For students interested in studying business at the undergraduate level, Bentley should definitely be a school you look it. Bentley students graduate with a degree in business, but the focus of coursework goes beyond business. Students take half their courses in the business fields, and half of their courses in the liberal arts, with the idea being that business is in every area of the world, so graduates need to have both a strong grounding in business as well knowledge of other disciplines. There is an opportunity to do a liberal studies double major in one of eleven fields, thus theming your liberal arts studies in an certain area such as global perspectives or ethics and social responsibility, for example.
Bentley views technology as a crucial tool for tomorrow’s business leaders, and the focus on technology can be found all over campus. Students are not only given a laptop when they enter with all of the software they will need for any of the business majors, after two years they trade that laptop in for a new one, which they take with them when they graduate. The trading room at Bentley (full of Bloomberg terminals and other software) is the largest undergraduate trading room in the US, and there is a very popular investment club run by students. For those interested in marketing, the center for marketing technology is a great resource that is used by many area companies. This includes hands-on learning experiences such as focus groups and market research – many area companies come in to take advantage of the facilities and partner with professors and their students to conduct market research.
Being a business school, there is a strong focus on career services, and this starts from freshman year. There are two careers fairs on campus each year for both internships as well as full-time opportunities, and 98% of students complete at least one internship by graduation (65% do more than one). Bentley is 10 miles from Boston, so there is easy access to the city for a variety of internships.
The classrooms were also hooked up with technology for professors to take advantage of, and none of the classrooms seats more than 38 students (with an average class size of 20) so you know you won’t have massive lectures. The campus is very picturesque (lots of green common areas and new brick buildings), and the vibe seems to be one of students with a passion for business but who also enjoy living on a campus with a sense of community and a collaborative environment.
