The Tuck School was established in 1990 and was first graduate school of management. At the turn of the 20th century, the plan to establish a school of business with the status of a graduate department was bold and unorthodox. The foresight and wisdom of this action, however, have been amply verified by the growth in graduate management education over the past century. Today, descendants of the basic model pioneered by the Tuck School of Business can be found in most of the great university in the country and around the world.

Could you give our readers some information on your MBA program?

In preparing global business leaders, the Tuck School of Business takes an innovative and highly focused approach to general management education. Drawing on the tradition of academic excellence at Dartmouth College and the Ivy League, we have been at the forefront of business education since opening our doors in 1900 as the first graduate school of management. 

- Tuck's focus is on providing the best MBA education; small size, residential approach, and unique setting create an extraordinary learning environment that reinforces both leadership and teamwork. 

- A Tuck MBA opens doors and prepares students for a successful professional career in financial services, marketing, consulting, corporate management or the nonprofit sector. As our alumni can tell you, pursuing an MBA at Tuck is a wise investment in yourself and in your future.

Who are the participants to your MBA program?

Tuck MBA students come from a wide range of backgrounds and industries. 100 percent have full-time work experience, with an average of five years in the workforce before coming to Tuck. Tuck students also bring an international perspective to their education and work experience. More than 30 percent of the student body is of non-U.S. origin, representing more than 24 countries.

How is the program structured?

The Tuck curriculum builds a foundation of traditional MBA skills. Beyond this foundation, students can choose from a wide variety of elective courses to tailor their learning to particular fields or industries. 

- Tuck's first-year curriculum balances core courses in essential management disciplines and functional areas with the chance to pursue areas of special interest. The Tuck Leadership Forum is a cross-disciplinary course that develops first-year students general management skills through projects, speakers and coursework. 

- The second-year curriculum is fully elective and includes opportunities for independent study, giving you the freedom to choose according to your interests and career goals. You can select from a wide range of elective courses.

What is different about your program and your school's approach to business education?

Tuck is and will remain distinctive among the world's great business schools by combining human scale with global reach, thought leadership with great teaching, rigorous coursework with experiences requiring teamwork, and valued traditions with innovation. Most importantly, Tuck will continue to focus on each student's lifelong success as a principled leader of business and society. 

- Unlike most of our competitors, Tuck offers only one degree--the full-time MBA--and a select array of executive education programs. This focus and our small scale enable us to adapt and innovate, and to create a unique learning community. The positive experiences Tuck students enjoy during the MBA program foster lifelong ties with the school. One measure of alumni satisfaction is the 63 percent giving rate-by far the highest percentage of participation among graduates of top business schools.

What type of firms employ your graduates?

Students take full advantage of their time at Tuck to explore different career options, with 75 percent taking on new careers after Tuck. Although some students enter the more traditional MBA fields of consulting, finance, marketing, and general management, others pursue opportunities in industries ranging from private equity and venture-backed technology startups, to nonprofits, to biotech and alternative energy.

What advice do you have for MBA students?

First and foremost, use the time in the MBA program to develop your leadership skills. At Tuck, as in all top programs, the courses focus on the fundamental theories, principles, concepts and models in business as well as analytical methods and techniques. The skills needed for practical, creative, balanced, and inspirational leadership will be developed at the same time in and outside of the classroom. You will need to master a great deal of material and you should reflect on your progress as a leader, for which you will need feedback, not merely in the form of course grades, but also by soliciting counselling and advice from your student colleagues. Earning the MBA degree is not enough; you must also continuously work to improve your leadership traits and skills.