The common image associated with the board room has traditionally included 12 white men behind tightly closed doors. Now, a group of MBA students and graduates are working to change this picture. Today, the UW Business School will host "Diversify: Minority Perspectives on the Value of a Graduate Business Degree (MBA)."

The format will be an interactive, informational session hosted by minority students and alumni of the school.

Prospective MBA students will have an opportunity to talk with admissions officers, current students and recent graduates during a one-on-one networking session followed by an hour-long panel discussion.

Elise Horner, a recent MBA graduate now working as an analyst for a business consulting firm, knows firsthand the importance of being able to communicate with a wide variety of people.

"Diversity in the classroom really prepares you well for those types of experiences," Horner said. "It's sort of like a practice ground for real life. ... It gives you the skills and the tools necessary to be able to communicate well."

According to the MBA program's admission statistics, the class of 2007 includes individuals from 17 countries and 12 states. More than 49 percent of students come from outside the United States.

Vanessa Brewster, an MBA student and event organizer, said that "diversity" not only refers to different ethnicities, but also includes aspects like previous work backgrounds, life experiences, socio-economic backgrounds and sexual orientations.

"Literally any type of diversity you can think of is crucial to the learning environment," she said. "It basically is about filling in all the blind spots."

Though Caucasians account for 62 percent of the MBA program's student body, the program accepts applicants with a wide array of educational and professional backgrounds.

In addition to those with prior business training, students with experience working in nonprofit, biotech, retail, engineering, technology and other professional fields can be found within the program.

"It's a big misconception of the Business School in general," Brewster said. "Actually, only 25 percent of people in the [MBA program] have a business undergrad."

Though the nationally ranked UW MBA program maintains highly competitive admissions standards, the advantages of a graduate business degree are numerous. Nearly 96 percent of graduates are employed within three months of graduation and earn an average of more than $85,000 a year.

In addition to providing more flexibility across professions, an MBA can expand on previously acquired skills.

"It's good for career changers, and it's good for people who want to jumpstart their career," Horner said.

"I walked away from the program knowing so much more about economics, finance and accounting than I had at the undergraduate level," she said. "It really makes a difference when you're working because you have a deeper level of knowledge."

For Horner, who now develops marketing strategies for Microsoft, the UW MBA experience was beneficial.

"It's such a great community of people who really are interested in helping people be successful," she said. "Not only did I get a first-rate education, but I also walked away with some really great friends and really great relationships and a great job."

Reach contributing writer Eli Schwimmer at news@thedaily.washington.edu.