The Unique Benefits of Studying for a MiM in Texas

Texas is home to a number of America’s top business schools, including Mays Business School at Texas A&M University and Rice University’s Jones Graduate School Of Business. These academic institutions offer a number of different business masters programs in a wide variety of academic disciplines, from management to accounting, business analytics and finance.

Texas offers unique benefits to business masters students, says Lisa Shatz, assistant dean at Jindal School Of Management of the University of Texas at Dallas. She points to the strong graduate career prospects in the state as just one example.

Texas is currently the number one state for company relocation from other states; according to the Texas Relocation Report of 2021, more than 500,000 people relocated to Texas in 2019.

“Companies move here because there is no corporate tax or personal income tax, but there is a highly skilled workforce, and individuals move here because job opportunities are plentiful, and the cost of living is low,” says Shatz.

“Students benefit from this in more than the obvious way — jobs,” she says. “As they study, there are numerous large companies that offer mentors, company visits, projects, competitions, class speakers, and more. Just in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex alone, there are more than 10,000 corporate headquarters — more than 20 in the Fortune 500.”

In Texas, post-MiM jobs are plentiful

In the large cities, job opportunities are plentiful. “With so many corporations and representation in almost every industry, there are plenty of jobs,” Shatz says. “Our international students did just as well as our domestic students for both placement and salaries. International students often have the technical skills that companies urgently seek, and are willing to sponsor for [visas].”

When it comes to living in the state, she says there are also numerous lifestyle perks that may be attractive to prospective students of management. “There is a little of everything. Our cities are all booming – Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. The cities have sports, theatre, great restaurants and live music pretty much any night of the week,” Shatz says.

It's not all hustle and bustle, however. “If that gets too much for you, there are also small towns, lakes and rivers that are quiet and slower,” she adds. “Anywhere you go, one theme is consistent and that is the friendliness of the Texas people.”

Stephen Sweeney, assistant dean of admission for MS programs at Southern Methodist University’s (SMU) Cox School Of Business, agrees that Texas is a wonderful place to be a student. “In addition to the great food, strong music scene, and fantastic weather, companies big and small continue to relocate to Texas,” he says. “The cost of living is significantly less expensive than other parts of the US as well.”

Dallas is also booming, he points out. “The metro area has been named the number one fastest-growing city in the US and the number one metro area for jobs — both with the area’s dozens of Fortune 500 firms and in the burgeoning start-up scene,” says Sweeney.

“Students at the Cox School of Business and across the SMU campus have the best of both worlds – a beautiful residential campus and quick access to downtown Dallas.”

A great place for outdoor types

Beyond the professional opportunities, Texas is also a great place for the outdoor types. “We have beautiful lakes with hiking and bike trails within Dallas and Dallas County and across North Texas and the rest of the state,” Sweeney says. “Whether you are a young professional or a seasoned executive, Dallas has so much to offer. It is such a diverse city that continues to grow day after day.”

The job prospects are also quite strong, and business schools in Texas, like elsewhere, offer career support to business masters students. “Once students graduate, they can still utilize career management resources as alumni,” says Sweeney. “As long as a student puts in the preparation work and has clear goals and expectations, job opportunities should be available to them.”

Many programs in the state are STEM-certified as well, opening up additional years of work possibilities in the US for overseas students on a student visa. “There is so much upside to studying in Texas since we are such a business friendly state where people want to live,” Sweeney adds.

“Companies will continue to move here because the cost of doing business is less than in many other states and because their employees want to live in Texas and experience everything that the state has to offer.”

The only one real downside to Texas is that the summers are hot, says Shatz. “So, make sure to bring your bathing suit and sunblock. Luckily, there are pools everywhere!”