“Candidates should have academic preparation equivalent to that of entering PhD students, and should be fully prepared to participate in PhD classes and to complete a substantial research project.”
Our fall 2010 class, 7 students, is our first group of MS students. I do not have statistics on applicants’ backgrounds but the applicant pool was similar to that of our doctoral applicants. Quantitative scores were 90+ percentile and the majority came to us direct from their undergraduate or Masters program. Most do not have work experience, nor it is required for the MS in Marketing. Our MS in Marketing Program is geared toward people who would like to build expertise and sharpen their analytical skills in any one of three areas: Innovation, Market Research, or Branding/communication.
All of the information on the three tracks of study are outlined online: http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/phd/ms/academics/degree#corecourses
The final deadline for all MS Program applications is April 1, 2011. Our online application is now up and running.
Thank you for your interest in Columbia Business School.