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Which school is better - Fox school of Temple University or Drexel Business school? I'm majoring in finance/accounting and since I'm a foreign student (not an international though) I don't really know much about either of them. So, I'll really appreciate some advise.

By David Hawsey on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 04:58 pm: Edit

Stella:

Hard to keep my own opinion out of this, but I'll share it anyway. Both my wife and I went through Drexel's College of Business, and I continued through the MBA and almost all of the Ph.D. program there as well.

The true differences, as far as I can tell:

1. Drexel is a national Research I university, offering degrees in BS, MS/MBA and Ph.d in most disciplines. It is a private University. Drexel's Co-operative Program (Co-Op) is a century-old foundation of Drexel's commitment to getting you ready for your first professional job. The student who takes advantage of Co-Op (and almost all do) see three six-month periods of employment. Pay ranges are dramatic, and differ by discipline, but I will share that in 1984, when I went on my last co-op job as a cost accountant (financial planning in an engineering firm), I was receiving $11 an hour. I also had two job offers before I ever graduated. My wife had similar experiences, and double-majored as you have indicated. She worked in bank market planning (NOT a teller!), was an account exec in an ad agency, an executive in a major software distribution corporation, and then hung it all up and become director of the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, where (surprisingly) her finance, accounting and marketing skills were essential.

Students alternate six months on, six months off campus for a total of five years. Their quarter system, which is a full 10 weeks (including finals!) with a very brief break in between seems brutally fast-paced. However, it mirrors the real world of less-time-than-in-college to analyze problems, gather data and present solutions.

Also, Drexel's alumni connections tend to be in the Fortune 500 and in entrepreneurial endeavors throughout the world.

Temple is also a major research university, although it is publically-supported. The student body is very different from Drexel, which is dominated by engineering and business majors who are less apt to be first-generation students than at Temple (1st generation means the student was the first to attend college -- parents did not). Program strengths are very good in business, but there is no cooperative educaiton program. A strong internship program at Temple, although very good, does not have the national reputation that Drexel does.

Finally, Drexel is in West Philadelphia, sitting right next to the University of Pennsylvania, and although in a city environment, is perceived to be a "safer" part of the city than where Temple University is located (North Philadelphia).

By TEMPLE~V~DREXEL on Friday, June 07, 2002 - 06:00 pm: Edit

Temple ranked 13th in the nation for their school of Biz, Drexel is still strong in this area but their top three majors are still Engineering, Photography, Hospitality Management.....Administration is BAD for both!~!