GMAC®, Military MBA Partner to Support Officers Pursuing MBA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Graduate Management Admission Council^® (GMAC^®), an association of leading business schools, and Military MBA, a support network of education and career resources for military officers today announced a partnership that will improve access to valuable information and resources dedicated to military officers interested in getting a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

"Creating access to quality graduate business education is our mission. We are always seeking new and more effective ways to help people connect with the information they need about the MBA," said Susan Motz, vice president of client services at GMAC^®. "We are excited about this partnership and the opportunities to serve officers by helping them find an MBA program that meets their educational and professional needs."

Research shows that officers are very successful MBA students. They have strong leadership skills and experience, and on average, have more job offers with higher salaries upon graduation than other MBAs. Yet only a small percentage of officers choose to pursue the MBA degree. Research by Military MBA suggests this is due in part to officers' limited awareness of available resources, funding, and information that can help them pursue an MBA degree.

Recognizing that the qualifications of these officers would make them attractive applicants to business schools and that there appears to be high demand for officers with MBAs among corporate recruiters, GMAC^® and Military MBA will engage in a number of activities to increase the availability and awareness of resources to help officers make better-informed decisions concerning the MBA and fully understand its effect on their careers.

Many officers are reporting a tremendous career advantage with the MBA. "The MBA opened many doors for me," said John Frederick, an assistant vice president for Wachovia^® Bank. "And when it came to competing against other MBAs for the same position, my military service helped me close the deal. It provided the quantifiable real-world experience and leadership qualities companies were looking for, which gave me a leg up on everyone else."

Through the partnership with Military MBA, the Graduate Management Admission Council^® hopes to better inform military personnel about the value of the MBA and raise awareness of its importance for career advancement. Officers will be able to access important resources through www.militarymba.net including market research, data on the value of an MBA degree, information on MBA programs and b-schools, discussion forums, peer profiles, and the steps to acquire an MBA.

GMAC^® and Military MBA have also just released an MBA Planner for Military Officers, which is available here.

About Military MBA
Military MBA is an education and employment network for military officers who are interested in obtaining and applying their MBA graduate degree. The network provides field support, resources and specific data for officers who wish to advance their career. More information is available by visiting www.militarymba.net or by calling 435.649.2190.

About Graduate Management Admission Council^®
The Graduate Management Admission Council^® is a not-for-profit association of leading graduate business schools worldwide, dedicated to creating access to and disseminating information about graduate business and management education. The organization sponsors the Graduate Management Admission Test^® (GMAT^®) which is used by more than 1,500 business schools and administered more than 200,000 times each year.

More information about the MBA degree and the GMAT^® test is available at www.mba.com.

More information about GMAC^® is available at www.gmac.com.

GMAC^®, GMAT^®, Graduate Management Admission Council^®, and Graduate Management Admission Test^® are registered trademarks of the Graduate Management Admission Council^® (GMAC^®).

Wachovia^® is a registered trademark of Wachovia Bank & Trust Company.