University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business

The Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina landed at No. 47 in this year’s 2023 rankings – up one place from their place last year at No. 48 in our 2022 rankings. Across the three methodological categories, Darla Moore School had a fairly level score, placing No. 49 in Career Outcomes, No. 49 in Admissions, and No. 59 in Academic Experience. 

The B-School had an acceptance rate of 54.17% for the most recent incoming class – more selective than last year’s 57.61% for the incoming class, and an impressive average SAT score of 1294 for their most recent incoming group of students  – way up, over 40 points from the incoming students last year who score an average score of 1252.

On the employment front, the Moore School is holding steady. The B-School saw an impressive 92.33% of 2023 grads secure full-time employment within three months of graduation, down just a bit from last year’s outstanding 95.65% rate for the Class of 2022. As for internships, 65.15% of the Class of 2023 secured a business-focused internship before graduation which was down a bit from last year’s 69.79%.

STRONG CURRICULUM FOUNDATION 

The Moore School continues to garner national recognition for its highly competitive, small, elite program in International Business. The Moore School also offers eight academically demanding programs, a concentration in business analytics that attracts over 800 students annually, project-based coursework, experiential learning opportunities, and a wide array of study abroad options.

Moore undergraduates can choose from majors including Accounting, Economics, Finance, International Business, Management (with tracks in Human Resources and Entrepreneurship), Marketing, Operations & Supply Chain, Real Estate, and Risk Management & Insurance. Many students complement their first major with a second major in business and also enhance their degree with a concentration in Business Analytics.

Alumni view the Moore education relatively well, giving an 8.41 average rating in terms of the quality of teaching in business courses, and they gave an 8.27 average rating for faculty availability for informal discussions and mentoring outside of class. 

GLOBAL BUSINESS IS A FOCUS

On top of the core business classes, international business majors also take courses on globalization and business, international financial management, foreign market entry and growth, and more. All international business majors must complete a second business major — a very important choice because it’s this major where first jobs are typically landed.

Students can choose the Classic International Business program or one of the Cohort programs including the Chinese business track, European Business track, Global Business track, Middle East and North Africa business track, South American business track, or tracks in Eurasian Business or Global Business Innovation.

What really makes the international business program at the Moore School strong are the study abroad opportunities it offers. An overwhelming number of alumni we surveyed highlighted the lasting impact that study abroad had on both their personal and professional lives. 

“For my International Business degree, I was required to study abroad for a semester at a top business school somewhere in the world. I chose to study at Fudan University in Shanghai, China,” said another. “I’m very thankful that this abroad experience was required through my program, because, as someone who would like to work with China in the future, it is key for me to understand the Chinese from a business perspective, a cultural perspective, and a linguistic perspective. This experience gave me all three of those aspects.”

QUALITY PROJECT-BASED LEARNING 

Project-based learning is a huge component at the Moore School. Many class projects feature the valuable experience of working with a real business to solve a real problem. With project-based learning and real-world applications, Moore students enter the professional world with impressive experience and skill sets. 

“We were given the opportunity to work with and consult for a real business,” one alumni told us. “This helped exponentially in bringing what we had learned in the classroom to real-world practice. Being in consulting now, I was able to practice some of my skills and make determinations on what clients will react best to.”

Overall, the Moore School is a solid choice for anyone intent on pursuing an international business degree. However, the B-school also offers a quality education that ensures all students get the foundational business knowledge and practical experience they need to succeed. 

Alumni say: 

“Spending an entire marketing class developing a comprehensive marketing strategy for an existing business was an invaluable experience. Learning what a marketing position post-grad would entail was extremely helpful in determining what direction I wanted to take my marketing degree.”

“I was a part of the IBCE program which meant my cohort consisted of USC and CUHK students. We went on trips to mainland China to visit factories and different businesses. More generally, almost all of my classes had team-based projects including mock proposals for businesses.”

“Was a part of the Operations and Supply Chain Capstone Consulting experience where we were partnered with one of the Southeast’s largest hospital systems to do a logistics redesign of their med-surg/linen supply to three of their hospitals.”

“With both my B.S.B.A (Global Supply Chain Operations and Management, Business Economics, and French Minor) and my Master’s of International Business (Global Strategy and International Leadership) I had unique opportunities to engage with local professionals and large international companies that are local in South Carolina. The teachers, directors, and advisors were always willing and able to help, while also pushing us to meet our future goals.”

“I was selected from a group of 7 students from the business school to participate in the Marketing Scholars Program. As part of this experience, I worked with Lionsgate to develop a strategic marketing plan exploring expansion into a new area for the business. Having the opportunity to work hands-on with Lionsgate allowed me to practice what I had learned in the classroom and taught me the expectations that come working with real clients. As a result of the Scholars program, I was confidently prepared to take a role as a Marketing Specialist at a tech company post-graduation and I frequently look back on the learnings from that semester to guide me in my current job.”