Analytical Rigor


You have probably noticed the successful emergence of many of the same businesses in virtually every large town. This is a fairly recent phenomenon and is attributable to rigorous business decision-making, based on careful analysis of information. Successful businesses can no longer grow by intuitive decision making alone.

Students at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business can expect to learn how to use the modern analytical tools that now drive business success. Analytical rigor is incorporated throughout the curriculum, including the use of modern management information technology, sophisticated financial and economic analysis and the deployment of contemporary financial instruments and strategies. It’s vital that our students develop mastery in communication and critical thinking skills. We call this focus “analytical rigor.”

Students who have earned a master’s degree in accounting must pass the nationally administered uniform CPA exam before they can be licensed as accountants. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) ranks universities across the country based on what percentage of graduate students pass all sections of the exam on their first try. In 2009 and 2010 our CPA exam candidates earned the Huntsman School of Business a top-ten national ranking.

In fall 2010, three Huntsman students were on a team that competed in the Finance International Case Competition hosted by Simon Fraser University. In the first round, teams from the United States and from as far away as Spain, Hong Kong and Singapore, were given a week to analyze a finance case and submit their reports to a panel of judges. The judges informed the Huntsman team that its submission was of the highest caliber and invited the team to Vancouver, Canada, for the final round of the competition.

The Huntsman School has just made a significant investment that will help our students refine their analytical skills. The Bloomberg Professional service, a desktop, real-time, massive data stream widely used by the largest financial services companies worldwide, is now available to students of the Huntsman School of Business. Students now have the opportunity differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive job market by learning to use the same system that is relied upon by leading professionals every day.

Those who know how to find the right data, analyze it correctly and communicate that information to decision makers will prove valuable additions to any leadership team. That’s why analytical rigor is central to what we teach inside and outside the classroom at the Huntsman School of Business. These refined skills give our students a competitive edge as they go out into a constantly changing global marketplace where leaders must have accurate information to make the kinds of effective, strategic decisions that will keep their companies ahead of the competition.

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