How to choose your MBA

Choosing to do an MBA is a significant decision with implications that go far beyond the personal commitment to study. For a start you need to consider the timing, the choice of programme, the mode of study and the impact it will have on your current job.  If you intend to undertake a part-time programme, you need to consider how it will affect your family and friends.

You many be thinking about doing an MBA for all sorts of different reasons. It may be the trigger for a career shift into a different function and/or industry. It may be as part of your professional development which has been suggested by your employer. For others it will be a chance to refresh and acquire new skills and ways of thinking, particularly for those thinking of setting up or growing an existing business. So here are some practical considerations which can be used as an action list.

Which School?

There are also lots of school’ offering MBAs. How do you know which is the right one for you? Top of your list must be accreditation. There are 3 well known global accrediting bodies all of whom hold information on the programmes or schools’ they have accredited. AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS undertake probing and quality control audits of the MBAs they accredit and this will help you make a decision based on quality. If you are looking at a School that is not accredited you should be asking yourself why it is not accredited?

Next you need to look at the School itself, its location, reputation and its corporate links. Again you can look at a number of factors here. Rankings are often used as one of the tools for comparison but there are many rankings and positions in the tables will vary. Some school’s remain outside the rankings but are still accredited so you need to research this carefully. If you are looking for a business school that is research led then ask about its profile. In the UK, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) can help. Look for or ask about the corporate links. The career services can be a useful litmus test. Where are the students going on graduation? Are their companies that are regular recruiters of the MBA? And does the School have a well developed Executive Education programme. This last point can indicate how well networked the School is in the business community.

You also need to look at the cost of the programme. Be realistic about the costs that you will incur and remember the incidentals that may not be built into the programme. Are books included? Do I get a laptop or are there flexible payment schemes in place? What scholarships or bursaries are available to me and how do I apply?

Finally, once you have made your shortlist you really must try and visit the School’s you are researching and meet the academic team, programme staff and most importantly some of the current students. Don’t be afraid to ask to be put in touch with former members of the programme to get a real insight into the MBA you are applying for.

MBAs were designed to be general management programmes and there are still many of these around. That said, business schools have broadened their programmes, as much a way of differentiating themselves in the marketplace as meeting the new demands of a discerning and more sophisticated customer. So think carefully about the type of programme. Do you want to stay a ‘generalist’ or focus on a more specialised pathway. There are options in finance, entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing, public sector, sport and more recently a green MBA was launched in the UK. There are others but this should give you a flavour for the market. If you are going to pursue a specialised route, you need to decide if that will that narrow your options for the future; particularly if you aren’t 100% sure of the next position you are seeking.

Curriculum

Not withstanding your decision to pursue a specialist or generalist programme you need to look at the content of the curriculum , how it is taught and the assessment regime. Do you get access to those famous professors and ‘gurus’ that many of the big business school’s parade in their recruitment literature? Sometimes you will find that they spend most of their time in research or on the lecture circuit and very little time with students. How dominant is the case study methodology and how international are these case studies? You should look at how the development of business and management skills is integrated into the programme and where the support from the career services sits. When you visit a school do try and meet some of the academic team and discuss these issues with them.

Size of Class

There is a wide variation in class size between MBA programmes and each has its advantages. A large MBA programme ensures a wide diversity in background and experience, but it can be impersonal and trying to get yourself known can be tough. Smaller programmes bring with them a more personal approach where the professors, programme staff and participants all get to know each other and where there is a real spirit of cooperation and shared learning. You will also tend to find that the academic team are more accessible too.

Mode of Study

For many of us the mode of study is limited. At one end is the full time mode of study where you will need to give up your job. You can choose a one year programme or the 2 year USA style of programme. There are of course options in between! These programmes tend to be internationally diverse and allow a terrific amount of interaction. Some may allow you to take part in exchanges with other schools for individual modules or indeed complete semesters. For others the part time route is the only realistic choice, but even here you have options. There are evening, weekend or modular formats and some even combine all three. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The part-time route tends to offer a less international mix of participants, but some schools are integrating some of the modules to bring the full time and part time students together. Finally, but probably the least desirable is the distance learning MBA. This can be lonely route with much of the work and studying completed on your own. Clearly there are opportunities to bring people together through virtual classrooms, discussion boards and summer schools, but it is not easy!

Think through the ideal format that balances your needs against those of your company and the family and a mode of study that will also suit your style of learning.

Student support within the Business School

Increasingly business schools are having to look more closely at the support mechanisms they put in place, not just for the students but their families too. For international students there may well be continuation English classes and others may have the option of studying an additional language. Look at the library resources and find out if the on-line journals can be accessed remotely; particularly important for the part time MBAs. Consider the welfare facilities; housing, doctor and sports facilities.

So applying for an MBA is not just a case of completing an application form. There is lots of research and background reading to do and you should where possible, visit the Schools’ you are applying to. This is a huge investment both in terms of time and money and you want to make sure you get it right first time, because you will only get one shot at this transformational experience.

For further details
Kent Business School