Choosing an MBA: the Do's and Dont's

wallchen

Advise comes from EHEC business school in Europe

Choosing an MBA is no easy process. The number of MBA schools is onthe increase and the investment is high. Make sure you do it with a fullunderstanding and are confident of your choice.



1.     DO ensure that the core curriculum covers your needs. MBA programmes should all offer a blend ofbusiness courses such as Strategy, Finance and Marketing etc but DO remember that soft skills such as leadershipand managerial competencies are an important part of any MBA curriculum and aredealt with in different ways. DO also check that the specialisations offeredmatch your career goals.

2. The DOs and DON’Ts of choosing an MBA are endless and so is the choice of programme.It’s possible that the same highlight you found in one programme actually exists in another, but it’s up to you to ask the right questions. Finally, with a full understanding and good advice in hand, the next steps are yours to make: there is a time when you DO have to take the plunge yourself; butDON’T wait too long or you might get pushed in!

3.       DO use the schools accreditations and rankingsto provide an indication of quality. The AMBA accreditation will guarantee thatthe quality of the MBA programme meets international standards while AACSB andEquis will prove the same for the business school itself. DO use the rankings to check the criteria youfeel are important to you and DOcheck the school’s general evolution over a period of time.



4.      DON’T underestimate theimportance of research produced by the business school. Research contributes to a school’sinternational visibility and keeps professors at the leading edge of knowledgein their field.



5.      DO consider the wholepackage when youchoose your MBA. Your MBA is not just a series of back to back classes so DO look at the big picture.Remember that an MBA is usually one programme among many within a school.



6.      While the core curriculum may showsimilarities in different schools DO check that there is avariety of learning methods. An MBA should not be asit-back-and-take-notes course but a hands-on, discussion-based learningenvironment. DO ensure you change workgroup often and are not stuck in the same small team for thefull year. Ensure that you have the opportunity to do group work a variety offellow participants so DO choose an MBA with an experienced class profile so that you can learn from peers ingroup work. These same mature classmates will not only enrich your learningenvironment but provide better networking potential and form a stronger alumninetwork. In order to check that an MBA will expose you to the learningexperience that you aspire to, DO talk to alumniand, if possible, DO visit the school and sitin the class for a couple of hours.



7.      DO prefer an MBA whosefaculty are not pure academics but ones who also give executive training courses in companies or who comefrom industry. This ensures a true understanding of what companies are seekingtoday.



8.      DO make sure the careersservice is specialised in MBA careers and that it does not just concentrate onfirst-time jobs for young candidates. A service offering specialised careercoaching will of course provide an advantage.

9. As you will be in class most days, DO consider the quality ofthe campus, both in terms of location (is it really in thatcity or will it require a long trip on public transport?) and in terms offacilities (is it really a campus or just one classroom in an office block? ). DO make sure there are nearby amenities for thewhole family at a price you can afford. If you have to spend ayear far from home, the experience has to be as enjoyable as possible foreveryone involved.


10. Once you have chosen your MBA and are lucky enough to be accepted, DO NOT be forced into making a hasty decision.An MBA is a big investment and so warning bells should ring if you are offereda seat then told that if you don’t accept within few days you will lose yourplace or scholarship.

johnliu168

学习了。

klzhang

谢谢楼主的分享