For the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University, the goal is simple but ambitious: Ensure every Broad graduate is prepared to compete in a dynamic job market and contribute meaningfully from day one.
It’s hard to argue with the college’s success. The graduating class of 2025 has a 99% placement rate. Of those graduates, 87% participated in an internship and 63% are beginning their careers in Michigan.
“The engine for Broad’s success is the culture we’ve built around our students,” says David Souder, the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Dean of the Broad College of Business. “Our faculty deliver world-class scholarship and instruction, and our student-facing staff ensure every student feels supported, challenged and connected. That combination is what turns opportunity into outcomes.”
Consistent, yet continuously evolving
Broad’s undergraduate programs have been ranked in the top 20 among public institutions since the 2000 edition (1999–2000 school year) of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges. The rankings are based on evaluations by peer institutions.
Last fall, U.S. News & World Report ranked the following MSU undergraduate programs in the nation’s top 25:
- Supply chain management: No. 1 overall and among public institutions
- Production/operations: No. 7 overall and No. 4 among public institutions
- Management: No. 16 overall and No. 10 among public institutions
- International business: No. 21 overall and No. 9 among public institutions
- Accounting: No. 22 overall and No. 13 among public institutions
- Undergraduate business: No. 24 overall and No. 14 among public institutions
“Many of our incoming students have the credentials to go anywhere they want. Broad’s long-standing high rankings make MSU rise to the top,” says Rich Spreng, associate dean for undergraduate programs at Broad.
Part of maintaining this recognition involves continuously evaluating coursework and college resources to ensure students have the tools they need to become the future of business. The college also receives feedback from employers, alumni and industry advisory boards.
“Our advisory board members are highly accomplished and have a good sense of what is happening in the industry and what is coming,” says Spreng. “They care about MSU but, even more, they have a business reason to be in the room. Broad is producing the future employees they need.”
Today’s business graduates must be more fluent in data analytics, better prepared for cross-functional collaboration and equipped with the life skills needed to transition successfully from college to career.
A recently added foundational course introduces students to core concepts across all business disciplines early in their academic journey. The objective is to ensure that all students, regardless of major, understand how marketing, finance, accounting, supply chain management, organizational behavior and other areas interconnect.
“Broad faculty do a really good job of giving you an overview of disciplines and how they interact,” says Samantha Chin, a marketing major and data science minor graduating in May. “The classes are really applicable to what you will do in your career.”
Actionable networking
Unique among MSU’s 17 degree-granting colleges, Broad Connect is the college’s exclusive networking and mentoring platform. Through Broad Connect, students can explore industries and careers and make connections with Broad college alumni from across the globe.
For alumni, Broad Connect offers a direct way to give back while also expanding their own professional networks, strengthening ties to the college and staying connected to emerging talent.
A recently relaunched program from Broad Connect is The Wisdom Project. It requires each first-year Broad student to conduct a 30-minute informational interview with a Broad alum. This conversation is intentionally designed to offer insight into real business careers and help students see the relevance of their classroom learning in a professional context.
“The alumni participating in The Wisdom Project aren’t just recent graduates. We have people who have been out of school for 40 or 50 years reaching out to join,” says Spreng. “They just love interacting with the students.”
Spartan alumni are also invited to participate in several events hosted by the college. From networking mixers to speaker series, there are multiple opportunities for industry leaders to connect with students and expand their networks.
When serving as judges for case competitions, alumni provide a real-world business problem, referred to as a case, for the students to address. The students receive hands-on experience bridging the gap between the classroom and professional settings.
“By analyzing complex business problems, students develop critical thinking, data analysis and strategic decision-making skills,” says Marla McGraw, assistant dean for career services. “These competitions also enhance teamwork and communication skills, as participants must collaborate effectively and present their ideas clearly to the judges.”
“Broad offers a lot of opportunities for professional development in order to apply what we learn in the classroom to the actual professional world,” says Sofia Poulos, a supply chain management major in her third year. “Being able to bring these experiences up in my internship interviews has been extremely beneficial.”
Helping students succeed
Each year, the Russell Palmer Career Management Center selects 15 to 20 exceptional seniors to serve as peer coaches. These experienced Spartans offer support to fellow students around networking strategies, mock interviews, career exploration, LinkedIn optimization and more.
“Being coached in my first year was the biggest factor in wanting to be a peer career coach,” says Chin. “I want to help the Broad community — as many people as I can — get the advice I received.”
Broad supports multiple career-focused and affinity-based organizations as well as honorary fraternities. Involvement in a student organization, and the leadership experience students can gain, is an important part of the overall college experience.
“Being part of a student organization, and its community, has been really impactful for me,” says Poulos, who leads MSU’s business fraternity. “Now as president of Phi Chi Theta, in a leadership role, I can help others learn and grow.
“I tell incoming students to get involved, put yourself out there. Make connections in class, in clubs and with the Broad network.”
In addition to student organizations, Broad students also can participate in education abroad, residential learning communities, leadership accelerators, undergraduate research and service-learning. All these programs provide students with opportunities to network, socialize, learn and enhance skills.
“Spartans are known for collaboration and willingness to support each other,” says Poulos. “I’ve heard from fellow students at other universities about how their programs are internally competitive — pitting students against each other.
“At MSU, everyone just wants to see each other succeed.”
