Professional MBA

  • Career Development


    • We know you're making a major investment when you commit to earning your MBA. We believe it's our business to help you get the most out of your experience. From the moment of your acceptance through your life as an alum, SMU Cox is committed to enriching your career path and creating meaningful connections and opportunities for you.

  • Career Management Center

    From the moment your program begins, you’ll collaborate with our team in the Career Management Center. Our students benefit from career coaching, grow their reach when searching for a job and participate in unique career treks. Our mission is to make sure you achieve your professional goals, during and after your MBA studies.

    The CMC's partnerships with top employers both inform their advice, and provide you vital connections. They can assist you with:

    • Insightful career mapping and planning
    • Dynamic resume building
    • Challenging interview prep and mock interviews
    • Salary negotiation strategy and more
    • Dedicated career counselor/coach with one-on-one coaching tailored to meet your needs

    Explore the CMC

  • PMBA Graduate ROI

    Median salary increase


    40%

    PMBA students utilize CMC tools to grow their career


    93%

    Average time span to recoup PMBA investment


    36-42 months


    2/3 received promotion, 1/3 pivoted to new function
    This data represents PMBA Aug '20, Dec '20 and May '21 graduating classes. Salary increase and promotion stats showcase results within 4 months of graduation. Students who received merit-based scholarships and/or corporate tuition benefits expect an even shorter recuperation period.

  • Representative Hiring Companies & Partners


    Expand your professional network and gain access to hundreds of corporate partners and hiring companies. The Career Management Center collaborates with top employers to both inform their coaching preparation and advice. Our employers and corporate partners contribute to the strength and success of the Cox community, and provide you with vital connections to advance your career.

  • Highlight: The Cox Mentorship Academy

    The Cox Mentorship Academy is a unique component of the support system that you'll find at SMU Cox. The program pairs you with a high-ranking business executive in your field for one-on-ones that give you a deep personal connection to Dallas's global 500 business community, as well as invaluable career insights and advice. With a roster of executive mentors representing national and global corporations and entrepreneurial ventures from every major industry, the Cox Mentorship Academy is a hallmark of our commitment to your success.

  • Heart of Dallas

    Home to 24 Fortune 500 and 42 Fortune 1,000 headquarters, with more moving in each year, our region offers our students access to diverse and vibrant industries. Consistently ranked as the best big city for jobs, and the number one city for job growth, Dallas also offers an affordable quality of life for a major metro market.

     

After Cox: Alumni Success Stories

  • Lauren Harner, PMBA 2016

    Manager, Commercial Analytics and Renewables Analysis

    Two years into her job as mechanical engineer at Halliburton, Lauren Harner decided it was time to enhance her business skills. She wanted to leverage her experience as a product development lead at Halliburton to become a strategic consultant in the oil and gas industry. Lauren immediately started applying what she was learning at SMU Cox , and leveraged that knowledge to take make a career move.  Working with her Cox career advisor, Lauren negotiated the opportunity to pilot a leadership development program with Holly Frontier Corporation.

  • Dane Karras, PMBA 2016

    Vice President of Engineering at Accelerate Resources

    Dane Karras had come back from a role in Alaska as a drilling engineer when, after six years of on-site work, he decided to focus on the business side of the oil and gas industry. He enrolled in the PMBA program at SMU Cox and steered his academic career while he worked as a senior engineer in his company's business development arm. Less than a year after graduating, Dane made the move to Vice President of Engineering at Accelerate Resources.

  • Bruce Rideaux, PMBA 2012

    Director at PFM Financial Advisors

    Grit and heart — they're at the core of the SMU Cox experience. For Bruce Rideaux, the grit was what he discovered in himself when he was diagnosed with early stage cancer as he was preparing for finals while managing a full-time career as an investment banker. The heart was what he experienced at Cox. It was the support system that buoyed him as he underwent treatment, aced the finals and graduated with his class.

Next Steps

Have a question? Join us for an upcoming event to learn more about our MBA programs.