UNR College of Business? and general ?'s about Reno (Carson City: ski resort, real estate market)

[vegaspilgrim]

Is anybody on this message board an alumni of UNR-- and specifically their College of Business? I am thinking about applying to their MS in Finance program, and am wondering what the reputation of this program and/or the business school in general is like? Where do students after graduating seek employment? Are there plenty of job opportunities in Reno, or do they go elsewhere?

I have a feeling that I might really like Reno. I'm a really outdoorsy kind of person, but I like to have some fun at night too. I'm in my early 20s, btw. I would love to be able to go hiking and skiing around Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada anytime I feel like it. Right now I'm living in Phoenix, which is so hot, it's miserable. I really miss snow and cold weather. I'm originally from Denver, and I kind of picture Reno as being like Denver in terms of weather. Is that accurate? Obviously, Reno is WAY smaller than either Denver or Phoenix, but that's okay with me. Am I looking in the right place?

[thimesnv]

Hi vegaspilgrim,

I am currently an IS major in the College of Business at UNR nearing my bachelor's degree. I would recommend this school to serious students, as it can be challenging. I have moved around a lot since high school and have attended 6 different universities in OH, TX, and MD. In my experience UNR has the toughest, and best C. of Biz. A lot of students unfortunately move away after graduation, since just like vegas, most jobs don't require a degree. However, Reno has seen gaming revenues drop in recent years, and is trying to attract a more diverse economy of companies. Nevada doesn't have an inventory tax, so many companies have regional warehouses here. Some companies you might be interested in are Intuit, Wells Fargo, B of A, and Harley Davidson Financial (in Carson City).

The area is very accessible to the outdoors, as there are numerous hiking & biking routes within the city limits and/or county area, and even a whitewater course through downtown on the Truckee River. Lake Tahoe is 1 hour driving distance away, longer during snowy conditions. It has world class ski/snowboard resorts for winter and watersports available in summer. I own a season pass at Heavenly Ski Resort at the lake, which is only $350/year.

Carson City is 30 minutes away, and may be more of a prime location for employment for someone with a Master's degree, being our capitol city. It is much more quiet of a town than Reno, making it better to raise a family. Reno isn't too dangerous, as it averages only 10-15 murders per year or about 1 per month. The area politics is an interesting mix, as you'll generally find a conservative-leaning, business friendly poplulation, with a hint of Libertarian independent rebelliousness. However, with the influx of Californians in the last decade, more liberal concerns like public education & health care reform, have become hot topics & main priorities for the state government. Also, the nearby treasures of Lake Tahoe and surrounding National Forests give the locals a "Green" shade of color as most of us consider ourselves stewards of the beautiful environment bestowed upon us.

Reno's climate is very similar to Denver, with a lower elevation around 4500ft. Reno's "Biggest Little City in the World" slogan is very true of its personality. The size of about 250K people, makes it both big and little in the best ways. If you get to fed up with the traffic, which isn't bad at all, you can head to remote areas within minutes. If you feel the need for some big city life, Sacramento is 2 hours away, and San Fran is 3.5. Reno does have a nightlife as it is a 24-hour city with all the casinos, and even weeknights can be fun, since that's when the service industry personnel have their nights off.

I am planning on staying in the area permanently, as I find it an all around great place, with few negatives. One final positive is the lack of a state income tax, compared to neighbor California that has one at 6%, so you get to keep more of your paycheck.

[vegaspilgrim]

Thanks a lot thimesnv, for responding to my post! I had almost given up on getting an answer. I understand that for small cities there are very few people on the city-data forums. I'm not totally sure if I'd want to live in Reno after I graduate... but then again, who knows? If I ended up loving it there and happened to find the right job, maybe I'd consider staying. I've been through Reno several times, on the way to Lake Tahoe, so I've seen the downtown but that's about it. I've never seen the university. I consider myself a moderate "libertarian"-leaning conservative, so I think I'd fit right in politically.

Here's a few more questions: is Reno turning into a giant retirement community? Is it a place young people are flocking to? What about affordability? I've seen some of the lists of the most expensive real estate markets in the US and Reno surprisingly is pretty high up there. How does apartment rent compare to large cities? Also... can you see snow capped peaks from Reno itself, like in Denver or Salt Lake?

[bigdave01]

The University of Nevada campus is absolutely beautiful.

Here are some pics of the university taken by slapdad of slide.com:














I don't think Reno is turning into a giant retirement community. According to City-data the median age is 34.5, which is lower than the Nevada average. I think of Carson City as the retirement community.

I'm not sure about rent, but it is much cheaper than California. I would guess a 1 bedroom apartment starts at 5-700 a month.

Here are some snow capped peaks, the area is beautiful in the winter:
http://www.saintmarysreno.com/nursing/img_nurse/Reno_Skyline.jpg (broken link)

[sondra_finchley]

I graduated in 2002 with a masters in econ and had to leave the area to find decent employment. I dont know about the finance side of things, but I know the logistics and accounting departments are considered the "top" programs in the CoB. From my group of friends that graduated with an econ masters in 2002 this is what happened to all of us:

1) I stuck around Reno for a while doing things for the BBER and SBDC, took some more classes in applied econ. Eventually got tired of lack of decent pay/advancement opportunities, the area, and the people. Moved back to the Midwest to be closer to family and am now working as an international business development analyst for a resort company.

2) S interned with some finance firm in Truckee ( big skier). He had gone to a well-known eastern business school for undergrad. As far as I know he is still there.

3) D was a dope- he worked for the TSA in Minneapolis and I guess hes in Vegas now doing the same thing.

4) B went on to PhD at U of Utah and is doing high-end analyses for an insurance firm now.

5) A moved from Reno to KC, to Memphis, to Minneapolis to Atlanta working for various airlines as a business analyst.

As with any program you get out of it what you put into it. I wanted to leave for more opportunities so I did, but Ive been able to hold my own against the folks out here with the Big10 degrees. As for staying in Reno- with finance you should be ok, but it depends on what you want in life and if its available in Reno.

[phatcar]

I currently live in Phoenix myself, yes it's hot and miserable especially this past summer. I'm from Reno and you'll love, you've seen some of what it has to offer. You will love the 4 seasons, I miss them. And if you want more snow just go to Tahoe its about an hour away. And you can always go to Cali, sac is only 2 hours away. I'm a UNR alumni myself but not in business.... You will love the campus, it's great! I moved away to have more job opportunities I did not find anything after graduation. But from what I hear and see Reno is growing in the 2 years that I have been away. And if nightlife is what you want they have it, none of this last call biz like AZ. Last call...what's that? LOL

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by sondra_finchley

As with any program you get out of it what you put into it. I wanted to leave for more opportunities so I did, but Ive been able to hold my own against the folks out here with the Big10 degrees. As for staying in Reno- with finance you should be ok, but it depends on what you want in life and if its available in Reno.

Thanks for your helpful response, Sondra! What you're saying confirms my suspicions-- Reno doesn't seem to be exactly bursting with opportunity for recent business school grads. After thinking this out, I probably won't be going to UNR. However, if a really good job opportunity came up in Reno I would take a serious look at the town. I love Reno's location- nobody has to sell me on that. I'm just not sure if it's worth going out of my way to live there as of this point in my life.

[Murphles]

My husband is a UNR MBA in logisitics. He had a great education and held his own at companies where he was the only non-Ivy MBA. He has worked around the world for major corporations and top ten consulting firms. He started his own international business which he is planning on moving back to Reno for the advantages. Waiting for the kids to finish school and myself to find a position. Looking forward to the move.