Paul Gutterman Discusses Recruiting Students for Graduate Programs

On this week’s episode of Big Plan on Campus, Thomas is joined by Paul Gutterman, Director of the Masters of Business Taxation (MBT) Program at the University of Minnesota. In the episode, Thomas and Paul discuss how the process of recruiting graduate students has changed, how Paul and the MBT Program have adapted to meet those changes and what Paul thinks the future of MBA programs will look like.

To begin their conversation, Paul talks about his educational history from undergrad through law school and how he transitioned from working at a law firm to the field of education as a professor. After discussing his career, Thomas asks Paul about his role as Director of the MBT Program at the University of Minnesota and what types of characteristics they target in students applying for the program. Paul shares his insight on their targeting tactics and how their program has had a 100% employment rate the past few years due to high demands in the accounting and business tax job space.

Thomas and Paul then dive into the value-add of obtaining a master’s degree and what makes the MBT Program at the University of Minnesota stand out from similar programs at other institutions. Paul discusses what strategies the program has undergone to compete with other universities. He also talks about updating the format of the program by breaking down course material into smaller pieces to encourage those to apply who wouldn’t consider it before due to the cost and high level of commitment.

Thomas then asks Paul about what changes and trends he sees in the near future of the MBT program, including the switch from in-person programs to all online due to ease of access. For the rest of the episode, Paul emphasizes the irreplaceable skills learned in the program that will greatly prepare students for their careers and help them build their confidence, no matter how the learning environment has changed.

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