An MBA can vastly improve the prospects
and quality of your career, enabling you to reach your ultimate
professional potential. It is an international qualification that
is well-respected by employers around the world.
So, you have taken the big decision; you want to get an MBA. You
probably have friends of work colleagues who already have one or
who are currently studying. It seems increasingly normal for the
MBA to be part of a commitment to Lifelong Learning, representing
as it does the need to constantly keep your knowledge, skills and
competence up-to-date and able to meet the increasingly high demands
of modern employers in terms of personal and managerial development.
Without doubt, the MBA is the most internationally recognised degree
in existence, and arguably with new delivery methods and distance
learning opportunities, the world is now your oyster when considering
where and how to study.
The UK is top of many people’s lists. Statistics reveal that
Business and Management Studies is the most popular area of study
by far of international students and managers coming to the UK.
For many, the prospect of a 1 year full-time MBA (or more specialised
Master’s Degree) set in a modern, vibrant economy, and noted
as much for its friendly cosmopolitan welcome as its rich traditions
an heritage, is a most appealing prospect.
Don’t be afraid to ask for written testimonials from schools
on your shortlist, or from former students from your country who
have successfully completed their MBA programme and gone on to new
and enhanced careers. The alumni network will be an important facet
of your eventual selection.
If for whatever reason you can’t or don’t wish to study
in the UK itself, then consider the possibility of a Distance Learning
MBA. There are several very well established UK Business Schools
who have proved that they can bring their MBA programmes to students
in many countries and regions of the world. Such programmes are
truly ‘glocal’ - a new word which means global in scope
yet locally delivered. Don’t be afraid to ask about the nature
of the learning support that will be provided to you and also the
completion rate of the course. Distance Learning can be a bit lonely
and the local support and interaction of the group network can make
all the difference to your eventual success and satisfaction.
The fact that you are reading this article probably means that
you have begun to consider the many options available, but where
else can you find the best information to help you make the final
choice? Firstly, you can contact the Association of Business Schools
(ABS) in the UK (contact details are at the end of the article).
ABS produces a comprehensive Directory of all major MBA providers
in the UK and includes details about the programmes, including costs,
entry requirements and also independent quality ratings of both
teaching and research. The ABS Directory should also be available
at your local British Council office. Just ask for the ABS Postgraduate
Directory 1997/8.
At ABS, we find that when potential students have considered all
the factors involved in selecting an MBA and have produced a shortlist
they still find it difficult to make the final decision. After all,
an MBA is a major investment with or without employer support. ABS
receives a large number of calls, faxes and emails seeking help
to make the final choice. Because ABS represents 100 business schools,
we are not able to say that school A is better than school B. However,
we can answer factual questions in an independent way, and students
regularly confirm that we are helpful to them in making their own
final decision.
Don’t be afraid to ask for written testimonies from schools
on your shortlist, or from former students from your country who
have successfully completed their MBA programme and gone on to new
and enhanced careers.
Author: Jonathan Slack, Chief Executive, Association of
Business Schools, London
Contact Details: Association of Business Schools, 344/354 Gray’s
Inn Road, London, WC1X 8BP U.K
Tel: +44 (0)207 837 1899 - Fax: +44 (0)207 837 8189
Email: abs@mailbox.ulcc.ac.uk
This article first appeared in TransWorld Education
Study for an MBA at Bloomsbury Business School in the heart of London
