Graduate students at Appalachian State University had a new opportunity to engage with employers during the 2017-18 academic year.
The Walker College of Business hosted the first-ever Walker Graduate Career Fair on March 15, 2018, offering employers the opportunity to meet, interview and, in some cases, hire Appalachian's business graduate students on campus.
Career placement rates for the Walker College of Business are much higher than the national average, and administrators attribute the telling figures to a number of factors, including innovative programs like the graduate programs career fair, exceptional partnerships with industry and an engaged faculty.
The student participants were enrolled in either the Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics, Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management or Master of Science in Accounting programs. They sought full-time positions, internships, business practicums and/or capstone analytics projects.
Fifteen employing agencies attended the inaugural fair.
After the fair, participants attended an evening networking opportunity at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, which was sponsored by Ryder Logistics.
Approximately 175 students are earning master's degrees from the Walker College of Business, and most participated in the event, according to Kim Kirby, director of graduate student services. MBA program alumni were also invited to participate, she said.
On-campus interviews were held on March 16, with many students receiving job offers as a result of the process, Kirby said. She is hopeful that a 2019 event will be planned.
Graduate students at Appalachian's first-ever graduate career fair for business students
