That's a big difference. One reason for the drop in average age is the number of students who earn their undergraduate degree and go straight to graduate school. I think that's changed in the last 20 years. While an M.B.A. could get you ahead then, now it's almost a prerequisite. The experience they can get working at the National Technology Transfer Center, the Center for Educational Technologies and various administrative offices on campus goes hand in hand with the drop in average age.
Graduates praise the program's special features.
Inc. Mike Sengewalt, '85, senior vice-president and chief financial officer at Fairmont General, agrees. I'd been out of school for awhile, and I think that really helped. You learn a lot when people share their experiences. Originally, the program was designed especially for working people who wanted to enhance their professional development through graduate level business administration classes. David Cale, '86, appreciated the evening classes.