why you should take a mba

8/14/2019 Why You Should Take a MBA

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Why you should take a MBA

The world's leading, and most popular, business qualification, is the Master of Business

Administration, or MBA as we know it. A generalist qualification designed to equip students withan understanding of all the major functions of a business, in some industries the MBA is now notso much a desirable attribute, but an essential qualification whose importance cannot be under-estimated.

ProgressionMost notably this is the case in consultancy and finance where not having an MBA can be abarrier to career progression. Its importance is reflected in the fact that over 10,000 degrees wereawarded last year.

Learning to adapt to the social and business cultures of another country is a key skill for thoselikely to work with overseas partners. The Association of MBAs reports that there is a growingtrend among overseas executives to supplement their international business experience by

studying for an MBA within the UK.

Britain is the world's major provider of MBA courses for students from abroad. One key factor: for most of the world, the language of business is English. That rules out a number of otherwiseexcellent programmes in non-English speaking countries.

CrossroadsBritain is at the crossroads of world trade, forming a part both of the "Anglo Saxon" businessculture of the US and of Europe's plurality – its many languages, distinct business practices andethics. It has unique access to a range of markets, including EMEA, North America, EC andemerging markets in Eastern Europe.

Business schools increasingly recognise that today's global company requires managers with a

broader outlook. They have therefore made great efforts to internationalise their MBAprogrammes – by attracting overseas students, employing faculty members with overseasexperience and forming effective links with business.

As a result of globalisation you can learn wherever you are by downloading teaching materialsand communicating with tutors and fellow students on the Internet. E-business MBAs extend thelength of time used for learning and are convenient for those who find it difficult to travel to thebusiness school.

You can study the Open University Business School MBA from anywhere in the world, and theOU recently announced an agreement with the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris totranslate and adapt one of its courses for French-speaking markets.

Warwick Business School's treatment of e-learning gives students the opportunity to work with,and learn from other students from across the globe. This month, it has launched an onlinecourse in e-business for their distance learning MBA students.

This gives international groups of students the opportunity to tackle real e-business issues andproblems with input from e-business practitioners. Even though there is an increasing demand for e-business courses, Warwick claims that its use of on line learning will always complement face-to-face teaching, rather than reducing the amount of contact with tutors and other students.



Track recordHenley Management College, another institution with a track record in distance learning, nowmakes its MBA content available online to all students. Assignments are submitted electronicallyand several of Henley's MBA electives are also offered solely on the Internet.

"The shift towards e-learning and the development of real-time electronic activities, such as Web

seminars, helps us to get closer to our roots," says Professor Ian Turner, the director of graduatebusiness studies at Henley.

"E-learning enables us to operate across traditional country barriers and connect our students indifferent time zones around the world."

The reputation of the institution from which the MBA is gained is crucial. Employers do not simplyask whether an applicant has an MBA, they also want to know where it was studied. Aprospective student needs to consider a range of factors including the size and culture of theSchool, programme content, quality of faculty and student body, facilities and location. Theinternationalism of a School, its administrative efficiency, success/failure rates and careers andplacements services available should also be considered.

Quality controlOne of the most important functions of the Association of MBAs today is providing quality controlby validating MBA-awarding bodies through a system of accreditation. Currently 36 of the 118business schools in the UK have programmes that are accredited by the Association. Assessmentcriteria are rigorous and act as a kind of consumer protection for prospective students.

The value attached by schools to such accreditation is highlighted by the fact that many overseasschools, including those in Asia, are now seeking this mark of quality control. Foreign studentsshould also note that in terms of reputation and prestige, many business schools in newlyindustrialised countries, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, do not as yet match European andNorth American ones in this respect.

A MBA differs from many other postgraduate courses in that it requires that you have prior

experience of business. It is not normally appropriate to start this course of study immediatelyafter your first degree, and most schools will require that you have 4-5 years experience of business.

BorderlineThe main questions a business school will ask will be about your CV, your qualifications, workexperience and references. If your qualifications are borderline in terms of the demands theprogramme will make, you will be asked to do a GMAT – expect that a score of at least 550 willbe required with an equal balance between the verbal and numerical scores.

Students with a good standard of spoken English will find it easier to adjust to living, working andstudying in the UK. If your chosen school judges that your English is not up to standard, you willbe required to take either an IELTS or TOEFL exam. It is important to remember that bothunderstanding and being understood are vital since so much work takes place in groups andsyndicates.

The Association of MBAs' website (www.mba.org.uk) is an important source of free information for the any prospective student and its annual Official MBA Handbook is essential reading. Inaddition to listing details of schools worldwide, it provides comprehensive advice for would-beMBA students, including the size and culture of the school, programme content, quality of facultyand student body, facilities and the availability of distance learning.

why you should take a mba

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