Leadership is one focus of graduate business programs on Stanford’s sunny campus. Students grapple with simulations of tough management cases, like having to lay off employees. Each simulation is filmed, too, so students can critique themselves and learn from each other. The GSB also hosts the The View From the Top seminar series, which brings in leaders of major corporations across the country to speak to students about effective management.

Students at GSB can earn an M.B.A. or a Ph.D. in seven areas. Seasoned managers can enroll in the Sloan Master’s Program and will earn an advanced management degree in 10 months. There are no part-time, online, or evening degree options offered. M.B.A. students can opt for joint or dual degree programs through Stanford’s Law School, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, School of Education, School of Humanities and Sciences, and School of Earth Sciences. For students who want to explore a subject without committing to a degree, there are more than 30 cross-school elective courses to choose from. There are also specialty programs, like the Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship, open to graduate business students.

When not studying, students can get involved in more than 70 organizations, which range from the studious Finance and Investment Club to the relaxed Wine Circle. There are also ongoing campus initiatives like the Center for Social Innovation and projects such as the Corporate Governance Research Program.

The business school is located on the eastern end of the Stanford campus, and GSB students may live nearby in university housing. Most on-campus residents are first year M.B.A. students who all live in the same housing complex. To get around campus and downtown Palo Alto, Calif., students can hop on the school’s free bus, called the Marguerite Shuttle. Notable alumni of the school include Richard Kovacevich, former chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo & Co.; John Donahoe, CEO of eBay; and Ellen Siminoff, founding executive of Yahoo!