Graduate Business
MBA

Full-Time MBA Student Experience

A Transformative Journey

Experiential learning, exceptional instruction, and an exclusive coaching program all in the heart of America's second-oldest institution for higher learning. Colonial Williamsburg is regarded as the birthplace of our nation and is the perfect small-town setting for an immersive and transformative two-year journey.

Outside of academics, students are supported by their fellow classmates, dedicated program and career staff, and small-town community that takes pride in their tribe.

Student Life

At William & Mary, our motto is One Tribe One Family, and it accurately represents the Full-Time MBA experience. In addition to broadening your perspective by interacting with a diverse cohort of classmates, you'll be welcomed into a tight-knit community that is supportive and inclusive with a dose of healthy competition.

Before you arrive on campus for orientation, you'll begin interacting with the program staff who are available to provide you with information to ease your transition to Williamsburg. Students are introduced to one another through virtual applications, and these early conversations will lay the foundation to the life-long network you'll leave with upon graduation.

Academic, Professional, & Personal Experiences

  • Orientation

    Orientation is more than career development and receiving your locker keys. You'll bond with your classmates on the William & Mary ropes course and give back to the community during volunteer service projects. The goal of Orientation is to provide students with as many opportunities as possible to share in the excitement of beginning their MBA journey and cultivate relationships that will strengthen over the duration of the program.

  • Networking Events

    Throughout the year, the Full-Time program sponsors networking events outside of the Business School. You'll have the opportunity to network with community leaders and alumni at events like Business on Tap at Virginia Beer Company, the Washington Area Business Association in D.C., the fall homecoming weekend tailgate and more.

  • Executive Partners

    Executive Partners play a vital role in our students' experiences beyond the program curriculum. EPs are available to help answer questions as you settle into the Williamsburg area, and often host dinners and morale-boosting events for their students throughout the year. EPs remain a source of support for our students throughout their personal and professional journeys.

  • MBA Association (MBAA)

    Your MBA journey is made up of moments beyond your classroom instruction. As the graduate student representative organization in the Business School, the MBA Association (MBAA) encourages the Full-Time cohort to actively engage in a diverse number of committee and club initiatives and events that have a lasting impact on the school, the university, and the greater Williamsburg community.

  • Partner & Family Association

    Choosing our Full-Time program is a commitment for both you and your family. When you join our Tribe, so do they! The Partner & Family Association (PFA) is an integral part of connecting your partner, spouse, and children with your MBA experience. The PFA holds social events throughout the year for families to build lasting friendships and a support network. We make the transition to Williamsburg easy by maintaining a hub of information on local housing, education, employment, and entertainment resources. We know your family’s support is vital to your success as an MBA student. And because your family is important to you, they are important to us.

Students laughing

International Events

Our community includes a diverse group of faculty, students, alumni, Executive Partners, and corporate leaders who share a common interest in creating a stimulating, personalized academic and professional environment. With a growing emphasis on management issues that span the globe, international students add valuable insight to the experiences shared in student teams and classroom discussions. Approximately 35 percent of our current MBA student body hails from outside the United States.

Diwali Celebration

Diwali is better known as the 'Festival of Lights' and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. The festivities are spread over a period of five days; each day is associated with different legends and beliefs. Festivities include lighting lamps, meeting & greeting people, preparing sweets & savories and lighting firecrackers!

International Night

This event showcases the variety of cultures represented by our international students. Students exhibit their native costumes, music, and cuisines, display photographs, and give an insight into the everyday life in their countries.

Global Business Immersion

Every year, students are offered opportunities to go on Global Immersion trips over the Winter and Spring Breaks. Past trips have included India, Southeast Asia, Greece and Italy, Singapore and Cuba. Some trips are 1 credit classes and others are more intensive. For example, for the past 10 years, the Southeast Asia trip provides both class meetings and three weeks of overseas study. This trip, taught by Professor Don Rahtz; focuses on the Global Business domain. Students will visit the Bank of Thailand as well as places like Proctor & Gamble and Nike. The countries that are visited are Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Students eating outside at tables

Living in Williamsburg

Ask anyone with an MBA and they will surely recount stories of staying up late to polish presentations, study for exams and prepare cases for five different classes.

The stories are all true, but that's what you're investing in - the preparation you need to be not only a manager but also a visionary business leader. The Mason School MBA program will no doubt be a tough academic challenge, but it isn't all about the work.

The historic William & Mary campus takes visitors through more than 300 years of history and tradition. We are located in the heart of Williamsburg, where you will find students reading, checking their email, or playing Frisbee in the Sunken Gardens, running through the scenic trails surrounding Lake Matoaka or walking the DoG (that's Duke of Gloucester Street) in Colonial Williamsburg.

You can kayak on the James River or practice your golf swing at one of the more than 20 PGA-quality golf courses nearby. At night, you can walk across the street to meet your classmates at a café or head to Virginia Beach, Norfolk, or Richmond, each about a 45-minute drive away. We are just over two hours from Washington D.c. and a half a day from New York City

Yes, the MBA program will be demanding. Yes, you will spend a lot of time on projects and coursework, preparing to interview and to network with visiting executives. But you will also make lifelong friendships and have more fun than you imagined.

Ian Hutter

Ian Hutter '20

"I would say that the William & Mary program is great because the student body is incredibly diverse, 40% international and you're able to learn so many different ways that individuals look at the same problem and how your approach may be effective in one way but not effective in another."

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