Georgetown McDonough MBA - Class Profile, Salary & Curriculum

With a GMAT 705, an older class (29), and 65% from industries outside Technology, Finance, and Consulting, Georgetown McDonough MBA is a rare top MBA program that stands out for its D.C Connection, generous scholarships, and an innovative curriculum structure.

In this in-depth analysis of Georgetown McDonough MBA, we cover:

• McDonough MBA - Incoming Class Profile
• McDonough Pre-MBA Education
• McDonough MBA Pre-MBA Industry
• McDonough MBA - Fees and Total Cost
• McDonough MBA Scholarships
• Georgetown McDonough MBA Location – D.C Advantage
• Georgetown McDonough MBA - Global Learning
• Georgetown McDonough MBA - Leadership Development
• Georgetown McDonough MBA - Certificates
• McDonough MBA - Experiential Learning
• McDonough MBA - Intensive Learning Experience (ILE)
• Georgetown McDonough Full-time MBA Curriculum
• Georgetown McDonough Full-time MBA Electives
• Georgetown McDonough MBA - Application Process
• Georgetown McDonough 2-year Full-time MBA - Salary by Industry (2021)
• Georgetown McDonough 2-year Full-time MBA - Salary by Function (2021)
• Georgetown McDonough 2-year Full-time MBA – Employment for International Students (2021)
• Georgetown McDonough 2-year Full-time MBA - Internship Opportunities

McDonough MBA - Incoming Class Profile

With an acceptance rate of 17%, McDonough Full-time MBA limited its class intake to only 283 students. The GPA requirement was lower than the top-tier US MBA programs (usually higher than 3.4) at 3.35. 48% percent of prospective students opted for the GRE versus the GMAT – unusual even by 2022 standards when GRE is a much more acceptable test than a decade ago.

The average score of 705 is within the league of top US MBA programs. The average professional experience is 5 years, as usual, but the average age is higher by a year. Women’s representation is low at 32%. Veterans represented 8% of the class and underrepresented minorities a further 20%. 37% of the class was represented by international students.

McDonough Pre-MBA Education

Business/Economics undergraduate degrees were held by 40% of the class. Engineering degrees were held by under a fifth of the class at 17%. Given the proximity of McDonough to Washington DC’s power centers, government/international studies backgrounds were represented by 14% of the class. Humanities, physical and social sciences contributed to another quarter of the class intake.

McDonough MBA Pre-MBA Industry

Miscellaneous industries represent most of the class (65%+) intake, leading to one of the diverse representation of industries outside technology, consulting and finance. Financial services lead the pre-MBA industries, represented at 18%. Consulting, in second place, was half the strength of financial services. Government representation is low at nearly 7%, as compared to Cornell (11%) or McCombs (16%), but at par with NYU Stern (8%). Technology, usually a leading industry for many top US MBA programs, represents only 6% of the intake. Healthcare represents a further 5%.  

McDonough MBA - Fees and Total Cost

McDonough School of Business tuition fee is $60,894. Additional direct expenses to be budgeted are health insurance at $2,965. The estimated average living allowance needed is $22,696, the average cost of books is $2,646, and the average travel is a further $2,606. US citizens who opt for funding via Federal Direct Loan are required to pay an additional $3,220. The total cost (excluding Federal Direct Loan Fees) is $91,843.

McDonough MBA Scholarships

43% of MBA students acquire scholarships, placing McDonough second to Harvard (50%) in this regard. 20 scholarships favoring women, underrepresented minorities, and specialized careers in entrepreneurship, real estate, and fintech are available at McDonough School of Business. An additional 22 scholarships are available from external international providers. Scholarships cover from $5,000 to full tuition fees.

Georgetown McDonough MBA Location – D.C Advantage

6 of the world’s top 20 think tanks (Global Go To Think Tank Index Report) and 8% of the US’s 2,203 think tanks are based in D.C, giving MBAs access to some of the brightest minds in government and policy. McDonough actively uses its partnerships with international organizations such as the World Bank and Norwegian or Japanese embassies to orchestrate experiential learning projects for students. Among the heavyweights, Amazon and Costco are headquartered in D.C, offering a great incentive for candidates entering FMCG and the technology industries to consider Georgetown MBA. The Featured speaker series is another avenue for students to learn how CXO’s of some of the largest firms think and make decisions. Past speakers have included Costco’s co-Founder Jim Sinegal, the world’s leading private equity firm Blackstone’s Managing Director Joe Zidle, and Hermes Executive Vice President Florian Craen.

Georgetown McDonough MBA - Global Learning

McDonough’s emphasis on global learning is materialized through small teams of MBAs that work with Fortune 500 companies (3M, Clinique, Citibank, and Dell), with specific regional issues spread across 6 continents. During the spring semester, after months of collaborating remotely, full-time MBA students travel to the relevant region and present their recommendations to senior management. The students also share their experiences and knowledge of working globally during the Global Experience Conference. Apart from the project-based travel experiences, students can also gather knowledge through local and international industry treks. During these treks, students network with alumni and support local organizations.

Georgetown McDonough MBA - Leadership Development

Leadership expertise at McDonough can be gained by participating in 40+ student clubs, volunteering, or through initiatives by one of the institution’s centers. The McDonough centers cover cutting edge initiatives from AI, Analytics, and the Future of Work, and Business of Sustainability, to school’s strengths in public policy to unique approaches in ethics and Consumer research to traditional initiatives in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship to wider goals of building an inclusive leadership through Women Leadership development and social impact.  

Georgetown McDonough MBA - Certificates

McDonough offers 3 Certificates in Consumer Analytics and Insights, Nonmarket Strategy, and Sustainable Business.

1) Consumer Analytics and Insights

The highlight of this certificate program is the skill development to interpret the source of the data in the modern digital ecosystem when terabytes of data are created by the second. By analyzing how the data is leveraged to make organizational decisions, students learn to interpret the risks of misinformation and use data cleaning tools & frameworks to create better insights. Through speaker series that feature federal agencies with experience in interpreting voluminous consumer data and hands-on consumer analytics projects, students learn to manage consumer analytics projects diligently.

2) Nonmarket Strategy

The MBA certificate in nonmarket strategy offers a deeper understanding of forces outside the markets that impact business. By interpreting legal, political, cultural, regulatory, and social dynamics and their relationship with government, the public, and the firm’s reaction to these factors, students will recognize and appreciate the delicate balance of nonmarket forces that impact the strategy of a business. The access to government officials, members of the congress, and leaders’ caretaking industry association’s goals will give students a nuanced perspective on the dynamics.

3) Sustainable Business

With Sustainable Business goals evolving from the wings of corporate social responsibility to core strategy, Businesses have begun to consider governance, worker rights including flexible timing, environmental impact, and the impact of their operations on societies while making decisions. The certificate program offers the skills to address methods that assist in streamlining all the individual functions of a business from the supply chain, product design, innovation strategy, finance, investor relations, operations, and human resources with a sustainability focus.

McDonough MBA - Experiential Learning

McDonough offers experiential learning in five areas – venture capital, real estate, technology (venture capital and analytics), executive leadership communication, and consulting. MBAs gain insights by working with venture capital firms for a year through the Venture Fellows Program.

InSITE Fellows, a leadership development program for graduates from top universities, is another experiential learning opportunity for McDonough students to further their venture capital and consulting experiences for an entire semester.

For students new to Analytics, HoyAlytics – a student-run club, provides a platform for non-technical students to gain hands-on experience in Tableau, Python, and Sentiment Analysis in R.

At McDonough, leadership development starts during the first year of MBA through the one-day Executive Challenge. Alumni, many serving in senior leadership roles, take on the role of board members, customers, and regulators to offer students a real-time perspective on leading an organization through diverse interaction. The often-difficult conversations help students understand the challenges of conflict resolution, setting expectations, influencing stakeholders, and managing people up the hierarchy. Second-year leadership fellows are integral to the Leadership communication course, where they coach first-year students on prioritizing tasks, building relationships, and managing communications.

McDonough MBA - Intensive Learning Experience (ILE)

ILE’s are short-term learning experiences (1-2weeks) that cover strategic knowledge over several functions and subjects, leadership, and technology. ILEs are taken in the spring semester, accounting for 3 credits. The breadth of the ILEs covers a range of different contexts and industries like healthcare, technology, real estate, defense, and finance, covering 20+ options.
 

Georgetown McDonough Full-time MBA Curriculum

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum is built on the fundamentals of leadership (3 courses - Leading Teams for Performance & Impact, Leadership Communications, and Ethical Leadership), quantitative analysis - statistics, accounting finance, and global knowledge of economies, industries, and business experience. Unlike top US MBA programs that complete the core course in the first year itself, McDonough splits its 15 core courses throughout the first and second year. The spring semester of the second year is entirely dedicated to Global Business Experience, International Travel, and 5 electives. The fall semester of the second year is elective intensive with 6 electives to be completed along with the core modules of Business and Policy in a Global Economy and Ethical Leadership.
 

Georgetown McDonough Full-time MBA Electives

McDonough has phased out concentrations from the curriculum. Now, students customize their own MBA by choosing from over 70 electives with themes in accounting, finance, marketing, management, operations & information management, strategy, economics, ethics & public policy.

Complementing the core course in accounting fundamentals, McDonough offers electives in Taxes & Business Strategy and Startup Law. This is different from other MBA programs that offer advanced accounting courses in managerial and financial accounting.

4 out of the 14 finance electives are catered toward those interested in a career in real estate. Fintech, and Entrepreneurial Finance & Venture Capital are the other themes for Finance electives.

Marketing and Operations & Information Management are the only two themes to offer practicum electives, enabling students to gain global understanding and hands-on experience in the niche.

Management offers the largest number of electives, 21, focusing on the wine, sports, and consulting industries.

Leadership and innovation is a consistent theme across the management electives.

Dual Degrees

McDonough is the only top-tier US MBA institution to offer the MBA with a Master of Science in Foreign Services (MSFS). Applicants seeking management positions in international organizations with a business and foreign relations focus are encouraged to apply. The duration of the program is 3 years. Taught in conjunction with the Walsh School of Foreign Service, MSFS requires that the applicant pass a Foreign Language Reading Exam and should be in their first year of the program to apply.

The remaining three dual degrees with the MBA options are Law (taught at Georgetown University Law Center), Medicine (taught at Georgetown University School of Medicine), and Public Policy (taught at McCourt School of Public Policy). The duration of the dual degree is 4 years for Law, 5 years for Medicine, and 3 years for Public Policy.

Georgetown McDonough MBA - Application Process

Application deadlines are typically in the months of December, March, and May and require a fee of $175. Fee waivers are applicable for veterans, military personnel, and applicants from the least developed countries (UN list). A $100 discount applies to U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents earning less than $30,000 per year and Non-U.S. Citizens earning less than $15,000 per year in U.S. dollars.

The components of the application are:

• Test scores (GMAT/GRE)
• Transcripts
• Essays
• Resume (identify part-time and internship experience, as well as months and years in each position)
• Recommendation (only one letter is required from a professional recommender)
• Application Fee

Applicants who do not meet the work experience criteria can apply for the MBA Advanced Access Program (MAAP).

Essays

Four different essay themes – Principled Leadership, “Common Good”, Personal Brand, and the Georgetown Community are provided with prompts, from which applicants must choose one to highlight their strengths within the 350-word limit.

The leadership essay should highlight values that echo ethical leadership and inclusivity by describing the implementation of an innovative idea or a process.

The Common Good should detail challenges faced in a community and how the candidate’s personality and values contributed to a successful resolution. The first and second essay options have a reflective element that should demonstrate growth by revisiting the same challenge from a fresh perspective considering the experience gained.

The personal brand essay seeks to explore the characteristics of a role model you identify with. The changes or steps taken in aspiring to be like the role model should be detailed with context to your professional experience. Based on your research of the McDonough fit, you also need to demonstrate how the values on which your personal brand is based can benefit the McDonough community.

The fourth option allows applicants to discuss the circumstances that have formulated their professional and educational goals. These might include the applicant’s background, educational, familial, cultural, economic, and social experiences. The applicant must detail the reasons behind their motivations and how they will result in the betterment of the McDonough and Georgetown community.

The 1-minute video essay should highlight unique aspects of your personality, values, or experiences that have not been detailed anywhere in your application. Since the video is required to be conversational, practice with the script and focus on the tone.

The admissions essay should cover the applicant’s commitment to learning, D.C’s location advantages, and applicant’s plan to utilize the global educational experience.

An innovative and analytical mindset should emerge through the essay narrative.

Georgetown McDonough 2-year Full-time MBA - Salary by Industry (2021)

The finance, consulting, and technology trio was visible in the top salaries and percent hired. The consulting salaries for post-MBA McDonough graduates were higher than financial services by $7,000, at $145,000. Real estate and Manufacturing / Transportation / Energy represented 5% and 2% of the graduates hired.
 

Georgetown McDonough 2-year Full-time MBA - Salary by Function (2021)

Finance functions dominate consulting by percent hired 42% vs. 27%. The highest salaries were obtained by graduates opting for Consulting (Finance/Advisory/M&A roles) with a median base salary of $155,000. McDonough ranks 9th in the top 10 US MBA programs, ranked by percent hired in General Management above Harvard Business School. 

Georgetown McDonough 2-year Full-time MBA – Employment for International Students (2021)

95% of international students received job offers within 3 months of graduation. The percentage who accepted job offers within 3 months of graduation was 2% lower. International students received lower salaries than US nationals by roughly $3,000 at $123,784. However, the median sign-on bonus for international students was $11,000 higher than for US citizens. 96% of graduates work in the US, with the balance working abroad. Mid-Atlantic (42%) and Nort-East regions (30%) of the US were the most popular for McDonough post-MBA graduates to secure employment in.

Top employers included Amazon, Microsoft, StepStone Group, and JP Morgan Chase.

Georgetown McDonough 2-year Full-time MBA - Internship Opportunities

99% of MBAs opting for internships received an opportunity. Most (87%) were paid internships. Finance/Accounting and Consulting topped the list of functions by which graduates were hired. Top employers included the World Bank Group, Squadra Ventures, and EY. The average monthly compensation was $7,460. International students secured a slightly higher average monthly compensation of $7,731.

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Reference

• McDonough MBA