yale SOM is located in New Haven, Connecticut. Campus is within reach of several quaint New England towns and countless historic buildings and just a short drive from Boston and New York City. New Haven itself has an active downtown district with parks, shops, museums, hotels, and restaurants. Connecticut also has the natural beauty of lakes and beaches.
Notable Alumni
Here is a list of Yale SOM notable alumni:
- Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister of Ghana; Co-founder, Databank
- Indra Nooyi, Chairman, and CEO, PepsiCo
- Shirley Yeung, Founder & Managing Partner, Dragonrise Capital
- Rebecca Lilly Brooks, Private Wealth Advisor, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management
- Max Ventilla, Founder and CEO, AltSchool
- Adam Blumenthal, Founder and Managing Partner, Blue Wolf Capital Partners
- Xerxes Mullan, CEO, Avestar Capital
- Wendy Davis, CEO, and Founder, GestVision
- Elon Boms, Founder and Managing Director, LaunchCapital; Lecturer in the Practice of Entrepreneurship
- Kelly Smith, Corporate Vice President, New York Life Insurance Company
- Christine Bader, Former Director of Social Responsibility, Amazon
- Donald Gips, Former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa
- John Shrewsberry, President, Wells Fargo Securities
- Fred Terrell, Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Credit Suisse
Yale SOM Employment Report
According to the Yale SOM Employment Report, one third of SOM MBAs landed consulting jobs after graduation. The median base salary for consultants was $165,000, $25,000 higher than the overall median base salary. 94% of graduates were employed within three months of graduation, with close to 96% receiving offers.
To find out what the prospects are for you to break into consulting from Yale SOM, see our analysis of the Yale SOM employment report here.