The Carlson School Connecting Women to Business

The Carlson School Connecting Women to Business

> Be a leader Build a career See the world Know your family Go to school You can. The world s top businesses equate the Carlson School with innovation and leadership. You can take the credibility of a Carlson degree with you, no matter what you do or where you go. Our portfolio of graduate programs are designed to meet the diverse needs of our students and their career goals. We offer an environment where you can expand your personal and professional network, build your career, and challenge yourself to be a forward-focused leader. We enable you to experience the complexities of business while building the credentials to transform your career. A Carlson degree will give you the mobility to take your career in the direction you choose, whether it s starting your own business, moving up in a corporation, or running a non-profit. You can go where you want to go with the Carlson School. Highlights of the Carlson School > The region s only nationally ranked and internationally accredited business school > Ranked among the nation s top three business schools for the percentage of Full-Time MBA students employed within three months of graduating > Access to faculty carrying out globally recognized research and developing groundbreaking business theory > A portfolio of innovative programs and services aimed to help women succeed as business leaders > Close connections with local and national businesses > The Carlson School Enterprises TM, the nation s largest portfolio of MBA student-driven businesses > Close ties with leading female business leaders, who are actively engaged in Carlson School programs > Programs that feature small class sizes and many opportunities to interact one-on-one with faculty and staff > A global alumni network of business leaders > Financial support and career services that help you meet your career goals

You can build a network that lasts a lifetime The Carlson School is committed to ensuring that you can follow any career path you choose. We ve assembled one of the nation s most complete set of initiatives aimed at helping our women students thrive. It s a strategy that s paid remarkable dividends: the Carlson School is among the nation s leading business schools for increases in female enrollment in our graduate programs. > Mentor circles Through mentoring circles, small groups of female graduate students discuss topics, share experiences, and support one another in developing well-thought-out career plans. > Business connections Both formally and informally, female graduate students are mentored and coached by leading executives from the local business community, which features one of the highest per capita collection of Fortune 500 headquarters of any metropolitan area. > Women s leadership conference Our annual women s leadership conference is the premier gathering of female business leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. > Inside the Boardroom This high-profile series offers insights into the experiences that shape the leaders of America s best companies through one-on-one conversations with Carlson Companies chairman and CEO Marilyn Carlson Nelson. > National Association of Women MBAs The Carlson School chapter of NAWMBA is a professional resource that offers networking opportunities to help develop female leaders. > Forté Foundation The Carlson School s membership in the Forté Foundation connects us to top corporations and other leading business schools that share our commitment to female leadership.

Make an impact The Carlson School is a member of the Forté Foundation, a consortium of top corporations and highly ranked business schools around the world whose joint mission is to inspire more women to business leadership roles. Elizabeth Neils and Adrienne Peirce are two of the Carlson School s four Forté Fellows. Neils decided to get a Carlson MBA after she earned a master s degree in public policy. She came to business school with deep concerns for addressing global poverty. Neils realized that ethically operated multinational companies can be a strong deterrent to the spread of poverty. I had a chance to meet Cargill s vice president of government affairs, and I saw the positive effects a multinational can have when it invests in a country, she says. I realized that I didn t need to work at a non-profit or a government agency to be a force for change. Peirce came to the Carlson School after spending several years working as a product development engineer in the medical-device industry. I liked that work, she says, but I wanted the opportunity to pursue leadership across a broader business spectrum. Peirce spent her MBA internship consulting for the University of Minnesota s Morris campus, where she helped the campus develop its globally recognized emphasis on the use of alternative energy. Elizabeth Neils (left) and Adrienne Peirce Peirce has also helped the college plan and host a conference on alternative energy. She traveled to China to help build ties with international partners attending the conference. Both women have found a unique set of opportunities through the Forté Foundation, gaining access to leaders and training they wouldn t have otherwise received. Besides my access to current female leaders, says Peirce, Forté has allowed me to connect with top female students from more than a dozen MBA programs.

You can get the help you need to build a career We understand that at the heart of a business education are the connections you make. Your career is built as much on what you learn within the classroom as it is by the people you ve met along the way. We structure our programs to maximize your opportunities to network, and we use our deep connections with the business community to offer you career opportunities you won t find anywhere else. There s a reason that the Carlson School has job employment rates that beat nearly every other business school: we have one of the nation s most comprehensive portfolio of career services. Through our Business Career Center, our students are supported every step of the way as they prepare to enter the job market. The center offers mock interviews, resume critiques, job search workshops, and support for students attending national job fairs. And it brings corporate recruiters to campus to interview for internships and permanent positions. Our career support doesn t end when you graduate either. The Career Center keeps you connected with our global network of 47,000 alumni. Minnesota: Land of 10,000 opportunities Minnesota is home to 20 Fortune 500 companies and some of the nation s most successful private enterprises. This thriving business community, with its diverse industries, is also highly progressive many local companies have garnered national attention for their emphasis on female leadership. Among the most preeminent of those corporations is the Carlson Companies, headed by chairman and CEO Marilyn Carlson Nelson. Nelson is a strong supporter of the Carlson School s women s initiatives and closely tied to our many leadershipdevelopment programs.

Share your goals Mina Lolomari and Tonia Weber joined a mentor circle and discovered a group of like-minded women who shared their life s goals. Lolomari was a student in the Carlson School s Human Resources and Industrial Relations graduate program and Weber is a graduate of the Part-Time MBA program. Both used each other as role models to deepen their understanding of how women can be effective leaders. The mentor circle was a trusting environment that allowed for professional and personal interactions, says Weber. It was a rich culmination of experience and issues. A mentor circle is composed of a handful of graduate students and a professional facilitator. Four times a year, Mina Lolomari (left) and Tonia Weber the group attends a presentation and panel discussion on a pressing leadership issue. The mentor circle discusses the topic, its participants bring a spectrum of life experiences to the conversation. Besides attending the formal group meetings, mentor circle participants meet casually throughout the year to socialize and develop their leadership and peer mentoring skills. I don t know of a forum where women can so explicitly and actively network with each other and support each other, says Lolomari. You can tell it s a success. People keep coming back.

You can get a business education for a complex world While the Carlson School is strengthened by its multiple programs and diverse student body, we re legendary for being one of the most advanced business schools in the world. Our faculty work at the leading edge of business theory, conducting groundbreaking research that is cited regularly by peers at other leading institutions. Our innovative curriculum is designed to transfer their cutting-edge research into day-to-day application. Through hands-on learning initiatives, Carlson students have myriad opportunities to put their knowledge to work before they graduate. They also acquire a worldly perspective. We have one of the nation s top international-study programs, featuring opportunities to study abroad for an entire academic year or as little as two weeks. The Carlson School s location in the heart of a thriving business community is an essential part of the student experience. We have deep relationships with the region s top companies. Taken together, the unique qualities of the Carlson School are what make it one of the nation s highest-ranked business schools. And it s what gives our students a special advantage as they build their career. We re committed to helping you afford a graduate degree We understand the financial commitment students must make when they choose to pursue a business degree, and we re committed to helping all students get the education they deserve. We offer a wide variety of financial assistance options, including fellowships, scholarships, graduate assistantships, and loans. The Carlson School underscores its commitment to developing female leaders through a variety of scholarships designated for women. Every year, the school offers two Forté Foundation scholarships to women with high leadership potential. We also offer the Robert Petrick Foundation scholarship, a $12,000 award for a female candidate with strong academic ability. Central to any decision to get a graduate degree is your return on investment. Many of our students see that they ve recovered their tuition costs within three years of graduating, thanks to the higher salary they earn as a result of their degree. We re happy to work with you to explore all the financial assistance options available to you.

Virginia Landauer Travel the globe Virginia Landauer, a student in the Carlson Part- Time MBA program, has always seen herself as a global citizen. A native of Uruguay, Landauer first came to the U.S. to study computer science at the University of Minnesota. I am fascinated by the diversity of thought that comes from studying any discipline in a global context. I have craved international exposure from a young age and have pursued this interest throughout my career. Landauer s employer, BT (formerly British Telecomm), has given her opportunities to work abroad, and it has encouraged her to formalize her international training. Part of her efforts to pursue a global education have included studying abroad. In the summer of 2006, she went on a two-week study abroad program to Lyon. And she spent a semester studying in Paris in 2007. I love meeting people from diverse cultures, Landauer says. I ve stayed with friends in Tokyo, Dubai, Madrid, London, Rio, Paris, Amsterdam. I have made friends around the world.

You can be a leader and have a life We re here to support you as you pursue your professional dreams. But we know that your success depends on having a life that balances home, family, and community. Our programs especially our part-time and evening degrees are designed to let you focus on the things important to you. We offer a high level of student service; in some cases, we ll provide class enrollment and text book purchasing assistance. We think you should come to the Carlson School to learn business, not bureaucracy. Our commitment to your well-rounded pursuit of leadership is helped by the city in which we re located. Minneapolis/St. Paul is consistently ranked among the best cities to raise a family. We have a thriving arts and theater scene, featuring the most theater seats per capita outside of New York City. And we re ranked among the nation s greenest cities thanks to our extensive urban park system. Minnesota is also a strong global economic force. Only eight other states are home to more Fortune 500 companies than Minnesota. Few other cities have as high a per capita concentration of those companies headquarters than Minneapolis/St. Paul. Minnesota: Where women leaders thrive Minneapolis/St. Paul is one of nation s best cities for women, according to ladieshomejournal.com. And Minnesota is ranked as the best state to raise a child according to Kids Count, which bases its ratings on a variety of child health and wellness factors. Minnesota also is home to Medtronic and the Mayo Clinic, which were named among the 100 best companies to work for by Fortune. No matter how you cut it, the Carlson School makes its home in one of the best states in the nation to be a leader.

Find a balance With two sons, Brayden and Kyle, Carlson Full-Time MBA program graduate Ann Cadwallader knows the importance of balance. A decade ago, this Stanford University undergraduate started her own business, Sage Approach, a counseling program for college-bound high school students. She selected the Carlson School as the place to add depth to her entrepreneurial focus. Cadwallader managed to juggle many responsibilities as a student. When I was at school, I was 100 percent student. When I was at home, I was 100 percent mom, she says. Between classes, she studied; after her last class, she would meet with her study groups. She notes that Carlson School faculty were quick to accommodate her family obligations; many of her instructors were also parents and they understood the intricate balance between student and home life. In the end, the juggling act was worth it, says Cadwallader. I gave myself quite an advantage. In the business world, my MBA will always help me. Ann Cadwallader > The Carlson School gathers together a collection of resources and opportunities uniquely our own and found nowhere but here. Learn more about how we can help you transform your career. > The Carlson MBA Full-Time 800-926-9431 Part-Time 800-926-9431 Executive 800-922-3622 > Master of Business Taxation 612-624-7511 > Master of Accountancy 612-624-7511 > Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations 612-624-2500 > carlsonschool.umn.edu

Carlson School of Management University of Minnesota 321 Nineteenth Avenue South, Suite 2-210 Minneapolis, MN 55455-0438 612-625-5555, 800-926-9431, fax 612-626-7785 carlsonschool.umn.edu/women 2007 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.