There are two proven ways to approach this market:

1. Design a program to meet a training need of the military and attract students currently in the service. (See Case Study 1, below.)

2. Attract individuals who are leaving military service to your existing program. (See Case Study 2, below.)

Getting started requires considerable effort, so keep the following factors in mind:

• These individuals come from a culture quite different than the typical MBA candidate and will have different expectations.
• They may not have the GMAT® scores you are used to seeing.
• The cost of your program may be a deterrent until you educate them about its value.

Case Study 1: Program Designed to Attract Military Students

In 1952, Syracuse University developed a program in finance that responded to military financial management shortcomings during the WWII. The Army Comptrollership MBA Program was aimed at helping the military manage its finances despite significant swings in allocations during times of conflict and peace, as well as changing its practices to be more efficient and similar to business practices. To date 1,500 personnel have completed the program.

In 2002, the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse, working with the Assistant Secretary of the Army and Syracuse’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, developed a joint MBA/MA in Public Administration (MAPA) to replace the Comptrollership Program. The program provides essential tools of private and public sector business practices and the ability to analyze and develop public policy. Both skill sets are essential to U.S. Department of Defense efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its business management.

The result is integrated with the regular Syracuse MBA/MAPA program and attracts attendees from the military, Department of Defense civilian support, and outside contractors.

This strategy requires:

• The existence of personal relationships between school personnel and their Department of Defense counterparts
• A willingness to be flexible regarding coursework and its applicability to the subject, and
• A mixture of faculty that represents all participants.

This method may not be practical for every school—it requires substantial investments of time and effort with an uncertain outcome.

Case Study 2: Attracting Individuals Who Are Leaving the Service

The Olin School at Washington University in St. Louis began its effort after the success of one army officer who joined its MBA program after graduating from West Point and completing his tour of duty. He became a class leader and role model, and Olin convinced him to help recruit others with military experience.

The school used a mix of advertising, personal recruiting, website listings, and networking to attract military personnel to its program, but the most effective strategy was enlisting alumni to serve as recruiters of their military colleagues at SACC events and other recruitment efforts. This sent a clear message that The Olin School was willing to provide both financial and moral support to individuals separating from the military. The school also created a veterans’ association to provide mentors, plus a network of current students, alumni, and recruiters with military backgrounds.

The results: In six years, Olin has moved from having an occasional student from the military to attracting approximately 5% of its MBA students from military backgrounds, and the school expects to see further growth from this category.

This strategy is practical for many schools—they can immediately undertake the communications efforts and provide the support that attracts military personnel.