It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on AST, Judi Byers, the Executive Director of Admissions & Financial Aid at Johnson School of Management at Cornell University. Judi earned her bachelors degree and masters degrees from American University in Washington DC. She also worked for American University’s Kogod School of Business for a little over 10 years before moving to beautiful Ithaca New York in 2015 to become the Executive Director of Admissions & Financial Aid at Johnson School of Management at Cornell University.

Welcome, Judi!

Can you give us an overview of Cornell Johnson’s two-year MBA program? [1:30]

It starts every August. The first semester is built around a core curriculum, to give students a strong foundation in the fundamentals of business. We find that students are either seeking career advancement or changing careers.

In the second semester, students have the opportunity to pursue an Immersion area – there are eight areas of focus – bundles of electives and experiences focused around a career path. We want to prepare them for summer internships with hands-on experience and casework.

Feedback has indicated the immersions are a real differentiator.

The second year is more of an open canvas – there’s more flexibility. There are concentrations for breadth and depth, and elective coursework or the opportunity for dual degree study in hotel, engineering, labor relations, law, and medicine.

There are also 30+ international partners, so students have the opportunity to study abroad. The second year provides the opportunity to customize.

There’s also a 1-year program in Ithaca and the Cornell Tech program. How are they different? [4:40]

For Cornell Tech, we’re looking for students with a strong background in tech – often science and engineering, and often with an entrepreneurial focus.

The one-year program in Ithaca is different – there’s less of a tech focus. It’s really designed for professionals with more work experience, or who have advanced degrees or certifications.

What’s new at Johnson? [6:15]

There are a lot of exciting developments! I’ve been blown away by the growth since I joined.

Cornell Johnson is now part of our College of Business – integration has led to positive developments. There are 3,200 students across the College of Business, and the teaching faculty is one of the largest in the country, with a large operating budget. Integrating three schools helps the alignment across our teaching and recruiting functions.

We’re looking at new opportunities for areas of focus for MBA students in terms of academic specializations.

Another exciting thing: the opening of the Breazzano Family Center for Business Education. It’s important for a couple of reasons – it optimizes our facilities and it’s an early gift from one of our alumni/trustees.

Going back to the Johnson Immersion program – can you give an example of how it works? [11:45]

As I mentioned, the Immersions are a combination of elective courses and a practical component (a hands-on project or case). It allows them to apply their learning in a practical sense Some also include company site visits.

This is in the second semester of the first year.