University of Miami (FL) MBA: The Rundown

I've found this site to be incredibly helpful but noticed there is limited information out there on the MBA programs outside of the top 25, so I thought I would put something together for UM's FT MBA program. Hopefully this will be helpful for anyone considering coming here.

Application/Interview:

The application is very simple and it's free. Took less than 30 mins to submit. The interview was about an hour long over Skype and I had a decision within 24 hours.

Students:

The program only has about 70 students per year. Pretty wide distribution in the age range but I'd say the median is probably about 26-27. A pretty large number of Latin Americans that worked in their family's business and plan to go back to doing so afterwards (not all that surprising...it is Miami after all). Finance is among the most popular concentrations here but it is mostly career switchers - I haven't run into many people with pre-MBA finance experience.

Area:

The campus looks like a resort. It's about 15-20 mins south of downtown Miami in Coral Gables. The traffic is awful so if you can find a place near a train station, you'll save yourself a ton of time and aggravation. You can get an unlimited student pass for $55/month. Ubers are very cheap in Miami as well because you rarely travel more than 5 miles to get anywhere (even though it may take 45 mins). Unfortunately, living at the beach is out of the question unless you leave the house at 7am and don't go home until 7pm or like sitting in hours of traffic. You'll have a hard time finding a 1br near anything for less than $1800/month. Maybe if you head out into the suburbs, but you're going to need to be fluent in Spanish to live out there.

Social:

You can absolutely get by without speaking Spanish in any of the areas along the coast, but you should know that it can be very difficult to meet people here if you're not from Miami or South America. People tend to keep to themselves, so the school is the best place to make friends. There's also local sports leagues you can join in the area for football, basketball, volleyball, etc. There's a ton of transplants that sign up for them and it's a good way to make some friends outside of the program.

Recruiting/Career Options:

Since this is what most of you really care about, I'll go into more detail...

Real Estate:

There is a ton of real estate activity in Miami and plenty of opportunities to along with it. The school offers real estate as a concentration as well as a master's in real estate. You'll find on-campus recruiting for pretty much all aspects - development, property management, PE, etc. The school also has connections in NYC, and takes a group of students on a networking trip to NYC each year.

PWM:

Several UM MBAs go into PWM at BBs each year. To work in the Miami office you'll likely need Spanish/Portuguese, although I've heard of some people doing internships here and then taking full-time positions in NYC. If you're interested in PWM, you'll have a legitimate shot at all of the top banks.

corporate finance:

A lot of companies have their LATAM headquarters in Miami. There are a bunch of solid companies that recruit at UM, but the pay in South Florida is pretty low considering the high cost of living. Your best bet for these types of opportunities are to go to the national career fairs.

Investment Banking:

Almost non-existent in Miami. There are a few boutiques to intern at, but not many of these turn into FT offers. There's shops in Ft. Lauderdale, Boca & West Palm that recruit for FT roles but it's need-based, so no guarantees the timing will work out.

PE/HF:

Surprising number of shops in the area. Apparently a lot of guys from NYC head down here for the tax breaks and weather. Some opportunities pop up every once in a while, although it's pretty much for entry-level work. Could be a good way to get your foot in the door, but the investment positions are almost entirely lateral hires from well-known banks.

While the amount of on-campus recruiting is limited, I've felt like the small program size has actually been helpful in networking and at the career fairs. There's just not that many of us, so if you are able to track down an alum at a target company (especially outside of Florida), it's almost guaranteed that you are the only UM MBA trying to reach out to them. At the national career fairs, it's very much the same. Recruiters love pointing out how nice it must be to live in Miami and tell you about the last time they were there for vacation. It's an easy way to make a quick connection.

Hopefully some of you will find this helpful. Feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions.