The University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School was recently recognized on the Forbes list of the top 15 colleges in the nation for launching careers. For parents and incoming students, this national recognition confirms that Miami Herbert is not just a place for academic learning but a powerful engine for professional transformation, reaffirming its place among the world’s most distinguished business schools.
Mark Shapiro, professor of professional practice in business law and associate dean for undergraduate career advancement, has led the school’s career services transformation for more than a decade. He notes that the growth in resources has been transformative, with students successfully competing for positions far beyond local Florida markets.
Miami Herbert stands out by resetting student expectations as early as freshman orientation. Because high-stakes hiring cycles for Wall Street and Big Four accounting firms begin early, the school ensures students are ready to network and interview as early as their freshman year.
What makes the Miami Herbert approach distinctive is a dual-layered strategy that pairs mandatory curriculum with personalized support. This unique strategy is inherently AI-enabled, both in how students learn and in how they prepare for careers, while keeping trust, student privacy, and human agency at the core.
The “macro” approach: Every business student must complete a mandatory one-credit, 11-week course that serves as a modern toolkit for the 2026 job market. The class covers everything from building a high-impact resume to using critical thinking and authentic human abilities to impress an employer during an internship. It also helps students become “AI-fluent” by using AI to accelerate research, iteration, and preparation. It is designed to help build confidence for students in their job search, while providing bite-sized steps to pursue internships, even as early as their freshman year.
The “micro” approach: Because every student has different career goals and stresses of their job search, the school provides intensive personalized one-on-one coaching. This includes more than a dozen professional development advisors, peer mentors who provide mock interviews and resume feedback, alongside full-time career coaches dedicated solely to students who help them identify their skill sets and find their genuine areas of interest.
In an era when AI is disrupting entry-level roles, Miami Herbert teaches students to use AI as a partner, viewing AI as a “teammate” while doubling down on inherently human strengths. Shapiro emphasizes that “although it sounds counter-intuitive, technology actually increases the value of human intelligence skills like communication, critical thinking, and persuasion.”
“The human intelligence side of effectiveness at work is not going anywhere,” Shapiro said. “In a world of equal access to technology and AI, it actually puts a premium on human skills.”
The mindset shift is simple: from “tool use” to “teammate thinking.” AI can expand options and surface patterns, but students must make their reasoning visible and defend their decisions. This mindset also reflects a broader educational shift: experiential learning, designed for an AI-empowered workforce, where students practice decision-making under real constraints, with AI assisting analysis and humans owning accountability. One example is the “Miami Method,” a structured approach to complex problem-solving that integrates data, models, and AI, coupled with managerial judgment, treating AI as a trusted teammate, and neither as a simple tool and certainly not a decision maker.
“AI won’t replace our graduates,” said Paul A. Pavlou, dean of Miami Herbert. “But graduates who can’t lead with AI will be replaced. At Miami Herbert, we are not just preparing students for jobs. We are preparing them to redesign the future of work for the AI era.”
The Forbes recognition highlights the University of Miami’s national reach. Miami Herbert students regularly secure positions in the Northeast, Texas, California, and Illinois, a geographic span supported by alumni who remain connected to the school and continue championing it after graduation. That widespread network means students can almost always find Miami Herbert graduates to connect with, regardless of where they’re job searching.
The Forbes recognition ultimately underscores what sets Miami Herbert apart: treating career preparation not as a transactional placement process but as a transformative journey of self-awareness and confidence-building. From freshman orientation through graduation and beyond, Miami Herbert ensures every student finds their right path, not just their first job, but the foundation for lifelong career success.
