McCombs recognizes the value military veterans bring to our campus. Our community is one of support, collaboration, and dedication to prepare you for career success, which is why the Texas MBA is consistently a top-ranked program for military MBAs.
Transitioning from military life to civilian life can be challenging. An MBA degree can be a great resource for veterans to enhance their business skills and transition into a civilian role in the business community.
We Invite You to Learn More at the Texas MBA Military Forum!
The Texas MBA Military Forum offers future military MBAs the opportunity to meet many of the former military members currently enrolled in the Texas MBA Program, meet our top-rated faculty, and network with Texas MBA military alumni. Through this event, you’ll learn how to successfully transition from your military career to a top MBA program, as well as discover all of the resources available to you at The University of Texas at Austin.
Registration for this event has passed. Our next Military Forum will be in the fall of 2018.
The McCombs School of Business and The University of Texas at Austin offer many resources to aid in the transition into civilian life and returning to school full-time to earn your MBA. See below for some of resources available to vets enrolled at McCombs.
Texas Veterans in Business
As the primary MBA student organization for military veterans in the program, the AFAA is a great way to get connected and involved in our community. The organization focuses on drawing parallels between the principles learned in the military and the skills required to be successful in business. Learn more on the Texas Veterans in Business website.
Student Veterans Association
The Student Veterans Association at The University of Texas at Austin works to serve the needs of students with prior or current military association, their families, and dependents. The organization aims to develop and implement support activities to better assess, promote, and represent the interests of this population within the University community.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
All veterans are eligible to receive our merit-based admissions scholarships and are automatically considered for these upon applying to the Texas MBA Program. Veterans will also automatically receive a waiver for the application fee upon submitting their application to the program, plus may be eligible for other benefits.
The UT Austin Office of Student Veteran Services is available to help MBA veterans navigate the federal and state education benefits they are eligible for as well as connecting them with additional grants and scholarships available to them. Student Veterans Services also offers academic support, health care and wellness services and helps foster a community among veterans across the UT Austin campus. Check out their website for more information.
Career Support
No matter where you interests lie, the Texas MBA Career Management staff offers endless resources for helping you discover your strengths and relevant transferable skills that will make you stand out during the recruitment process post-MBA. While our military veterans go into a broad range of industries and functions, some of the most popular are operations, investment banking and consulting.
Military MBA Spotlight
We have military students hailing from all branches of service and are honored to welcome new veterans to our classes each year.
Nick Sattler, Texas MBA Class of 2017
Did you encounter any challenges when entering the “civilian life” again?
My concern was that I thought I was making a huge transition that my classmates outside the military would not understand. But in a full-time MBA program, regardless of school, all of your classmates are making huge transitions at the same time. Once I realized that I was not alone in such a life change, as a veteran or otherwise, my civilian life began to take hold and my belief that I made the right decision was cemented.
What is your favorite part about the Texas MBA Program?
My ability to define my own path. At McCombs there is no definition of success to which we must subscribe. Instead, McCombs fosters a culture of success that is focused on each of us as individuals. Here, you are not prepared for a specific post-MBA role. Instead, McCombs establishes you as a leader- no matter where you want to go. If you know what you want to do, the Texas MBA will be able to get you there.
Do you feel your military background has given you a leg-up in a particular aspect of the program?
The leadership opportunities and breadth of experiences we had available as young professionals are unmatched in the private sector. As a result, my military experience coupled with dedicated mentors developed in me the knowledge for how to 1) see the big picture, 2) define objectives, and 3) present arguments and ideas convincingly. These are the elemental skills for future success.
How would you describe the Veteran support available at UT Austin?
Outstanding, pure and simple. I was concerned about the idea of two bureaucracies – a state university and the VA – working together. But I could not be more impressed with the efficiencies and access we have as vets at UT.
What would you say have been your biggest struggles in the program and how has McCombs helped support you in overcoming these challenges?
The biggest challenge was getting out of my own way. I discounted my ability to contribute to the MBA community because I did not have what I thought was a “typical” background. I was worried about being able to translate my experience into stories my peers and recruiters would understand. But quickly, I began to shed these ideas and build confidence in myself. McCombs is a community of wildly successful people from diverse backgrounds all going on to successful futures on equally diverse paths. That is incredibly motivating. I am honored to be here.
Doug Nash, Texas MBA Class of 2017
Did you encounter any challenges when entering the “civilian life” again?
My biggest challenge was in understanding the organizational, work/life, cultural and growth considerations that surround every unique industry or function. Where we come from, there is usually an organized method of communicating these considerations (say, before choosing a military occupational specialty, or an aircraft platform), but in the civilian world the onus of research is much more on you.
What is your favorite part about the Texas MBA Program?
My favorite part is hands down the relationships. I certainly enjoy the academic challenges and education that have taken me very far to date, but nothing beats walking in to the Carpenter Center and being met with a room of smiles and warm greetings
Do you feel your military background has given you a leg-up in a particular aspect of the program?
I expected my work ethic and mental endurance to be substantially stronger than my classmates’, but I was quickly proven wrong. These are some of the smartest, hardest working, and most ambitious individuals I have ever met. What actually turned out to be among my greatest strengths is an ability to organize within a group, boil problems down to solvable parts quickly, and task organize to execute the solution.
How would you describe the Veteran support available at UT Austin?
The Student Veteran Services office is incredible. The only thing that makes me feel bad for veteran students is that more don’t take advantage of this amazing resource… they are benefits experts, and present excellent access to network and camaraderie that spans across campus.
What would you say have been your biggest struggles in the program and how has McCombs helped support you in overcoming these challenges?
There are obvious challenges in beginning to develop business framework thinking, working through hard finance skills, statistics, etc… in addition to the fact that it’s tempting to try and draw parallels for everything back to your military experience. I challenge first year vets to get active in fellows programs, clubs, industry projects and social groups they otherwise wouldn’t in order to immediately begin to apply those frameworks and start developing experience and friendship bases outside of the uniform.
We thank you for your service and hope you’ll come visit us in Austin to learn more about our nationally-ranked MBA programs. Hook ‘Em!
