Notre Dame MBA named ‘Military Friendly’ for fourth year

U.S. Army Major Sean McCaffery was commissioned as an
officer in 2001, one month before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. McCaffery had
been raised with the belief that he needed to give back to society in return
for the many freedoms and privileges he enjoyed as an American. But when the
Twin Towers fell, that belief solidified into a plan to serve in the military
for a 20-year career.

Now, a decade later, the married father of two small sons
has been deployed overseas multiple times, to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan and
Mali, Africa. For all he gained in military experience, he also set a new goal
for himself – getting his MBA.

“I started thinking about when I get out of the military
nine years from now, what will I bring to the table when it comes to looking
for a job?” says McCaffery, who has a bachelor’s degree in business from Kansas
State University. “I also realized that there is a lot of overlap between the
knowledge and skills needed for business and for military leadership. If I earned my MBA now, the degree would not only help me in the
rest of my military career, it would also give me an additional edge when I
transition to civilian life.”

In summer 2012, McCaffery started the one-year program
offered by the University of Notre Dame
MBA, joining a long tradition of veterans as well as active duty men and
women seeking to expand their leadership skills through the degree program at
the Mendoza College of Business.

Notre Dame MBA’s support of military students recently
earned the program its fourth consecutive year as being named a Military
Friendly School. The designation is given the top 15 percent of colleges,
universities and trade schools offering programs to encourage and support the
educational goals of America’s military service members and veterans.

The annual list is compiled by Victory Media, the premier
media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life. The 1,739
colleges, universities and trade schools on this year’s list exhibit leading
practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military
experience. 

“Our appreciation for and continued service to current
and prior military continues to be a focus for our program,” said Brian T. Lohr, director
of Notre Dame MBA Admissions.  “With 10 percent of our incoming class
being prior-military, our program is designed to supplement the extraordinary
leadership they bring, as well as to foster their transition into civilian life
or greater responsibilities within the military.” 

The Notre Dame MBA, which offers one- and two-year
programs, provides several channels
of support for military students, including Freedom Fellowships, which
provide fellowship dollars from the University’s endowment exclusively for
candidates with prior military service. It also participates in the Yellow
Ribbon Program, a GI Bill program providing significant benefits to
eligible U.S. military veterans with honorable discharges who served on active
duty after Sept. 11, 2001, for at least 36 months.

The program also offers specialized advising to prospects through
a military recruiting admissions office liaison, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Stefan J. Castino. For more
information, visit mba.nd.edu/military.

Now in its fourth
year, the 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools was compiled through extensive
research and a data-driven survey of more than 12,000 VA-approved schools
nationwide. The survey tabulation process, methodology and weightings were
developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of
educators from schools across the country, and were independently verified by
Ernst and Young LLP.   Complete survey
methodology is available at militaryfriendlyschools.com

“Inclusion on the 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools shows
the commitment on the part of Notre Dame MBA to providing a supportive
environment for military students,” said Sean Collins, director for G.I. Jobs
and vice president at Victory Media.   “As
interest in education grows, we’re thrilled to provide the military community
with transparent, world-class resources to assist in their search for schools.”

A full story and detailed list of 2013 Military Friendly
Schools will be highlighted in the annual G.I. Jobs Guide to Military Friendly
Schools, distributed in print and digital format to hundreds of thousands of
active and former military personnel in early October. 

Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small
business founded in 2001. Victory’s free, data-driven, Military Friendly® lists
can be found at www.gijobs.com/2012Top100www.militaryfriendlyschools.com
and www.militaryfranchising.com.
Victory’s lists are also published in G.I. Jobs, Military Spouse, Vetrepreneur
magazines, republished in national and local periodicals and are frequently
cited on national and local TV stations.

The Notre Dame MBA at the Mendoza College of Business
enrolls approximately 340 students annually in its one-year and two-year
programs. The program is designed to sharpen students’ analytical and
problem-solving skills, enhance their leadership ability and increase emphasis
on ethical decision making. Students have the opportunity to study the
complexities of global business through international immersions in Asia, Latin
America and other locations.

The Notre Dame MBA is ranked 24th among U.S. business
schools by Bloomberg Businessweek,
and No. 4 in the Aspen Institute’s 2011-2012 Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial
survey and alternate ranking that indicates the school’s success in integrating
social, environmental and ethical issues into its program.

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