The core mission of the School of Business goes beyond providing our students with exceptional technical, communication, and critical thinking skills. We also aim to provide intense experiential learning opportunities----a ten-dollar academic word for hands-on, learn by doing. In today’s very competitive and “flat” world, our students need the practical job environment skills that the best employers expect and seek. We work to accomplish this key experiential learning goal by many ways, including:
1. Paid and faculty supervised internships with local and regional companies
2. Faculty supervised service-learning projects where our students help small businesses and not-for-profit organizations with the design and the implementation of strategic plans
3. Real-world case studies led by faculty with extensive and relevant industry experience
4. Opportunities for students to participate in the cutting edge research conducted by School faculty members
5. International study programs designed to gain cultural and unique business insights.
Our focus on experiential learning is enhanced by the diversity of students and faculty common to UAB. As recently reported, UAB has the third most diverse campus in the U.S. Diversity is a complex and very broad term at our School---encompassing diversity of race, economic background, culture, skills, geography, and political viewpoints. Business students at UAB are in a daily environment that matches the diversity of the work place and the diversity of the communities where they may live/work. Their perception of folks from very different cultures and life experiences is an initial challenge that quickly becomes an exceptional opportunity to gain new insights. It is a pleasure to observe our students as they gain new ways to think about common business issues and problems---and find creative ways to work with other students from materially different cultures. As they mature in this process, their eyes are opened wide to the real economic benefits of a diverse work place. Old perceptions fade away and new friendships are formed and nurtured. Our students leave UAB prepared to work with diverse associates, with diverse customers, with diverse regulators, and to prosper in diverse cultures.
I am very thankful to be at a university that is as diverse as UAB because I feel that it is preparing me more for the diverse workforce that is in our society today. It is extremely hard to get acclamated to a workforce filled with different ages, races and cultures when you have not been exposed to them before. Here at UAB, I may have classes from people ranging from ages 18-50+ and from every background imaginable. This has really helped me, personally, do be more prepared to handle the various personalities and cultures that I encounter in everyday life.
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