Amir Ziv (SAYS YES) is Vice Dean and Professor of Accounting and Samberg Faculty Director at Columbia Business School. Professor Ziv teaches Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting in MBA, Executive MBA, various Executive Education programs, and in Doctoral programs. He taught in Executive Development programs for, among others, Goldman Sachs, Philip Morris, Lafarge and Ziff Brothers. Professor Ziv has received various honors and awards. Most recently, he won the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 “Award for Excellence,” awarded by the graduating EMBA Global class — a joint program of London Business School and Columbia Business School.
In this interview, Amir talks about why he feels that business school is for everyone, how to stand out in the admissions process, how to make the most out of graduate school and more.
Do you believe that graduate school is for everyone? What types of professionals should avoid it and who should consider it?
I can only speak to business schools, but yes, I believe it can be for all professionals, regardless of their background or industry. An MBA isn’t like an MD, where you obtain a very specific skill set and knowledge base in order to enter a narrow, specialized field. An MBA is far more open-ended, and one can truly do anything afterward. The skills you gain, not only in multiple business areas (like economics, accounting, marketing, operations, management, and more), but also in the ability to analyze a problem and integrate different perspectives, are relevant to just about any career.
English: Addition to Uris Hall of Columbia University’s School of Business, designed by Peter L. Gluck (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Here at Columbia Business School, our students are incredibly diverse, both in terms of their personal and professional backgrounds and what they do after graduation. This mix of people and backgrounds really is the cornerstone of the Columbia experience, both in terms of the education our students receive and the lifelong, ever-evolving network they gain. The skills, networking power, and approaches to management gained by an MBA—at least, by a Columbia MBA—prepare all kinds of people for the next act in their professional lives.
How does an applicant stand out in your admissions process? What do you look for?
Columbia Business School looks for intellectually driven people from diverse educational, economic, social, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. Our students share a record of achievement, strong leadership, and the ability to work in teams. Although we receive literally thousands of applications, we feel strongly about giving each candidate full consideration and careful review. That being said, the applicants who stand out are those who can tell us about themselves and their goals in a straightforward, compelling manner.
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