The 2014 MBA graduates are making 10.4 percent more than 
previous graduates.

“On average our previous graduates were making around $58,000 a year, but the 2014 graduates are making $7,000 more than past graduate averages,” said Gard Ward, director of career services at the Culverhouse College 
of Commerce.

Ward said he believes that is not just the work of the economy getting better but also has something to do with a particular 
UA worker.

“I believe Connie Chambers, our director for corporate partnerships, has really played a key part in not only finding but creating a lot of corporate relationships,” he said. “So now all of these different corporations know where to go to find 
quality students.”

Chambers, who has been working for the MBA program for 17 years, said she is very proud of 
the program.

“We have a real unique MBA program here at the University of Alabama,” Chambers said. “About 20 years ago we decided to design it towards strong students who may have not had any work experience. We have looked for leaders in organizations and students who had real focus, and it was different from a lot of MBA programs. After that we noticed many schools following in our steps and using that same guide to form their 
MBA programs.”

Currently the MBA program is in the process of opening applications again for new students.

“As soon as students are admitted into the 
program, which is a little before summer, they are assigned a summer assignment. That way when the first day of school comes they can be prepared for their professional careers,” 
Chambers said.

Ward and Chambers said they believe the MBA program does a fantastic job of preparing students for the workforce, and Ward said he believes their “personal touch” method has a lot to do with 
their success.

“Here at the college we have faculty dedicated to what we call personal touch. We make sure the students really get to know their professors and vice versa,” Ward said.

Jenni Johnston, a second year MBA student, said she agrees that their personal touch system has a lot to do with her success and job that she was offered for this upcoming fall.

“The MBA program as a whole has been great, the faculty is awesome because they really sit down with you and take the time to mentor you,” Johnston said. “My mentor was the reason I got the job at 
Georgia Pacific.”

Johnston said over the summer she completed an internship where she worked for Georgia Pacific’s corporate headquarters 
in Atlanta.

“My experience there was amazing and on the last day I was offered a job opportunity, and at the time I was the first in my graduating class to have a job offer,” she said.

With graduation approaching in May, Ward and many other professors have high hopes for this next 
graduating class.

“We are very optimistic that this upcoming class will not only make more money, but we hope that the 90 percent job placement goes up due to the amount of different recruiters that we have had come to our campus,” he said.