MBA program among nation's best at producing ethical graduates

Author: Dennis Brown

The MBA program at the University of Notre Dame is among the top five in the nation for producing graduates with high ethical standards, according to a new survey of corporate recruiters conducted by the Wall Street Journal and Harris Interactive.p. Yale University was ranked first for its emphasis on ethics, followed by Brigham Young University, Dartmouth College, Notre Dame and the University of Navarra (Spain) in a tie for fourth, and the University of Michigan.p. In a story headlined “Right and Wrong,” Journal reporter Ronald Alsop turned to Carolyn Woo, Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame, for comment on the place of ethics in an MBA program’s curriculum. She told him: “Before Enron, ethics didn’t occupy a central role at many schools. We must challenge students about how much their values are worth and develop an awareness in them of the ethical implications of business decisions. They must have their antennae up and not be naive.”p. Alsop continued: "Dean Woo speaks with authority. Notre Dame, a Roman Catholic university, has a long tradition of ethics research and education, including its Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide and Center for Ethics and Religious Values in Business. Indeed, some recruiters say they are drawn more these days to religious schools like Notre Dame and Brigham Young University.‘p. The Journal’s third annual survey was based on the opinions on 2,191 MBA recruiters who hire full-time business school graduates. The survey looked at the characteristics recruiters consider most important when they decide which schools to recruit from and which students to hire. Their ratings were based on 26 attributes, including communication skills, leadership potential, original and visionary thinking, and personal ethics.p. Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business ranked 31st overall. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania was rated first.

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