Access MBA Guide

Content

Access MBA Guide

MBA Overview Debunking the MBA Naysayers Beware the ROI Funding Your MBA MBA Selection The MBA Roller Coaster The MBA Conundrum Frances Salayo, ESADE MBA Student Interview Shakespearean Education Three Continents, Three Types of MBA MBA Spotlight Europa & Americana: A Tale of Two Sisters Ivy League: Success through Humbleness MBA Trend MOOC vs. MBA What MBA Graduates Say United in Diversity MBA Teaching Learning by Doing Technology and MBA Blogs: The Life of an MBA Student MBA Admission Put Your House in Order! What Is the GMAT Really Testing? How Are You Distinct? Learning to Sell Yourself The King’s Speech Peer-to-Peer Learning MBA Careers Collective Minds Boundless Business MBA’s Hard Power MBA Teaches You to See The World Differently (OP-ED) Not All Great Men Have ‘Nobel’ The Long Journey Back Home Global MBA Features: School Profiles & Interviews MBA Listings Money, Money, Money Tables of Top Full-time MBA Programmes

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Chief Editor Christophe Coutat Editor Anton Zhelev Concept Advent Group Graphic Design Savvina Mitrova Graphic Design Assistant Snejana Yankulova Writers Anton Zhelev Dimitar Ganev Elitsa Videnova Evelina Ivanova Iliana Bobova Iva Doneva-Sirakova Stefan Kirilov Proofreading Parisofia Printer Market Trend Publishing Atendia

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ATENDIA 36, Alabin Str, 1301 Sofia, Bulgaria

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Disclaimer: Atendia accepts no legal responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of individual submissions. The editorial team has endeavoured to ensure that all contributions are correct at the time of publication.

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Copyright 2015-2016 The content of this publication is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, in any form or by any means, without the prior consent of the publisher.

Access MBA Executive Guide

EMBA Overview The Priceless Value of a Pricey Education EMBA: The Art of Investment Lonely Island or Unexplored Continent? EMBA Format The Ultimate Decision for an Ultimate Degree A Global Education for a Global Executive What Is a Blended EMBA? EMBA Admission Joining the Elite Club Global EMBA Features: School Profiles & Interviews EMBA Listing Tables of Top EMBA Programmes

Guide

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GMAC is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission CouncilTM. The Graduate Management Admission CouncilTM does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the owner or content of Access MBA/Master’s guide.

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Editorial

Your Management Style

M

ost candidates usually ask me if I have done an MBA. I have not, unfortunately. It would have helped me take an easier road.

I have created, and still manage, 10 years on, an international company. But the voyage was tortuous and full of obstacles – in terms of management, product development, human resources and finance. The adventure of discovering and organising the chaos can, of course, force you to adapt and take decisions based on your intuition. This can be an asset in facing a changing world but it has some limitations. Is managing five interns and painting the office wall by yourself the best way to start a company? Or would a 2.8 billion USD venture funding, as in the case of UBER, not have been better? Time and money matter and we can save a lot if we are well equipped for the journey.

Understanding the pros and cons of business, accounting, work relationships and the power dilemma is a must. Managing people is about dealing with existing relationships, and managing projects is about dealing with predictable situations. So getting advice from experts and experience from great minds can definitely generate enough awareness to solve problems. Because 10 theories usually already exist for every decision you make. My experience shows that any path can lead you to where you want to go. A diploma does not tell you where you’re going to arrive and what you’re going to achieve. Rather, it is telling you how. Much like in the cliché about happiness, the final destination is less important than the journey. We spend years, and sometimes our entire life, mainly on the road rather than where we aim to be. How are you going to manage? How are you going to think? How are you going to spend your energy? How are you going to look at the global picture? This is what the MBA can probably teach you. Business is an art and in that sense, your management style matters. It usually finds you, before you find it. You are your own boss; you have your own way. No one can alter your personality. But you can change how you look at the world, how you understand people and yourself. You can leverage your ambition and learn to trust in yourself. That is the way the MBA empowers you.

Christophe Coutat

Founder and CEO, Advent Group [email protected]

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MBA Overview

Debunking the MBA Naysayers MBA Education Continues to Be Sustainable

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ood education will always be appreciated, in any industry. If anything, an MBA degree brings even more advantages now than ever before, with entrepreneurship in industries such as energy, IT and sustainability demanding an even more innovative approach and hands-on skills from both leaders and employees. Getting an MBA is now more possible than ever for an increasing number of people. Technologies have allowed for a more versatile approach to academia, with the growing popularity of online MBAs, blended MBAs, EMBAs, two-year or one-year programmes, multiple campuses, etc.

Christine Ricci handles marketing and public relations for B.E. Smith, an interim leadership recruiting firm in the U.S. for the healthcare industry. “An MBA or some advanced degree is almost a must-have right now,” she said in a feature for the Business Insider. “It’s expected now.” While an MBA isn’t necessary for every position at Johnson & Johnson, it is an asset for many, as Frank Rodriguez, global director responsible for university recruiting at the manufacturing giant, explained to the Business Insider. “It is something we actively recruit for,” he adds. MBA graduates learn valuable leadership and collaboration skills, while also developing an understanding of how to work effectively with different cultures. “The MBA definitely gives the student a broad business background,” he said.

COST

One would think that the increase in offering would affect that in demand, and the price. Surprisingly though, the cost of getting an MBA keeps rising, and has outgrown the rate of inflation in the United States. Undoubtedly, this is a major issue for MBA degrees, which has been continuously boosting the debate for and against the degree’s worth. Investing in an MBA often equals and surpasses investing in a home. Just approach the matter with the same gravity and seriousness as you would were you purchasing a property. Just as well, if you are highly motivated to secure an MBA, that there are numerous options available to receive the degree at a minimised cost.

SALARY

The difference in ROI, however, has been a matter of debate among HR specialists, recruiters and employers for years.

MBA Overview

The best way to judge on how big and smaller programmes compare is to look at salaries before, at and five years after matriculation. Multiple studies are available to help you reach a decision. One reliable source is the Forbes Best Business Schools Ranking that shows the total 5-year MBA gain compared to salary before MBA and salary right after MBA, as well as years to payback, which is really useful. Unsurprisingly, all top positions are held by U.S. universities, headed by Stanford (highest 5-year gain at 99,700 USD), Chicago Booth (92,600 USD) and Harvard (79,600 USD). These are also among the most expensive schools. A Poets&Quants analysis of 2013 employment reports at most of the world’s top business schools shows some extraordinary figures in private equity, hedge funds and other investment management jobs where MBA grads bring relevant work experience. 375,000 USD was the highest post-grad starting salary of class 2013, and it belongs to a Kellogg graduate. Apart from that, the highest reported base salaries for new MBAs in 2013 were 350,000 USD at Wharton, 310,000 USD at Columbia, 260,000 USD at Duke University’s Fuqua School and 250,000 USD at Chicago Booth. But what if you are not an Ivy League graduate? Companies such as Goldman Sachs, McKinsey and Bain tend to employ graduates from across the spectrum, while names such as Duke and Northwestern appear to have struck permanent positions in the hiring lists of the heavy-weight business consultancies of the world. Still, the CVs of successful candidates often feature less known programmes. Caution though: averagely-ranked does not necessarily mean averagely-priced. For instance, Emory University ranked 22 in Businessweek’s MBA ranking but 4th on both McKinsey’s and Goldman’s ‘most hired’ lists, charges an intimidating 95,000 USD for its programme. Still, the University of Virginia, which is ranked

number 10 on Businessweek, but is nowhere to be found on the list of Wall Street’s most wanted consultants, charges just as much. So it is probably a relief to know that, in this case, money really does buy you quality.

THE JOB MARKET

The positive forecast of 2013, suggesting that the West will continue to recover from economic distress, is indeed taking place, bringing forth a marked improvement not only in available positions but also in salary levels. Switzerland is at the helm, with the greatest increase in the number of available MBA jobs. This could partially be explained by the relocation of important hedge funds and multinational firms from the UK and Germany there in order to cut tax bills. Australia and Denmark rank second and third for the average size of post-MBA salary, with the top ten also including the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Japan. An important issue to consider in terms of ROI, if you are to pursue a MBA for the purpose of boosting your career in finance, is the lack of trust the financial services industry is facing today – an attitude that has been lingering since the beginning of the economic crisis back in 2008. According to the 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer, the financial services industry continues to be the least trusted one on a global scale: 50% in 2013, and no change in 2014. The Edelman Trust Barometer is an annual survey of trust that is carried out online in 27 countries, among 33,000 respondents. Technology, on the other hand, is the most trusted sector, with an increase of 2% in 2014, up to 79%. It is followed by consumer electronics manufacturing where trust also increased by 2% up to 75% in 2014. Within the financial sector itself, financial advisory/insurance services inspire the least trust among respondents, just 46%, while banks and credit cards/payments have a trust rating of 52%. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Overview

Geographically, financial services are the most favoured in APAC and BRIC, respectively 62% and 61%, and the least so in the EU with just 29%. Generally however, trust in the financial services industry is just 1% lower than in business in general (50% versus 49%). On a positive note for those interested in the traditional realms of MBA expertise, financial services are the best liked in the hyperactive developing markets of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. These are the most financially optimistic countries, where regulations are not yet as tight as in the West and allow for scale of initiative and creativity in the financial sector. Developing Asia has a very volatile economy where the financial sector is seen as an island of calm and stability.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

The 2014 trust statistics certainly show that traditions in MBA employment are shifting, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, more and more new industries are turning to business schools seeking innovation, leadership and out-of-the-box thinking to handle problems that come with new technologies, scaling a company and operating in new markets. Technological companies are a major force in today’s job market, and they are also among the largest employers of MBA grads. Amazon is now fifth among the biggest employers of MBA grads. And many Ivy League schools have placed the Technology sector in their top 3 of the most employable industries for their graduates. Universum’s list of most popular MBA employers features all of the household names that are magnets not just for MBA grads, but probably for all grads: Google, McKinsey, Amazon, Bain, Apple, but also global conglomerates such as Nike, Walt Disney, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, Starbucks, BMW Group, L’Oreal, etc. Apart from being favourite brands since childhood for many of us, what also makes them really attractive to MBA graduates is their global scale,

MBA Overview

innovation, global outreach, sustainability drive and a more environmentally friendly approach. They provide an excellent ground for MBA degree holders to put their knowledge to work from day one, following the highest standards of quality in the respective industry. These employers are desirable not only in the U.S., where most of them originate, but in any other country as well. On the other hand, they love and need MBA grads too. Talent acquisition is a critical strategy for global companies to gain advantage over the competition. Multinational companies which operate in hundreds of countries and a number of continents need the open and international thinking of MBA grads. The top programmes are exceptionally versatile. A class in a top UK programme could easily comprise 30 plus nationalities. This kind of interaction with other cultures, mentalities and client expectations, together with the well-tested capability of working with and managing teams of great cultural diversity, as well as complex business processes, are some of the great assets of MBA programmes. A good network of international contacts, leadership skills and innovation, only add to the profitable package that a MBA graduate could represent for these companies. Universum’s view of the 2020 talent market is based on responses by more than 2,000 senior executives, CEOs, heads of HR and recruitment, employer branding and marketing. Surprisingly enough, what companies consider ‘top talent’ equates to… work experience. Education is considered more of a given these days, while the numerous opportunities to gain experience, even for non-MBA graduates, through internships and student development programmes, makes this an important requirement, even more so during the next five years. Personality and communication skills follow second and third, before grades, academic diplomas and leadership. The most in-demand career type is ‘leader’, both for today and in the next five years. Leadership is certainly one of the aspects of MBA education and training

on which programmes place the greatest emphasis. Leadership requires a host of personal qualities that should equate to successful job prospects. These are additionally fostered and tuned in practice and application: something programmes go to great lengths to secure for their students. Various theoretical courses, practical case studies, work groups, incubators and real life projects put students’ leadership skills to the text in numerous situations that require both knowledge of the day-to-day minutiae of running a company and a strategic and leadership approach to development. Being capable of leading in a multicultural and increasingly diverse environment is a skill that will be even more precious in the years to come. Social media place another strain on new leaders and MBA grads, a challenge that is bound to remain for at least a few more years. Knowledge of social media and their impact on marketing and

branding is key to modern day leaders. Today, due to social media, companies expect marketing managers to do more with less. Every step or misstep you take as a leader or a manager could become public within seconds, affecting your company’s results and brand image, but also your future prospects. All of these challenges are actually wonderful opportunities that shape a different kind of environment for MBA graduates. Their realm is no longer limited to the relatively structured confines of the finance world. In today’s multicultural, super-global economy, soft skills seem to be gaining advantage over hard skills. Booming entrepreneurship, on the other hand, creates a vast new land of opportunity for MBAs to put their knowledge into practise for their own profit and benefit. Programmes are becoming increasingly practice-oriented and open to flexibility and the new and interesting challenges that technology brings. □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Overview

Beware the ROI Do Not Define the Value of MBA by Quantifiable Results Only

T

he return on investment (ROI) of an MBA has always been the topic of heated debate among students, alumni, academics and business education experts. As the expenses for the degree can be quite substantial, the main question is whether the whole MBA route is worth it. How are we to measure ROI correctly? To what extent are these calculations reliable? And is it possible to express everything around the cost of the degree in numbers? The MBA also has a deeper, quality side, and carries potentially long-term advantages that go way beyond the monthly pay check.

CALCULATING THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Albert was enrolled in a 1-year MBA course in a Top 20 European business school and has to pay a tuition fee of 42,000 EUR. His annual salary as a Project Manager, prior to his studies, was 32,000 EUR, but he has to leave his job to start the degree. He is 31 and has been accustomed to a comfortable life, but is ready to live more modestly for the duration of his MBA. He has calculated that 24,000 EUR will be enough to cover his expenses while he studies. This sum includes accommodation, food, books and spending money. The so-called opportunity cost for Albert’s MBA is 32,000 EUR – the salary he has to give up for the period of his education. The overall investment is 32,000 EUR + tuition fee - 42,000 EUR + living expenses - 24,000 EUR. This makes 98,000 EUR.

After graduation he lands a job at a consulting company, again as a Project Manager, but here he is responsible for a bigger team and bigger accounts. His annual salary is 58,000 EUR. When you subtract his prior-to-MBA salary from his post-MBA salary you get 26,000 EUR. Then you divide the MBA investment (98,000 EUR) by 26,000 EUR and you get the figure of 3.77. What does this mean? It means that Albert will be able to get his investment back within less than 4 years. Of course, this is a pretty generalised case. Life is not an equation, and the variables may change. For example, Albert may be able to live on less than 24,000 EUR, which would alter the calculations. Also, he may not be able to find work right away after he finishes the degree. Should he finances his studies with debt, the estimates would also be

MBA Overview

affordable programmes.” For example, in an equal amount of time, Stanford graduates will have earned less than 20% of the amount they spent on their MBA, in comparison to nearly 60% for University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni. For the bastion of quality education, Harvard, this figure is slightly above 20%. Regardless of how unimpressive Stanford and Harvard results may seem to the untrained eye, it would be best not to rush to conclusions. ROI of 20% not only easily beats the results of the large majority of hedge fund portfolios and the bulk of other high-risk investment schemes. These statistics also illustrate why the importance of ROI shouldn’t be overestimated. There is an inherent problem with oversimplified calculations concentrating on the first years after graduation. They give little clue about the long-term perspective and the more complex quality value of the degree. How do we assess a world-class education with rich traditions in terms of fragmented salary figures that do not take into account what happens in 5, 10 or 20 years? It is simply not doable.

different. On the other hand, his salary could increase every year and then his ROI would be even faster. But the example shown above is the commonest way to calculate the payback.

HIGHEST IN RANKING OR HIGHEST IN ROI

Rarely do we have access to investments with a higher return than an MBA. The biggest investments one makes during one’s life are usually property – apartment or house – or a car. Depending on the economic cycle, the property may appreciate, but the car will almost certainly depreciate, unless it is an antique

or rare model. If we look at education as investment, we will discover that it can have high return and slower return. The MBA, assuming that the right school and the right courses are chosen, tends to fit into the first category. But no matter how prestigious a school is, don’t presume that a top school, necessarily, equals higher ROI. A Bloomberg Businessweek survey from 2014 confirms that “elite business schools are so expensive that it tends to takes their graduates longer, on average, to profit from their degrees than do those who choose less-selective, more

This is why the 2013 Forbes rankings, that only measure earnings during the five years after graduation, concluded that Stanford is the best American business school. That’s right – the very same Stanford whose alumni recouped less than 20% in the first year after graduation, according to the Bloomberg Businessweek survey. The 2014 Bloomberg analysis took into account more recent data. However, Forbes’ evaluation went deeper, with its assessment of five-year professional experience of the class of 2008 that received their diplomas just on the eve of the most severe crisis since the Great Depression. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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bores you Career aCCeLerator

MBA Overview

LONGER AND DIVIDENDS

SHORTER

TERM

Expensive degrees generally do not do well in the shorter term, but they tend to reveal their full potential in the long run. Schools that accept students from the developing world with more modest incomes also have an edge in the ROI competition in the first years following graduation. The battle for a better place in the rankings makes some of them choose lower income candidates, so their salary skyrockets after they get their MBA. This is later reflected in the rankings that are viewed by many schools as extremely important marketing-wise. This could provide a logical explanation for some of the recent unusual volatility in some rankings. In the Financial Times 2015 ranking, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University went from 77th to 55th place. In the FT Value for Money ranking the first place is occupied by the University of Cape Town GSB in South Africa, while Harvard Business School enjoys a respectable 66th place. But cry not for Harvard, as it is advancing – in 2014 it was 86th. The second position in Value for Money is taken by the Chinese HKUST Business School and the third goes to the Lisbon MBA. The Portugal school also remarkably jumped from 52nd to 36th place in the FT’s Best Global MBA ranking. In 2014, the top three Value for Money schools were led by the Brazilian Coppead, the Lisbon MBA, and IMD. All that being said, it is not correct to assume that you shouldn’t pay due attention to numbers. When you have loan instalments to make, it is crucial to be precise in your calculations. But ROI is just a fraction of the overall worth of MBA, albeit a very essential one. It should not become the only focus and criterion in the search for the right school. Candidates should use ROI rationally, as just one of the tools they utilise, and be careful not to turn it into a fetish. The soft skills you learn from your studies, the new self-confidence you gain, and the attitude you display every day are what will pay the most in the long run of a career development. □ D.G. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Overview

Funding Your MBA Scholarships, Sponsorships, Savings, and More

O

nce you have decided to follow the MBA route, the most important question indisputably is how to finance it. You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of the different options of picking up the bill. The rule of thumb in this case is there is no rule of thumb. Universal solutions do not work and making the right decision is up to you, solely. This means taking into account your own personal and financial situation, your preferences, and understanding how to benefit the most from your business education. Business education is not to be taken just as an expense. It represents an investment and, just as any investment, the

return on it comes in the longer term. This, of course, does not mean that the rewards from the degree will be postponed unreasonably - quite the contrary. Despite the crisis, the available data still shows that MBA graduates have the highest starting salaries and enjoy an excellent standard of living in comparison to their colleagues with other degrees. It would not be an overstatement to say that if alumni had chosen the right school for their profile, they should have no difficulty repaying their loans. But the MBA goes way beyond that. It can enable you to reap benefits throughout your whole life – again – assuming that the school is the right one for your profile, career goals, abilities, and so on.

FUNDS AND SAVINGS

This is the perfect scenario. You, your spouse, or your relatives have some money in the bank and are willing to finance your education. This leaves you free of the burden of making monthly

instalments and paying interest. And if the school is a good one, the investment would probably be more profitable than one involving stock indexes, commodities, futures and real estate. An MBA does not come cheap. But there is a reason why the crisis did not bring its cost down. At the end of 2014, poetsandquants.com noticed that the price for Stern School of Business MBA and Stanford MBA (for a 2-year period) topped 200,000 USD for the first time. These are the most expensive schools and do not provide a representative example. In Europe and elsewhere, the MBA is a 1-year degree, and is much more affordable generally. But wherever you are located, a good and personally satisfying career requires effort and planning, and quality education comes as the pivotal point in this process.

LOANS FROM BANKS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Afraid to take a loan for an MBA? Of course, you should do your own careful calculations and take into account your specific situation. But avoiding loans at all costs is not a good decision. And, of course, there are loans and loans, and MBAs and MBAs. Perhaps visiting the neighbourhood loan sharks to finance your education would not be the wisest idea. A better one would be to visit a reputable bank. But make sure you have done your homework first. Pay off some of your loans first, if that is possible, so your credit profile looks more attractive. If you mention to the credit inspector that you have been enrolled for an MBA in a reputable school, this could give you an edge. Many countries provide special loans for the education of their citizens (see the table at the end). Some of them are interest-free for a certain period of time and others do not even require repayment until you have reached a given

MBA Overview

salary level. Make sure you have researched all available government-sponsored options. If you are an applicant in the UK, you can take advantage of Professional Career and Development Loans, for example. In the US, government programmes such as Direct Loan and Direct Grad Plus Loan are available. Private entities also provide loans for specific nationalities. Candidates from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, for example, can turn to companies such as Career Concept AG. The school of your choice might also cooperate with a certain bank or lender to provide more favourable conditions to its students. International students enrolled in some of the top business schools can take advantage of loans provided by lenders such as Prodigy Finance. Another interesting financing option for them comes from Paras Education Foundation, which provides loans for applicants to schools in over 40 countries.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

There are plenty of awards out there for MBAs. First of all check what your school can offer you. At Harvard Business School, 65% of MBA students receive some form of financial assistance. The school’s fellowships are needsbased, and every second student there receives an average of roughly 32,000 USD yearly from HBS. Awards can also be merit-based. In some schools, candidates are screened for them on admission and no special application is needed. This is the case in Yale where awards such as the Professor David Berg Leadership Scholarship, Shanna and Eric Bass ‘05 MBA Scholarship, and Joseph Wright Alsop (PhB 1898) Memorial Scholarship are available. European governments, public and private institutions, and NGOs also provide scholarship for their citizens. If you are a German, you may take advantage of the opportunities offered by DAAD, Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung, FriedrichEbert-Stiftung e.V., Konrad-AdenauerStiftung, and many others. Scholarships and grants are aimed specifically at women and/or minorities. The Forte Foundation is a popular destination for women determined to develop as business leaders. African Americans, Native Americans

and Hispanic Americans in the United States, on the other hand, can turn to the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management for an MBA fellowship.

SPONSORSHIP FROM EMPLOYERS

Assistance from your employer should not be underestimated. The trend in the Executive MBA sector has been steadily moving towards personal funding. And yet, as much as 42% of Executive MBA students still rely on their employers for a sponsorship, as opposed to 58% who bear the costs themselves. More and more programmes are offering scholarships and fellowships. According to the Executive MBA Council, only one quarter (24%) of EMBA students receive a full sponsorship, most often from employers. Business owners and managers that value certain employees sometimes cater to them by sharing the cost of EMBA degrees in the school of their employee’s choice. Generally, the admission criteria for EMBA programmes are less

strict: GMAT may not be among the requirements, and the average class age is higher. If the career goals of an employee and the business plans of a company overlap, the former could discuss sponsorship for business education with the latter. But this could also easily apply to an “ordinary” MBA, similarly to how it works with EMBAs. Whatever the most appropriate way of financing your MBA, be careful not to underestimate the unknown. The realisation of your goals depends not only on your ambitions and opportunities but also on external factors outside your control such as the economy and the business environment. Plans are important, mandatory even, but remaining conservative in expectations can prove to be crucial for a sustainable career and personal development in the long term. Just make sure your calculations are realistic; and enjoy your MBA. □ D.G.

LOANS USA

Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, William D. Ford Direct Loan Programme, various private loans - fixed Sofi loan and so on

United Kingdom

Professional Career and Development Loan

France

FONGECIF, BRED Grandes Ecoles, Caisse d’Allocations Familiales (CAF) Housing Allowance Fund

Germany

Bundesgesetz uber Individuelle Forderung der Ausbildung, Bildungsfonds Education Fund, Career Concept AG, Deutsche Bildung

GLOBAL LENDERS FOR BUSINESS EDUCATION Prodigy finance The Paras Education Foundation

SCHOLARSHIPS USA

Mostly school-specific and based on need and/or merit: Fulbright, Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Companies, private donors and NGOs provide many of the awards. Check with schools and also research the educational awards of different companies

Mostly school-specific and based on merit: British Council, CommonUnited Kingdom wealth Scholarships and Fellowship Plan, Department for International Development (DFID) Shared Scholarship Scheme

France

Mostly school-specific and merit and needs-based scholarships. Check FONGECIF, Conseil Regional, OPCA, FAFSEA, the Eiffel Scholarship programme, the French Embassy scholarships and also the options on the Campus France website.

Germany

DAAD, school-specific and company awards, Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes e.V., Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes e.V. , Evangelische Studentenwerke e.V., Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, FriedrichNaumann-Stiftung, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V., CusanuswerkBischöfliche Studienförderung, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, RobertBosch-Stiftung, Gottlieb-Daimler und Karl-Benz-Stiftung Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Selection

The MBA Roller Coaster Learning to Choose Wisely 1. CHOOSE AN MBA TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS

Are you looking to kick-start a stellar career, or is it change and improvement that you are after? Not so long ago corporations used to hire MBA graduates before the ink on their degrees had dried out. While this is no longer the case, difficult economy and all, having an MBA up your sleeve would definitely increase your chances of landing the position you want. A global survey among the business school recruiters of 565 employers, including 36 Fortune 100 companies, shows that 86% of U.S. companies employing business school recruiters were planning to hire MBA graduates in 2014, up from 81% in 2013 and from 51% in 2009.

C

hoosing the correct MBA might really seem like a roller-coaster – it looks scary, it takes guts to get aboard and it gives you a ride to remember. For many people enrolling in an MBA is a life-changing decision, and certainly a life-changing journey, so how can you be sure that you are choosing wisely?

You can choose to pursue an MBA for a plethora of reasons. The importance of the criteria vary depending on your personal objectives and life experience – it is hardly likely that one programme will suit both a fresh university graduate and

a seasoned corporate executive. Location, travel and time availability, as well as your financial situation, are all points of key relevance that you should consider along with school background, rankings and alumni organisation. Another very important thing to keep in mind, that is also tightly bound to location, is the opportunities the area provides, such as businesses, international environment and connections, corporate traditions, etc. What is key though is to start by answering this question: Why do you want to pursue an MBA and what outcome do you expect after graduation? Here are some of the key steps to complete before you take the plunge.

MBAs are getting very popular indeed. According to a survey carried out by the Graduate Management Admission Council, there is increased MBA need among technology and manufacturing companies – sectors that until recently were not seen as leaders in MBA recruiting. Other sectors such as advertising and public relations are following suit. If you are already in the rat race, you know the importance of stopping and looking at your everyday challenges from a different perspective. An MBA would give you exactly that, a rare chance to focus on subjects that matter on a larger scale, and obtain knowledge that can and will be directly applicable to your job or business venture almost immediately. However, dedicating two full years to an MBA is often not possible once you have reached a certain point in your career or family life. Fortunately, there are multiple programmes designed to respond to such limitations. Look into Executive MBA programmes, which are aimed at more experienced students and could

MBA Selection

allow better flexibility, as well as at specially tailored One-year MBAs that offer more intensive learning.

strength in finance, entrepreneurship, IT management or healthcare... whatever it is that interests you.

If your agenda requires even greater flexibility, check out modular programmes. They require face-to-face sessions every 4-8 weeks, while the majority of learning will be in an asynchronous, online mode. That gives you full control over your learning pace while still maintaining the important aspects of university education such as personal interaction between student and tutor, developing an active network with your co-students, and making use of amenities, resources, practical exercises and business opportunities.

MBAs can be helpful not only to people targeting top positions within international corporations, but also for those looking to develop their entrepreneurial ideas into business ventures.

2. DO YOUR RESEARCH

HOMEWORK:

Make sure you check that the school is accredited by an internationally recognised body, such as the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) or Equis (European Quality Improvement System). Check school rankings in reputable sources such as Bloomberg, Financial Times or The Economist. You can also evaluate the specialisation of a school, and whether it has particular

With an MBA focused on entrepreneurship, you will have theoretical courses to bring you up to speed with finance, marketing and capital sourcing – knowledge that can make you much more efficient when you venture on your own. You will be amazed at the amount of free advice, support and cooperation you will receive in the process! But it is not all about the start-ups; if you are in a humanitarian or a technical field and are looking to broaden your horizons and learn about how business is done, an MBA is a step in the right direction. Look into the academic community to find out more about their expertise and achievements, as well as the industries they come from. MBA is all about practice, so check if the faculty are actual practitioners who can give you indepth knowledge and practical skills.

Ask questions about the teaching methods, studies, consultancy projects with external companies, business incubators, networking events, summer internships with reputable companies, etc.

3. CHECK NETWORK

OUT

THE

ALUMNI

Networking is possibly the number one benefit of an MBA. The contacts and relationships that you develop while you study could last and serve you for a lifetime. A typical MBA takes focus, perseverance and enthusiasm, and the people you meet will most likely possess those same qualities. The bonds and relationships that form during the intensive learning process could have the potential to grow into excellent partnerships. It is precisely among those people that you spend the next couple of years of your life with that could become your most loyal clients, colleagues, partners, or service providers. Each has their own colleagues, contacts and other relationships that form an extended network of international contacts in a host of industries all over the world. For example, a typical MBA class at Cambridge Judge School of Business could comprise 39 nationalities. That is 39 different markets! Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Selection

Look up alumni testimonials and profiles in the programmes’ websites and check up on their cultural and professional backgrounds. If location is important for you (as it should be), you can see whether the school you have chosen has a rather regional footprint or attracts students from across the world.

4. ASSESS YOUR CAPABILITIES

Financially and location-wise, that is. How you will fund your studies is not a question to be omitted. With the intensive experience that awaits you after enrolling in an MBA, you need to sort out the funding in advance. Deciding whether to finance the programme from your own savings or by getting a bank loan could seriously impact your choice of school, programme and location. If you intend to study overseas, you need to work out whether you could manage the cost of living in the selected location. If you plan to travel for face-to-face sessions, check the route and convenience. Larger cities are often home to the larger companies, so you will have easier access to venture capitalists and business leaders. Employers often seek international experience and studying abroad can improve your understanding of job markets. Sometimes you simply cannot afford an MBA. But look beyond the household brands and you can find some pretty good deals. Many schools are now offering low-interest loans, as well as scholarships.

5. PREPARE TO ENJOY THE RIDE

Are you excited already? An MBA programme will boost your career opportunities and open up new areas of expertise and mobility. It will help you develop international experience, get a better job or set up a new business and build a network of contacts. Granted, you would have to give up weekends for the duration of your studies, and embrace late-night studying rather than a glass of wine - but ultimately this could be the ride of your life, one that will help you build your dream and make it come true. Enjoy! □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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The MBA Conundrum Understanding the Differences Between Full-time, Part-time and Online MBAs

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hanging realities in the past years following global economic collapse has irreversibly changed the business education search and demand curve. At least, up until now. The business education market has changed and, although the full-time format of the programme has been the preferred choice since before the onset of the worldwide economic crisis, it now faces severe competition from at least two alternative formats – part-time and online.

If you want to immerse yourself in the real MBA experience and be entirely involved in the programme, dedicating 100 % of your time without distracting yourself with a full-time job and family duties and, of course, if you can afford it, choosing the full-time format is definitely the best choice you can make. But if you don’t have the luxury to possess all the above at one time, then thinking

about an alternative to the full-time format will come naturally. According to the Business School Data Guide 2014, from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a global accreditation association for business schools, part-time programmes are almost equally or even more preferred to their full-time fellows. Data shows that the full-time format is still preferred in MBA motherland – the U.S., while the part-time format prevails in other parts of the world.

averages on students with three to four years of work experience. The target group includes those seeking to entirely switch their career path, change job by going to a different organisation, or those who want to relocate. The full-time MBA is held on-campus and aspirants usually relocate to the place where the business school is situated. This means that the programme is not a suitable option for those who have family responsibilities or those who don’t want to leave their job while studying.

PROGRAMME TYPE

U.S.

GLOBAL (EXCLUDING U.S.)

MBA full-time

46.8

65.8

Part-time

53.2

34.2

FULL-TIME MBA

Due to the programme intensity, attendees of the full-time MBA programme are required to focus on their study completely, dedicating 100 % of their time and duties to the MBA during the whole tenure of the programme and focusing on their studies without distractions. Full-time MBA programmes are designed for early-stage career students – the profile of a full-time MBA class

In the U.S., the birthplace of the programme, the length of the format is two years, while in Europe, the length of the format is typically one year. The longer programme allows students try out a new profession during summer internships, while the shorter format is designed for those who have clear career goals and want faster entry into a new career. The two formats have no determining differences in terms of programme content.

MBA Selection Admission requirements are also similar. The main difference between U.S. and European MBA programmes lies in the condensed intensity of the one-year European programme versus the more encompassing two-year U.S. degree, where students get to study general and introductory subject matter before moving on to more specialised content.

as there is no need to relocate; the fact that the employer could pick up part or all of the tuition cost; and the possibility of directly applying the knowledge gained at work, since part-time students don’t leave their jobs and can apply new knowledge and skills learned at school the previous day directly during their daily work the next day.

PART-TIME MBA

As with everything, there is also a list of drawbacks – the part-time format is more stressful due to combining at least two things at a time – working and studying. And if you have a family, it could lead to more stress. That’s why parttime education requires more sacrifices. Another minus of the programme is that there is less academic involvement and no summer internship, meaning that this format is not such a good option for career changers.

For those who don’t have the luxury to leave their full-time jobs or have family responsibilities, but opt for career growth or new ventures, the part-time MBA format is a good choice. The parttime MBA is designed for working professionals who are usually in the middle of their careers and who want to advance further, without leaving their typically high-earning positions. This is arguably part-time’s biggest advantage – keeping the job, and keeping the income. Parttime MBA studies are usually held in the evenings or at the weekend, in modules, and often take two years to complete. According to Forbes, the main advantages of the part-time degree are the opportunity of career acceleration for those who already have a job in a field they enjoy; the possibility for attendees to maintain their family responsibilities

That’s why, unlike the full-time format, the part-time MBA is more suitable for those who want to accelerate their career and climb up the career ladder in their current organisation, rather than totally switching career path or job.

EXECUTIVE MBA

The Executive MBA is another form of MBA programme. In general, it is a part-

time MBA. The two programmes are similar in format as neither the EMBA nor the MBA require full-time dedication by their attendees. However, there is one essential difference – their target groups. The EMBA programme targets executives with significant managerial experience who want to further accelerate their climb up the career ladder focusing their ambitions on reaching the top C-level post. In contrast, the parttime programmes are designed for professionals with less experience who are at the beginning or in the middle of their career development.

ONLINE MBA

With the economic downturn, many schools have seen rising numbers of applications to their online MBA programmes, since this format is less expensive compared to the full-time and part-time MBA formats. The online programme also allows attendees to keep their full-time jobs and flexibility, to balance their study, job and family responsibilities and even cultivate new interests and ventures.

BLENDED MBA

The blended learning MBA is the new online MBA. It is an innovative format of MBA learning combining online classes, face-to-face sessions at school campuses and virtual collaboration, allowing students to make the most of their time, learning, network and investment. Unlike online programmes, blended MBAs are not held exclusively online. This means that students are required to meet faceto-face at least a couple of times during the programme. This, combined with the fact that most of the key exams and presentations are delivered face-to-face, allows for in-person assessment in order to measure how much students have learned. The format also allows students to balance business education and their personal lives, especially for women. It is also a good option for people who expect to undergo major life changes in the course of their MBA programme, such as relocation. Whatever the format – full-time, parttime or online, executive or blended, the degree acquired is the same for all formats. It is always an MBA: the same curricula, with different delivery formats, suitable for different target groups. □ I.D-S. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Interview

My Business Chemistry The Journey to Professional Confidence Goes Through the Full-time MBA Programme Frances Salayo, ESADE Business & Law School Graduate, Class of 2016 Frances Salayo comes from Canada. She is an award-winning professional in the Pharmaceutical industry, having managed Remicade®, J&J’s top selling drug. Frances will graduate from ESADE Business & Law School in 2016 but she already has experience in cross-functional leadership and monitoring of sales and activities against goals. Prior to joining ESADE, she worked with opinion leaders in the Rheumatology field to develop and execute brand plans. She is also experienced in provincial access strategy, as well as new product launch co-positioning

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rances is on track to acquire the necessary business expertise and soft skills to be able to drastically accelerate her career and transform from a respected professional in her chosen field to a confident businesswoman who leads from the front. Frances’ story should serve to demonstrate the full potential of the Full-time MBA programme and inspire everyone ambitious enough to aim as high as her. Frances, why did you decide to pursue an MBA at ESADE?

I was very surprised because I had always thought I would go to a Canadian university, but about a year before starting the MBA I had the opportunity of going to an Open Day in New York, where I met ESADE alumni from different backgrounds and different cultures. The way that they described the school culture and the values of innovation and collabo-

ration inspired me to come to Barcelona and join the Full-time MBA programme.

What are the factors that you took into consideration when choosing to go for a Full-time MBA course? I felt that the ESADE MBA, at the time of my selection process, would provide me with further international exposure with its exceptional diversity. I carry a global mind-set due to my upbringing, languages and volunteer and travel experience.

My experience living in different countries has taught me how to immerse myself in diverse learning environments. As such, I felt that this school was a perfect fit for someone with my background, and the full-time format would provide the maximum immersion. In addition, I am really passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration. These are areas I believe I need to develop because I feel they are critical to my success as a business leader. My learning experience from courses such as Global Sales and Sales Management Strategies will greatly contribute towards my career goals.

Lastly, I appreciate the strong network of alumni in Healthcare, which is my industry, including senior leaders. Having spoken with alumni, I was certain that the Full-time MBA at ESADE will help me build strong connections that will later be crucial in advancing my career.

How would you describe the learning environment in the Full-time MBA course?

The environment in my programme is challenging, diverse and very collaborative. Firstly, the full-time programme is challenging because we have the opportunities to grow not only through the classes but also through the rich offering of labs, case competitions and clubs, to help students specialise and get the most out of the MBA with subject matter experts and industry leaders. This challenging environment prepares us to become leaders in our own specific paths. Secondly, my MBA programme is rooted in diversity. For instance, in my Term 1 team, we had group mates from different parts of the world such as China, Canada, India, Colombia, Nigeria and Brazil. I enjoy the unique and dynamic environment with individuals with

MBA Interview

different perspectives and opinions, which fosters a very global mind-set. When you study full time you are entirely committed to your studies and can gain the most from what the programme provides. Lastly, this is especially true in this programme because of the collaborative environment. A large part of our coursework is done via groups and we develop a mind-set of sharing ideas to drive towards a common goal. The spirit of collaboration can really be felt within the team-based activities and the wonderful learning environment, where all opinions are respected and each team member’s strengths are leveraged to the fullest.

challenge within the medical technology sphere. I am also leading the Healthcare Club and I have enjoyed organising activities, networking with key Healthcare leaders and furthering the development of the presence of my school in the Healthcare industry.

What has the MBA given you?

I truly enjoy the unique environment

which ESADE has built for us, where everybody comes from a different background. In Term 1 of the MBA my team was made up of students from India, China, Colombia, Nigeria and myself from Canada, all of us bringing different ideas and different perspectives on how the world should be, and together we have produced something beautiful. □ www.esade.edu

The reality is that we live in a connected, global environment and adaptability is one key criterion that will help foster our success as business leaders in the future. I look forward to implementing my MBA knowledge and skills in my future projects.

Have you enjoyed the subjects that you are studying during the MBA?

Of the specialised business labs available during the Full-time MBA, I am involved in two. One is the ALCP (Action Learning Consulting Programme) in which I am part of a team of five working on real-life business challenges for companies facing consulting or marketing issues, or expansion projects looking for bright minds to contribute and give them strategic ideas. The other is the Innovation Lab, which has allowed me to be involved in a research project with CERN in Switzerland, helping visually impaired people with spatial awareness. I have worked with individuals from different backgrounds collaboratively, and with some designers from Barcelona’s IED design school, to design a new solution and a prototype to allow blind people to navigate through a grocery store.

Do you feel satisfied with your choice of FT MBA? Yes, I am very satisfied with my decision. I am entirely devoted to my studies and all the opportunities provided by the programme. I participate in the current ALCP with a team that will be driving a

Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Selection

Shakespearean Education Why Is the English-speaking World So Appealing For Business Education?

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n MBA abroad could be the opportunity of a lifetime to experience a different culture, explore a new mind-set and build a valuable network of international contacts. Myriads of programmes are offered all around the world. Still, there is something about Anglo-Saxon schools that makes them very appealing. Getting your MBA in the English language is an incredible asset. The reasons are obvious: English is the language of the world, all around the world. It is also the language of business, law, commerce and innovation. But MBAs in English are taught everywhere, in Argentina, Spain, China and Japan, so you no longer need to go to an Anglo-Saxon country to have that angle covered.

What makes Anglo-Saxon schools so much more attractive, then? From an anthropological point of view, Anglo-Saxon countries such as Great Britain, the US and Canada simply have a longer history of great education, including business education, and successful economies that have been prospering almost continuously for centuries. So they have had more time than many others to make the mistakes that younger economies are struggling with even now. It seems natural then that the top ten B-schools in the global rankings are almost entirely from Anglo-Saxon countries, namely the US and the UK (with the notable exceptions of INSEAD of France and IESE or IE of Spain). The sheer body of success stories – academic, business and social achievements – produced by those schools is certain to guarantee a safe place for them among the global elite.

There is great variety and differentiation within the Anglo-Saxon higher education systems too, especially within the US, where it is difficult to follow any unified model among universities. Although the UK system is much more unified, there is still an apparent division between Oxford/Cambridge, the other old schools, and the new schools. At the end of the day, it is the overall attitude to and understanding of education as a means to an international career and achieving global thinking that draws so many people in. That, coupled with the higher level of practicality of the knowledge compared to the rest of Europe, for example, where even business education could be quite theoretical, is what makes the English-speaking world so different. In addition and very importantly, it is the general and total acceptance of business and personal initiative in all of

MBA Selection

remains one of the most popular targets for international students. It has a long history and tradition in business education, but it also benefits from the popular belief that an American degree opens the door to the lucrative US market and to the financial markets in Europe, China and Australia where American degrees, especially high-ranking ones, are greatly appreciated. In addition to the prestige of US MBA degrees, students there really benefit from the state-of-the-art facilities, the flexible curricula, excellent networking opportunities, the general openness to and support of entrepreneurship, and the huge monolingual market, including Canada. Crucially, MBA candidates and graduates alike often dream about a career at a large American-based multinational corporation, or on Wall Street. The American dream is a prime motivator for candidates to aim for the US, and rightly so.

UNITED KINGDOM

their forms that make Anglo-Saxons so successful in business, regardless of where in the world they work. But even giants are not immune to global developments. The economic crisis of 2008 hit the US harder than many other countries in the West. Europe too suffered a great slowdown in the economy, although the UK seemed to handle the crisis better than the rest. However, it is now safe to say that the worst has passed and the West has been getting back on its feet. Prospects are back in town. So in 2015 the most common piece of advice would be to “stay where you are”, especially if you are in the Anglo-Saxon world. With the US back on track, and Europe restoring its financial and manufacturing strength, along with the development of new technologies in IT, energy and agriculture, the West is a promising place to be. However, let us focus on the Englishspeaking world.

USA

The US, the birthplace of the MBA,

Wherever the US is first in education, the UK usually follows closely. It is a natural choice for much of Europe, the Arab world, India, Hong Kong, China and Australia. It is safe to say that UK programmes are the most internationally diverse ones, with some classes reaching up to 90% international students. Apart from being a great location in itself, the UK offers tremendous business opportunities. One of the mightiest former empires of the world, it has natural partnerships with dozens of countries throughout the world, which represent an extended network of open and viable markets for businesses and job-seekers. The UK is also a powerful shipping and manufacturing nation and a leader in energy technologies and innovation, as well as in agriculture. Unsurprisingly, the UK is home to some of the most prestigious MBA programmes in the world. But much like New York and Wall Street, London is also a magnet for business graduates because of its promise of personal wealth, encapsulated in the skyscrapers of the City of London. Just be careful not to overwork. Life in the City is not like “Sex and the City”.

AUSTRALIA

Unlike any “well-developed” country in the Western hemisphere, Australia has just marked 23 consecutive years of GDP growth. Its economy remains untouched by the hiatus that the rest of the world found itself in until only recently. Australia has been gaining in popularity in the past few years, together with Canada, for a number of reasons. It is an Englishspeaking country, outside the West. It is a gateway to Asia, thus offering students a truly global perspective, and it is in the Asia-Pacific region, home to the fastest growing economies at the moment. Due to its long history of a strong economy, Australian employers are used to hiring MBAs, making the Australian job market one of the most competitive ones for top managers. That also means businesses are aware and supportive of MBAs, and actively participate in the programmes.

CANADA

Although the climate is not exactly fun, Canada is expected to see a 16% growth in demand for MBA graduates. It is home to some of the largest companies in the world and many of them, particularly in the financial services, are keen to hire new MBA graduates. It is thus one of the few places in the West (and the English-speaking West) that offers excellent job opportunities for MBAs even now. Many candidates make the mistake of choosing Canada thinking it is basically the same as the US Unlike the States, however, which are largely focused on themselves, Canada looks for business internationally. Europe is one of its most important targets, but also Asia. Major industries are oil & gas, mining, manufacturing, agriculture and forestry. Anglo-Saxon schools offer a wealth of knowledge and tradition in educating active and entrepreneurial business-people and industrialists. The Anglo-Saxon world is open to creative and innovative business solutions, has massive experience using the banking system, and has a truly global outreach. □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Selection

Three Continents, Three Types of MBA

What Do You Get If You Choose One Over The Others CHOOSING THE ORIGINAL

The US is the homeland of the MBA programme. The first MBA was launched in 1908 by Harvard Business School. Since then, hundreds of MBA programmes have emerged, attracting students from all over the world. For years, the programme has been considered as one of the means to achieving the American dream. The typical US MBA programme lasts two years. During the first year, the core phase, students learn the essentials of management; while in the second year, the specialisation phase, they can choose from a broad range of electives, conduct a supervised business consulting project with other students or take on an placement. The US, as the MBA pioneer, has deep roots in the world’s business education scene, its long history and traditions and it is no surprise that US schools top most of the various ratings of MBA programmes worldwide. In two separate business school rankings – the Financial Times (FT) and The Economist – despite differences in methodology, US top schools dominate.

B

usiness education nowadays is more globalised than ever. Physical boundaries no longer exist and it is natural to be on a different continent within a 24-hour period. There is no barrier to living in Europe, studying in the US and managing a business in Asia.

US universities are generally fairly US-focused, while the MBA programmes offered by European and Asian business schools are quite internationalised, as some 90% of the class comprises students of different nationalities. All this makes the choice of exactly where, and in fact on what continent, to study an MBA a complex matter. As this is a decision you only make once in your life, it should not be a one-sided choice.

Another distinct advantage of US schools is their facilities. Sleek computer rooms full of Mac desktops, extensive sports facilities for those who wish to keep in form, academic and interest-centred school societies with their own premises, large campuses and open courtyards: America has it all. Choosing to go to the States means choosing the American way. Getting an education in a country which has held the title of “strongest economy in the world” has its advantages. In a market of more than 300 million people, getting to

MBA Selection

learn the culture and the way Americans do business can be beneficial to those wanting to stay and make a career in the US after graduation.

CHOOSING MULTICULTURALISM

The first European MBA programme emerged half a century after its US cousin. Since then, European programmes have been gaining popularity, attracting students from all over the world. In fact, since the launch of the first MBA on the Old Continent, European business schools have been fast catching up to their US peers. Certainly there are differences between the MBA programmes offered by US and European schools. In Europe, the typical programme is shorter than the two-year programme in the US, and classes in Europe are smaller, with fewer than 150 students on average, while US classes have close to 300. But the biggest difference is that European schools have a significantly higher percentage of non-national students. Europe is multicultural. Many nations share the continent, each with its own language, culture, worldview and traditions. People can travel between countries within a short time, making cross-cultural exchange very active. Precisely due to this natural advantage of Europe, many business schools make effective use of this diversity, focusing on the international and multicultural aspects of their MBA programmes. Jamie Manuel, a member of the 2014 MBA class at Saïd Business School, says: “In my admissions essay to Oxford

University’s Saïd Business School, I wrote: “To fix the developing [health] issues in America in an innovative and creative way, I must surround myself with individuals holding different world views and unique outlooks that challenge my current perspective.” He adds that “To learn the skills required for a global economy, leaders need immersion and experience. These cannot be learned from a book or staring at a computer screen.” Studying an MBA in Europe has another big plus: the return on investment of an MBA from a European business school is higher than peer MBA programmes in US or Asian schools. Furthermore, European MBAs are typically one year. Programmes require a smaller budget compared to MBAs on other continents – firstly because of the lower tuition fees and secondly because of the reduced amount needed for living and other expenses.

CHOOSING NOVELTY

Different cultures meet every day on the Asian continent as well. Asian developing markets and robust economic development over the past decade has provided space for qualified top managers to strengthen business positions in the Asian markets. The economic boom of the region creates a need for business leaders familiar with the specifics of local cultures in Asia. Asian business schools offer global business perspectives on management but it is the regional experience of Asia that contributes to their uniqueness. “You gain global perspective on management issues, applied to the Asian

context. This knowledge will help you smoothly navigate globalised, multicultural work environments,” says Professor Nilanjan Sen, associate dean of graduate studies at the Singapore-based Nanyang Business School. Following global economic trends, European and US schools are increasingly looking to establish partnerships with local universities on joint MBA courses, opening campuses and including exchange programmes with Asian universities in their MBA curricula. Nowadays, local candidates no longer need to leave Asia to get a good MBA. Undoubtedly, studying an MBA in Asia will distinguish you from other graduates. If only because, having studied in Asia, you have a better understanding of the culture of doing business in the growing Asian market. If globalisation is your mind-set and you want a more internationalised approach, you should focus your efforts on admission to a European business school. If you share the American dream ethos, then the US is the place to go. And if you are an innovative thinker seeking to explore the unexplored and live the exotic lifestyle of the East, Asia is the destination for you. Choices for business education are abundant, but location is not actually the most important criterion. An MBA degree is both a lifetime achievement, and a lifetime investment. MBA education does not have frontiers. Its global outreach is designed to get you wherever you want to go next, and its respected stature will be of benefit throughout your entire career. □ I.D-S. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Spotlight

Europa & Americana: A Tale of Two Sisters An In-depth Look at the Differences Between European and American MBAs

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usiness students in countries outside Europe and the USA often wish to pursue an international postgraduate degree. The latest MBA salary and job trends report states that 67% of MBA employers feel that “candidates with international experience outperform those without.” Students all over the world often face a dilemma when choosing between a European MBA and an American MBA. While analysing factors such as lifestyle, degree value, teaching style and return on investment, prospective students often come across confusing results that do not help them make an intelligent or informed decision. They often begin by comparing tuition fees, university rankings and admission requirements when choosing whether to go for a European MBA or an American MBA. While these factors are highly important, let’s consider what each of these MBA programmes can offer in terms of return on investment, educational and career value, as well as culture and lifestyle. INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

NETWORKING

Warwick Business School’s Global Business School Report states “European business schools continue to be at the forefront of innovation in business edu-

cation, ensuring they attract top international talent which in turn attracts global MBA employers”. This statement holds true for most European business schools, as statistics show that 96% of the class come from outside the school’s country of domicile, providing a highly diverse networking and study environment. However, it is no secret that Harvard Business School and Stanford Business School have topped the world rankings over the years and are rightfully the pride and joy of American business education. A closer analysis of the Harvard Business School’s class profile shows that the MBA class only consists of 34% international students, giving prospective students limited international networking exposure. However, there are generally plenty of socialising and networking opportunities for students who attend American universities, even though there may be fewer options for international exposure. According to the 2015 Alumni Perspectives Report, an MBA graduate

stated, “Don’t forget that your professional network will play a major role in your success. Every job that I have gotten after undergrad has been through my network.” Nevertheless, while there may be a difference in the international networking opportunities between American universities and European universities, there are several other differences between a European MBA and an American MBA.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

While American institutes usually hold the top spots in world rankings for business education by Forbes, The Economist, and the Financial Times, top ranking business schools and universities in Europe usually measure up to their American counterparts. As mentioned above, European institutions usually have a higher international intake and provide students with greater networking opportunities and a more diverse classroom environment. However, most European institutions, such as the London Business School, have a lower

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MBA Spotlight

intake of females, who make up 25-36% of MBA classes compared to a 40% female intake at American institutes such as Harvard Business School. Nevertheless, while maintaining a good standard of education, top European universities have lower admission criteria compared to their American equivalents. The University of Chicago Booth School of Business requires a GMAT score of 723 and Stern School of Business asks for 729, while European universities such as London Business School require a score of 700, and HEC Paris requires 685. This does not necessarily mean that European schools have a lower standard, but is often perceived by applicants as an advantage, as European schools may have less competitive admission criteria, increasing chances of admission to top MBA programmes.

DURATION OF STUDIES

Another distinct feature of MBA programmes in European universities is that they last for one year compared to twoyear programmes in the United States. Again, this does not mean that European programmes are of less value but means the one-year programme is often more rigorous and demanding than the twoyear MBA offered in the United States. Hence, if you want to gain useful knowledge throughout your MBA and possibly earn a few bucks in between, perhaps choosing an American MBA is the path for you. If you want to save on accommodation and tuition fees and complete your MBA as quickly as possible, then choosing a European MBA may be the way to go. Another keen observation is that European MBA students are usually older and have more work experience, while USA MBA students tend to be younger with less work experience.

EMPLOYABILITY OF GRADUATES

While we have analysed class profiles and the structure of MBA programmes in both Europe and the United States, it is also important to mention what the different programmes offer to their alumni after they have graduated, in terms of return on investment and

career opportunities. While it is obvious that different universities have different rankings and thus different pay scales for their graduates, the average pay scale for an MBA graduate in Europe and America is likely to be stable. Trends have shown that European MBA graduates have a higher rate of unemployment after graduation, which measures 18%, while American MBA graduates were 95% employed at the end of 2014, and only 5% remained unemployed after graduation. This may be due to the fact that American MBAs opted for work opportunities within the United States. As the country is so large and economically developed, it was easier for them to find jobs. However, it must be noted that American MBA graduates were less likely to receive jobs in Europe, and European MBA graduates had a lower employment rate in the United States (Find MBA, 2013).Thus, one factor which is highly essential in determining which MBA to choose is where an individual plans to live and work. A prospective student should opt for post-graduate education in the region where they wish to work after graduation, as job prospects are likely to be more promising.

SALARIES

Compensation and starting salary rates differ by geographic region and by the graduate school attended. Nevertheless, the average starting salary of an American citizen after an MBA programme has been found to be approximately 90,000 USD, while for Stanford business school graduates it was approximately 125,000 USD. European MBA graduates have reported the highest median starting salary to be approximately 101,093 USD. Although European graduates are showing a lower salary scale compared to top-notch American graduates, this does not necessarily mean that they are showing a lower return on investment, as European tuition fees are also likely to be lower than those of American institutes. However, employer attitudes towards hiring American or European graduates are rather perplexing, as different

MBA Spotlight

companies have differing perspectives and have not generalised their options. Most renowned institutions all over the world have claimed that they judge a candidate based upon his/her personal skills and do not majorly differentiate between European graduates and/or American graduates. However, some employers are more critical and have preferences for a twoyear MBA or prefer the European style of teaching. For example, Jo Ward, Human Resource Specialist at Nestle and Robin Pring, Human Resource Manager at Heineken hold the views that European education is more serious, rigorous, and demanding. Thus, they find European graduates more capable of handling demanding work, as opposed to American graduates. However, they feel that American graduates work better in creative areas such as advertising. On the contrary, some developing countries, such as India and Pakistan, have a particular perception of prestige and awe for American universities based upon their personal bias or preferences. Accordingly, international students from Asia and other regions may impress employers more with an American degree than with a European degree.

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Does the quality of education differ between American MBAs and European MBAs? The curriculum taught during MBA programmes shows no evidence of major disparities in the quality of education offered. The Bocconi School of Management in Italy shows that MBA graduates received a 121% salary increase and 91% of the class of 2013 has found jobs in other countries. Kyle Andrews, a student currently enrolled in a European MBA programme at the University of Glasgow after completion of an American Master’s commented, “I think the curriculum in Europe is far more demanding than what was taught during the Master’s in Management in the USA. I think both regions have their own plus points when it comes

to quality of education and the manner in which it is taught at business schools. It also depends upon the local business culture in that region.” While analysing employer trends and the acquisition of soft skills such as leadership, presentation skills, networking and teamwork, companies like Google and L’Oreal do not hide the fact that they have seen better leaders amongst American graduates, and better team workers amongst European graduates. However, once again, no clear generalisations can be drawn, as such qualities may exist within the cultural traits of people belonging to that region. For example, according to Hofstede’s popular cultural dimensions theory, Americans are known for being more individualistic and materialistic, while Europeans are slightly more collectivist by nature. Recent articles by The Economist and other magazines have mentioned that American MBAs tend to be more practical and the curriculum offered gives them a more hands-on experience, rather than majorly focusing upon theory. Moreover, American MBAs gain more exposure during the course of their studies because of the longer duration of their MBA, while European MBAs may be solely focusing on their studies during this time. However, no generalisations can be made regarding this, as it solely depends on an individual’s personal skills and personality.

OTHER FACTORS

There are multiple factors to consider when deciding between a European MBA and an American MBA. In addition to class profiles and return on investment, international students must consider aspects such as expenditure, visa acquisition, scholarships, financial aid and the ability to work in a particular location after the completion of their studies. It is generally harder to acquire American study visas, but obtaining a work permit may be easier. However, in Europe, it is generally easier to obtain a study visa but obtaining a work permit after completion of studies may be more difficult. Moreover, the type of lifestyle Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Spotlight

and culture one prefers may also be an influence in choosing between an American MBA and a European MBA. As the USA is a very large country, it offers different lifestyles and culture in different areas. If you prefer exploring colonial history or if you’re interested in knowing more about the Civil Rights Movement, you may be keen to head to the USA for your MBA. If you prefer a place with a lot of historical sites and an amalgamation of different national cultures and ethnicities, Europe may be your ticket for post-graduate education! It may not hurt to consider the type of weather you are looking for as well, before making your decision. To wrap up the rigorous debate on whether a European MBA is the preferred choice to an American MBA, it is evident that no clear conclusion can be drawn, as both have their own plus

points and are distinctly different from one another in various ways. It merely depends on the needs of applicants and the type of lifestyle they prefer. Hence, lower expenditure, shorter MBA and socialising with people from different cultural backgrounds would attract a person who is opting for a European MBA, while a longer and possibly more expensive education with a fast-paced lifestyle would be the preferred choice for a person choosing an American MBA. However, no hard and fast rules exist regarding the credibility of the university chosen for a post-graduate education. It usually depends on a person’s own abilities, hard work, skills and vigour, which land them a job and a promising career. Perhaps prospective students should focus more on the ranking and perceived quality of the university and its courses, the type of electives offered during the

MBA, their budget and their future employment and living plans, rather than being overly concerned about whether their degree has the name of an American university or an European university on it. There are more important factors which determine an individual’s success, which may not be directly related to the location of their post-graduate school. Hence, whether you choose an American MBA or a European MBA, remember to work hard and with full zeal and make the most of this essential part of your education! Make every minute count before you step out and apply your knowledge to the practical world, and make sure you choose wisely according to the factors that suit you. Employers are often likely to be impressed with a candidate’s personal profile and achievements rather than the name of the business school they come from. □ Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Interview

Ivy League: Success through Humbleness A Story About Yale, High GMAT Scores,Venture Capital Investment and… Coca-Cola doing two placements – both at the Coca-Cola Company’s Headquarters in Atlanta. First I did a placement with their Venture Capital unit (4 months) and then another one within their North America Strategy group (6 months).

D

aniel’s story is an example of how humility and career impetus can work together to create amazing professionals, despite the common belief that an Ivy League background produces elitists. At the age of 27, with years of hard work behind him, and a recently acquired managerial position, Daniel is an inspiration to us all. In its essence, this interview reminded me of Forbes contributor Cameron Keng who once wrote: “As an individual, you’re a CEO of one, and you have a duty to maximise your profits”.

How did you end up going into an MBA immediately after undergrad studies? During undergraduate school, I was working on several projects, but I figured that in order to be successful, first of all I needed to gain some additional skills. I also recognised that the MBA track would open my career to additional opportunities which I did not have just as an undergrad. I saw the MBA as a way to accelerate my career and decided that I wanted to do it as early as possible – in order to gain new skills, and in order to benefit from the school’s network. Later those two things enabled my career to develop. I targeted Yale directly because they had this special programme that recruits freshly graduated college alumni.

Can you tell us more about this programme? It’s called the Silver Scholars programme – a special three-year

What were the criteria to get into the Silver Scholars MBA?

Professional experience, personal aptitude and underlined academic achievements.

Daniel Kiryakov is from Bulgaria. He went to study in the US as soon as he finished high school in his home country. Immediately after graduating from Clark University, he joined Yale School of Management through the school’s Silver Scholar Programme – a special three-year MBA programme aimed at college graduates. Daniel did two placements at the Coca-Cola Company during his MBA – one at the company’s Venturing & Emerging Brands unit and one at their Strategy, Planning and Analysis division. He now heads the Operations department at Uber, Bulgaria. MBA programme which recruits a select few undergraduates. I went to Clark University and in my senior year there I applied to the Silver Scholars programme. It’s similar to the traditional MBA programme, the defining difference being that you get a gap year between your first and third year of classes. In this gap year, you can complete multiple placements or one very long one which allows you to get more professional experience and, in doing so, get the most value out of your last year. I ended up

In terms of professional experience, I had some entrepreneurial background, having helped launch a successful machine manufacturing and engineering business in Bulgaria. It’s a family business, which I dedicated years to, while still an undergrad. I also had a good understanding of what the MBA programme consists of and what I wanted to get out of. You have to have clear answers to questions such as “why do you want to do this MBA?” and “what do you want to do after that?”. Having good self-awareness really helped me at this stage. Of course, another prerequisite was completing the GMAT with a good score. I scored 750, which is considered top 2%. Finally, it was also a matter of Yale’s own goals. The Silver Scholars programme is aimed at diverse people. For instance, some of my fellow Silver Scholars did not have much work experience but sported very interesting backgrounds. Yale recognised that these students will enrich the others by bringing a fresh perspective. The whole concept is not just to accelerate the careers of interesting and smart people but also to add a fresh perspective to the whole class. They wanted to diversify their own cohort.

MBA Interview

How do you personally believe that your MBA has helped you achieve better career results?

I was able to use my school’s network of alumni to connect to prospective employers and companies. That paved the way for my placements, and then to interesting job offers. I believe that the connections you establish during the MBA programme really help you in the long term. Secondly, you get a lot of skills, a mind-set if you wish, of how to think about problems in multifaceted manner. You get to understand how to approach issues that you would find in the business world and also how to come up with answers. That was very valuable.

Can you give us an example of how your education has helped you make a vital decision at your workplace? The problems that we face in business nowadays are multifaceted. To really solve a problem, you need to understand all of its aspects and everything around it. At my previous job, I was working for a Venture Capital Investment company where I was doing research on prospective investments. I looked at every single company on multiple levels and first of all analysed the company’s performance, but also how it could grow and perform in the future. That involves a very deep-dive analysis of management, and the financials of the company and the marketplace, among other things. The MBA programme provided me with the basic skills that I needed in order to perform this analysis, but also with the framework and mindset to analyse such complex problems. At the end of the day you want to know if this company is a good investment, and that’s a simple yes or no answer; but to get there, you need to go through multiple levels of examination.

So how exactly did you get your first job after your MBA?

It was through the network of a professor. I did well in his class, so he offered to help me source placements. At some point in the past he had started a

beverage company which he later sold to Coca-Cola. Through him I established the connection with Coca-Cola and that led to my two placements there. Concerning my first job after the MBA, I already had the industry experience, so when my future employer, Emil Capital Partners a private equity / venture capital investment company – put up a job posting on our career website, Yale being a target school for them, I managed to secure a job with them.

Do you feel satisfied with your investment?

Yes, absolutely. I think my investment is already paying off very well. I think that going forward, it’s not just about the numbers, but also about having the freedom to select what you want to do and where you want to work. It gives you the freedom and the ability to source opportunities and to be more of a “chooser” than a “searcher”.

What would your advice to future students be? How important is it to do an MBA at a prestigious school such as Yale? I think every MBA is valuable. It opens new windows of opportunity. It gives you more options and more tools to achieve your ambitions. In my opinion, non-Ivy League schools could also be excellent schools with great programmes and great networks. I don’t think people should be afraid to think of an MBA as an opportunity, because that is exactly what it is. I suggest prospective students try and talk to the university, to alumni, to the network of the school and make their personal choices. Of course, the MBA is an investment and, like every other investment, it’s risky. However, if you do well at your MBA course, and you get good placements, that will inevitably lead to good job offers. □ A.Z. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Trend

MOOC vs. MBA The New Trendy Derby

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OOC stands for Massive Open Online Course, a course that allows for unlimited participation and an open access via the web. Professed to be one of education’s greatest breakthroughs, the MOOC indeed has a lot to offer. A MOOC course does not have an admission process and consists primarily of video lectures. It uses quizzes to test the knowledge of participants, together with individual and group assignments, and final exams graded by professors or peers. MOOCs are offered by over 400 schools across the world, including the world’s top universities. Oh, and they are free. Interested? Let’s look at the brief history of one of world’s greatest educational breakthroughs. MOOCs are a fairly recent trend, in their present form since 2012. Named after a 2008 course in “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge”, the actual breakthrough happened in late 2011, when Stanford University started offering several of their engineering courses for free. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology followed closely, introducing MITx, a free programme of courses. And the world of education changed forever. 2012 was the year of MOOC platform start-ups – Udacity, Coursera, edX and FutureLearn, to name but a few. By 2013 the MOOC revolution had begun. Currently 22 out of the top 25 US universities ranked by the US News World Report are offering courses online for free, including courses from their MBA programmes. In 2013, MOOC had a permanent spot in the media, resulting in an increase in MOOC platforms to over 20 in 2014, partnering with over 400 universities across the world – numbers that

had doubled over the course of a year. Carried out entirely online, MOOCs are often compared to other forms of distance learning such as online MBAs – but do they really measure up? Both options have their pros and cons, and if you are determined to grow further and learn something new, both can serve your means. Do not expect exactly the same outcome though. Here are the five main characteristics of a MOOC, compared to those of an online MBA.

and your financial situation have precedence in deciding on an MBA.

MOOCS ARE FREE

Those courses are often taught by the schools’ top professors, mimicking the regular curriculum so well that they are even attended by regular students. The Wharton School of Pennsylvania University, for example, offers four of the nine first-year courses of their MBA programme for free, and some professors are even encouraging students to watch the recorded lectures in advance to lead to better classroom discussion.

There is no fee to enter a massive open online course, and usually you are not required to spend any money on textbooks or other reading material, as the material is presented in the sessions and available for download. In some cases, the professors will suggest buying their book/s, at a reduced price, if you are interested in additional reading. Recently, MOOC providers have started offering verified certificates, linking your course results to your identity, which are priced at 20-100 USD per course. Online MBAs could be priced anywhere between 10,000 USD and 70,000 USD depending on the school – but do not be fooled by the price tag as it does not always prove quality. Public schools usually have affordable options, and the course content, together with your goal

YOU CAN BUILD AN MBA CURRICULUM IN MOOC

If you are not satisfied with the MBA curricula offered or it is not the MBA degree itself that you are after but rather its contents, you can easily create your own programme from different MOOC courses, supplied by top universities such as MIT, Stanford, Yale, Princeton.

Even if you are already enrolled in an online MBA, using MOOCs can help you gain better insight into a particular subject, or you can choose complementary topics to your main field of study. However, a word of caution: doing a MOOC is not the same as doing an MBA because it will not grant you the MBA title, thus depriving you of all the benefits that come with it.

MBA Trend

MOOCS ALLOW YOU TO STUDY AT ANY TIME

The length of the offered courses can vary from 4-6 weeks up to 10-12 weeks with the expectation of up to 10 hours per week of active work on lectures and assignments. Lectures follow a predefined schedule, usually one or two per week, and are available at any time through the course dashboard. Assignments are released after the lecture and can be discussed on the course forum. The average online MBA lasts for two years, with certain flexibility given if you would like to accelerate or delay graduation. Many universities are reevaluating their online programmes and are taking a blended approach, also known as Blended MBA or Blended EMBA – online courses combined with periods of face-to-face classroom training every couple of weeks, or even less frequently in EMBAs. This approach melds online education with a more personalised approach and a chance to learn from your peers, yet still allowing you to maintain your work, travel and family schedules.

TO NETWORK OR TO LEAVE?

A survey undertaken by The Chronicle of Higher Education in February 2013 suggested that the average MOOC enrolment is 33,000 students. The users of MOOC are primarily well educated – over 50% are already in possession of a graduate or a professional degree; and over 80% of all registered users are from outside the US. Although the main educational method is through recorded video lectures, there are discussion fora and group assignments which allow for collaborative work among students. Often students form local study groups where residents of the same town or city get in touch and organise face-toface study sessions, so growing your network is actually possible, but there will be no support provided to make it happen. There are no alumni as such either – a tangible advantage of MBAs over MOOCs. The massive scale that the MOOC has reached brings with it an almost

complete lack of a personal approach, and it takes a great deal of self-discipline and motivation to take lectures and complete assignments by yourself. It is no wonder then that the average dropout rate for MOOCs is 90%. So, free and available does not mean easy.

MOOCS DO NOT OFFER A DEGREE

A fairly big disadvantage, the lack of a degree award with MOOCs cannot be underestimated. Lately, course providers have started offering ‘Specialisations’, i.e. courses bundled together to form a particular curriculum. Even with verified certificates though, MOOC completion cannot be compared to an actual MBA graduation, either in effort made or in return of investment expected. Despite the challenges, the MOOC seems like a good opportunity to obtain MBA-like knowledge. But could it ever replace the online MBA in the future? That is rather unlikely. The MOOC is more of a supplement to the MBA, rather than its replacement. Having no admission process and using peer grading and quiz-like exams, means that completing a MOOC course does not certify your subject matter knowledge in a particular area, as an MBA would. Certainly, future employers could take into account the knowledge obtained and the persistence required for completing one or several courses, but that might not affect their selection

process, nor could you expect to have the same job opportunities and benefits as an actual MBA graduate. Attempts have been made to use mass courses for transferable college credit. In April 2013 Udacity partnered with San Jose University on a pilot programme, which was put on hold just a few months later, due to poor performance of enrolled students. Still, universities continue experimenting in this area, so 2015 could be the year when a sustainable solution is found. Speaking of benefits, the greatest one an MBA can offer is the networking opportunities and the contacts you will build during your study, which open up a world of possibilities for MBA alumni, an area where the MOOC will continue to lag behind. Still, if you are considering trying out a MOOC, by all means do it! Course provider platforms have continued growing and attracting more capital and partnerships, and new platforms have emerged, covering language-specific markets. The pace has accelerated and more courses are being offered every month. With the improvements in technology and pedagogy their quality can only get better. Look up MOOC, find the topic you have always been interested in and take the plunge – education, regardless of its form, always pays off! □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Trend

What MBA Graduates Say Overview of the Yearly GMAC* Graduate Survey

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hat happens after you finish your MBA? What about your career progression? Is your salary higher? Has your position improved? Some answers to these questions can be found in the latest 2015 GMAC* Survey. Each year GMAC publishes a report that measures graduates’ attitudes towards their degrees, career development and satisfaction levels.

The Graduate Management Admission Council was founded in 1953 as a nonprofit NGO with a focus on business education. It has developed and owns the famous GMAT test used for assessing the numerical, reasoning and analytical abilities of candidates for different graduate degrees. Their annual graduate survey gives us a closer glimpse at the profile of business education applicants and alumni, their results and achievements in academia and business.

84% STATED THEIR EDUCATION BOOSTED THEIR CAREER

More than 12,000 business school graduates from over 230 graduate business programmes at 71 universities in 16 countries took part in the latest survey for the 2015 report of the Graduate * Graduate Management Admission Council.

Management Admission Council (GMAC). The classes of 1959 through 2014 were questioned about their professional development and were asked if their education had helped them to attain their goals. The majority of respondents had reached senior-level positions or higher five years after they received their diplomas. In 10 years, roughly 25% were in executive level positions, and one in 20 was in the highest, so called “c-suite”, level of CEO, CFO etc. Business graduates were unified in replying that they were satisfied with their degrees - 84% stated that the education they had chosen contributed to their faster career progression. It is also very common for alumni (or for 90% of them, to be exact) to link their education to the boosting of their earning power. The question of money is important, not least because, as you know, many students have to go into debt to cover the tuition fees and to sustain themselves during studying.

BUSINESS GRADUATES ARE BETTER PAID

Business graduates indeed earn much more than the average person in the economy, as shown by the global geographical analysis of salaries. The difference is between 1.6 and 6.8 times higher in their favour. The ratio is highest in Nigeria (6.8), India (6.2) and

China (5.6). These three countries provide a median annual income for graduates of 41,300 USD, 36,000 USD and 72,000 USD respectively. The leaders in absolute median pay, however, are Switzerland (164,800 USD), the UK (134,300 USD) and Singapore (127,000 USD). There, business studies alumni earn respectively 3.0, 3.6 and 1.6 times higher salaries than the median GDP per capita. In the US, the annual median remuneration is 110,000 USD, or twice the average; in France it is 2.2 times higher at 86,800 USD; and in Australia it is 2.4 times higher at 113,950 USD. Money matters, but is not everything. Perhaps equally if not more important is the level of job satisfaction, as this encompasses factors other than just the salary. The GMAC statistic illustrates that job satisfaction grows in line with the rise in position. At entry level, 66% of respondents reported they were satisfied with their job, and at mid and senior levels 78% and 86% confirmed this. People in executive positions and the C-Suite are the happiest with where they stand – 93% of them said they were satisfied. 90% of entrepreneurs, or a total of 12% of all respondents, also reported satisfaction. On the whole, a staggering majority of graduates on all levels agreed that their education contributed to the level of job satisfaction. □ D.G.

MBA Trend

United in Diversity

Business School Partnerships Are The True Building Blocks of The MBA Industry

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artnering with a like-minded organisation in order to bring added value to a product or service is as old a practice as doing business itself. But what exactly is it that generates so much extra worth for the partnering institutions, their students and the industry as a whole? Like most things in business, the answer is woven in financial, reputational and managerial complexity. Crucially, no single reason for schools to partner with each other outweighs the others. Rather, business school partnerships are beneficial on multiple levels. Moreover, the regularity of this practice paints a picture of an industry marked by the pursuit of advantageous synergy rather than fierce independence. UNDERSTANDING THE TERMS

So what is a business school partnership? It is a legally established commitment between two educational institutions to collaborate in their activities. This collaboration can be as small as knowledge exchange between teaching staff, or as far-reaching as the one between Kellogg School of Management and WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management. “Just like in the business world,” reaffirms Sophie Mathiaut, Marketing Manager at Kellogg-WHU’s Executive MBA Programme, “a true school partnership, as opposed to an alliance, means that both

partners are actively involved in the enterprise; that they share ownership […] of their curricula and stakeholders [such as] prospective and current students, faculties, alumni, staff, the recruiting and admissions’ process, networks, marketing, branding, and so on.” Indeed, alliances are quite different from partnerships. Instead, partnerships resemble mergers. A good example of one such merger is France-based NEOMA Business School. “After several years of working together in an equal partnership, the Grandes

Écoles [colleges, -ed.] of Rouen Business School and Reims Management School merged to form NEOMA Business School in 2013. The merger created the NEOMA Business School One-year MBA, which is now the only triple-accredited, Financial Times-ranked one-year programme in the heart of Paris”, says William Toussaint, MBA Recruitment Manager at NEOMA Business School. Because of the different organisational approach, mergers’ main benefit is Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Trend

that of pooling resources, as opposed to sharing them as in the case of partnerships. But more importantly, the advantages that these different types of collaborations present to their students are in fact quite similar and well-understood. They can be summed up in two broad categories: academia and human capital.

ACADEMIC VALUE

Sharing intellectual resources in order to construct better, more elaborate curricula and forge smarter, more innovative teaching methods is the best, most clearly defined achievement of both business school partnerships and mergers. Joint research is one of the pillars of academia. Knowledge exchange between teaching staff leads to improved understanding of subject matter that, although similar in both of the partnering institutions’ programmes, is not simple. Think of this as two researchers in China and the US collaborating on a cure for, say, diabetes. The disease has been around for as long as mankind, and we know quite a bit about it, but we still need the joint efforts of academics in order to deal with the challenges in more efficient ways. This academic exchange is usually carried out behind closed doors but, once a partnership is established, collaboration between teaching staff becomes almost daily. A hint of this can be found in the many books written by teachers on both sides of a partnership, which have later become recommended or obligatory reading for students. An example of this is the book “Arranger Certification in Project Finance”, 2013, by professors from SDA Bocconi, Maastricht University and University of Oklahoma, all of which are partner schools. Such joint works have clear added value because of the enhanced research collaboration behind them. An academic book by several authors will almost always be better than one written by just one. Furthermore, a partnership allows for the exchange of on-campus teaching

MBA Trend

the opportunity for students to focus their attention on entire areas of the world; for instance, on doing business in China or Latin America. These are called “global electives” and are aimed at truly senior managers. That in itself represents the strongest argument in favour of soft intercultural skills resulting from partnerships. The fact that C-level managers and the companies behind them are willing to spend small fortunes on training in cross-cultural and localised management means that global business understands that it is people, and the way they connect, that creates organisational value – be it a successful overseas collaboration, or a painless local takeover.

staff. This carries a more direct impact for students, since they are able to benefit from the guest lectures of someone from across the world. “School partnerships also enhance the curriculum through cutting-edge classes taught by global subject-matter experts”, says Sophie Mathiaut from Kellogg-WHU. The creation of entirely new modules and programmes represents another example of how school partnerships are able to provide more in-depth knowledge and expertise to students. According to professor Gatti, MBA Director at SDA Bocconi, “information is constantly being exchanged and courses are often co-designed vis-à-vis each other”. A good example of this is the BocconiWharton Executive MBA Luxury Business Management programme aimed at senior brand and marketing managers. The two schools have joined forces in order to make use of traditions and expertise on each side, thus effectively creating a whole new area of knowledge.

PEOPLE VALUE

Most importantly, however, business school partnerships add new layers to the student’s personal experience.

According to SDA Bocconi’s MBA Director, an MBA programme is international by definition. It is thereby crucial for students to be able to experience those other cultures: “Business school partnerships provide fundamental empowerment value to students”, says professor Gatti. “They become more mature, learn about leadership in a multicultural environment, acquire lateral thinking, and connect fields of knowledge by way of drawing intellectual power from differently wired individuals”. Typically, students select a partner school and take individual classes or spend a whole semester in a different location, thus effectively tapping into the other country’s culture from day one. But this also allows for a deeper interpersonal and learning experience made possible through contact with classmates and professors with different mind-sets. Such experiences remain for a lifetime, and are often able to change a person’s perspective altogether. On a more advanced level, Executive MBA programmes, such as Kellogg-WHU, give

Finally, there’s also the global network that students are able to build. Ask any international graduate about his connections, and they will tell you that friendships made in other countries can potentially last a lifetime. Now imagine yourself 10 years from now, wanting to expand your business in another country. The name of your classmate from the semester abroad will be the first to come to mind, if you are not business partners already.

REPUTATION VALUE

For the sake of honesty, it must be said that school partnerships also provide reputational value to institutions, which is important for their own marketing and communication goals. Co-branding is a typical communication strategy, albeit not an easy one to capitalise on. The fact that business schools across the world are so intertwined and able to gain so much value from partnering with each other, means that they are, quite simply, good at applying what they teach. In the words of professor Gatti, “you must know the other partner very well for a school partnership to generate true value for all stakeholders – institutions, students, alumni”. This is also the case-in-point proof that business school partnerships are what make the MBA education and the industry as a whole both unique and robust – two qualities that make any investment worthwhile. □ A.Z. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Teaching

Learning by Doing MBA’s Practice-Teaching Methods Are Elaborate and Effective

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here is a reason why MBA programmes cost as much as they do. You actually pay for someone else’s precious knowhow and experience, hoping to grasp as much as you can from their acumen and mind-set.That someone could be faculty, fellow students or the real life practitioners you meet almost daily as part of your practical education. The immediate practical application of an MBA degree is what makes it stand out from all other forms of postgraduate education.

HONE YOUR SOFT SKILLS

The 2014 GMAC Employer survey shows that MBA degree holders with excellent soft skills are in great demand. Universum’s 2014 survey of executive’s

expectations of the 2020 talent market is also unequivocal: in evaluating top talent, employers consider nothing other than work experience, followed by personality and communication skills in second and third place. So, a combination of highly practical knowledge and hands on experience, together with good soft skills, is the golden package that companies are ready to go to great lengths to acquire and keep. The GMAC Employer survey also shows that employers actually do expect business schools to teach not just the ‘hard’ skills of analytical and strategic thinking, accounting, finance and funding, business plans, etc., but also oral and written communication, presentation and negotiation skills and adaptability. The most in-demand profile type is “leader” – one who knows how to manage both people and processes, is pro-active, result-driven and innovative, but also leads through personal example, charis-

ma and engagement. The ideal candidate with an MBA degree would come to the table with an excellent and well-maintained network of contacts in various industries and countries, the result of active immersion in an international environment for the course of their MBA studies. They would add exceptional value to the project from day one, namely because of the practical applicability of all they have learned in their MBA programme. These are the key elements employers need to find in a candidate in order to justify the six-digit salary most MBA grads expect to receive after matriculation.

BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE CLASSROOM

First and foremost, top MBA programmes dedicate time and resources to establishing and maintaining working relationships with business. Though b-schools have been the subject of criticism for an allegedly sporadic

MBA Teaching

collaboration with businesses and for not meeting companies’ real business needs as part of their curricula, there are hundreds of examples to the contrary. Just one of the many is the University of Edinburgh Business School, which has developed working collaborations with businesses all over the world. The school offers students the opportunity to engage with businesses by hosting business practitioner speakers throughout the year, participate in debates with various CEOs, join an Entrepreneurship Club and work on consultancy assignments as part of the programme. Some of the modules provide students with an opportunity to work with a larger corporation or to work on assignments with start-up and spin-out ventures for clients like Amazon, Barclays Wealth, GE Energy, etc. Just a little further south, at Manchester Business School (MBS), which has international centres in the USA, Middle East, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Brazil, students are subjected to a practical, situation-based learning by doing approach, the so-called Manchester Method. As an MBA student at Manchester, you would undertake a minimum of 900 hours of client-facing consultancy work through the Not-for-Profit Project, UK Consultancy Project and International Business Project. You would compete in an innovative, interactive business simulation exercise in Mergers & Acquisitions and work with a diverse range of local, national and international clients, from not-for-profit organisations to global bluechips.

PRACTICAL IS THE NEW ACADEMIC

Perhaps most preciously though, the academic approach within the business programmes is also changing, introducing an increasing number of practitioners among faculty, and not only as guest speakers. Schools appoint professors from business while investing in developing their academic skills. Practitioners not only bring real life experience to the classroom, but also have the ability to link the curriculum to what students will encounter in their organisations post-graduation. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business or AACSB, one of the

international accrediting organisations for schools of business, ironically had a requirement that at least 40% of faculty members at accredited schools have a doctorate degree. This failed to acknowledge the fact that some of the business school professors have many years of real work experience, but most stopped their academic careers at Master’s level. The difference between PhD professors and teaching practitioners is that the latter possess a complex combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application and experience, including numerous successes and failures, a wealth of human interaction in a real life business environment, genuine understanding of both business processes and the human drive behind them: exactly what businesses demand from MBAs today. Business practitioners give real value to MBA students by adding a more pragmatic and humble approach, while creating a collaborative learning atmosphere. They encourage students to immediately put theory into practice in real business situations, allowing them to make valuable mistakes early on and fix them in creative, innovative, yet result-driven ways.

PUT WORDS INTO ACTION

Despite these accreditation requirements, the practical element of the MBA programme is highly appreciated, says Robert Reid, Executive Vice President and Chief Accreditation Officer for the AACSB. “You don’t become a worldclass athlete in a sport by thinking about how to do it,” says Reid. “You go out and practice it, and over time you get much better at it.” To ensure their students become real practitioners, b-schools develop their curricula and teaching methods from the standpoint of businesses: how this business knowledge and newly developed soft and hard skills should be put into practice. No doubt the traditional method of lecture teaching still exists, and it probably always will, since it provides valuable and irreplaceable assets to students. Yet, data reported by business schools to Bloomberg Businessweek has showed that there is no lecture teaching at Harvard Business School at all, while the case study teaching method accounts for 80%.

GET DOWN TO THE CASE

The case method plays a significant role in building practical applicability of the knowledge gained in MBA programmes, not only in terms of how intensively it is used, but also as the core instrument to fill the gap between theory and practice. The case method enables students to investigate business theories and apply them in real case scenarios from the past by offering a resolution. Professors who use this teaching method are not expected, unlike in other traditional teaching methods, to offer their personal view of the matter discussed but simply provide explanations, if needed, and encourage Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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students to devise and defend solutions to the issues at hand. The case method uses decision-forcing cases, a kind of decision game where reliable descriptions and real events are used. Every case has a protagonist faced with the issues that students are asked to solve. As in every decision game, a role play is engaged and some case teachers emphasize this to the point of addressing students using the name and title of the protagonist. Others, like the faculty at Harvard Business School, do not place such emphasis on role play. Case-study classrooms give a sense of anticipation of the unknown. The professors’ role is to bring as much of the real world as possible into the classroom, by putting students into a hard management situation and forcing them to deal with it in the presence of insufficient information. And, at this point, students are not taught to bring the right solution into the classroom but to have the right questions. This is how this transformational learning changes the way students look at the world.

THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE RIGHT JOB

Each business school chooses its teaching philosophy by drawing upon a mixture of teaching methods such as the case-study method, lectures and discussion, team-based learning experiences, experiential learning and real world exercise opportunities, such as business simulation competitions, real life consultancy projects, venture incubators and internships. Some schools, like Harvard Business School for example, have preferences for some of the teaching methods over others, but most still rely on a mixture of all of the above. This is notably applicable to the diverse group of students business schools have nowadays, and the fact that every person has a different way of learning. Giving students the chance to explore different teaching methods allows them to be more adaptable to real life scenarios. Some classes, such as statistics and accounting, are more traditionally taught using the lecture and discussion model. This allows professors to be much more time-efficient and cover more topics, but

also provides students with the clarity needed for such specific and technical subjects. The case method is still the core practical teaching method in MBA programmes. The written assignments that students complete after each module are based on the same foundation. At the same time, written assignments give students the opportunity to make a direct connection between the material taught and the actual issues they were facing at their latest or current organisation. Students are encouraged to find the mechanisms behind a particular business process or decision and apply them directly to their organisations, thus identifying the successful and weak points of the decisions that have been made and, most importantly, propose new solutions while applying their knowledge to solving the issue. It is obvious how employers that encourage and support their managers to pursue MBA degrees will benefit from such an investment.

REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE

In addition, b-schools provide students with the opportunity to participate in a variety of experiential learning processes, so as to encourage learning by doing. One of the most common is the business plan competition, where MBA students work in groups to create detailed business plans with complete financial projections, marketing strategies and return-on-investment analyses. Business plans are then judged by entrepreneurs and professors, and the best often receive funding from joint venture capitalists and angel investors. In some cases, students themselves transfer their business plans into reality and provide or find funding independently, either while they are still at b-school or after graduation. Not surprisingly, their partners, colleagues and service providers are often none other than their own MBA classmates who have provided active cooperation and support in the process. Real life consultancy projects and internships are also innovative and effective

MBA Teaching

teaching methods. Real life consultancy projects mix teamwork skills with practice for a limited period of time. Students’ adaptability to the team and the organisation are crucial to this type of project. Usually students need to solve issues quickly, faced with many missing pieces of information, so they learn how to work with many unknowns, just like they will in real life. Some schools have extra expectations of the practical skills acquired by their students in the course of the programme and set a requirement that students undergo a second internship to be granted a diploma. The practical approach allows managers to understand the changes happening globally and spot entrepreneurial opportunities. Where people usually see decline, MBA holding managers are taught to see areas of growth.

WELL-ROUNDED OUTCOME

After so many real cases and project opportunities it is no surprise that MBA degree holders are in demand by employers. Analytical and strategic thinking, the ability to link the pieces of the large business puzzle in various industries, communication skills and stamina to defend your solution, are all the result of spending those eventful two years at business school. MBA holders do not possess finished models for every particular situation they have obtained a model of how to apply and communicate their business knowledge in any situation, and provide the clarity, business reasoning and leadership guidance to ensure that solutions are followed through, regardless of industry, continent and cultural differences. The MBA learning process broadens

one’s horizons, both in personal and professional terms. The fast and flexible assessment of what is important or not in a particular situation, and the ability to put various complex business skills into practice, give MBA degree holders enough credibility to inspire trust with their business ideas. Moreover, the proven ability to draft real and practical business plans and strategies, to deal with the unknown bearing in mind both past and future challenges, and to think in perspective, are all priceless skills. When combined with deep financial knowledge and strategic and organisational experience, supplemented with leadership and communication abilities, MBA practical teaching programmes turn into irreplaceable incubators for proactive leaders all around the world. □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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Technology and MBA Unwrapping the True Value of Online Learning becoming increasingly tough and sensitive to outside interest from corporate investors, but that doesn’t change the fact that more and more university students continue to pursue MBA qualifications, because they want to distinguish themselves from the rest of the market. According to The Economist, the number of top-tier institutions incorporating some degree of online interaction within their MBA programmes has doubled since 2012.

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he business world can be a fierce environment, and the only way to conquer it is with the right skills, knowledge and experience. Over the last decade, this has come to mean more than just learning how to address boardrooms, because it must now incorporate an essential degree of technological knowledge. The question is, how are contemporary MBA programmes being adapted to reflect this?

The launch of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), and its eventual development into a major popular mode of learning, has made it clear that there are no longer any real limits to cross-platform education. According to the Babson Survey Research Group, referring to the Western world in 2013, “69.1% of chief academic leaders say that online learning is critical to their long-term strategy – the highest it has been in a 10-year period”.

The march of technological progress means that MBA students are now learning from mentors outside designated classrooms, and tutors are collaborating across campuses and institutions to construct new curricula. This notion is supported by Maryke Luijendijk-Steenkamp, director of MBA Marketing at the Rotterdam School of Management, who says: “One of the most important elements of the MBA experience is the opportunities which present themselves outside the classroom.” Jonathan Lehrich, a lecturer and programme director of the MIT Executive MBA programme, adds that “these outof-the-classroom conversations can spark new business ideas and even inspire start-ups”. A number of key technological enterprises have gained a foothold in the education market, and many universities are starting to be drawn towards interactive platforms. As Babson Group indicates, 89 % of MBA degrees worldwide view online education as a crucial long-term strategy for learning. Virtual frameworks, curricula and criteria are

The President and CEO of eCornell, Chris Proulx said: “There is opportunity for the structure of MBA courses to provide immersive learning experiences, either through live conferences with industry executives, or by constructing small scale collective experiences via virtual platforms. Yes, institutions will need to invest time and money for this to work, but it could help to make way for a more flexible MBA model.”

INNOVATION AND CLASSROOM FLIPPING

The Centre for Education Reform in Washington conducted an experiment, concluding that students in online conditions perform up to 50% better than those learning in classrooms. It is no surprise, then, that more institutions are beginning to utilise online resources. An increasing amount of MBA course materials can be pre-prepared and accessed by students at any time, in any place, and at any frequency. The widespread use of Blackboard in universities is evidence of this, as it has supported the creation of a collaborative online space. Within this virtual framework, lecture recordings can be posted, memos shared, feedback disseminated, grades allocated, and resources identified. ‘Blended’ programmes, designed to bring together face-to-face learning and online

MBA Teaching

alternatives, are a new approach to the most effective and resourceful education strategies today. In essence, they allow a third environment (between on-site and independent learning) to exist, so that students can regulate the level of support they need, and teachers can make the most out of potentially thin resources. With regard to the use of mobile apps, attitudes are beginning to shift there as well. Where once the mobile phone was seen as an unauthorised distraction, teachers are now being confronted with the endless advantages of programmes such as Google’s Apps for Work, which can be used to access, edit, and share documents online. Furthermore, the concept of the flipped classroom has never been more appealing, as MBA students are increasingly invited to shape curricula to their own needs. In a business context, being able to access content such as the TED talks is invaluable, because this is an industry which never stops moving – it is at the mercy of world events, economics, technological developments, and much more. Crucially, the online environment allows for students, teachers and experts from different parts of the world to collaborate. Online conferences are a recent innovation that is dramatically changing the way we educate one another, making individuals part of global networking. From Skype sessions with tutors to lectures by business professionals on

Livestream, students are able to communicate and learn across great distances and to acquire new skill-sets.

ually be incorporated into full-time MBA programmes, eventually becoming a standard method of learning experience.

‘BLENDED’ PROGRAMMES THE FUTURE

The Association of MBAs suggests that up to 76% of MBA courses have already established online teaching methods as part of their curricula, and intend to use future technological innovations.

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These innovative ideas suggest that the future of MBA courses will take on a dramatic change. John Byrne, executive editor of BusinessWeek, believes that “in a quarter of a century, most business students will never enter a classroom. The faculty lectures, MBA student discussions and homework assignments will instead occur over the Internet, where each part of the educational experience can be played out as many times as it takes to fully absorb or satisfy it”. Undoubtedly, this radical prediction is something to consider seriously. The launch of the MOOC has garnered much industry attention, because of its seemingly infinite dimensions. With technological innovations rapidly transforming the way we understand education, cyberspace and virtual presence may, indeed, become the norm. Yet, statistics state that MOOC courses only account for a minute proportion of qualifications. On the other hand, ‘blended’ programmes are forging ahead, with record numbers of MBA students expressing a wish to spread their learning across multiple platforms – featuring both face-to-face time and online learning. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that ‘blended’ teaching will grad-

For MBA students, the ‘blended’ teaching model offers increased adaptability and the chance to interact with content in a much more efficient way. It gives universities the chance to experiment with online teaching methods and new technological approaches, without having to abandon the safety net of conventional frameworks. “One of the most common reasons why distance-learning programmes are gaining acceptance is the fact that students (almost always medium or top-level managers) cannot afford to interrupt their careers. Thus, they choose to obtain their MBA degree while still working full time,” comments Refaat Kazoun, CEO of Stafford Associates, a partner of University of Northampton Middle East, on the advantages of incorporating online methods into classic curricula. Robin Mason, dean and professor of Economics at University of Exeter Business School, adds that, gradually, we will find ourselves immersed in new ways of understanding businesses, their international interconnectedness, and new forms of communication of our ideas. Thus, introducing this shift into the university environment in the ‘blended’ format is one of the first steps to get ready for what comes next. Business education, with the help of technology and Internet-based services for students, is acquiring a global character. Bringing together knowledge, experience and people on a global scale can create learning conditions of a completely new character. This ‘global campus’, a result of technological advances in all areas of our lives, provides a glimpse of the future; a future of great possibilities for dissemination of knowledge, as well as a platform for cooperation. □ Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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Blogs: The Life of an MBA Student

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he personal stories of fellow students and alumni can tell you more about what it’s really like to go through the MBA experience than any other source. Here is our editor’s pick of the best student blog posts relating to the life and career success of MBA graduates from across the globe.

A Day in the Life of an MBA Student at MIP Jeremy Schick is an American. He is currently an MBA student in MIP. Prior to his MBA, he used to own a small business franchise for a Mexican restaurant chain in the US. He shares his daily routine as an MBA student. “Although it feels like I just went to sleep, my mind is awake again with all I must do today, tomorrow, this week. My wife and four kids are still asleep and I’m relieved they are getting the rest they need, for I know their days are full of adjustments and growth as well. My day starts around 5:30am. I get up while it is quiet and read another case study to prepare for class. At 6:15, I wake the family for prayer and scriptures. We take care of our daily necessities and are out the door by 7:45. I hug and kiss them goodbye, get on a train and make my way to MIP. Classes begin each day at 9. Today, we are in the middle of an international economics course, which runs until lunch and

continues until 4pm. Lunch normally runs an hour, which today includes a Skype call with a professor to discuss the development of a project I’m working on with two others as a consultant for a global Italian company. I bring my lunch, which is usually leftovers from dinner the night before, and eat it quickly before the next class begins. Following the afternoon session of international economics, a half hour break affords me time to take care of a couple of phone calls before a scheduled business seminar begins. Tonight’s seminar is put on by Sirti, a leading technology infrastructure company here in Italy, scheduled to wrap up at 6:30pm. […] Dinner is a sandwich my wife made and left for me in the fridge. After eating and changing into a suit and tie, I head out the door again, this time to participate in a local leadership church meeting that begins at 9pm. Following the routine monthly planning meeting, I catch the metro and a bus back

home. It’s close to midnight now and I find my kids in bed, sound asleep. I quietly and gently kiss each one goodnight, with an occasional stir and hug in return. I climb in to bed and chalk up another productive day. Let’s see what tomorrow brings!”

Source: www.growingleader.com

Bocconi’s ‘Women in Business’ MBA Advocate Danielle Beraldo is a Canadian/Italian. She is currently a President of Women in Business Club. She has graduated as an MBA students from SDA Boccioni full-time programme. She has previous experience in the pharmaceutical/healthcare sector in Canada. […] By being part of the MBA programme over the past few months, I have met some amazing friends from all over the world with extremely varied backgrounds, and I can say in all honesty that it is truly wonderful to interact with such a variety of people on a daily basis. I believe that the diversity and level of acceptance within our programme is truly unique. As Professor Castellucci explained in his presentation, the importance of broadening your social

and professional network is something extremely beneficial when pursuing any kind of business opportunity. […] At the beginning of the MBA, I decided it was important for me to become involved in the Women in Business club since as a female student in a programme that is still heavily dominated by men (not only at Bocconi, but in business schools all over the world), I believe in the importance and value of having a support system in place for young professional women. The WIB club initiatives do not focus on issues of gender inequality specifically, but more on the notion of sharing ideas, experiences and triumphs of successful women in the business world with young women looking to advance their careers.

Source: www.sdabocconi.it

MBA Teaching

The Honest MBA Experience of a HEC Student After studying Engineering, Thomas Anastaselos spent 4 years working in the energy sector. He decided to enrol at HEC Paris MBA as a way of discovering previously unknown areas of business. “I made the decision to do an MBA after some serious thought on what I want to do with my future. Having an engineering background, I had been working in the energy sector for 4 years. […] Almost at day one I started being involved in the community, by exploring the various professional clubs, organizing events and of course socializing with my classmates. One of the most important extracurricular tasks was my involvement in the organization of the MBA Tournament, the most popular

event among MBAs, attended by 1500 students. As co-head of logistics, we planned and organized accommodation, transportation, supplies, security and first aid for the 3 day event which was held in May. At the same time I was part of the MBA Council student government as head of IT. During our 6 month service, we designed and implemented a new portal for the MBA students, so that all club and student activities are centralized and easily accessible by the community. […] The diversity of the class is phenomenal: my first term’s study group alone represented Greece, Mexico, China, India and the US. During the customized phase of the program, I tried to take advantage of the programs enormous flexibility; I started by doing a consulting project for a large tech-

nology corporation in France, while for my last term, I decided to expand my horizons by attending the international exchange program with a partner university in the US.” Source: www.mba.hec.edu

Every Minute Counts at Fuqua Heather Langerman has background in non-profit and government work. She is part of the Daytime MBA class 2015 of Fuqua School of Business in Duke University. “7:15 AM: Wake up. 7:45 – 8:55 AM: Go to the gym at on campus. 9:00 – 9:30 AM: Meet with my buddy to discuss his summer internship. He worked at a local pharmaceutical company that I’m interested in, so it was great to hear his perspective. Each admitted student is assigned a first-year Fuqua buddy upon admissio. […] 10:30 AM – 12:45 PM: Biotech and Pharma Strategy class: Since I exempted from two core classes, I was able to take an elective course during Fall Term 1. This was a case-based class focused on topics such as pricing, vaccine launch, intellectual property, and acquisitions. One of my favorite parts of this course was learning from the second-year students’ contributions. […] 12:45 – 1:45 PM: Lunch in Fox Center. […] Most business students eat lunch in the Fox Center so it’s a great opportuni-

ty to catch up with section mates or get to know new classmates. 1:45 – 4:00 PM: Accounting core class. During Global Institute, Fall 1, and Fall 2, first years typically attend all core classes with their section (the entire Daytime class is divided into 6 sections). Attending class with your section mates is a great way to get to know a subset of Fuquans more deeply. Before each accounting class we had a team case due, which we complete with our Consequential Leadership (C-LEAD) teams. One of the best lessons my team learned throughout the term was how to be more efficient in our meetings. […] 4:15 – 6:30 PM: Statistics core class. The semester flies by and there is a ton of material packed into 6 weeks, so I had to push myself to be accountable to make sure I understood the material from each class. We had an online test due before each class so that was a good way to check understanding. 6:45 – 8:00 PM: Corporate presentation. Recruiting presentations start during Fall Term 1 for most industries including consulting, finance, marketing, and general management. Companies that recruit Fuqua MBAs typically have one official on-campus presentation about the company. […]

During presentations, these representatives typically give an overview of the company, explain available internship opportunities, and answer students’ questions. After the presentation, there is typically a networking reception where students have a chance to get to know the company representatives and get a better sense of company culture. 8:00 – 11:00 PM: Eat dinner, do homework and catch up on emails. Homework usually involves reading cases and preparing assignments in advance of group meetings. […].” Source: www.blogs.fuqua.duke.edu

Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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Hult’s Diplomat of Education Rafael Natali is a Hult Global Ambassador. He has a background in Information Technology with over 10 years of experience, and four as a manager. He is currently an MBA student at Hult’s London Campus. “It’s 6:30 a.m. and the alarm rings in a new day. First, I check London weather to work out how many layers of clothes I’ll need. I arrive at Hult and go straight to the 4th floor, Hult’s communal floor, to prepare my first coffee of the day and read the headlines in the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. Then, it’s off to the classroom on the 1st floor, where everybody is waiting for class to start. I greet my friends, we talk about our weekends, assignments, classes, and some of today’s headlines. […] At 9 a.m., class begins. Today is “Global Strategy,” and as usual, it’s a very dynamic class with the professor explaining a theory and providing several real-life situations, with a thorough analysis about the current situation of the retail industry in the UK. The class is interspersed with questions, comments, and points of discussion from students. […] We get a 15-20 minute break within the first half of the class. During this time there is a lot going on: people

go to take a coffee, talk with the professor, and catch up with classmates. After the break, we come back to continue our analysis and arguments of a case study, and the related articles and notes we prepared in advance. […] At 12 p.m. class ends, and it is time to for lunch. Back on the 4th floor, I sit down for a good chat with my friends, just like I used to do when I was working. This is the busiest time on the 4th floor; many students are eating and finishing their morning meetings/studies or just hanging out. Though there is no more class for the day, it is still a very busy time on campus. Everyone has various appointments, like group meetings, group study, club business or self-study. Today I have a group meeting, where the task at hand is to finish our assignment for “Managerial Economics.” […] […] My current team is a combination of people from Ecuador, Brazil, Iceland, Austria, Japan, and Pakistan. Of course we have different ways of thinking and acting, but we use our differences to create a positive and supportive work environment. […] We have learned different techniques to improve our group work, including motivation, negotia-

tion, and active listening. […] A few hours later, the assignment is complete and we are ready to go home, and continue our work. This evening, I will do a review of today’s class, prepare my readings for tomorrow and conduct some research for other assignments. And then it’s time for a good night’s sleep to recharge my batteries ready for another rigorous day of learning—who knows what that will bring!” Source: http://news.hult.edu

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Put Your House in Order! The Main Steps for a Successful MBA Application that every candidate can identify his/her strengths, weaknesses and the improvements that will be necessary to reach a good score.

STEP 3. GET TO KNOW YOURSELF

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he MBA application is a time-consuming and stressful endeavour. There are plenty of things to be done and if you want to succeed, you should plan and manage the process carefully. There are some key steps that every MBA candidate should follow before submitting the application file to the B-school. START EARLY

Waiting until the last moment or postponing one or other part of the application process is not a good decision. Of course, there is no fixed “start now” moment, but as the process is timeconsuming and could be very stressful at some points, starting as early as possible is recommended. Experts say that starting 6-9 months prior to filing the application is reasonable timing. “Start preparing as soon as possible. Preparing for an MBA by studying for the GMAT, writing the essays and preparing for the interviews can take a serious candidate up to 6 months,” says Riadh Hamida, an MBA admissions expert from France-based Cours Colbert.

“Starting early will help make the process much more manageable and allows for a stronger, more authentic application that may lead to a significant increase in the candidate’s chances of getting into a top MBA programme”, adds Shawn O’Connor, a contributor to the Forbes magazine and MBA applicants advisor. What are the main steps?

STEP 1. APPLICATION STRATEGY

Strategic planning of the whole application process is a must for every serious candidate. MBA applicants have to understand clearly the importance of good planning: drafting a strategic plan and following it without serious deviations. The strategy covers all the steps of the application process – the GMAT, references, essays, etc., and preferably comes with a time management plan with interim deadlines to allow you to go smoothly through this stressful process.

STEP 2. THE GMAT

One of the first steps in the business school application process is to prepare for the GMAT or GRE, as most students need at least 3-6 months of preparation to achieve their full potential in these exams. You can even take the test earlier and by doing so you would have one step fewer when you start the actual preparation. Experts advise the GMAT preparation to include a diagnostic exam so

When you face the admission committee – once through your documents and the second time during the interview – you should convince them you are the right fit for their school. You can’t do this if you are not exactly sure what that x-factor in your personality is that helps you stand out, or if you don’t know what your career goals are and how the MBA programme will help you achieve them. Business schools will be seeking answers to questions about why you need an MBA and how their MBA fits your needs; what the real value of the degree will be to your personal and professional growing-up.

STEP 4. DECIDE ON SCHOOLS

There are thousands of schools and MBA programmes available on the market and finding the school, and most importantly the programme, that best fit your needs is also time-consuming. Undoubtedly, when you first considered getting an MBA, you researched dozens of schools at least, trying to find the best ones for you. As it is impossible to apply to all of them, make a shortlist of at least three schools, but not more than four or five, to apply to. Once you have finalised the school shortlist, check each school’s deadline and then start customising your application file depending on each school’s requirements.

STEP 5. REACH RECOMMENDERS

Letters of recommendation are highly valued by school admission committees. Getting in touch with a good recommender who knows you really well both as an individual and a professional, and can write a letter of recommendation showing you at your best, takes time. Recommenders, who are usually very busy people, will also need time to

MBA Admission

complete the online recommendation forms, which differ from school to school. Keep in mind that selecting good referees is a test of your managerial skills. Try to secure professional rather than academic references, as business schools want to see proof of your professional performance. Pick referees who can really talk about your skills. It’s not a good idea to go to a big boss who hardly knows you. It’s better to go to a mid-level manager who has closely supervised your work, knows you well and can provide you with a serious and in-depth reference.

STEP 6. TAKE CARE WITH THE ESSAYS AND THE CV/RESUME

The CV and essays show who you are: your personality, plans, ambitions and goals. Write them in the best possible way and make sure you have touched on all the important details about you. Before actually writing them, define the general topics you will cover in the CV and in each essay. Essays take time to write and polish. Ask someone to help you by brainstorming the topics you

should include, or just as a second pair of eyes looking for and correcting typos. Also, while reviewing your CV, watch for shortcomings that threaten to weaken your application. “Perhaps you have three years of work experience, but very few activities outside work. In the coming months, you should deepen your extracurricular work by taking on leadership positions that will offer you the chance to positively impact your community,” advises O’Connor.

STEP 7. GET HELP

You will spend thousands of euros or dollars on your MBA, whether in Europe, the US or Asia, particularly when you consider tuition and living costs as well as the opportunity costs of not working for one or two years. Spending some more to work with a true MBA admissions expert, who can substantially increase your chances of getting into the school of your dreams, is likely a very wise investment, according to GMAT tutors. The consultant will guide you through the whole process, and will help you with your application strategy

and time management plan, in selecting your recommenders, in writing the CV and the essays and in preparing for the interview.

STEP 8. GET READY FOR THE INTERVIEW

If your application is good enough, you will be among those lucky candidates shortlisted for the final step of the application – the interview. Now is your last chance to show yourself at your best. You will be the centre of attention during the interview, and you should be ready to answer any question about yourself, your personality, and your professional achievements, goals and ambitions. So, be yourself and give your best. If you follow the above steps, beginning the business school application process early and working consistently over the next several months, sticking tightly to your application strategy and meeting interim deadlines in your time management plan, you will have all the time you need to assemble the most competitive application possible. □ I.D-S Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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What Is the GMAT Really Testing?

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he GMAT is an exam that assesses the extent to which college graduates are prepared for success in a graduate management programme. But to the untrained eye, looking at the content that it tests, it may not appear to be well suited for that.

THE GMAT FEATURES: • Arithmetic (including division with

• • • •

remainders, the use of fractions, and even the mechanics of addition, subtraction, and multiplication) Algebra (but mostly linear algebra) Geometry (but no trigonometry) English grammar (but a relatively small subset) Reading comprehension (but on passages of less than 400 words; there are no legal briefs or Tolstoy novels here).

So why does a test that features content that might look primitive to even an average high school student work so well at assessing a 25-year-old college graduate’s preparedness for Harvard, Stanford or London Business School?

IT’S NOT ABOUT CONTENT

The GMAT is a test of reasoning, of “higher-order thinking”. And higherorder thinking has an academic definition - it’s not a buzzword like “paradigm shift” or “synergy” that could be open to interpretation. Higher-order thinking is anything beyond “Remember” and “Understand” on a list of verbs that demonstrate a student’s facility with new information or concepts. Higher-order thinking means that you don’t merely remember and understand

knowledge about the GMAT in your quest to achieve a high score?

DON’T JUST MEMORISE; UNDERSTAND

Brian Galvin received a Master’s in Education from the University of Michigan and has studied the GMAT full time since 2006 as the Vice President of Academics for Veritas Prep. Combining his professional achievements with his personal hobbies as an Ironman and stand-up comedian, Brian might very well be the foremost expert on the GMAT in the world.

that information, but you can “Apply” it to new concepts, “Analyse” it in and out of context, “Create” new information or understanding how to build off of it. Which all means that to truly succeed in the GMAT, to achieve scores in the high 600s into the 700s, remembering those facts and formulas from high school isn’t enough. It’s not about whether you remember the Pythagorean Theorem or how to factor a quadratic equation; it’s about whether you can apply that knowledge to unique situations that may not even seem at first glance to call for that type of knowledge. Simply put, the GMAT is a test of how you think, not a test of what you know. So, how can you apply this newfound

For many tests you’ve taken, memorising a list of steps and then applying them in the exam was enough to demonstrate that you can “Master” the concept. But on the GMAT, more difficult problems are crafted expressly to make sure that you can’t rely on memory alone, requiring instead that you solve new problems using familiar frameworks. (After all, isn’t that business? Encountering a brand new problem and applying frameworks and historical knowledge in an attempt to solve it?) So avoid the temptation to flip straight to the back of the book or the online solution when you can’t solve a problem and then copy down, step for step, what the book says about solving it. Instead, push yourself to bridge the gap between the question and the correct answer. How should you have recognised that you needed to take that first step? Why were you tempted to, say, divide both sides by x (even though you couldn’t because, alas, x could have been zero!)? What clues were in the answer choices to let you know that you didn’t have to slog through the algebra and could have simply plugged in answers instead? Many students become so mired in the “What” (they need to know) that they seldom address the “Why” (they didn’t see at first what to do, or why they fell

MBA Admission

for the trap answer) or the “How” (they should have recognised the need for a particular strategy). So as you study: • Don’t settle for simply accepting a series of steps; see if you can understand why those steps worked and how you could recognise a similar situation in the future. • Don’t simply follow the steps in the written solution as though they were ingredients and steps in a recipe. Once you’ve seen how to get started, see if you can finish the problem on your own. Or try to connect the dots between where your work left off and the correct answer. You may “Remember” the steps from the solution, but you’re much more likely to “Understand” what you’ve learned by struggling and doing.

LEARN WHAT TO DO, NOT JUST WHAT TO KNOW

Higher-order thinking involves a lot more application than knowledge. So as you study, try to include verbs for what you are thinking. Think about what you need to actively DO on problems as opposed to focusing simply on the rules. For example, you need to KNOW that when you’re multiplying exponents of the same base, you add the exponents. But that’s a rule. What you need to DO is take exponent problems and try to put them in a form where you can apply that rule. So you’ll want to do two major things whenever you see an exponent problem: 1) Find common bases (so you may need to factor a base such as 6 into its prime factors of 2 and 3 so that you can get common bases) 2) Factor addition and subtraction into multiplication (since most of your exponent rules apply to multiplication and division, you’ll often need to transform the given expression into one that allows you to use those rules). The GMAT test makers love to provide you with slightly inconvenient setups, where the third and fourth steps may be Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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based on rote knowledge, but the first one or two steps require some creative problem solving. If you think in terms of active verbs as you study, you’ll have strategies (such as FIND common bases; FACTOR for multiplication) in mind to help with that problem solving.

THINK LIKE THE TEST MAKER

The authors of the GMAT have a difficult task: to reward the most critical of thinkers and creative problem solvers at the graduate school level, using primarily junior high and early high school content. So how do they do it? They often lay traps that ensnare the less adept while rewarding those who think critically about the problem. For example:

• In a sentence correction problem, they

might “hide” the critical decision point toward the right-hand side of the answer choice, knowing that you read from left to right and might take the bait of a strange-but-correct phrase toward the left as the item you need to fix.

• In a problem-solving problem, they

might make it easy to solve one variable (x) while actually asking for the harderto-solve variable (y), suspecting that once your algebra spits out a number for x, you’ll be relieved and satisfied enough to select that as an answer.

• In a data sufficiency problem, they

might make a statement look sufficient for any “obvious” number you’d test (positive integers, for example), but reward only those who think to test an out-of-the-ordinary number (e.g. a massive number near infinity, or a negative fraction).

In any of these situations, it pays to ask yourself not just why the correct answer is correct and why your answer was incorrect, but also why your incorrect answer was TEMPTING. Sometimes you’ll miss questions at the Remember/ Understand levels, because you simply didn’t know what the rule was or how it was being tested. But often you’ll have fallen for a well-crafted trap: you

assumed something about a variable, or left a problem short by one step, or answered with the cause when the problem wanted the effect. And when you’ve made the same mistake more than once, it’s important to know that you’re vulnerable to that mistake so that you can both prepare for it and be aware of it. Remember - any mistake you’ve made in the comfort of your home or a local library is likely to be exacerbated under timed test conditions. It pays to have a quick mental checklist of “double check that I don’t” before you finish a problem. Often examinees spend so much time chasing new, more obscure, knowledge that they miss out on opportunities to minimise systematic mistakes. Remember, the GMAT is a test of preparedness for success in business school, where the prized skills are critical thinking, creative problem solving, and other elements of higher-order thinking. Top business schools are not wholly concerned with applicants’ mastery of the high school curriculum; they want future CEOs, not past top students. So the GMAT test makers create questions about algebra and grammar because

they need the problems to have a common language through which to test reasoning. In the same way that case discussions in B-school aren’t designed to test whether you’d have been a great CFO of Xerox in 1984, but rather to see how you can apply business principles to a real-world situation, GMAT’s algebra problems are testing a microcosm of your ability to apply logic and to leverage assets to new problems. So you’ll need to study accordingly. Yes, you’ll need to remember and deeply understand certain rules, but don’t leave your studies there. As you study, hold yourself accountable for strategies, application, and the avoidance of your common mistakes, and in that way you’ll prove to admissions committees that you’re a higher-order applicant.

Veritas Prep is the world’s largest privately owned GMAT test preparation and admissions consulting company. To learn more about Veritas Prep and to find a GMAT course near you, visit www.VeritasPrep.com.

MBA Admission

How Are You Distinct?

What to Emphasise During the Admission Process

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hat makes you stand out from your peers? What makes you unique? These are questions all MBA candidates should answer if they want to be selected, and do their best to convince the admission committees about. The successful MBA application process is a combination of standardised formal criteria, such as undergraduate results, GMAT score, overall GPA, experience etc., and criteria focused on areas meant to reflect the personal and professional life of the candidate. The first group of formal criteria is made up of hygiene factors which, though vital to every candidate’s chances to get in, are unlikely to set him/her apart. For this reason, candidates should not rely on excellent academic background, GMAT and professional experience to get them in. The x-factor characteristics and the personal uniqueness of the candidate are the factors that will open the door to the desired MBA programme. “A great application is about “story telling”. […] You have to make sure that you convey your true story and your passions and dreams in your MBA application. It’s more about being truthful and telling your story than it is about saying what the admissions committee wants to hear.

If you have a cheerful personality, showcase this in your application,” says Vivek Nanda, a WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management graduate and an admission adviser. Who you really are and why you want an MBA are the key questions that should be answered throughout your whole application file. Demonstrate your strengths, soft skills, talents, leadership potential and ability to manage. Answer the big question: what motivated you to apply? In the end, your story and strong motivation are what interest the admission committee. In fact, every B-school has its specifics when searching for the best candidates. But all want to see the x-factor of the candidate – the self-awareness, strengths and weaknesses and personal skills that will add value in class; an open mind showing the candidate’s steadfast willingness to listen and learn; and most importantly, the candidate’s ambition and motivation. These make the real distinction between the applications in the pile. The easiest way for prospective MBA candidates to convince admission committees they are the right fit for the school’s MBA programme is to act well before the final round of the application process – the interview. Stand out through the whole application process, including the essays, the references or letters of recommendation, and finally the interview. Use essays to show how

you are different – by conveying some unique aspects of your background – for instance, growing up in another country, and how this has impacted you. Show this to demonstrate how you can contribute to the classroom and the community. Reveal experience that others will not have, such as unusual project or sector experience, or international exposure. The same applies to the candidate’s letters of recommendation. Referees should be picked very carefully; they should be people who know the prospective student really well so as to show his/her best attributes, backed by real-life examples during studies or at work. At the last step in the admission process – the formal interview – it is now time for the candidate to show and focus on their leadership potential. The candidate has this final chance to convince the admission committee of his/her abilities to manage and lead. The bottom line: focus on everything that can demonstrate your personal and professional qualities and put your advantages and potential on show, proving your leadership skills. Be clear in your whole application file about what is unique about your perspective and what you bring to the table that other students won’t bring and that the school community will value. In the end, it’s not only about your excellent academic background or professional experience. It’s equally about your personal uniqueness, soft skills, talents and strong motivation for wanting the targeted MBA. □ I.D-S Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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Learning to Sell Yourself Emphasising your Excellence and Uniqueness Can Help You Get a Scholarship criteria. You will be considered for a suitable award automatically upon enrolment, but don’t stop searching for other under-advertised options.

FROM EXCELLENCE TO UNIQUENESS

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he contest for MBA scholarships is becoming more and more competitive every year. Keeping this in mind, however, candidates should not get discouraged. There are basic rules that may give you some advantage, if taken into account. Those adamant they will succeed in the race first need to understand the rules of the game and be prepared to plunge into it headfirst. Before moving on to the more important aspects, there are a few things to sort out first and foremost: one is time, the other is the basic prerequisite of language proficiency, and the third is the diversification of funding sources.

Time may prove to be the most decisive factor when it comes to scholarships, grants and other financial awards. The earlier the decision for applying for the MBA scholarships is made, the better your chances in the competition itself. If a prospective student relies on a scholarship to partially fund his/her studies, it is best that this preparation begins at least a year before the scholarship application deadline.

There are two very important factors to focus on when applying for a scholarship. You can think of them as the two main selling points that you, and you alone, possess. One is your achievements, or tangible proof of your academic and professional performance, and the other is your character, which is a mix of intangible traits that make you unique. These two broad strokes are what sets one person apart from another, and what makes the difference between a scholarship applicant and a scholarship winner. Understanding what to say in order to convince your benefactor that you deserve the money is half the battle. Being able to explain and emphasise how these two directions have developed throughout your life in order to make you so different and valuable that you deserve the money, is the other half.

Candidates who are not native English speakers could also be required to take TOEFL, IELTS or any other language test. Just as for GMAT, which will be the most important test, don’t aim for the minimum required score. Aim higher, as your battle is not just for entry but for a scholarship as well.

Your achievements matter. Build your cover letter for the scholarship around them. The combination of high academic results, a good GMAT score and evidence for your professional excellence may be crucial in persuading the selection committee that it is you who deserves the award. Quantify your successes. For example, if, as a Sales Manager, you achieved higher results for your company last year in comparison to the previous one, don’t be shy to state it clearly. Use numbers. This tangible data should prove to the Committee that your results are true facts, not imaginary pretences.

And remember to diversify your funding options. Don’t go for only one scholarship or grant, apply for as many as possible, provided that you fulfil their

Your uniqueness matters. There are intangible personal characteristics that make your application stand out. Emphasising your inner value and integrity

MBA Admission

as a human being is key here. Have you previously won a prestigious scholarship or written a book that has been published? What voluntary work for a prestigious body like the UN, for instance, have you been involved in? What kind of innovation have you created or do you want to create? If you are a female leader, take some time to reflect on this. The goal is not to display vanity or to brag about accomplishments. It is to get the committee to know you, as they don’t possess telepathic powers. It is you who should present yourself to them. Be as specific and as clear as possible about your career plans and achievements in your essays. If you are persuasive and consistent in your motivations, the selection committee will appreciate it and encourage it. Highlight the connection between your past educational experience, professional background and the way that you see yourself in the future. With a Bachelor’s degree in media, several years of experience in the same area, and the ambition to succeed in the sphere of new media, there is a very good possibility that you will present a strong case to the jury.

prepared, though, that it will most likely cover only a portion of the expenses. Poets&Quant estimated that the top 25 American business schools give out more than 220 million USD in scholarships to their MBA students annually: “In fact, it’s hard to find a school that has not significantly boosted its scholarship funds in recent years, or is not in the midst of a fundraising campaign of which a major portion of the new money will go to discount tuition.” In some American schools, according to the article, it has also become quite normal for students to try to negotiate the award amount with the school. Opportunities are not limited to your business school alone. See if you are eligible for an award based on your nationality. Citizenship matters, and it might not only be your government that distributes money, but also different NGOs. If you are a French citizen or want to study in France, check the French Embassy scholarships and the Campus France website. Also see FONGECIF, Conseil Regional, OPCA, FAFSEA and

the Eiffel Scholarship programme. If you are German, see what DAAD can do for you and whether you are eligible for an award by certain German corporations. If you are a woman with leadership potential, or belong to a minority group, you could also be suitable for a specific scholarship. The Forte Foundation gives awards to female MBA students and the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management offers MBA fellowships to African Americans, Native Americans and Hispanic Americans in the USA. A scholarship application is a process that not only examines the abilities of the candidates but also their very motivations and career goals. This is the reason why you need to be confident about the choices you’ve made throughout your life and demonstrate consistency and coherence in pursuing your goals. Being able to prove your uniqueness is a product of that confidence and the best way to succeed in getting your hands on a scholarship. □ D.G.

Should you want to switch careers, give credible arguments about how the change will take place and emphasize your qualities and experience that make you suitable for the new field. Present letters of recommendation that not only show you in a good light but are realistic and come from people who have supervised you and were in a position to know you well. This is not the most important thing, but it also matters.

UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES

Apart from the merit-based scholarships, schools grant scholarships based on financial need. Beware of misinterpreting the term ‘need-based’, though. The decision for specifically taking you on board and giving you a scholarship will have more to do with your academic success and leadership potential, as shown in your CV, than just the bare need for money. Although the systems vary in different countries, good schools, especially in the US, offer generous assistance. Be Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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The King’s Speech Talk to Impress at The MBA Interview

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our language, voice and attitude are your key instruments to make yourself heard and noticed at that crucial stage of your MBA application, the MBA interview. Here are some important tips to make you sound polished and professional. The MBA interview is the last step, the last hurdle and, admittedly, the trickiest one to overcome successfully. So much can go wrong. Luckily, it is all up to you. Whether you are a seasoned or a young professional, you still need to work hard on your speech and conduct before your MBA interview. The reason is that you are probably not aware of exactly how you sound and look while in conversation. In addition to preparing yourself mentally and physically to channel a polished, professional and trustworthy image, you might want to record yourself holding a conversation on your phone’s voice memo app. Prepare to be surprised. You are likely to sound totally different than you thought you did.

The key communication skills to hone and master prior to your interview are 1) your tone of voice; 2) your pace of speaking; 3) parasitic words; 4) your volume of speech. Interviewers will react subconsciously to these four aspects of your speech. Whatever smart things you are saying and regardless of your previous achievements, should these four key factors be missing, the panel will find you wanting.

YOUR TONE OF VOICE: MATURITY IS AN ASSET

A voice that sounds too fledgling and insecure will diminish your accomplishments. In order to take hold of that challenge, take time for a couple of weeks before your interview to… sing. That’s right! Singing will loosen your pharynx and lengthen your breath, which will help your voice sound more mature. Stir up the muscles in your mouth. This is not a joke. Hollywood actors do it all the time.

YOUR PACE OF SPEAKING: TAKE IT SLOW

Rushing when you speak gives the impression that you do not value what you

are saying, and it does not give people a chance to absorb what you are saying. Maintain a steady and balanced speed of speech. To practise, talk or read out loud to yourself and clap your hands at the end of every sentence to train your brain to stop for punctuation marks.

ELIMINATE FILLERS

Parasitic words such as like, um, you know – they all make you sound like you do not know what to say, like you need to qualify all of your statements. Replace those filler words with pauses, which allow you to gather your thoughts and think more clearly, while giving meaning to the next thing to say.

MAKE YOURSELF HEARD

If your voice is barely audible, chances are whatever you are saying will come across as equally unsubstantial. Unsurprisingly, speaking up will make you feel more powerful. That is not to say that you should yell. Instead, you must extend your voice forward. Make sure it comes from the front of your mouth and not from the back. Visualising your voice as a ball you can bounce off the walls will help you project a controlled and confident attitude without feeling unnatural or overdoing it.

MBA Admission

The King’s Speech But Wait, What About the Things You Say?

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he admissions officer will judge if you are decent, trustworthy, self-confident, energetic, determined, and if you would generally fit in with the school’s spirit and tradition based on the way you present your thoughts. The things you say will help them decide how smart, prepared and experienced you are, as well as how you could contribute to your class and programme.

Do your research and see which the most common interview questions are. Be well prepared to present yourself properly and explain why you want to pursue an MBA, and what exactly led you to choosing this particular programme. Clarify in your head what your ambitions and goals are. Dress them in humble yet powerful expressions that are also true. Think of a challenging situation that you can retell at the interview, that will show your leadership, management,

decision-making and team-player qualities in the best possible light.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE “I”

Try to say fewer ‘I’s and more ‘we’s, especially if it is obvious you must have had collaborators. Still, make sure you stress your leadership qualities like taking charge and responsibility for the end result, motivating your colleagues, communicating tasks and analysing results.

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

Answer exactly the questions you have been asked. Do not beat around the bush. Do not get side-tracked by other stories, tempting as it might be. Be concise, precise and clear in delivering your message. Make sure you start with the most important part of your story. Think of it as a reverse pyramid. Try to concentrate more meaning in your first couple of sentences as those will be the most effective to your interviewers. You do not know how many questions they have for you in store, so brevity here is key. MBA interviews are not long (between 20 and 60 minutes). Still, it’s important

to stay as focused as you possibly can. Check online which the most frequently asked questions are and rehearse your answers in advance.

YOUR INTERVIEW, YOUR STORY

There is no one refrain that interviewers expect to hear from successful candidates. They are really looking to hear your story, your point of view and read your mind-set through your presentation. Make it personal. Help them get a glimpse of the kind of person, colleague, professional and leader you are. Retain your own style. Do not try to be generic in order to minimize the risk of someone not liking you. Be honest about your ambitions, as outrageous as you think those might be. Be your best self as much as you can. Know that you may ask questions if you feel you need to. These need to be well thought through and reflect how well you have studied the school’s programme. Be calm, collected, positive and friendly. Trust us, the panel really want to like you too. □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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Peer-to-Peer Learning Iliana Bobova has over 15 years of experience in the Admissions Office of an Executive MBA programme and consulting practice in international education. A graduate of a Management of International Education course of Harvard University, she has an academic background and professional experience in HR Development, and is a certified career counsellor. Currently, she is Head of Admissions Consulting at PrepAdviser.

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eer-to-peer learning is a major benefit of attending any leading MBA or Master’s programme in business or management. The reason is that the teaching and learning methodology is deeply grounded in the experience of all the students in the graduate classroom.

That is why international business schools are very selective in their admissions process. They aim to attract the best professionals aspiring to graduate studies and business leadership to their programmes. Business schools nurture a rich learning environment by building classes of highly qualified students with diverse backgrounds and providing them with the framework for peer-to-peer learning. “Every year we witness how our MBA students grow and learn, simply by interacting with other students. They soak up a wealth of experiences and knowledge, and their perspectives are forever altered”, shares the Carlson School of Management (US).

ONE FOR ALL, AND ALL FOR ONE

There is a surge in peer learning in the academic world internationally, and business education makes the most of this approach. There is even a new disci-

pline called “peerology”, an abbreviated way to refer to peer learning pedagogy. “Peer learning emphasises students’ simultaneously learning and contributing to other students’ learning. Such communication is based on mutual experience and so they are better able to make equal contributions. The emphasis is on the learning process, including the emotional support that learners offer each other, as much as the learning task itself.” This is how professors in adult education from the University of Technology, Sydney, describe this teaching methodology in their book “Peer Learning in Higher Education”. Learning from classmates, developing a network, and the pleasure of learning are some of the major sources of happiness for current MBA students at top European and American business schools, according to a survey presented by Forbes. “People often highlight how one of the best attributes of the MBA is the exposure to a diverse class, and I couldn’t agree more”, shares Stephen Garden from London Business School in his Financial Times blog post “Great classmates make for a great MBA experience”

PREPARE PEER-TO-PEER B-SCHOOL ADMISSION

FOR

Admission to graduate business schools is a learning process in itself. Applicants prepare for language and admission tests, conduct thorough research to select the best schools for them, review

once again their career and personal goals. They invest a lot of time in soul searching, benchmarking and individual branding in order to position their application on the winning track to the B-schools of their choice. Preparing for admission in a peer-topeer style connects you to other applicants. Connecting to peers aspiring to B-school studies will both give you credible first-hand experience from which to learn, and an opportunity to contribute your advice, help others and exchange ideas. This is also a great way to get to know your “competitors” and understand your uniqueness – the essence of a successful application. Also, this overall communication is very close to what you will experience in a business school classroom. Finally, this can add international exposure to your profile, and this always brings it added value. Starting your preparation early will ensure that you advance smoothly and make the most of your investment. Begin your preparation at least three months before the application deadline for admission to the MBA or Master’s programmes of your choice. Admission to business schools is competitive. You need to perform in the best possible way, both in tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT or GRE; in building your application package; and in making the most of the admissions interview. Allow time to implement your peers’ advice and to get their feedback.

MBA Admission

put from peers and experts add real value to the preparation process. This approach makes the users feel part of a community and comfortable getting and giving support and guidance. The diversity of postgraduate business programmes is really huge. This means that there are plenty of programmes, beyond the top 50 in the media rankings, which match different preferences, profiles and career goals. Online advice and preparation platforms and school finder tools which address this variety are a truly helpful resource.

GET ON TRACK

Peer-to-peer preparation for admission is an excellent starting point which sets prospective applicants on the right track. “I visited PrepAdviser when I was still researching MBAs. It was most helpful for me to use its guidance to plan my preparation and research”. What Chris shares here is valid for many of the members of online preparation networks for B-school applicants.

CONNECT TO B-SCHOOL APPLICANTS

Online preparation platforms usually provide different channels to connect to other B-school applicants. The good old forum-style communication gives you a structured environment where you can easily ask questions and get advice on exactly what you need to know. This open communication style makes it possible for you to receive feedback and advice from alumni or current students in your programmes of interest. You can also start building your pre-B-school network to improve your preparation. Get insiders’ tips on what test scores are good enough for your selected schools, how to fine-tune the messages in your essays, and what to expect during the interview. At the end of the day, you will also have friends whom you can meet when you go on a campus visit or after enrolment in the programme.

“Direct interaction with other prospective candidates like me, but who are in all parts of the world was amazing. This helped me also realise how I am different and how to present myself in the application. I was learning a lot from their questions, and I hope they learned from mine as well during webinars and in the forum,” shares ReneZ who frequented PrepAdviser, a global online preparation network. ReneZ is now finalising her applications to three leading European MBAs.

OPEN PREPARATION NETWORK FOR B-SCHOOL ADMISSION

What makes online preparation platforms effective is the possibility for users to get feedback and measure their progress. Forum, live chat and blog areas are some of the popular channels which such platforms provide for an exchange of advice and discussions. Interactive guides on the application process, study plans and online events which allow in-

In the early stages of preparation, peerto-peer advice helps applicants find the best approach to their admission application. Some applicants do the whole process on their own all the way through Others choose to get comprehensive consulting and/or test preparation instruction, but they could also start their journey on peer-to-peer platforms. PrepAdviser is an open preparation network for B-school applicants. It aims to be highly interactive and its focus is to empower visitors through peer-to-peer learning in the process of preparing for admission. The website accommodates a wide array of learning styles and calibre of B-schools, and can provide peer or expert support within 24 hours. This open online platform is a meeting place for peers, admission consultants and test preparation instructors, as well as B-school representatives. This means that virtually all admission stakeholders are represented, leading to a well-rounded user experience. □ Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Careers

Collective Minds

Why Alumni Networks Are Indispensable

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here is no absolute, 100% certainty that you’ll get the desired job right after graduation. Exploring different channels to get closer to your dream job is a must for every ambitious MBA graduate. Many of these channels are available through the school’s career services, but it is alumni networks that really bring value to one’s career start and subsequent growth. B-school career services cover much more than placement in the best jobs and securing juicy salaries for their students. They include organising different types of career events aimed at connecting students with businesses – job fairs, one-day workshops, career forums and company presentations where wouldbe MBA degree holders meet with corporate officials and HR representatives to discuss employment opportunities. School career services also organise meetings with alumni who work in students’ targeted industries and provide assistance with job applications and CVs/ resumes.

Every business school has an alumni network acting like an ambassador of the school, through which it gains more recognition. Alumni are a powerful force in building a business school’s brand. They recommend programmes to prospective students, connect current students to job opportunities, and contribute significantly to building a school’s legacy. Alumni are the top resource for business school recruitment, according to the 2014 Alumni Perspectives Survey Report of the General Management Admission Council (GMAC). Findings show that

95% of alumni would recommend their graduate business programme to others and 96% reported they are proud to have attended their graduate business programme. Additionally, 40% said they had mentored prospective or current business school students, and 32% had recruited management graduates. Alumni provide perspective. They are willing to share their experience and give advice to MBA graduates. Exploring all the opportunities that alumni networks offer should be as important as the quality of the MBA programme and the support the career centre provides. Many schools welcome alumni back at job fairs and for company informational meetings and assist alumni in scoring interviews. The alumni association of the Spanish IESE Business School provides its MBA students with a career counselling service via its Succeed platform. The platform offers access to a job board where companies offer work to members of the association. Duke is another good example. “The Duke MBA career management centre has a variety of flexible recruiting options, ranging from books on CV writing to on-campus interviews that can help alumni identify graduates who can help their firms to address today’s most significant global business issues,” says Sheryle Dirks, associate dean of the career management centre at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in the US. “Besides, alumni can always give good recommendations and refer students to the network necessary for their career development,” she adds. MBA graduates should not simply count on their schools to connect them with the right alumni to find them the best job. They should play an active role in getting in touch with and becoming part of the alumni community. Nowadays, with the social media boom, the varie-

ty of channels allowing this to happen is richer than ever. “Build career ties while enrolled. As you explore various employment options, the alumni directory offers a wealth of contacts who will gladly respond to questions from current students. Such dialogue also gives them a chance to discover more about you, and might even lead to a job offer upon graduation,” advises Dan Bauer, an MBA adviser and HBS graduate. Following the same trend, many schools have also developed web-based alumni platforms where (through passwordprotected online accounts) prospective MBA graduates and alumni can access online podcast seminars, post CVs and profiles, view job and placement listings, make career centre appointments, and get the latest news on job fairs and recruiter visits. Building a network of contacts is one of the key assets each MBA programme provides for its students. This is an asset that goes beyond the programme. The alumni network is becoming an everincreasing requisite to help MBA graduates find the right job. Alumni networks can be the right connections to step up the career ladder. With the rising number of social networks, access to alumni has become easier, leading to the increased effectiveness of alumni networking. □ I.D-S.

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Boundless Business MBA and Entrepreneurship Go Hand in Hand a school in Eastern Europe, for example. On the other hand, such a choice could get you better prepared for the vast Russian market, or the Middle East. The possibilities are endless.

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etting an MBA degree is no longer a means to a stellar corporate career only. MBA programmes around the world have increasingly turned into incubators for bold and innovative entrepreneurs in various fields of industry. See how an MBA programme can help you turn your entrepreneurial idea into a real business venture.

Whether you are fresh out of undergraduate school or a seasoned professional, starting a business is a thrilling and often intimidating endeavour. There is a lot to be learned and many mistakes to be made before you feel confident you are on the right track. Learning how to run and grow your own business, in any industry, is an excellent reason to enrol in an MBA programme, all around the world. MBA studies not only provide many theories and practical experiences that entrepreneurs later use in starting up

a company, but also allows students to immerse themselves in a strong entrepreneurial environment abundant in innovative ideas. A good MBA programme in entrepreneurship offers the possibility to connect with other students and faculty members who could further assist you in realising a good idea. An MBA could be an efficient springboard to larger entrepreneurial circles thanks to special networking events, real life projects and internships in global companies. As with all other MBA-related decisions, once again

LOCATION IS KEY

Why? Because it can unlock the potential of your future business to go international. A degree in the UK, for example, could open your doors not just to local businesses but also to the whole extended network of UK former territories and their businesses. Just like a location such as the Netherlands could put you on track to east Asia, or one in France to the north of Africa, a programme in Spain could unleash the endless potential of Central and South America. Alternatively, a programme in the U.S. could create opportunities to grow in the local market there, which is large enough. That would probably not be as possible if you chose

On a similar note, consider your programme of choice’s connections to local business, and what that local business is. If you hope to develop an IT company, maybe it is a good idea to look at programmes located in or around welldeveloped silicon valleys? The world is full of such niche areas. Think UK and energy, California and the pharma industry, Sweden and export, the Netherlands and shipping, Singapore and finance, and so on. You should be able to fit in there somewhere too. A location in a country of great diversity promises opportunities to learn about international business, foreign markets, client expectations in various countries, funding opportunities and return on investment.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION LEADERSHIP

AND

In business, it is all about practice and leadership. How do you, as a business owner, remove yourself from the day-today minutiae of your company to focus on growth strategies. An MBA focused on entrepreneurship will help you explore growth stage startups and experience the difficulties they are facing in scaling up. Programmes will provide different tools to immediately put word into practice. Business incubators, practical consulting projects, internship opportunities, real life case solving contests, networking opportunities, venture projects, management practice courses and leadership seminars. The list is endless. Such programmes will envelop you in a kind of entrepreneurial environment

MBA Careers

formed by diverse and globally minded professors and students that will help you transform your idea into a working company. For example, the Cambridge Judge School of Business (CJSB) offers the Cambridge Venture Project (CVP) which provides real life projects relating to actual clients in the Cambridge area or the wider UK market, to which you could provide consultancy services. HEC Paris, which is well known for its entrepreneurship programme, offers its special HEC eLab equipped with state of the art technologies for enhanced interaction between group participants, which aims to stimulate their creativity and communication. Schools that offer entrepreneurship MBAs gladly post on their websites testimonials by alumni who have successfully developed their own businesses, often even before they have completed their studies, and with the help of programme-provided instruments. Make sure you check those out prior to making a decision. Universities’ alumni associations usually readily place candidates in touch with alumni with matching in-

terests. Try to make the most of such an opportunity.

MEET REAL BUSINESSES

Good entrepreneurship programmes will offer numerous opportunities to meet real business representatives, either at organized activities or through various projects where students can work handin-hand with actual entrepreneurs or assist them in various endeavours. One excellent example is Wharton’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Programme, which allows Wharton and Penn students access to successful entrepreneurs and all the experience, advice and hand-on guidance they can provide. This is done through one-to-one 30-minute meetings with visiting entrepreneurs who come to campus especially to take part in this programme. This kind of access is available at smaller schools too. For example, IE in Madrid has launched a very innovative project, 4º edition of Pasion>ie, in cooperation with Accenture. Its purpose is to act as a meeting ground between innovation and the entrepreneurial environment. Ultimately, it aims to contribute to increasing social and economic welfare

through innovative projects, while helping startups implement projects designed to solve specific global problems. Moreover, Spain in general is truly supportive of entrepreneurial initiatives. The Spain Startup Co-investment Fund (SSCF) is a €40 million co-investment fund created by ENISA, Spain´s leading government agency, in collaboration with IE Business School, for the development of the venture capital industry in Spain. It also aims to draw the attention of international early stage investors to the entrepreneurial talent in Spain. In its first year, the SSCF network invested over €50m in 110 startups. Barcelona City Hall organizes the Business Plan Contest, Global Entrepreneurship Competition and Growth Potential Business award on a yearly basis. The city often hosts international entrepreneurial events and provides plenty of learning opportunities for the future entrepreneurs of the world, all to the purpose of encouraging entrepreneurship as a means of consistently supporting the local economy. Entrepreneurship programmes often have active practitioners among their faculty who bring loads of experience to the table. It is only from people in the frontline that you can really learn about the creativity and psychology of new product development, discovering entrepreneurial opportunities and leadership. In all cases, business schools in welldeveloped business areas are highly sought-after by local, regional and global businesses for their strong research and innovativeness. This is especially true in the industries of renewed interest, such as renewable energy, sustainability, technology and agriculture. These are areas that rely on cutting edge knowledge and technology in order to exist and grow. If you are interested in these, ideally they would be interested in your school too. Choosing your programme wisely means exactly that: doing your homework and checking all extended possibilities that both the business programme and the greater university could offer you, so that your entrepreneurial spirit could blossom and your business ideas could turn into a reality somewhere around the world. □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA’s Hard Power Businesses Demand Hard Skills from MBA Graduates skills, but this has changed over the last decade. The recommended skills for business students have moved from statistical and theoretical processes to increasingly social and communicative assets. However, according to the 2015 Millennial Majority Workforce Study, 55% of business managers today claim to prioritise hard skills over soft skills, despite the popular belief that soft skills are most valuable – a total of only 21% claimed to focus on the personalities of prospective employees. Moreover, a proportion of 45% of these managers stated that they expect to become even more focused on hard skills in the years to come. This is in stark contrast to the 11% of managers who claim to expect an increased focus on soft skills.

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n order to pursue a successful business career, particularly after completing an MBA course, it is necessary to learn and refine some important skills. These range from high-level number crunching to handling sophisticated IT systems, liaising with departments and applying critical thinking to complex problems. The required skills can generally be split into two categories – hard and soft – and these categories relate to their function within the workplace.

Whilst hard skills are associated with theoretical and abstract knowledge, soft skills are more concerned with practical and social characteristics. On the one hand, you have proficiency in disciplines like maths and science and abilities relating to computing. On the other, you have interpersonal assets like good leadership qualities, confidence, reliability and independent thinking. The question is, which one of these two categories is more important for MBA students?

FILLING THE SOFT SKILLS GAP

The answer to such a question is not a constant one, because it is influenced by an almost endless range of social variables. In other words, it depends on what kind of values society chooses to elevate above the rest. For MBA graduates, the emphasis has traditionally been on hard

Thus, in the present day climate, a hard skills deficit appears to be a fundamental problem for both prospective employees and corporate employers. Millennials, who are emerging onto a sluggish jobs market with a greater capacity for social skills rather than their technical capabilities, must be able to support and supplement their MBA qualifications. Clare Hudson, from MBA Career Management Services at the University of Manchester, argues that it is more important than ever for the next generation of MBA graduates to be able to show off what they can do as professionals. Based on current job market demands, there is a significant need for hard skills to come out of the closet. As Hudson observes, it is not that hard skills are absent from the skill-set of graduates, but many have focused on a personality presentation and nurturing their social and communicative abilities. This one-sided approach, then, makes employers more selective, looking for individuals who possess technical knowledge as an active agent.

MBA Careers

Hard skills are a personal quality that should be put on equal footing with soft skills. Dorothy Dalton, international talent management strategist and coach, suggests that a perfect employee is a blend of interpersonal skills and technical knowledge. “Hard skills tend to be the foundation of a successful career, and the soft skills required provide the cement.” Therefore, particularly for MBA graduates, soft skills are a vital part of good business practice, but it is the hard skills that determine whether you get a job interview, and whether you are an asset to a company.

THE ROLE OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR

Thus, the overall trend is clear. As Amelia Tan, from Business Asiaone, recently noted, “workers with hard skills [...] will be in big demand next year, as the economy continues its restructuring towards a skillbased one”. Clearly, hard skills are not to be underestimated, currently standing as a prerequisite for employment. So where does education fit in? MBA courses typically provide high quality training in both soft and hard skills. From finance and accounting, with a sharp focus on technical understanding of business administration, to a development of leadership personality, MBA modules are created to cultivate professionals with abilities across the whole spectrum.

However, Emma Chilvers, coach to Cambridge MBA students, speculates that, perhaps, soft skills are more in line with the education environment, and present themselves as more needed. It is not until a graduate enters the current job market that the hard reality of hard skills becomes clear. Therefore, it is the education sector that must alleviate any deficits. While the emphasis on hard skills is a new trend, universities are quick to adapt and to prepare their students for their careers. Current MBA programmes exemplify great emphasis on professional abilities and expert knowledge in areas such as business information analysis, project developments and management, business economics or electronic technologies, all directed towards a development of hard skills, encouraging students to bring together these practical subjects and areas such as organisational behaviour, ethics or creative decision making.

DEALING CONFLICT

WITH

WORKPLACE

It is easy to see that soft skills like team cohesion, and the ability to deal with workplace conflict, are valuable to the modern MBA graduate. Yet this doesn’t change the fact that most enterprises are motivated by results and a desire to maintain pace with the rampant speed of technological development. According

to Steve Kaplan, of Bloomberg Business: “It is a much better idea for companies to hire employees who have demonstrable technical and theoretical skills, even if they score lower for attributes like sensitivity and modesty.” In other words, tenacious MBA graduates are likely to be more successful than quieter employees who are used to seeking complete approval for every move made. In reality, no matter how well an individual may demonstrate their soft skills – listening, liaising, organising, tracking and managing – they can only be considered qualified for a corporate position if they have the necessary skills to crunch the numbers or review the spreadsheets, and use complex business models to help a company gain an edge over the market. Nevertheless, let’s not forget that, once you are able to employ your hard skills, it is the applied interpersonal approach that makes you thrive. Hard skills can only go so far and, in order to lead by example, to establish a stable working environment, and to ensure a company’s success, soft skills are essential. Thus, while the role of hard skills as a foundation for professionals in modern businesses cannot be emphasised enough, relationship-based abilities are, indeed, the cement of a successful career, making you a leading expert in your field. □ Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Teaches You to See the World Differently (OP-ED) Learning Soft Skills Today Will Make You a Leader Tomorrow keting, human resources, operations, management, etc. – it is designed to give a broader perspective on leadership, which undoubtedly includes building the necessary social skills to properly maintain interaction with others.

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or quite some time now, the modern workplace has been in a state characterised by a very dynamic interpersonal setting. It is a world where the abilities to listen, come up with good ideas, resolve interpersonal conflict, be open to novelty and stay ethical are among the absolute must-haves if you strive to become a successful professional. Furthermore, it is not very surprising that an MBA is so desired by many, as statistics are very clear on the steady increase in income acquired by individuals holding this type of degree.

What you will experience by attending an MBA programme will let you learn through challenging your views with the perspectives of others, while growing personally to achieve a higher, more complex and deeper self-awareness. What someone might see as a truly wise choice of postgraduate education depends greatly, of course, on the person’s expectations, wishes and ambitions regarding their life ahead. Still, for quite some time now, the majority of individuals who are highly motivated to get an opportunity that will allow them to be exceptionally good at their professional development, have been consistently making a somewhat similar choice for a postgraduate programme – they have chosen to become a Master in Business Administration. Having said that, some questions immediately and quite naturally come to mind. “Why?”, “Is it really worth it?”, “Isn’t this yet another craze?”, “What is it about those three letters after your name that makes them so incredibly valued?” etc.

Stefan Kirilov is a young professional with 6 years of working experience. Currently, he is working as change manager at a multinational enterprise after taking a break from working life for a little over a year when he went to study an MBA degree in Sweden. While studying at Jönköping International Business School, Stefan was awarded a creativity award. He is enthusiastic about professional development and is usually involved in a variety of extra activities besides his main job. Stefan is interested in environmental protection and human rights. And while there has been a lot of debate on what the intangible values of an MBA truly are and what really distinguishes it from any other postgraduate study, there is yet to be a universally accepted standpoint regarding these questions. Therefore, in order to understand it, it is necessary to analyse what an MBA programme has to offer, which distinguishes it and qualifies it as being ‘better’ than any non-MBA postgraduate programme. An MBA programme is aimed at equipping you with the skills needed to become a successful leader today by going beyond the provision of specific skills on topics like strategy, finance, mar-

Recognizing the importance of soft skills is vital for the decision to choose an MBA over a non-MBA postgraduate programme – this will become the first step towards not only learning how to develop yourself, but also how to encourage others and their development. Even though the name on its own does not quite make the proper first impression, in terms of relevance to the harsh world of business, there are now a rising number of research papers showing relatively similar results. To be more specific, while the hard skills taught extensively during any Master’s programme are the ones that provide a good opportunity to get to a dream job, it is exactly the development of soft skills that allow professionals to excel at their jobs, reach new peaks and continuously develop their careers. In other words, it is the soft skills acquisition domain where MBA programmes outperform non-MBA programmes when it comes to the total, true, long-term value of education.

HUMAN CAPITAL

Within an MBA programme, soft skills acquisition is made easier by giving you the chance to be directly exposed to a very diverse international environment. This allows continuous interaction with the highly motivated and competitive people who have typically chosen an MBA, because it promises to give a boost to their careers. Such an intense, yet motivating setting exposes you to situations where you will have to deal with complexities introduced by factors similar to the ones real-life companies are facing. This competition-based interaction boosts your abilities to properly

MBA Interview

communicate with other people and better understand their perspectives, needs and ideas. In any case, the returns on human capital are very high when it comes to the Master in Business Administration, as it allows a prospective professional to develop personal accountability, a collaborative mind-set, interpersonal and negotiation skills, adaptability and flexibility, creative thinking, clarity of communication, the ability to handle conflicts, mentor and coach others. Knowledge nowadays is obviously not the privilege of the chosen few, but rather widely available to those who want to learn. It is not, of course, of equal quality, but the point here is that isolated knowledge can no longer be self-sufficient unless the proper ways of application are associated with it. Proper skill development is precisely what easily relates to knowledge gathering and, expectedly, both accumulate with time to complement each other. While both are (up to a certain point) efforts aimed at developing yourself, the power of developing your network of contacts (either successful or striving for success) should not be underestimated. However, proper networking requires

skills which are fundamentally different from the ones taught knowledge can develop, since networking requires an ability to successfully interact with other social players – people around you.

BEAUTY IN COMPLEXITY

Usually, the out-of-the-box thinker who solves the big issues of a business is someone knowledgeable (yes!) but, at the same time, someone who truly understands that leading is about people and being able to properly interact. The combination of these factors supports you in developing the emotional intelligence which will allow you to gently manage the people side of business while staying focused on strategic goals. Clearly, then, if you are one of those motivated people who are looking forward to a prospective career in big business, you should be in pursuit of a postgraduate education programme. Even though, in general terms, postgraduate programmes are seen as a very vocational piece of education, dedicated to becoming an expert in a certain field of knowledge and/or practice, it is important to highlight that not all Master’s programmes are created equally and therefore should not be classified under the same label. Undoubtedly, like any

other Master’s degree, the MBA delivers in three main aspects of your development: it provides you with knowledge, develops the right skills and allows you to build a powerful network, while putting you in an environment where encountering the right employers should be easier to achieve. When speaking about the MBA in particular, some people might be tempted to also include a fourth aspect – namely ‘prestige’. However, whether or not this is a true benefit purely depends on perceptions of the world around you and, furthermore, the ‘prestigious’ part of education can only contribute to success up to a certain point. More specifically, it is the skills developed in education that matter most – and again, not all sets of skills are equal. The combination of acquired knowledge, soft and hard skills, expertise, a professional network and exposure to good real life practices is what builds the Master in Business Administration and what opens doors to experience knowledge and opportunity that cannot be easily quantified. However, the opportunity to build and develop your soft skills to a completely new level is what makes an MBA the lifetime investment that truly makes a difference. □ S.K. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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Not All Great Men Have ‘Nobel’ It Is Not All About The Prestige of Your School

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hoosing an MBA programme is a major decision that could affect many aspects of one’s life. But just how much does life change for graduates of the most famous B-schools and those of smaller programmes? Is success really a matter of schooling, or is there something else there too?

Harvard, Stanford and Wharton will keep attracting the crème de la crème of brilliant minds from all over the world. But with Europe and Asia offering so much already, it would be a shame to overlook some of the obvious credentials many of those less visible programmes have

to offer. Their assets include greater and more specific specialisation, a less competitive environment, interesting locations and wonderful curriculum flexibility. How better to measure the benefits of top programmes versus smaller players than to compare the results of some of their graduates?

ness (ranked #11); Stefan from Jönköping University, Sweden (not ranked internationally but consistently ranked in the top three Swedish universities); and Milena from the Koç University Graduate School of Business, Turkey (ranked #67).

We have interviewed four Full-time MBA degree holders from Bulgaria, South-East Europe: two from top MBA programmes in the US; and two from smaller ones in Europe.

The first trait common to all four participants is that yes, they would definitely recommend their programmes to other candidates. And yes, if they could turn back time, they would make the same programme choice. So, in general, whatever direction their lives took after graduation, it was obviously in the right track for each one of them.

Kalina has graduated from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (ranked #9 in the 2014 Financial Times ranking); Veneta from the University of California Berkley Haas School of Busi-

All four of them took on an MBA degree after acquiring some professional experience, although with Stefan that happened while he was still in undergraduate school.

MBA Careers

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Surprisingly perhaps, none of them made their choice of programme based on cost. Stefan of Jönköping University, Sweden admits he preferred to stay in Europe, and that took the Ivy League schools out of the list. He then researched a few European countries extensively and chose based on the programme’s content, country, university reputation and style of education. “I do believe that location matters – my choice was Sweden and I couldn’t be happier. Sweden is an exceptionally innovative country and its approach to education is no exception to that rule. While still in Europe, Scandinavia is very different to the rest of the continent. Subsequently that “difference” translates into everything that happens there. The perspectives I encountered were very challenging yet intriguing and exciting.” Kalina’s motivation was at the other end of the spectrum:. “I wanted to do something different; I questioned my current career choice, felt the need to “spread my wings” and see what was out there. An MBA across the ocean seemed the perfect way to do that, while also providing me with the sought-after academic challenges and related professional development opportunities.” Veneta based her choice on rankings and reputation, as well as recommendations from friends. Being a Ron Brown fellow influenced her final choice of UC Berkley Haas.

es job market prospects,”. “Judging by my classmates’ positions 10 years after graduation, the answer is a resounding “yes”: the investment was absolutely worth it!” Veneta concludes. Kalina at Chicago Booth financed her education through a loan with CitiBank, its acquisition being aided by the University Finance Office. “If you get admitted, you are guaranteed a loan package to cover not only your studies but also living expenses, health insurance etc.,” she says. Stefan and Milena did not provide information on how they funded their studies, but both believe that insufficient time has passed for them to see what their ROI will be. Although the cost only adds to their glamour, top MBA programmes are indeed seriously expensive. But the investment is certainly worth making, for it is sure to guarantee a salary increase of over 50% even before graduation. The Financial Times’ 2014 ranking of business schools clearly shows that all schools in the top 60 would secure you a pay increase of at least 72%. Columbia, for example, which the Financial Times ranked as #5 in 2014, has a value-for-money ranking of 93, and would bring a salary increase of 119%. Tias Business School in the Netherlands, ranked #74 by ft.com last year, would

potentially bring a pay rise of 84% and is ranked #13 in the value-for-money category. This type of comparison is over-simplified, of course, but it aims to show that better pay should not necessarily be a distinguishing point between branded and non-branded schools when it comes to ROI. In general, smaller business schools are booming. A new analysis of The Economist shows that cheaper, shorter MBA degrees offer better ROI. The magazine’s new MBA rankings based entirely on ROI show that it is the lower-profile schools that will provide the best value for money. HEC Paris tops the 2014 list. It is considered the best value MBA world-wide. HEC, while prestigious, is smaller than the American Ivy League institutions. Graduates of the French school make enough extra money in less than two years to pay off their degrees. An Aston Business School MBA degree also pays dividends. This UK-based school comes second in The Economist’s ranking. Aston students earn back nearly 65% of their tuition fees within a year of graduation. IESE Business School in Spain admits candidates from poor countries who then land lucrative jobs in the West. MBA degree holders from the University of Hong Kong similarly see a 60% ROI within a year of graduating. □ E.V.

For Milena it was an easier decision. Turkey is Bulgaria’s neighbour to the south, and she had relatives in Istanbul. Location was a natural choice, but what attracted her to Koç University Graduate School of Business was its modern, more “American-like” feel and its great entrepreneurship opportunities.

COST

Veneta at Haas was the only one who received a scholarship. Her view on cost however is that had she had to seek funding for her studies she would definitely still have considered it, since “an Ivy League diploma significantly increasAccess MBA Guide 2015-2016

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Kalina: “I wanted to work in Consulting, but after a summer placement on a consulting project I changed my mind. This is the great added value of a Two-year over a One-year MBA. You get to experiment with your “dream job” and find out firsthand whether you are really cut out for it; and it for you. The opportunities are endless however – the only limitation would be your own doubts. In my class I saw a film producer become an investment banker; many engineers becoming consultants; and a few military guys who went “corporate”, as well as a large number of people who started their own businesses. You have access to people with various backgrounds, extensive networking opportunities and a ton of industry knowledge and experience at your fingertips.” Veneta: “Having an MBA degree from UC Berkeley was definitely an advantage - both in terms of getting the job and in salary negotiations.”

Other schools considered top-20 for value include Italy’s SDA Bocconi, Grenoble GSB of France, ESADE Business School in Spain and Melbourne Business School, based in Australia. Certainly, ROI alone will not attract business leaders to MBA programmes, as our four participants demonstrate. Candidates consider a range of other factors such as career transition, desired industry, geographical location, peer recommendation, facilities, access to the greater university, local business environment and international diversity. Wharton is the most expensive programme. Still, it is this school’s graduates who are most likely to climb the furthest up the corporate ladder in the long run, The Economist review concludes.

THE JOB

Three of our four participants chose to return to Bulgaria after graduation. Kalina is the only one who remained abroad, but in a third country: Microsoft offered her a job in Amsterdam, the

Netherlands, two and a half months before graduation. Veneta chose to return to her previous employer who offered her a new position a few months before graduation. Later, she did actually realise her dream of starting her own consulting company, before accepting the CFO position at the Trust for Social Achievement Foundation, based in Bulgaria. Although Veneta did not personally receive any job offers from the US, she attributes that to being an international student in tough times for the American economy. Her US classmates started receiving job offers during the second year of the programme. Stefan returned to Bulgaria and took up the position of change manager at the headquarters of Société Générale in Varna, Bulgaria; his first management job. Right after business school, Milena started her own investment advisory firm in Bulgaria, operating country-wide in the hospitality sector. Did they feel their MBA degree played a part in them getting that job?

Stefan: “Currently I have a job that I love where I feel my MBA supports my good performance. I have the feeling my MBA was a positive contribution, because this is my first position where I entered a company directly at managerial level, rather than starting off at a lower position and growing within the company.” Milena: “I went to Koç with the sole purpose of learning how to start, manage and grow my own business. I had already worked at an international company in Bulgaria, and knew that was not a career I was interested in. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to start my own firm right after graduation, with minimal investment and optimal returns. It would not have been possible without my MBA and the skills and knowledge I acquired there, nor without the precious contacts. I met several of my present clients while still in Turkey. Now I represent a number of Turkish investors in Bulgaria. I almost felt an obligation to them to start this business.” An interesting aspect of the David vs. Goliath comparison in MBA education is that, ironically, the top programmes are no longer restricted to Ivy League

MBA Careers

Schools. Any school in the top 50 could be considered a top programme on a global scale, considering the myriad of programmes available worldwide. If we assume that Ivy League graduates still aspire to stellar financial jobs, that actually leaves a lot of potential for smaller, albeit prestigious programmes. In truth, the US is not the financial centre of the world. Europe is. However, Ivy League grads who are not originally from Europe are rarely interested in relocating to financial centres in Frankfurt, Zurich, Luxembourg or even London. They are mostly interested in staying in the States. That leaves a lot of opportunities for smaller programme graduates to explore various parts of Europe and developing Asia.

PRACTICE

Perhaps the greatest value of an MBA degree is the extent to which it is applicable to real life. Our four participants are unanimous about the assets of a business education in that respect: Stefan says his MBA education made him feel more structured in approaching matters. He adds “I find it easier to provoke myself to think outside the box. Perhaps it sounds strange, but I learned that trusting your gut feeling and not following rules is how business is really done. Lastly (and personally) it gave me a boost in self-confidence; I am quite capable and it is all a matter of proper perspective.” Veneta of UC Berkley Haas admits: “I definitely find the knowledge and experience I acquired in my MBA very useful in my day-to-day activities. As an example, I took classes in financial modelling, real estate investment and securitisation (analysing asset backed securities). Upon returning to Bulgaria my job involved launching some of the first Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) on the Bulgarian capital market. Still, a main takeaway from Haas was expanding my way of thinking.” Kalina of Chicago Booth: “I wouldn’t point to a specific subject as the most useful and relevant to my current job. There are many, including negotiation, managerial decision modelling and

regression/statistics. What my MBA gave me was increased confidence and deep knowledge of myself, my strengths and weaknesses and how to market myself in order to be successful in my current environment. The brand name and the alumni network is the second most important benefit, I think.” Milena of Koç Business School: “My curriculum at Koç was very hands-on. I come from a small country where Turkey is a natural partner, so extending my network and using my two years in Istanbul to create a good client base for my future business was of top importance to me. I also found the course in professional managerial skills – communication, interpersonal and leadership development – to be exceptionally useful in practice. But generally, just being in Istanbul for two years, being part of that international environment and having all of that knowhow readily handed over to me added great value to the whole experience.” The above fully corresponds with the views most MBA degree holders hold about the value of their business education: networking, access to real-life business and the exceptional practicality of their studies.

DIVERSITY

International exposure is certainly one of the greatest assets of doing an MBA abroad. This plays a great part in the decision to apply. Diversity is no longer directly related to size or ranking. If you think you have to go to a top tier school to mix and mingle with people from various countries and with diverse backgrounds, think again. Many European schools boast up to 90% diversity. The same goes for Dubai or

Tokyo among others. In fact, it is exactly in those unsung places where you can feel diversity even more tangibly, because they are smaller and have a more intimate atmosphere. Non-branded programmes often provide a very versatile experience to students, as the number of visiting professors is generally high and their background is more diverse. European programmes could have professors or experts from all over the continent visiting. They would be speaking English with different accents; would have dramatically different stories to tell; and would have had experience of working with and managing a very diverse crowd. Schools are proud of their diversity, so they would be more than happy to provide you with information on their student body’s cultural and international diversity. Their websites offer detailed information on efforts to promote and encourage diversity, such as clubs like Asia Business Club, Black Business Students Association, Jewish Business Club, etc. You can find those at UC Berkley Haas but they are also at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, ranked #88. The whole David vs. Goliath debate central to MBA programmes for the past few years is primarily based on ROI. However, the main benefits that one extracts from an MBA education go well beyond that. Whether it is a large school or a smaller programme, a good degree will help you discover your strengths, hone your natural soft skills and prepare you – as well as it is viably possible – to become a valuable asset to the economy, be it as a member of the corporate world or a business owner. So, as Stefan said, “it is all a matter of proper perspective”. □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Careers

The Long Journey Back Home East or West: Think Twice Before Blindly Following the Trend

T

he MBA degree is more international than ever before. It offers lifechanging skills and innumerable career alternatives. It enables a student to develop an international attitude, have a worldwide network, and connect to a market that is excited by their skills and viewpoints. Business schools around the globe are preparing future global leaders to prosper and be successful. MBA graduates are capable of accomplishment and high performance wherever they are. Thus, no matter whether students earn an MBA degree from Asia, Europe or the US, they are bound to have good opportunities, depending on their qualities and talents, within or outside that region. Asia, with its tiger economies such as Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and China, has emerged as a lucrative destination to earn an MBA degree and to explore career opportunities, especially during the financial crisis that has damaged the West. In the recent decades, Asia has acquired extraordinary wealth and economic power, faster than any other region of the world. The cumulative GDP of Asia-Pacific has almost doubled in the last two decades and continues to grow. Fortune 500 companies have established their offices throughout Asia. Business schools there attract international stu-

dents and some of them even offer scholarships to foreign students. Even though most of the students turn to the West after graduation in search of better career opportunities, Asian employers want those with MBAs from Asia to stay and work in the region. The work experience that students gain by working in the region of their studies will help them throughout their career. Asian Business schools are fast adapting to an international standard and can provide international exposure just by working within the region, apart from training in additional language skills. Career

opportunities for foreign MBA students are on the rise in Asia and the Asian business schools are helping to make this transition easier. As Ananth Sundarrajan, an international CEIBS MBA student remarks, “An opportunity to observe and learn from not only Chinese peers but also peers from 21 other countries was a good enough reason for me to pack my bags and fly to Shanghai.” Despite the flourishing East, there is very little reason to ignore the West as far as obtaining an MBA degree or pursuing a thriving career is concerned. Business schools in the West have a lot to offer.

MBA Careers

Those in New York, London and Chicago have an outstanding reputation, particularly in the field of finance. Their location is actually one of their key advantages. They even provide better alternatives for summer placements and post-MBA careers. These Business schools not only have experienced faculty, but are also

popular hub for students willing to pursue an MBA, with the universities there offering considerable advantages. Today, many Business schools in the UK, Spain, France, and Switzerland have much higher ranking across the globe. In addition, Business schools located in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have emerged as

capable of arranging venture capital for entrepreneurial business plans and can offer work-study programmes on and off campus, as well as practical in-company training so that students can get professional work experience along with their MBA.

some of the top choices for domestic and international MBA students in the last few years. This preference is supported by the fast-growing economy of CEE. Countries such as Poland and Romania reported a GDP growth rate of 7-8% prior to the economic recession.

European Business schools have achieved an equal footing with their American counterparts and have improved their standing as leading global institutions for MBA programmes. Even though the US has long been the spiritual home of MBA aspirants, recent numbers indicate that Europe is fast becoming a

Even during the recession, Poland successfully balanced its economy compared to other EU countries. According to Mark Stoddard, accreditation projects manager for the Association of MBAs (AMBA) in CEE, “We expect a future increase in schools and programmes from the wider Eastern European region [out-

side Russia] in the coming years as there is increasing need for high-quality, global business leaders in the region.” Some European Business schools even offer an MBA programme spread across various countries and continents to provide a holistic experience to their students. Not only domestic students but those from around the globe are enrolling in MBA courses in Eastern Europe to gain international experience. The students’ learning experience can be summarised in the words of Tadeusz Kowalski, a teacher at Poznan University of Economics in Poland: “An MBA here enables a foreigner not only to expand his or her knowledge and skills, but also to make friends and learn more about a specific business environment.” The global nature of business and the MBA has infused the European region with a vivacity which is remarkably visible in the Business schools. Even France, the fifth largest economy in the world, is attracting more international MBA aspirants and this trend is expected to increase in the coming years, as revealed in recent research by FIND MBA. The economic and job scenarios have also improved tremendously in the West. The CEE nations’ membership of the EU has increased the confidence of investors as their economies have emerged and implemented the western-style regulatory frameworks. Almost all the major multinational companies have established their subsidiaries in CEE on account of the human expertise and speedy growth in the domestic consumption market. Due to the economic rise of this region, the career prospects of those having a local MBA degree have also increased tremendously. Recently, it has been observed that more and more French companies are hiring international graduates with the objective of internationalising their workplace. France is home to some of the biggest companies, such as BNP Paribas, EADS, Accor, Carrefour, and GDF-Suez. Thus, studying in the West can offer not only various brilliant perspectives, but Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Careers

also opportunities for those looking for exciting challenges and experiences. The trend to hire students who have completed their MBA in the region (East or West) where the company is located is on the rise. This is because businesses want graduates who understand the local market, are well versed in the local rules and regulations, have a calculated business attitude, and are self-motivated. Companies look for managers who can act as negotiators between the two parties of a contract, understand the local culture, and can manage ideas and local resources for new business ventures. It is always possible for a student to obtain a degree from the West and then may-

be look towards the East for working options if he/she is so intent on getting international work experience across continents, and being part of the spectacular growth of the Asian economy. The opposite is equally true. However, working and studying in the same region facilitates understanding the economy of the particular country and surrounding regions, as well as the various fiscal policies influencing business. Having a thorough understanding of the cultural inclinations, lifestyle and daily habits of people in the region improves a student’s chances of success both in the short-term and long-term. Any company will be more than willing to select students who can benefit their business

from the start rather than spending time getting to know the influencing factors. Choosing one’s study destination is a very important decision. Settling on where to kick-start one’s career is even more important. Students need to consider various criteria before blindly rushing to the East or West for studies and work. Ultimately, the final decision should be about finding the right match and what is best for the student, rather than just following a trend. There is a huge growth of Business schools in the West and East, especially with the increasing need for leaders in a fast-changing and dynamic market. Whatever one decides, blindly trailing the herd is not the answer. □

Global MBA Features Gain an in-depth insight into the features of top business schools

Athens University of Economics and Business Audencia Nantes School of Management Bentley University Copenhagen Business School CEU Business School Cass Business School EDHEC Business School European University ESADE Business School European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) Frankfurt School of Finance and Management GLOBIS University HEC Paris Hult International Business School IÉSEG School of Management IE Business School Kedge Business School Leeds University Business School Manchester Business School MIP Politecnico di Milano MODUL University Vienna Munich Business School National University of Singapore Newcastle University Business School NEOMA Business School S P Jain School of Global Management Sacred Heart University University of Cambridge, Judge Business School University of St. Gallen Vlerick Business School

78 79 80 81 82 84 85 86 88 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 108 109 110 111 112

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MBA School Profile

At the Forefront of Education and Research GREECE ▪ School Presentation:

Situated at the crossroads of three continents, Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) offers an exceptional exposure to the world, bringing together issues and challenges from the European Union, the Balkan countries, and the Middle East. Established in 1920, it is the oldest and most prestigious university in Greece in the areas of Economics and Business Administration. Being on the forefront of education and research for more than 90 years, AUEB has produced by far the largest number of Greek industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and managers, as well as faculty members and researchers. With excellent faculty who receive wide international academic and professional recognition, AUEB attracts the best pool of candidates in both its undergraduate and graduate programmes.

▪ Programme Presentation:

AUEB’s International MBA is a vibrant and innovative programme that aspires to offer high quality education in flexible forms. It is fully accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), and recently received the MBA Innovation Award 2013 by the International Accreditation Organisation. Moreover, the programme occupies top positions in international rankings and is highly accepted in the market internationally. Focusing on the individual client rather than on what can be taught, the programme can be personalised and tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of each individual student. This is achieved through a wide variety of learning opportunities: optional courses, personal skills development exercises, a variety of immersion projects, career office talks, company days, etc. The International MBA programme is set to change your life. It will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to analyse the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the global business environment and to formulate and implement innovative and effective strategies in the new era. It will help you cultivate your entrepreneurial capabilities, gain an international perspective, and strengthen your interpersonal and managerial skills.

Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 3/1 Male/Female Ratio: 47/53% Age Range: 22-39 Average Age: 28 Degree Background: Engineering, Management, Economics, Social Sciences, Information Systems, Technology International Students: 17% Europe: 37.5% North America: 12.5% Middle East: 12.5% Oceania and Asia: 25% Africa: 12.5%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Bachelor’s degree (minimum) GMAT (minimum): 550 (mandatory for Full-time students only) TOEFL (minimum): 79 IELTS (minimum): 6.5, or Certificate of Proficiency in English References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years (for the Full-time programme) Five years (for the Part-time programme)

Costs

Application Fees: 50 EUR Tuition Fees: 12,000 EUR (13,500 EUR for non-EU students) Scholarships: www.imba.aueb.gr

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATION: RANKINGS: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION: LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES: EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

AMBA Eduniversal, FindyourMBA.com International MBA Full-time, Part-time Finance; Marketing and Strategy; International Business; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Technology, Logistics and Operations Greek End January/End May Early September France, Spain, China, India, Singapore, Thailand, Colombia, USA

Contacts

Name: Ms Afroditi Kompoliti Email: [email protected] Telephone: +30 2108203659 Website: www.imba.aueb.gr

MBA School Profile

Inspiring New Leaders FRANCE ▪ School Presentation:

Audencia Nantes is one of the top Grandes Écoles de Commerce recognised by the French Ministry of Education. The Grandes Écoles are considered to be the pinnacle of business education in France. Audencia is one of the fewer than 1% of business schools that hold all three major international accreditations. Key figures: • 2,800 students • 25% international students, representing 75 nationalities • 95 permanent faculty members and 400 external experts • 45% international faculty, representing 18 nationalities • Over 180 partner schools over 50 countries • Over 13,000 alumni working in 89 countries • 29 International Alumni Chapters (London, New York, Shanghai).

▪ Programme Presentation:

In the MBA in Responsible Management, we train leaders for change, capable of inventing and implementing more responsible business models and management practices. The curriculum has been developed alongside extensive co-curricular events and projects to teach you about both the complexity and the potential of responsible management. Every dimension of the programmes holds global responsibility as its core value.

Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 1.88/1 Male/Female Ratio: 53/47% Age Range: 26-41 Average Age: 31 Degree Background: No preference International Students: Europe: 21% North America: 3% Middle East: 12% Oceania and Asia: 35% Africa: 9% Latin America: 20%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Costs

Application Fees: 100 EUR Tuition Fees: 30,000 EUR Scholarships: 90% of students receive financial aid. Average scholarship 10,000 EUR

Why study responsible management at Audencia? Because we have placed global responsibility at the heart of all our operations and programmes, pioneering the field of responsible management education. Our commitment to the field takes the form of development in three areas: • Knowledge acquisition and transfer through research and teaching • Recruitment policies focusing on diversity, in part through scholarship programmes • Support for entrepreneurs and companies following sustainable business practices through our networks.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA

RANKINGS:

The Economist (76), CNN Expansion (52), Corporate Knights and NetImpact (top 20)

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Full-time

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

On-site

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Corporate Social Responsibility

LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES: EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

Optional French courses Rolling admissions 14 September 2015 Optional (University of Exeter)

Contacts

Name: Benjamin Rethmel Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33 (0)2.40.37.34.34 Website: www.audencia.com

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MBA Interview

‘‘I Have a Global Network’’ Copenhagen MBA Alumnus Richard Hungerford, MBA Graduate, Class of 2012 Richard Hungerford, Director of Campaigns Product at Hootsuite in Vancouver, is a Copenhagen MBA alumnus. Initially attracted to the programme for its intense, oneyear format, small class sizes and focus on entrepreneurship, Richard was awarded the MBA degree in 2012. After graduation, he went back to Vancouver to launch a start-up in the technology space. He grew it from a team of two to twelve in 18 months and in that time period his company was acquired by Hootsuite.

A

s a Copenhagen MBA student, you will participate in a 360° learning experience, honing and developing your personal leadership skills with the purpose of preparing you for future roles in responsible management. Our internationally recognised programme is among the 1% of global business schools holding the triple crown of accreditation (AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB), reflecting our commitment to quality of the very highest level.

What were the most important aspects you considered when choosing a course? What attracted me to the Copenhagen MBA was the fact that it was a one-year, intense programme, the small class sizes and the opportunity to immerse myself in entrepreneurship.

What was your most valuable experience during the study?

I use the principles of the Copenhagen MBA programme every day. Running a start-up requires me to be in contact with so many different stakeholders on a daily basis. Whether it’s a VP, a lawyer or

an accountant I am talking to, I need to be able to speak the language. The Copenhagen MBA taught me that whatever your position, whatever you are doing, you are a leader every day.

Has the Copenhagen MBA degree helped you achieve better results career-wise, and how?

While I was in the MBA we did a number of start-up, cleantech competitions and it was a great opportunity to learn how to do pitches, create a business plan and get in front of real investors.

About a month after I graduated from the Copenhagen MBA, I went back to Vancouver and I co-founded a company in the technology space which I rebranded and grew from a team of 2 to 12. The rebrand was an interesting and challenging process and there were many components which related to the MBA skill-set, one of those being the change process. A new brand requires a cultural and behavioural shift in the way employees communicate the company externally. As a start-up, we were lucky to be small, nimble and responsive. Getting everyone onboard and articulating the vision of the new company and value-offering was very important.

In addition to skills, what has the Copenhagen MBA given you?

The Copenhagen MBA alumni network is all about having global peers across the world and getting the opportunity to go out and ask people that I trust, people that run businesses in different sectors. I’ve got a friend in Singapore that I talk to regularly and another in New York that I visited recently. There is this great opportunity to learn from people who have done it before. View the video with Richard Hungerford on The Copenhagen MBA Facebook page: facebook.com/cbsfulltimemba □ www.cbs.dk/ftmba Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA Interview

‘‘Rethink the Way Business Is Conducted’’ With CEU Business School How would you describe CEU Business School today?

That does not necessarily mean we will open branch campuses in other locations. It will more likely mean partnering with other institutions, using technology in smarter ways, and teaching and conducting curriculum development with academic and corporate partners.

We provide them with theory and ideas, engage them in debate, and give them examples and practical experiences—all of which help them grow as leaders. And we do this using a range of teaching approaches, including case studies, action learning in firms, new courses on such avant garde subjects as design thinking and financial strategy, our new NYCbased MBA module and a special course in our incubator, CEU InnovationLabs, that asks students to develop an actual new venture.

Who do you think should get an MBA degree and why?

CEU Business School is a dynamic, supportive environment that challenges professionals at all stages of their careers — from recent graduates to senior executives— to rethink the way they conduct business.

What do you think differentiates CEU Business School from other schools?

CEU Business School is a uniquely valuable institution. Created and operating as a world-class business school with the very best in innovative teaching approaches and professional standards, the School is also rooted and deeply involved in a world that has undergone great change. Indeed, the School is part of that change. Thus, we blend global professionalism with a deep understanding of the emerging world. We can serve - perhaps better than almost any institution in the world - executives, entrepreneurs, SMEs and multinationals, aiming to prosper in the fastest-growing part of the globe. And we have been doing this for over 25 years.

Where do you want to see the Business School 25 years from now? I believe the next 25 years will be even more exciting and meaningful for CEU Business School than its first quarter century. Leveraging our CEE heritage,

Mel Horwitch is Dean and University Professor at Central European University Business School, located in Budapest, Hungary. Previously, he was Professor of Technology Management, Director of the Institute for Technology and Enterprise, Chair of the Department of Technology Management, Founding Director of the Othmer Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, and Faculty Director of the CleantechExecs Executive Programme at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. Professor Horwitch is an acknowledged expert on entrepreneurship and innovation management.

our success in bridging all of Europe, and our experience in bringing best practices to uncertain environments, we now are able to carry out our mission on a much larger scale than before. Moreover, we can serve regions of the world where quality business education has traditionally been out of reach – either because of geographic or financial access.

It is important to remember that there is no single rigid “MBA”. The reason why the MBA is the most popular and sought-after degree on the planet is because of its inherent capacity to adapt to changing times and conditions. Previously, the MBA was for students who generally wanted to work in larger corporations, investment banking and management consulting, mostly in what was called “the advanced world”. That is no longer the case today. MBA students in increasing numbers are working for SMEs. Others want to be entrepreneurs, work in entrepreneurial enterprises or serve entrepreneurs as VCs, etc. Some MBA students will spend much of their professional lives as independent free agents serving a number of clients in some fashion, and this will certainly become increasingly common in an age of outsourcing, corporate de-massing and networked ecosystems of various kinds.

On top of all this is the importance of acting with integrity. In a world rife with questionable business practice and rampant corruption in certain regions, the MBA holder also must understand and uphold the need in business to act within a moral compass, thereby earning the trust and respect of colleagues and external stakeholders. All such new and essential attributes make the MBA as valuable and as needed as ever. This is the kind of MBA education that CEU Business School is committed to providing for its students. □

MBA School Profile

Where Ideas Are Born HUNGARY ▪ School Presentation:

CEU Business School offers students the unique opportunity to earn an American MBA degree in the heart of Europe. Its programmes educate leaders and entrepreneurs who transform organisations into innovative, responsible enterprises that bring value to the world and engines of prosperity, providing opportunity and market growth in emerging and established economies. Education at CEU Business School represents a dynamic and proven balance between latest theory and practice. The CEU learning experience involves case studies, application of the latest technology, boardroom simulations and action learning projects in the field. Students maximise their potential by being part of a diverse and engaged community, drawing on the experience of fellow MBA candidates as well as CEU Business School faculty and top executives and entrepreneurs from regional and multinational organisations.

▪ Programme Presentation:

CEU Business School currently offers the following AMBA-accredited US degree programmes: • Accelerated One-Year MBA: This 11-month programme is comprehensive and intensive. Its curriculum is modern, emphasising entrepreneurship, innovation, action learning, leadership, ethics and finance. • Katalyst Executive MBA: This 22-month programme is designed for working executives and other professionals who want to advance their careers without interrupting their professional lives. Courses take place every third weekend. • IMM Global Executive MBA: Students study at partner institutions in 2-week modular sessions. Participants have an average of 13 years of work experience.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATION: RANKING: TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION: LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES:

STARTING DATES: EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

AMBA Ranked 22nd in Europe by international and regional employers Accelerated One-Year MBA programme; Katalyst Executive MBA; the IMM Global Executive MBA (modular multi-campus) Accelerated One-Year MBA programme, 11 months; Katalyst Executive MBA (weekend format), 22 months; the IMM Global Executive MBA, 19 months Business and Sustainability; Entrepreneurship; Marketing; Finance English Accelerated One-Year MBA programme: Scholarship Application Deadline: 31 Jan., 15 April; General Application Deadline: 15 June Executive MBA (weekend): In general, one month before the October and March programmes start. IMM Global Executive MBA: 28 Feb. Accelerated One-year MBA: September Executive MBA (weekend): October, March IMM Executive MBA: March 9 schools in Europe, 2 in North America, 2 in Latin America and 3 in Asia, with no additional tuition fees

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 78/22% Age Range: 24-52 Average Age: 34 Degree Background: Engineering: 20%; Business: 17%; Economics: 16%; Management: 8%; Other: 29% International Students: Accelerated One-Year MBA: 80% Executive (weekend) MBA: 33% Europe: 72%, North America: 14%, Latin America: 1%, Middle East: 1%, Africa: 2%, Asia: 10%

Admission Requirements

• Online Application Form and Professional CV/Resume • Undergraduate Diploma and Transcripts • Statement of Purpose • GMAT or GRE scores • English Language Proficiency exam GMAT: 620 (average), waived for Executive MBA TOEFL: CBT 230, PBT 570, IBT 88 References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Accelerated One-Year MBA three years, Executive MBA five years, IMM Global Executive MBA five years

Costs

Application Fees: None Tuition Fees: • Accelerated One-Year MBA: 13,000 EUR • Executive MBA (weekend): 16,000 EUR • IMM Executive MBA: 58,000 EUR Scholarships: 15% tuition reduction for Alumni of CEU Degree programmes; Accelerated One-Year MBA: 5 full tuition waivers, two 50% tuition waivers

Contacts

Name: Marketing, Recruitment & Admission Office Email: [email protected] Telephone: +36 1 887 5014 Website: www.business.ceu.edu

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All that you can be,

The Cass MBA London

begins here.

The Cass MBA is a 12-month journey that will enhance your capability as a business professional and extend your knowledge of global business practices. Located in the financial district and next to Tech City, London’s thriving technology hub and start-up scene, the Cass MBA provides you with the platform, the exposure and the tools to design the next phase of your career.

For further information about the MBA please contact [email protected]

3 MBA

#

cassmbalondon.com

in the UK for career progression The Financial Times 2015

MBA School Profile

Change Yourself, Change the World FRANCE ▪ School Presentation:

EDHEC Business School has been providing first-class management education for more than 100 years and is constantly ranked among the Top 5 Business Schools in France. EDHEC is fully accredited by the French government and was one of the first schools worldwide to be awarded the triple accreditation AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. EDHEC aims to be recognised for high-quality research and education, and for innovative ideas and tools that impact business. This “EDHEC for Business” strategy is underpinned by excellent academic research, the results of which are systematically disseminated through EDHEC’s academic programmes, and to the business world and society at large. EDHEC Global MBA is: N°3 in France (The Economist 2014), N°14 in Europe (The Economist 2014), N°44 in the World (The Economist 2014) EDHEC Business School is: N°17 Business School in Europe (Financial Times 2014).

▪ Programme Presentation:

A 10-month, Full-time MBA, entirely in English on the French Riviera: The EDHEC GLOBAL MBA is the ideal programme for: • professionals who wish to give a stagnating career a boost • those with a specialised background who want to develop general management know-how • professionals who are moving to another field • those thinking of starting up their own company. Guaranteed Scholarships: Our transparent and guaranteed scholarships offer reductions of up to 50% through GMAT/GRE, Nationality, Diversity and others. International Exposure: The EDHEC GLOBAL MBA offers two Global Business Trips to South Africa and to London, Singapore or San Francisco, depending on the track’s choice. These trips give participants a hands-on experience of another culture, economy and competitive context.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 56/44% Age Range: 27-47 years Average Age: 33 years Professional Experience: 8 years International Students: 96% International students, 32 Nationalities

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Bachelor’s GMAT: Compulsory English Test(s): English tested at Interview References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years on average

Costs

Application Fees: 100 EUR Tuition Fees: 41,000 EUR for January and September 2015 intakes – including the two Business Trips (tickets, accommodation, visa, leisure and food) Scholarships: Excellence Scholarships (50%), Premium Scholarships (40%), Merit Scholarships (30%), 1st Nationality Scholarships (20%), Diversity Scholarships (10%), EDHEC Recommendation Scholarships (10%), Entrepreneurship Scholarships (5%), Global 500 Scholarships (5%), RDE 100 Scholarships (5%), Experience Scholarships (5%), Dual Nationality Scholarships (5%)

Career coaching: EDHEC’s exclusive CareerSMART is integrated into the GLOBAL MBA’s curriculum and is designed to give participants an intensive look at their career aspirations from the beginning of their MBA.  

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

TYPE OF THE PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION: LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES:

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS General MBA 10-month Full-time MBA The ability to choose between three tracks: Global Finance (Trip to London), Entrepreneurship (Trip to San Francisco), and Leadership (Trip to Singapore) English 30 June and 30 November September or January

Contacts

Name: Ms Nikki Harle; Ms Françoise Evangelisti Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33 4 93 18 45 66 Website: www.edhec-mba.com

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MBA Interview

“50% of All Educational Offerings Will Be Online Within 10 Years” With EU Business School undergo fundamental changes over the next decade and become less teacher centric and much more student focused.

E

stablished in 1973, EU is a triple-accredited, international business school which offers small, dynamic classes given in English and presents students with a broad network of campuses on which to study their business degrees. EU’s graduate programmes utilise a pragmatic approach to business education which emphasises the case-study method. Its Master of Business Administration (MBA), Online Master of Business Administration (Online MBA) and Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degrees are internationally recognised graduate degrees that serve as passports to successful management careers.

What are the advantages for students studying an Online MBA at EU? Flexibility, accessibility and affordability. Your classroom is never further away than your mobile phone. Technology allows even the busiest person to have the opportunity to complete an accredited degree. This is a rather recent, but most welcome, development for both students and teachers, I believe.

What do you think the students gain online that maybe they wouldn’t gain attending an onsite programme?

Online students receive instruction from expert professors from many different countries and disciplines, which may not always be the case due to geographic, financial or time constraints.

What aspect of the online programmes do you think students benefit from the most? Discipline and self-discipline. Without this, it is difficult to finish any online course. Those who schedule their time accordingly and don’t miss a class go on to do very well. In essence, it’s not all

What’s your method for keeping students engaged and motivated through online learning?

The same methods I would use in a regular classroom: interesting and relevant topics and discussion; a consistent balance between theory and practical application; team projects and live presentations; and ensuring the class develops from being a group of students, to a team of future collaborators.

Dr. Nina Rung-Hoch Professor of Strategic Management, Online Programme EU Business School that different from a traditional classroom environment. Additionally, many online classrooms are truly global. For example, I teach a class with 30 students who represent 22 countries. By the time the students graduate they already have a significant global network in place.

How do you see the future of online education evolving?

I think online programmes will represent 50% of all educational offerings within the next 10 years. In 2005, I started developing accredited online degree programmes in the USA, thus I am fortunate to have witnessed this worldwide phenomenon since the very beginning. Lately we have seen MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) receive a lot of attention. Although, they differ from what you would experience as an online student. Most online programmes have 20-25 students in each class which, in my opinion, is where the future lies. This would mean personalised instruction and attention, in addition to small classes led by worldclass faculty available at your fingertips. I believe we have only seen the tip of the iceberg and that higher education will

Are there any challenges when it comes to online education? I would say that teaching online takes much more time and preparation as a teacher. You not only have to master your material, but also become familiar with the various technological tools and techniques to make the teaching “come alive”.

What has surprised you the most about teaching this way?

It is certainly a joy to experience the quieter students, who maybe in a physical classroom would not receive much attention, truly shine in the online environment. I have found the online classroom to be a great equaliser in the sense that everyone participates and that the students think more about what they say online than in the classroom. Their comments are visible for at least a week after, so students tend to think more before they engage to a greater degree.

Do students still receive the personal attention they would receive in a classroom?

In my experience they receive much more personal attention. Professors are able to respond to questions the same day (or within the hour), plus offer more direct guidance not only in terms of the specific class discipline but also in terms of their future career choices and current events. □

MBA School Profile

Excellence in Business Education EUROPE ▪ School Presentation:

The EU Business School (EU) is an internationally accredited, multi-campus business school established in 1973. EU offers innovative business programmes at the Business Foundation (BF), Bachelor’s (BBA), Master’s (MBA) and Doctorate (DBA) levels. With small, dynamic classes offered in English at all of its worldwide campuses, EU students get the best of both American and European academic traditions in an international environment.

▪ Programme Presentation:

All EU Business School Master’s/graduate programmes accomodate each candidate’s needs. The MBA programmes last one year full-time (three 10-week terms) or two years part-time. The first two terms cover the essential skills for understanding Master’s level business concepts. The last term focuses on the candidate’s specialisation. The Executive MBA is designed for energetic executives who seek a versatile and challenging MBA experience to enhance their global competitiveness. Applicants should possess a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years, managerial experience. The curriculum is identical to those offered in the full-time MBA programme. The EU’s Online MBA programme is ideally suited for those who: wish to continue working while studying; seek a blended experience of online and onsite education; wish to develop multidimensional business skills; are looking to move up in their companies; want to study under a world class faculty staff. The programme mirrors EU’s top 40 MBA while giving students the flexibility to attend lectures online at their own convenience. Nine weeks of each term take place online while the tenth week of each term takes place on one of EU’s four main campuses (Munich, Barcelona, Geneva or Montreux). Each term, participants take five courses online, plus seminars and onsite lectures during their oncampus weeks.  

Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 10:7 Male/Female Ratio: 54/46% Age Range: 22–35 Average Age: 26 Degree Background: Business Engineering Sciences International Students: 95% Europe: 60% North America: 5% Central/South America: 5% Middle East: 5% Oceania and Asia: 10% Africa: 5% Latin America: 10%

Admission Requirements University Degree: Bachelor’s GMAT (minimum): 600 TOEFL: 80 iBT References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Costs

Application Fees: 200 EUR

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS: RANKINGS:

TYPE OF THE PROGRAMME:

ACBSP, IACBE, CEEMAN Tier 1 CEO Magazine; 20 China Economic Review; 6 Capital.fr MBA

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Full-time, Part-time, Executive, Online International Business, Communications & PR, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, International Marketing, Human Resources Management, Leisure & Tourism Management, Global Banking & Finance, Family Business Management, E-Business, Corporate Sustainability, Sports Management, Reputation Management, Design Management Rolling admissions

STARTING DATES:

October, January, March

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Contacts

Name: Sandra Moro Email: [email protected] Telephone: +34932018171 Website: www.euruni.edu

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RAISE YOUR GAME Full Time MBA The Full Time MBA is a top-ranked flexible programme that will increase your managment and business knowledge and leadership skills in a multicultural, co-creative environment combining the expertise of a prestigious Business School with the cosmopolitan business city of Barcelona. You will create you own and unique MBA experience that will prepare you for a successful career, learning about the fundamentals of business whilst having the option to specialise through one of our thematic Business Labs and put your knowledge to the test thanks to projects with the world-renowned CERN and within the ESADE Creapolis Open and Cross Innovation Centre, located on our campus.

Why the Full Time MBA?

More information

· New Dual MBA with Guanghua School of Management starting September 2015

Join us at ESADE where we put the world within your reach.

· 3rd Best Business School in Europe. Financial Times 2013 · Choose the length of study: 12-15-18 month tracks · Global Experience: Exchange programme, Global Study Tour, Career Treks, internships · Co-creation through collaborative leaderships, teamwork, innovation and enterpreneurship · Specialization in one of our 5 Business Labs · Action Learning Consultancy Project and investigation projects with CERN

ESADE Business School, Av. Torre Blanca, 59, 08172. Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona (Spain) Tel. +34 935 543 511 www.esade.edu/ftmba

MBA School Profile

A Top Tier Worldwide Academic Institution SPAIN ▪ School Presentation:

ESADE Business School, established in Barcelona in 1958 as a non-profit organisation, is internationally recognised for the excellent standard of its programmes in management and is accredited by the world’s three most respected management education organisations: AACSB, EQUIS and the Association of MBAs. ESADE achieves consistently high positions in global rankings, with our Full-Time MBA programme currently ranked 7th in Europe and 19th in the world, and our Executive Education programmes and MSc Master’s in Management ranked 5th and 6th in the world respectively (by The Financial Times). ESADE belongs to the CEMS European network, setting the school in the top tier of academic institutions worldwide.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Why the ESADE MBA? • The most international experience you’ll ever have. 95% international students in class, global exchanges, internships and study treks and over 50,000 alumni around the world. • Tailor-make your MBA in 12, 15 or 18 months and with a huge variety of electives and 6 specialised business labs to make your experience your own. • Real world challenges, in an MBA where we learn by doing. Action Learning Consultancy Project, Challenge Based Innovation with CERN, Case competitions and international growth challenges with global business schools. • MBA Ranked 7th in Europe and 19th in the world. ESADE ranked 4th best European Business School. (by The Financial Times) • 65% average salary increase after graduation. • Experience Barcelona: ranked as one of Europe’s top cities in which to live.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 71/29% Average Age: 28 Degree Background: 6 years International Students: 95% (152 students in total) Europe: 20% North America (US & Canada): 12% Middle East: 7% Asia Pacific: 39% Africa: 3% Latin America: 19%

Admission Requirements University Degree: In any field GMAT (average): 670 Minimum Length of Work Experience: Two years Average: 6 years

Costs

Application Fees: 135 EUR Tuition Fees: 59,700 EUR

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AACSB, EQUIS and the Association of MBAs

RANKING:

7th in Europe, 19th in the world (The Financial Times 2014)

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Full-time MBA, 12 months

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

12-15-18 months

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Specialise in Entrepreneurship, Family Business, Finance, Innovation, Latin America and Marketing through our Business Labs, gaining certification in these areas

LANGUAGE COURSES:

English

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Rolling admissions process, all year round

STARTING DATES:

September 2015

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME: 40 top exchange schools around the world PERCENTAGE OF SALARY 65% INCREASE AFTER GRADUATION:

Contacts

Name: Admissions Email: [email protected] Telephone: +34 934 952 088 Website: www.esade.edu/ftmba

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MBA School Profile

Innovation, Technology and Sustainability Focus GERMANY ▪ School Presentation:

ESMT - European School of Management and Technology, located in the heart of Berlin, is a private business school founded by 25 multinational corporations. The school’s expertise focuses on the development of entrepreneurial leaders with a global focus on social responsibility and the management of technology. ESMT is one of the top ranked business schools in Germany with a global network of alumni in over 40 countries. ESMT offers three degree programmes: Master’s in Management, Full-time MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) as well as executive education.

▪ Programme Presentation:

ESMT’s Full-time MBA programme takes a general management and personal growth and development approach. Throughout the one-year programme, students work with diverse teams, discover their drives and limits and challenge conventional thinking. Moreover, all students receive unparalleled coaching and teambuilding that are fully integrated into the lecture schedule. The curriculum includes two specialisations: Managing Innovation & Technology and Global Sustainable Business. The programme’s six learning modules include in-class lectures, a consulting project, an international field seminar, a business plan competition and pre- and post-programme training opportunities, such as German language courses and a social impact project. The ESMT Executive MBA is an 18-month, part-time, modular programme, starting every year in October. It provides participants with general, crossfunctional management knowledge vital for mastering the transition from manager to integrative, executive leader. For highly motivated individuals aiming at leadership roles in the fields of global business and technological innovation, the ESMT EMBA offers a unique opportunity to earn an MBA degree while continuing strong on-the-job performance.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

RANKING(S):

PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES:

AACSB, AMBA and FIBAA The Full-time MBA ranks #3 globally for international MBA programmes (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2014). ESMT is the highest ranked programmes in the DACH region and #2 in Europe. In the Financial Times EMBA ranking ESMT’s EMBA programmes has been ranked #1 for Career Progress for three years in a row. It currently has the overall position of 30th in the world, and 13th in Europe. Full-time MBA and modular, part-time EMBA Management of Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Business MBA: Rolling admissions with final deadline 2 November (non-EU nationals) or 2 December (EU nationals) EMBA: Rolling admissions with final deadline 2 September MBA: January, EMBA: October

Student Body

MBA: 2015 Class: 58 students Average Age: 30 Average Years of Work Experience: 6,5 International Participants: 81% Male/Female Ratio: 71/29% EMBA: 2014-2016 Class: 49 students Average Age: 35 Average Years of Work Experience: 11 International Participants: 56% Male/Female Ratio: 67/33%

Admission Requirements

MBA: Undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification Min. years of work experience: Three Strong GMAT or GRE scores TOEFL or equivalent proof of English fluency EMBA: Undergraduate degree or equivalent professional qualification Min. years of work experience: Five or more, including three years of managerial experience Strong GMAT/GRE scores or ESMT’s admissions test score.

Costs

Application Fees: None Tuition Fees: MBA 38,000 EUR, EMBA 57,500 EUR Scholarships: Numerous partial-tuition scholarships are available for MBA and self-funding EMBA applicants. There are also a limited number of prestigious full-tuition scholarships available

Contacts

Name: Stephanie Kluth Email: [email protected] Telephone: +49 (0) 30 21231 1400 Website: www.esmt.org/mba www.esmt.org/emba

MBA School Profile

Build Your International Network in the Heart of Europe ▪ School Presentation:

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is an AACSB and EQUIS-accredited private business school. Our mission is to advance and disseminate sustainable international business practices in finance and management through education, research, training and advisory services. Based on research and practical experience, we educate our undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and executive students to be responsible experts and leaders. Home to companies in countless industries and leading corporations, Frankfurt is the ideal location for your global business studies.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Our Full-time and Executive MBA programmes are designed to help you make the most of your next career step. Customised, practice-relevant case studies form the basis of instruction in our MBA programmes. Frankfurt School serves as an inspiring platform for discussion and fruitful discourse with faculty and fellow students. And Frankfurt, Europe’s financial capital, offers immense networking and career opportunities. Full-time MBA: This 15-month programme is taught in English and offers practical, experience-based business education in a diverse and international classroom environment. The general management curriculum covers all relevant areas of business leadership, from managerial finance to innovation and change management. Students benefit from comprehensive career development services throughout the programme, as well as tailored German language instruction. International study trips focusing on leadership and entrepreneurship are also included. Executive MBA: This 18-month part-time programme has been specially designed to enable students to work full-time during their studies. Lectures and seminars take place at weekends and in several block-week sessions. Participants benefit from internationally renowned professors, innovative case-based teaching and one-on-one leadership coaching. Through the International Week you will gain insights into international management issues by taking courses at one of our prestigious partner universities around the world.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

EQUIS, AACSB

RANKINGS:

5th in the German-speaking world for business administration (Handelsblatt, 2014) and 20th worldwide for the Master’s in Finance (Financial Times, 2014)

PROGRAMME FORMAT: LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES:

Full-time and Part-time Full-time MBA offers German language courses as well as additional options for those already fluent in German MBA: 1 Dec, 1 Mar, 1 June, 1 Aug; EMBA: Rolling admissions until 31 May MBA: October; EMBA: September

GERMANY Student Body

MBA: Average Age: 29 Average Years of Work Experience: 6 16 Nationalities 75% International EMBA: Average Age:36 Average Years of Work Experience: 11 26% International

Admission Requirements

MBA: • University degree in any discipline • Min. years of work experience: Two • GMAT/GRE score or internal admissions test • TOEFL (min. 90) or IELTS (min. 6.5) EMBA: • University degree in any discipline • Min. years of work experience: 5, with appropriate managerial responsibility • Excellent English language skills

Costs

There are no application fees at Frankfurt School. • Full-time MBA: 31,000 EUR Early-bird discount of 5,000 EUR for complete applications received by 1 December, 2,500 EUR discount for applications received by 1 March • EMBA: 33,100 EUR Early-bird discount of 3,000 EUR for complete applications received by 31 January Scholarships: Merit-based scholarships in various categories

Contacts

MBA: Christine Cordt; [email protected] EMBA: Gisela Brinkmeier; [email protected] Telephone: +49 69 154 0080 Website: www.fs.de/mba Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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MBA School Profile

Redefine Yourself Through a 12-month MBA in Tokyo ▪ School Presentation:

Located in the heart of Tokyo, GLOBIS University’s fresh look at business education has led it to become Japan’s largest MBA in a short space of time. Combining a highly practical and interactive methodology with the uniqueness of time-tested Japanese management concepts, GLOBIS equips students to take on tomorrow’s challenges in a global context, and become visionary leaders who create and innovate societies. As Japan’s largest business school, GLOBIS offers a door to an expansive network of business professionals and executives throughout Japan and around the world. Our graduates apply their skills in all arenas, from start-up ventures to the largest blue-chip global companies.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Beyond developing practical business skills, GLOBIS MBA students are encouraged to find their place in society and think practically about the enduring and unique value that they can add. Entrepreneurship is more than a buzzword at GLOBIS. Itself a small venture that grew into one of Japan’s top-ranked business schools, GLOBIS aims to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs by offering an environment for students to share innovative ideas and experiences, and learn essential start-up skills through courses taught by successful entrepreneurs. This is also part of the practical focus of GLOBIS. All courses are taught by top business professionals, allowing students to tap into real-world insights in small, discussion-based classes. Beyond this, GLOBIS MBA students must think deeply about their ultimate goal in life, and how they can leverage their newfound skills and network to achieve this mission. This kokorozashi, or sense of mission, is a unique cornerstone of the GLOBIS MBA that sets it apart from other business schools.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATION: RANKINGS: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT:

By the Japanese Ministry of Education Ranked 2nd by Nikkei and Nikkei HR in 2014 Full-time, Part-time Full-time: 12-month programme, classes held during the day Part-time: 24-month programme, classes on weekday evenings & weekends

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Entrepreneurship, General Management, Japanese Management, Cross Cultural Management

LANGUAGE COURSES:

English

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Full-time: Nov. 2015, Jan. 2016 and Mar. 2016 Part-time: Sept. 2015, Nov. 2015 and Jan. 2016

STARTING DATES: EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

Full-time: September 2016, Part-time: April 2016 Overseas Module with CEIBS (2015)

JAPAN Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 56/44% Average Age: 30 Degree Background: International Students: 93% Europe: 13% North America: 13% Central/South America: 3% Middle East: 7% Oceania and Asia: 61% Africa: 3% Industry Background: Finance: 6% Trading/Retail: 10% Chemical/Pharmaceutical/Food: 13% Energy/Transportation: 10% Consulting: 7% IT/Telecom: 6% Manufacturing: 19% Service/Other: 29%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Bachelor’s Degree GMAT (minimum): Not required TOEFL: N/A References: One (work related) Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Costs

Full-time: Application Fees: 11,000 JPY (outside Japan) Tuition Fees: 3,909,000 JPY Scholarships: Up to 100% of total tuition fees Part-time: Application Fees: 11,000 JPY (outside Japan) Tuition Fees: 2,930,000 JPY Scholarships: Up to 50% of total tuition fees (for non-Japanese students)

Contacts

Name: Mr Sven Van Stichel Email: [email protected] Telephone: +81-3-5275-3850 Website: www.globis.ac.jp

MBA School Profile

HEC Paris MBA: A Leading Global MBA FRANCE ▪ School Presentation:

With more alumni in CEO positions than any other continental Business School, HEC Paris is the Alma Mater of CEOs in Europe. Our graduates have gone on to be CEOs of BestBuy, L’Oreal, Kering, Lafarge, AXA and the Executive Vice President of Havas Worldwide, to name but a few. Besides gaining access to our network of 50,000 alumni worldwide, our students benefit from the proximity of HEC Paris to La Défense, the epicentre of European Business with the highest concentration of Multinational Corporation headquarters on the continent. As one of the founding members and the only business school of the Paris-Saclay Innovation Cluster – ranked as one of the most influential Innovation Clusters in the world – HEC Paris is also a key player in business innovation. Our students constantly come into contact with different backgrounds throughout the MBA programme. The 200-strong student body is made up of around 90% international students with a wide range of academic and professional experience.

▪ Programme Presentation:

At HEC Paris, we offer two different MBA options to our students: Full-time (12 or 16 months) or Part-time (one week per month over 18-24 months). Our curriculum, redesigned in partnership with Bain and Company, has two phases: the Fundamental and the Customised phases. The Fundamental Phase provides students with advanced knowledge in essential business disciplines, while the Customised Phase is more flexible in nature, giving participants the opportunity to tailor their MBA to their own needs. Our focus is on learning by doing. Students are given many opportunities to practise their leadership skills outside the classroom and graduate with an adaptable skillset which can be moulded to fit any position in any company worldwide. Our ability to create business leaders is proven: 90% of our graduating class finds work within three months of graduation, with Amazon, Google, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey and L’Oréal amongst our top MBA recruiters.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS: RANKING: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION: LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES: EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB The Economist: #1 MBA in Europe (2014), #4 Worldwide (2014); Financial Times Global MBA Ranking: #16 Worldwide (2015), America Economia: #5 Worldwide (2014) Generalist MBA Full-time (12 or 16 months) and Part-time (18 to 24 months) Strategy, Marketing, Advanced Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Italian Rolling September and January 12 Double Degrees, over 40 academic partnerships worldwide

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 65/35% Age Range: 25-35 Average Age: 30 International Students: 92% Africa: 3% East and South Asia: 21% Central Asia: 19% Eastern and Central Europe: 6% France: 8% Latin America: 12% Middle East: 6% North America: 11% Oceania: 2% Western Europe: 12%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Yes GMAT (minimum): 600 (Average: 685) GRE (minimum): Quantitative Reasoning 65th percentile, Verbal Reasoning 65th percentile TOEFL (minimum): 100 (IBT); 260 (CBT); 600 (PBT) IELTS (minimum): 6.5 Min PTE: 72 TOEIC (minimum): 340 (speaking & writing) References: Two online forms to complete Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years Average Work Experience: 6 years

Costs

Application Fees: Class of 2017: 180 EUR Tuition Fees: Class of 2017: 52,000 EUR Scholarships: Available after admission

Contacts

Name: Admissions Office Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33 1 39 67 95 46 / + 33 1 39 67 73 83 Website: www.mba.hec.edu

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MBA School Profile

For Global Minds Only USA/UK/UAE/CHINA ▪ School Presentation:

The world’s leading international business school, Hult is ranked 1st for international exchange opportunities and diversity of industries recruiting graduates by The Economist (2014). Hult is also ranked 6th in percentage increase on pre-MBA salary and the 32nd best business school in North America and 55th in the world by The Economist (2014). Hult is ranked 21st best international business school by Bloomberg Businessweek (2014).

Student Body

Global Rotation locations: Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai, New York. Experience business first-hand and extend your network in 6 global locations. Rotate to up to two of Hult’s global locations, for up to 3 months, and study alongside classmates from over 140 countries, speaking 105 languages.

University Degree: : Bachelor’s or equivalent GMAT: GMAT or GRE score required TOEFL: 90 References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Teaching soft skills in a hard way. Hult offers a practical education that will equip students with the skills required for global success. You will learn not only the basics of business, but also how to connect with others and make things happen.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Select your pace of study. Minimise your time away from the job market and keep study costs at bay with Hult’s intensive, award-winning One-Year MBA programme, or study part-time with our flexible two-year Executive MBA schedule. Award-winning curriculum. Hult’s MBA curriculum, redesigned in conjunction with top CEOs and HR executives, has been awarded the Association of MBAs (AMBA) 2014 MBA Innovation Award. Hult’s research has identified five key competencies that employers are looking for in candidates, which MBA graduates often lack: adaptive thinking, communication, building relationships, teamwork and execution. Through practical application, peer coaching, and personal planning Hult helps students develop these skills alongside the theoretical knowledge you would expect of any MBA programme.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

RANKINGS:

TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES:

AMBA; NEASC; BAC 1st for international exchange opportunities (The Economist, 2014) 1st for diversity of industries recruiting graduates (The Economist, 2014) 21st best international business school (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2014) 10th for employer satisfaction (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2014) 55th best business school in the world (The Economist, 2014) 32nd best business school in North America (The Economist, 2014) One-year Full-time MBA and Part-time EMBA MBA: 12 months; Executive MBA: 2-5 years General Management; International Finance; International Marketing; Entrepreneurship; Innovation Sunday, March 15, 2015; Sunday, May 10, 2015 September 2015

Male/Female Ratio: 62/38% Age Range: 31 International Students: Europe: 23% North America: 18% Middle East and Africa: 11% Oceania and Asia: 23% Latin America: 25%

Admission Requirements

Costs

Application Fees: 150 USD Tuition Fees: One-year MBA: Boston: 69,800 USD San Francisco: 69,800 USD London: 48,200 GBP Dubai: 256,400 AED Shanghai: 430,000 CNY Part-time EMBA: London: 51,000 GBP Dubai: 271,800 AED Shanghai: 455,800 CNY Scholarships: MBA: hult.edu/mba-scholarships EMBA: hult.edu/emba-scholarships

Contacts

Name: Hult International Business School Email: hult.edu/en/contactus Website: www.hult.edu

MBA School Profile

Live in Paris – Study in English and Advance your Career ▪ School Presentation:

IÉSEG School of Management is a Top 10 French business school recognised for the excellence of its programmes, its internationalisation, and the quality of its research. With campuses in Lille and Paris, it has been accredited by both EQUIS and AACSB, making it one of the top 1% of business schools worldwide. In 2014 IÉSEG was ranked 21st worldwide for its Master in Management programme by the Financial Times. IÉSEG has a strong international mind-set, illustrated by its partnerships with more than 220 universities in over 50 countries, and the fact that over 80% of its permanent professors have multicultural backgrounds and experience. The School is made up of 3,800 students, 1,000 of whom come from outside France. French classes are provided to foreign students at all levels–from beginner to advanced. The School has built close relationships with over 2,500 companies. All students, from Bachelor to Master level, gain work experience through placements.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The International MBA is a one-year Full-time programme taught entirely in English. Its location at Paris La Défense is in the heart of the largest business district in Europe. The curriculum lays a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge, which participants learn to apply in various practical contexts through a combination of case studies and real-life examples. The IMBA programme focuses on the development of the skills, knowledge and expertise necessary for candidates’ next professional challenge. IMBA students receive guidance through small-group workshops and interactions with corporate professionals. In order to complete the IMBA, candidates must create a business plan in collaboration with a “practitioner-instructor” through either a placement, a consulting project, or a thesis. On a personal level, the Talent Career Support programme is carried out by accredited coaches and tutors and aims to meet each candidate’s specific needs. Trainers within the programme use proven tools and techniques to prepare students individually, not only for their next position, but for their entire career.

FRANCE Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 39/61% Age Range: 24–35 Degree Background: Marketing and Communication, Economics, Business Administration and Management, Humanities and Languages, Finance, Engineering and IT International Students: 8 nationalities Europe: 6% North America: 16% Asia: 22% Australasia: 6% South Asia: 44% Latin America: 6%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Bachelor’s degree in any field GMAT: Recommended, not required TOEFL IBT (minimum): 85 IELTS (minimum): 6.5 TOEIC: (minimum) 800 References: Online application with two reference names Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Costs

Application Fees: 80 EUR Tuition Fees: 20,000 EUR Scholarships: Up to 50% tuition-waiver

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

EQUIS; AACSB

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Full-time International MBA, Executive MBA

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

MBA: 12 months; Executive MBA: 24 months

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES:

General Management French (obligatory for non-French speakers), German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese and Russian Rolling deadline: 29 May 2015 (non-EU) and 26 June 2015 (EU)

Contacts

Name: International Recruitment Office Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33(0)3 20 54 58 92 Website: www.ieseg.fr

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MBA School Profile

Educating Tomorrow’s Business Leaders SPAIN ▪ School Presentation:

IE Business School is one of the world’s top international business schools. A pioneer in business education, IE shapes tomorrow’s business leaders with an innovative approach and acts as a catalyst for the creation of new businesses. IE Business School’s MBA programmes have been met with worldwide acclaim. Featuring highly in Financial Times, The Economist and Business Week business school rankings, these programmes elevate IE to the position of a global leader in business education and cement an already proven reputation. Catering to the real needs of the corporate world, IE Business School offers a number of formats to ensure utmost flexibility in its programmes.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The one-year Full-time International MBA minimises time away from your professional career while offering students far more than just the average MBA degree. The programme is held at our urban Madrid campus, giving participants the chance to earn their MBA degree in one of the greatest capitals of Europe. The Global MBA programme, considered the #1 Online MBA Worldwide (Financial Times, 2014), is aimed at professionals with an average of 6 years of experience. The programme is designed especially for those professionals who wish to strengthen their business knowledge and their management skills in order to gain access to executive level positions. The Global Executive MBA is a programme for executives with more than 10 years of experience that follows our blended learning methodology on campuses around Spain, USA, Brazil and Singapore. The IE Brown Executive MBA is a programme taught in collaboration with Brown University, which combines management with liberal arts in Spain, USA and South Africa. The IE-SMU MBA is an intensive 10-month MBA programme designed by IE Business School and Singapore Management University to mould top leadership talent in Asia. All programmes, with the exception of the on-campus Fulltime MBA in Madrid, combine face-to-face studying with online learning.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 70/30% Age Range: International MBA: 29 Global MBA: 30+ Executive MBA: 35+ Global Executive MBA: 37 IE Brown Executive MBA: 37 IE-SMU MBA: 30 Degree Background: Varies International Students: 90%

Admission Requirements

International MBA: Bachelor degree and GMAT or IE Admissions test and Global MBA+: Bachelor degree and GMAT or IE Admissions test and professional experience Global Executive MBA: Bachelor degree and managerial experience IE Brown Executive MBA: Bachelor degree and managerial experience

Costs

Application Fees: 125 EUR Tuition Fees: International MBA: 61,900 EUR Global Executive MBA: 72,200 EUR Global MBA: 43,200 EUR Executive MBA: 55,200 EUR IE Brown Executive MBA: 152,000 USD IE-SMU MBA: 74,900 USD Scholarships: www.ie.edu/financialaid

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA

RANKINGS:

#3 European Business School; Ranked among the top 3 in three consecutive years; #1 Worldwide Online MBA programme two consecutive years

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

MBA

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

Full-time, Part-time and Blended (online and face-to-face periods around the world)

LANGUAGE COURSES:

English and Spanish

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Rolling admissions process

PERCENTAGE OF SALARY INCREASE AFTER GRADUATION:

Please check the websites of specific programmes

Contacts

Name: Admissions Department Email: [email protected] Telephone: +34 91 568 96 00 Website: www.ie.edu/mbas

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MBA School Profile

Making Connections, Accelerating Careers UNITED KINGDOM ▪ School Presentation:

Leeds University Business School is a world ranked, triple accredited, award winning business school. We are in the top 10 in the UK for research (REF 2014), are AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accredited, and our programmes feature in the Financial Times global rankings. This combination means a degree from Leeds is recognised and sought after by employers worldwide. Leeds is the largest centre for financial services in the UK outside of London and has many global connections. Companies such as Ernst & Young, Asda-Walmart and KPMG are either based in Leeds or have major operations here. The university also hosts a specialist Confucius Institute dedicated to Chinese business and commerce. Leeds is a thriving, lively place to live and study and you will benefit from dedicated student support from the International Student Office to help make your transition to Leeds as smooth as possible.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Are you looking to accelerate your career or enhance your entrepreneurial skills? Do you want to build your professional network of connections across the globe? Then choose the Leeds MBA. The Leeds MBA combines academic rigour with practical leadership development challenges that mean you are ready for senior management-level positions as soon as you graduate. Our programme covers the broad fundamentals of business management – marketing, accounting, finance, operations and human resource management. Alongside this you will explore how to manage and lead people in organisations. A key aspect of the Leeds MBA is the live challenges that will stretch your thinking and your abilities. We encourage you to develop your knowledge and links with the corporate world through our business speaker events and international study tours. The MBA culminates in your Individual Project – this can be a consultancy project, an entrepreneurial project relating to a new business or a research dissertation.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS: RANKINGS: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES: PERCENTAGE OF SALARY INCREASE AFTER GRADUATION:

AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA 30th in Europe for the Full-time MBA by the Financial Times and 36th in Europe by The Economist, 2014 Full-time over 12 months A combination of lectures, tutorials, workshops and challenges Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Leadership, Marketing and Strategy Pre-sessional courses available at the University of Leeds Language Centre 31 May 2015 September 2015 32%

Student Body

Age Range: 25-40 Average Age: 30 Degree Background: Range of subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate level International Students: Europe: 9% Central/South America: 3% Middle East: 9% Oceania and Asia: 76% Africa: 3%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Equivalent to a UK upper second (2.1) GMAT (minimum): Not required TOEFL: IELTS: 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each component References: Two references; one academic and one employer Minimum Length of Work Experience: At least three years’ postgraduate work experience is required before you apply. This should include appropriate management experience and show some career progression

Costs

Application Fees: No application fee Tuition Fees: UK/EU 19,500 GBP International 24,500 GBP Scholarships: Worth up to 50% of the tuition fee

Contacts

Name: Penny Moon (MBA admissions officer) Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)113 343 2610 Website: www.business.leeds.ac.uk

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MBA School Profile

The Manchester MBA Who Will You Become? UNITED KINGDOM ▪ School Presentation:

Manchester is the home of original thinkers, and our long and proud history of research excellence upholds the spirit of innovation and achievement for which the city is renowned. At Manchester Business School we pride ourselves on our challenging, life-changing MBA programmes that attract high-calibre students from prestigious companies around the world. Since our inception in the 1960s, MBS has developed a worldwide reputation for providing exceptional business and management education. In the important UK government Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), MBS is ranked first out of all UK universities for research power in Business, Management, Finance and Accounting.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The Manchester Full-time MBA Programme The Manchester Full-time MBA not only gives you a thorough grounding in business theory, it also gives you the opportunity to put it into practice from day one with international projects, live consultancy work and internships with high profile, multinational corporations. Our unique, hands-on approach to learning gives you more client-facing hours than almost any other MBA programme – nearly 6 months’ worth – so you can test theories immediately in real-world situations and will not feel completely removed from the commercial environment. You will gain international experience through project work, the International Exchange Programme, and the chance to take an elective course offered on our Global (Part-time) MBA Programme at one of our global centres in Shanghai, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Miami and São Paolo. If you have the determination to build your own networks and develop your own career opportunities, our Careers Service has the contacts, resources and expert guidance to help you achieve your career goals.

▪ Programme Info: RANKINGS:

Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2015: 5th in the UK, 12th in Europe and 35th in the world. 9th in the world for ‘Alumni Aims Achieved’

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Full-time MBA

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

18 months including a 3-month optional internship and a 3-month optional International Exchange 2015 intake: 2 June for International, non-European applicants and 1 July for UK and European Union applicants. 2016 intake: Applications from September 2015 onwards

STARTING DATES:

26 August 2015

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

Yes

Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 5/1 Male/Female Ratio: 68/32% Age Range: 22-44 Average Age: 29 Degree Background: Diverse International Students: 17% Europe: 23% North America: 5% Central/South America: 8% Middle East: 6% Oceania and Asia: 41% Africa: 3% Latin America: 14%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Bachelor’s (or significant work experience) GMAT: 550 TOEFL: 90 IELTS: 6.5 PTE: 59-65 References: Two professional Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years’ full-time post-graduation work experience

Costs

Application Fees: N/A Tuition Fees: 40,000 GBP (approx 60,000 USD) Scholarships: Up to full fees for UK/ EU applicants (5 awards) 5,000 GBP, 10,000 GBP, 15,000 GBP, 20,000 GBP and 25,000 GBP for UK/EU/Rest of world applicants (up to 30 awards)

Contacts

Name: Manchester Business School Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0) 161 275 6530 Website: www.mbs.ac.uk

MBA School Profile

Where Technology Meets Management ITALY ▪ School Presentation:

Founded in 1979 as a consortium between the Politecnico di Milano, many Italian institutions and several leading public and private industrial groups, today MIP is a not-forprofit consortium limited company. MIP and the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering together make up the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, which is involved in all the many aspects surrounding research and education in the fields of management, economics and industrial engineering. In 2007, the School of Management was initially accredited by EQUIS and then gained AMBA accreditation in 2013. Since first joining the Financial Times’ rankings of best European Business Schools in 2009, the School of Management received confirmation in 2014 of the quality of its educational offer, after continuously improving its position and climbing to 38th place.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The International Full-time MBA is a 14-month programme taught entirely in English. Its primary aim is to equip participants with strong skills that will accompany them throughout their future jobs and careers, providing a special mix of technical and management skills. The programme is ranked 39th in the European Financial Times Rankings 2014. It is composed of 11 months of classroom sessions and three months of in-company project work. Students can specialise in different areas by choosing concentrations from : Advanced Marketing; Circular Economy; Design; Energy & Sustainability; Entrepreneurship; Finance I; Finance II & Risk Management; Global Business & Management; Global Sourcing & Procurement of Services; Innovation; and Luxury Management. The programme offers short and long-term exchange possibilities to many prestigious business schools in Europe, USA, UK, India, China and South America and a dual degree possibility in Supply Chain & Logistics Management with MIT Boston, USA.

Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 1/3 Male/Female Ratio: 45/65% Age Range: 25-35 Average Age: 28 Degree Background: All disciplines International Students: 80% Europe: 15% North America: 10% Central/South America: 15% Middle East: 5% Oceania and Asia: 25% Africa: 5% Latin America: 25%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: 3 or 4-year Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline GMAT (minimum): 500 TOEFL: 89 References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Costs

Application Fees: 100 EUR Tuition Fees: 28,700 EUR Scholarships: MIP Financial Aid, Company Sponsorships and Scholarship Competitions

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AMBA, EQUIS

RANKINGS:

European Financial Times Rankings 2014 CNN Expansion 2014 Eduniversal Rankings 2014-15 CEO Magazine’s MBA Rankings 2015

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

MBA Programme

PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Full time Luxury & Design, Marketing, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Energy

LANGUAGE COURSES:

Italian language courses

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Rolling admissions

STARTING DATES:

May 2015 Spain, France, Russia, UK, USA, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, India and China

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME: PERCENTAGE OF SALARY INCREASE AFTER GRADUATION:

Contacts

Name: International Masters Office Email: [email protected] Telephone: +39 02 2399 2820 Website: www.mip.polimi.it/imba

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MBA School Profile

International MBA with Specialisation Options AUSTRIA ▪ School Presentation:

MODUL University Vienna is an international, private university located on Kahlenberg, a scenic hill with a spectacular view of the capital of Austria. Since 2007, MODUL University Vienna has offered cutting-edge education (BBA, BSc, MSc, MBA and PhD study programmes) in the areas of international management, new media technology, public governance, sustainable development, and tourism and hospitality management.

Student Body

Pursuing a Master of Business Administration with MODUL University Vienna encourages out-of-the-box thinking and equips you with the skills you need to take your career to the next level. You will not only build a solid foundation in general management skills, but also have the opportunity to specialise in the fields of New Media, Public Governance and Sustainable Development, or Tourism and Hotel Development. Admission to the MBA is limited in order to guarantee an optimal student support ratio of 1:10 (faculty to students).

University Degree: Undergraduate university degree with a minimum duration of three years TOEFL: 88 IBT/ IELTS: 6.5/ Cambridge Certificate CAE or BEC/ C1 level on an internationally recognised language tests Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Male/Female Ratio: 44%/56% Age Range: 24-52 Average Age: 34 International Students: 81% Europe: 78% Americas: 4% Middle East and Africa: 14% Asia: 4%

Admission Requirements

Costs

▪ Programme Presentation:

The MBA is a two-year part-time programme designed specifically for industry professionals wanting to advance their careers. In order to accommodate work schedules, the innovative course structure consists of pre-module, core module and post-module periods, enabling you to prepare at your own pace, get the most out of the monthly 2-4 day weekend learning sessions on campus and reflect on and apply your new knowledge.

Tuition Fees: 25,000 EUR (early bird reduction is available up to 1,000 EUR)

The MBA concentrates on strategic analysis and planning, problem-solving, interdisciplinary skills, value-based management, and critical thinking. It builds these skills on a solid foundation of core business disciplines including human resource management, organisational behaviour, accounting and finance, marketing and operations, and innovation and entrepreneurship. Courses are taught in English.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AQA Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Part-time MBA Programme

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

18 months, one extended MBA weekend per month

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Aside from the General MBA, students can also specialise in New Media and Information Management; Public Governance and Sustainable Development; or Tourism and Hotel Development

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Rolling

STARTING DATES:

Rolling intake (the MBA can be started anytime throughout the year)

Contacts

Name: Dr. Verena Peer Email: [email protected] Telephone: +43 (1) 3203555 302 Website: www.modul.ac.at/user/peer/

MBA School Profile

Hands-on International Management GERMANY ▪ School Presentation:

Munich Business School (MBS) is a private university that educates students to become senior managers. After its founding in 1991, the school was able to set benchmarks in the German landscape of higher education. It did so in two particular areas: its international focus, and the hands-on approach of its studies, which became a distinctive feature of the training at Munich Business School long before these features had been defined as objectives at other universities. Munich Business School creates an environment in which learning, research and personal development, as well as public-spirited activities, are encouraged in many different contexts. The active participants in this procedure are the students, professors, lecturers, companies, international partner universities, alumni and the university’s administration. Top quality training and research are assured through this close and personal cooperation between all participants

▪ Programme Presentation:

The 15-month Full-time MBA in International Management at MBS prepares graduates to work in a complex multicultural world. It is focused on international candidates with a non-business degree, but offers enough depth for business degree holders seeking to further refine and strengthen their education. The Munich MBA is designed to cement business foundations, solidifying the basis for international and multicultural work. Selection with a regional focus (Germany and Europe, Latin America or China) combined with individual immersion by means of studying abroad, or doing placements or a global consulting project, allows students to enhance their knowledge of a specific country or organisation. This process improves the application of skills and encourages students’ adaptation to new businesses and cultural environments throughout their career.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 31/69% Age Range: 23-41 Average Age: 29 years old Degree Background: Engineering/IT: 25% Business: 25% Other: 50% International Students: 75% Europe: 46 % North America: 15% Central/South America: 15% Oceania and Asia: 15% Africa: 8%

Admission Requirements University Degree: Bachelor’s GMAT: 550 TOEFL: 90 IELTS: 6.5 ELS: 112 References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Two years

Costs

Application Fees: 45 EUR Tuition Fees: 26,850 EUR Scholarships: MBS offers a limited number of partial scholarships to outstanding candidates

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

FIBAA (Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation)

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Full-time MBA

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

12-15 months

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION

International Management

LANGUAGE COURSES:

Chinese, German, Spanish

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

30 June

STARTING DATES:

September

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

Option for one International Week or one semester at another University, agreements with over 50 institutions worldwide

Contacts

Name: Juliane Große Email: [email protected] Telephone: +49 (0) 89 547678-254 Website: mba.munich-business-school.de

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MBA School Profile

NUS MBA Programme SINGAPORE ▪ School Presentation:

National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School is known for providing management thought leadership from an Asian perspective, enabling its students and corporate partners to leverage global knowledge and Asian insights. The school has consistently received top rankings in the Asia-Pacific region and is accredited by organisations of high repute in the education circle, endorsements of the school’s highest standards for business education. In the Financial Times Global Rankings, the NUS MBA is ranked 31st in 2015. In 2013, Forbes also ranked the NUS MBA as the #2 MBA programme, in the two-year International MBA programmes category.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The design of the NUS MBA programme was based on inputs by key stakeholders including industry leaders, faculty and students. The MBA programme equips students with the skills that they will need in an increasingly competitive workplace. In addition to the academic rigour, which ensures that students learn key concepts and analytical tools, the programme also gives opportunities for students to develop their communication, leadership, interpersonal and networking skills. Students are also encouraged to learn about business practices in various countries through exchange programmes and study trips, to participate in case competitions, and to assume leadership positions in student clubs, as well as organising events such as Cerebration.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 65/35% Age Range: 24-46 Average Age: 30 years old Degree Background: From any undergraduate faculty International Students: 90% Europe: 4% North America: 6% Central/South America: 4% Oceania and Asia: 86% Latin America: 4%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: BA GMAT: A good GMAT score TOEFL: 260 for computer-based test; 100 for internet-based test; 620 for paper-based test (if undergraduate degree was not conducted in English) IELTS (minimum): 6.5 PTE (minimum): 68 References: Two professional references Minimum Length of Work Experience: Two years of post-university full-time work experience

Costs ▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

EQUIS; AACSB

RANKINGS:

Ranked #31 MBA globally – Financial Times Global Rankings 2015 Ranked #2 for two-year International MBA Programmes – Forbes 2013

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

MBA Programme

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

17 months Full-time Strategy & Organisation, Finance, Marketing and Healthcare Management, Real Estate Management

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES:

None For 2016 intake: Round 1 – 1 Oct. 2015 to 31 Jan. 2016 (Scholarship Qualifying Round), Round 2 – 31 Mar. 2016

STARTING DATES:

1 intake per year in July/August

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

Yes

PERCENTAGE OF SALARY INCREASE AFTER GRADUATION:

127%

Application Fees: None Tuition: 58,000 SGD Scholarships: - NUS MBA Study Awards - NUS MBA ASEAN Scholarship - NUS Women-In-Business Scholarship - NUS MBA Diversity Scholarship - NUS-APEC Scholarship - Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship

Contacts

Name: NUS MBA Marketing & Admissions Team Email: [email protected] Telephone: +65 6516 2068 Website: www.mba.nus.edu

MBA School Profile

Excellence with a Purpose UNITED KINGDOM ▪ School Presentation:

Newcastle University Business School is triple-accredited, placing us in the top 1% of business schools worldwide. Our portfolio of MBA programmes has strong international focus and gives you the latest professional and research-based knowledge, and the best possible learning experience. We have excellent links with industry and professional bodies. Our influence is increasing across the world thanks to the achievements of our alumni, the research expertise of our staff and our partnerships with internationally reputed schools. Newcastle University is a Russell Group University; one of 24 leading UK universities committed to maintaining exceptional research standards, outstanding teaching and learning facilities and strong relationships with companies and the public sector.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The Newcastle Full-time MBA: The Newcastle University Full-time MBA has been designed with future leaders in mind. It provides a foundation in core business disciplines and focuses on putting management theory into practice, giving you the knowledge and skills to transform yourself into a business leader of tomorrow. Through elective courses and a range of projects, you have the opportunity to tailor the programme to suit your personal or organisational interests and focus your individual career objectives. By providing a solid foundation in business and management and the ability to specialise, the Newcastle MBA provides an environment in which you can build on your current experience, expand your knowledge and skill-sets, and focus on taking the next step in your career. The Newcastle Global MBA: The Global MBA has been designed with your development in mind. Focusing on active collaboration and real-world application, the course uses an innovative blend of online learning and face-to-face workshops to equip you with the knowledge, skills and confidence to become a leader with impact.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 60/40% Age Range: 26-42 Average Age: 29 Degree Background: Mix of subjects at Bachelor’s and Master’s International Students: Europe: 6% North America: 8% Central/South America: 6% Middle East: 3% Oceania and Asia: 71% Africa: 6%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: 2:1 honours degree, or international equivalent GMAT (minimum): Not required English Language Test: Full-time MBA - IELTS level 6.5 or Pearson’s PTE Academic Test score of 62. Global MBA - IELTS level 7.0 or Pearson’s PTE Academic Test score of 69 References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years’ postgraduate work experience, including management experience if applying for the Global MBA

Costs

Application Fees: No application fee Tuition Fees: 20,000 GBP Scholarships: Range of scholarships available

This is a highly innovative course delivered online with three face-to-face workshops at international locations. It is a part-time programme that takes three years to complete, and has been specifically designed for those in full-time employment who wish to develop their global business perspective. The Global MBA is a transformational programme, enabling you to accelerate your ability to make an impact as a leader into today’s business world.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATION:

AMBA

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Full-time and Global Online

PROGRAMME LENGHT:

12 months for Full-time, 36 months for Global MBA

STARTING DATES:

September (Full-time and Global MBAs), January and April (Global MBA only)

Contacts

Name: Newcastle University Business School Email: [email protected] (Full-time) [email protected] (Global) Tel.: +44 (0) 191 208 1719 (Full-time) +44 (0) 191 208 2500 (Global) Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/nubs/mba Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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What better place for gearing-up and unwinding?

NEOMA Business School the only triple-accredited MBA in the heart of Paris

The world is rapidly changing. New markets, volatile environments, emerging technologies and intensified competition mean a growing need for visionary leaders, with exceptional skills and a human touch. As one of the top 1% of schools worldwide with tripleaccreditation, the NEOMA Business School globally recognized MBA enables managers to broaden their vision, refine their managerial skills and unleash their leadership potential. Led by internationally recognised faculty, nearly 45% from outside of France, NEOMA Business School’s classroom offers a cooperative and diverse learning environment. Gearing up outside the classroom means

challenging leadership seminars with the French military and team-building in the French Alps. Another catalyst to your career acceleration is joining one of the top 5 largest alumni networks in France, with more than 45.000 members active all over the world. Earning a NEOMA Business School MBA, however, is not all work and no play. Situated in the heart of Paris, our location offers students a beautiful and stimulating setting to develop relationships and unwind. Gearing up. Unwinding. By enrolling in the NEOMA Business School MBA in the heart of Paris, you will find both.

Join us on executive-neoma-bs.com

MBA School Profile

The Only Triple Accredited Full-Time MBA in Central Paris ▪ School Presentation:

NEOMA Business School’s unique position as the only triple-accredited full-time MBA programme in the heart of Paris comes from a strategic partnership between two famous and regularly top-ranked institutions: ROUEN Business School & REIMS Management School, who combine 40 years of MBA tradition. NEOMA Business School is one of Europe’s leading business schools and has more than 8,000 students, as well as 200 permanent teachers, 3 campuses and over 40,000 alumni.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The 10 added values of our MBA: 1. One-year intensive format - Central Paris 2. Strong international exposure: 100% in English, diverse participant body, international faculty 3. A unique programme architecture in 5 Phases: cover the totality of the functions of a company: 1st phase: Diagnosis; 2nd phase: Optimisation; 3rd phase: Expansion; 4th phase: Improve Value & Break Business Models; + 5th phase: Electives enabling specialisation by discipline (Finance, Marketing, Logistics…) or by field (Luxury Management, Digital Technology…) 4. Novel interactions throughout the programme between Core Knowledge and Self-Awareness 5. Rich in experiences and learning locations: Global Study Tour linked to the International Consulting Project or the Entrepreneurial Development Project; Leadership seminar with the French Air Force 6. Linked to Business: continuous interaction with business is part of the curriculum 7. Personalised career-development tracks 8. At the leading edge of managerial expertise 9. Emphasis on critical thinking and experiential learning activities 10. Network of 45,000+ alumni  

▪ Programme Info:

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

EQUIS, AMBA, AACSB #1 MBA in the 2013 and 2014 editions of Le Moniteur du Commerce International (MOCI) Magazine #5 MBA Programme in France by The Financial Times 2014 European Business School Ranking #5 MBA Programme in France by SMBG/ Eduniversal 2015 Ranking Generalist MBA with innovative management approach One-year full-time MBA

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Unique approach to meeting the needs of companies

LANGUAGE COURSES:

English

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

August

STARTING DATES:

Beginning of September

ACCREDITATIONS:

RANKINGS:

TYPE OF THE PROGRAMME:

FRANCE Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 3:1 Male/Female Ratio: 60/40% Age Range: 26-40 Average Age: 32+ Degree Background: Science & Engineering - 40 % Business & Economics - 40 % Liberal Arts - 13% Law - 7% International Students: : 80% Europe: 27% North America: 13% Central/South America: 15% Middle East: 10% Oceania and Asia: 15% Africa: 10% Latin America: 10 %

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent GMAT (minimum): 600 TOEFL: 550/667 (PBT) - 220/330 (CBT) - 82/120 (IBT) References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: A minimum of three years’ professional experience (minimum of nine years of experience if the applicant does not hold a Bachelor’s degree)

Costs

Application Fees: 110 EUR Tuition Fees: 30,500 EUR Scholarships: Wide range of scholarships based on merit and diversity and other criteria.

Contacts

Name: Mrs Pascale Baudemont Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33 (0)326 774 696 Website: www.executive-neoma-bs.fr

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MBA School Profile

Your Global Career Starts Here DUBAI / SINGAPORE / SYDNEY

▪ School Presentation:

S P Jain is an Australian business school with campuses in Sydney, Singapore and Dubai. Our education ethos is strongly influenced by our mission of crafting global business leaders for the 21st century workplace. With a multi-campus learning model and a new-age Business Education 2.0 curriculum, we pride ourselves on providing a learning experience that is modern, relevant and truly global.

▪ Programme Presentation:

EMBA: Our MBA (Executive) programme is conducted individually at our campuses in Sydney, Singapore or Dubai. Students may however opt for overseas study tours to any one of our campuses. Following a flexible, modular format, students are able to study and graduate at their own pace (any time between 18 and 60 months). The programme is designed to meet the needs of highachieving professionals who wish to enhance their education without interrupting their careers. With three progressive specialisations and a quality dissertation, the programme elevates the business acumen of the participants, giving them an edge in their career paths. GMBA: The Global Master of Business Administration (GMBA) is a 12-month, residential course designed to develop 21st century business leaders with in-depth cross-functional knowledge and an understanding of the theories and practices related to global business. In addition to laying a strong theoretical foundation, the course puts special emphasis on the development of global intelligence, cultural agility, effective communication, decision-making, leadership, networking and problem solving skills.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

ABEST21, TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality & Standards Agency)

RANKINGS:

#19 among international business schools (Forbes 2013-2014); World’s top 100 Global MBA programmes (Financial Times 2011 & 2012)

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

12-Month Global MBA; Executive MBA (Part-time): Can be completed between 18-60 months

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

STARTING DATES:

EMBA: The programme lays strong emphasis on peer groups for an enhanced and collaborative learning experience. Course work will prepare them to analyse situations, define problems, identify and evaluate alternate solutions and implement these within the context of an organisation. Specialisations in Finance, Marketing and Operations. GMBA: The programme puts special emphasis on the development of global intelligence, cultural agility and real-world business skills such as effective communication, decision-making, leadership, networking and problem solving. Specialisations in Finance, Marketing, Global Logistics and Supply Chain, Information Technology EMBA: Flexible GMBA: January, May, September

Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 15/1 Male/Female Ratio: 75/25% Age Range: 24-34 Average Age: 27 Degree Background: Any Discipline International Students: Europe: 5% Middle East: 10% Oceania and Asia: 25-100% Africa: 1%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Undergraduate and/or post-graduate Degree GMAT (minimum): 650 TOEFL (minimum): 60 Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Costs

EMBA (total costs): Executive MBA in Dubai: 80,620 AED Executive MBA in Singapore: 36,810 SGD Executive MBA in Sydney: 39,600 AUD GMBA Application Fees: 5,000 USD Tuition Fees: 19,500 USD Scholarships: Available

Contacts

Name: Paula Brennan Email: [email protected] Telephone: +34 665 319 949 Website: www.spjain.org

MBA School Profile

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MBA School Profile

A World-leading Business School UNITED KINGDOM ▪ School Presentation:

There is no university in the world like Cambridge. Our setting as part of this University offers MBA participants a chance to mix with the world’s brightest minds across every discipline, through the college community, University-led courses and other activities. Our connections with the University are strong. We bring University faculty members into the Business School to lead courses such as the Finance concentration. Working with our own business professors, they bring added benefits through their research and external connections.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Multi-dimensional learning We deliver an engaging and significant learning experience in an intensive 12-month programme. Our approach combines core skills with specialist sector training; faculty-led teaching with live consulting projects; professional skills with personal development. It is a broad education designed to develop deep understanding, practical application and vital interpersonal skills.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 70/30% Average Age: 29 Degree Background: Sciences 9%, Social & Political Sciences/Law 23%, Engineering 33%, Business/Accountancy/Finance 30%, Arts 5% International Students: 39 nationalities Africa: 5%; Australasia: 6%; Central Asia: 1%; China: 8%; East Asia: 7%; Eastern Europe: 3%; Western Europe: 10%; LATAM and the Caribbean: 6%; Middle East: 3%; North America: 19% South Asia: 10%; South East Asia: 10% United Kingdom: 12%

Admission Requirements

Our environment brings opportunity You will undergo a unique and powerful ‘Cambridge experience’, because of your membership of a Cambridge College and the University, because of our close links with the University in research and teaching, and because of our location and involvement with ‘Silicon Fen’ - the vibrant entrepreneurial community in and around Cambridge. This experience adds an invaluable dimension to your MBA.

University Degree: 1st or 2.1 or equivalent GMAT: Average – 690 (Mid 80% - 640 – 740) A balanced score is required; GRE also accepted TOEFL: IBT - 110 with a minimum of 25 in each section; PBT - 637 with 5.5 in the Written English Test References: Two - supervisor and peer referee Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years’ full-time work experience after completion of undergraduate degree.Five years (for the Part-time programme)

▪ Programme Info:

Costs

Community and ethos We invite only the most capable people, who represent the widest variety of modern business, to join our MBA. Our class is smaller than most, allowing close interactions. Our ethos of collaboration pervades all that we do, and helps builds a committed and engaged community. This community is the bedrock of our contributions and achievements as a business school, and those of our graduates.

ACCREDITATIONS: RANKING: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT:

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

AMBA; EQUIS Ranked as top 1-year programme in the UK by the FT Full-time MBA, 12 months On-campus, Full-time, Sept. to Aug. • 4 practical projects (2 are live consulting projects) • 8 ‘concentrations’ (Cultural Arts & Media Management, Energy & Environment, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Health Strategies, International Business, Social Innovation, Strategy & Marketing) • Approx. 45 elective courses • Summer Activities phase: includes opportunity for placement, individual project, dissertation, career development projects Round 1: 19 Sep 2014; Round 2: 24 Oct 2014; Round 3: 9 Jan 2015; Round 4: 6 Mar 2015; Round 5: 1 May 2015

Application Fees: 125 GBP Tuition Fees: 40,960 GBP (13,500 EUR for non-EU students) Scholarships: Various – visit our website http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/ programmes/mba/funding-your-mba/

Contacts

Name: Anne Chapman Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)1223 768074 Website: www.thecambridgemba.com

MBA School Profile

Benefit from Swiss Quality SWITZERLAND ▪ School Presentation:

The University of St. Gallen (HSG) is a leading European business school located in Switzerland. Founded in 1898, today it has the largest management faculty in the German-speaking area, with more than 7,000 enrolled full-time students. St. Gallen offers a full range of undergraduate, postgraduate, executive and doctoral programmes. The MBA-HSG programme was created in 2005 and offers participants a theoretical academic base supported by tailor-made cases, critical discussions, guest speakers and practical exercises. Students benefit from the University’s close ties to leading international companies and business leaders, and access to a 20,000-strong alumni network.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Key Skill Development Hard skill development forms much of our core class work in areas such as finance, marketing and strategy. Soft skill development is critical to employers, so we work on skills such as speaking techniques and body language. Our teaching trains MBA degree holders to use and adapt a variety of models, frameworks and best practices. Career Path Development We want to help our MBA degree holders make their desired career adjustments and enhancements. Our career services include one-on-one coaching, guidance on CV writing, interview preparation and more. Take Off Day hosts companies to interview all our MBA students. This is in addition to those companies who are present on campus weekly, including our 23 Corporate Partners. Personal Development We know that for many, an MBA is about challenging oneself, gaining access to new ideas and being immersed in a group of talented peers. The culture of our programme is collaborative, and it thrives because of the small and personal class we have, with 50 students maximum.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 63/37% Age Range: 25-35 Average Age: 30 International Students: 30 nationalities

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Any discipline GMAT (minimum): No minimum (GRE also accepted) References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Four years of work experience recommended (minimum 2 years)

Costs

Application Fees: No application fee Tuition Fees: Full-time: 56,500 CHF Part-time: 70,000 CHF Scholarships: Available

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS: RANKINGS: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION LANGUAGE COURSES:

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

STARTING DATES: EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

AACSB, EQUIS 67th (Financial Times, 2015); 59th (The Economist, 2014) Full-time and Part-time Banking & Finance, Bio-medical, Consulting, FMCG, Luxury Goods, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Strategy German • 1st Deadline: 1 October 2014 • 2nd Deadline: 1 December 2014 Cut-off point for Early Enrolment Discount* • 3rd Deadline: 1 February 2015 • 4th Deadline: 1 April 2015 Cut-off point for Early Payment Discount** • 5th Deadline: 1 June 2015 August (Part-time), September (Full-time) Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); Waseda University (Tokyo)

Contacts

Name: Vinzent Ehrat and Jonas Revensburg, Recruitment Managers Email: [email protected] Telephone: +41 (0)71 224 73 56 Website: www.mba.unisg.ch

Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

111

112

MBA School Profile

One Year - a Lifetime of Opportunity BELGIUM - RUSSIA ▪ School Presentation:

Vlerick, Belgium’s oldest and only Triple-crown Accredited Business School, is a leading international business school... with a difference. Yes, we offer fully accredited, world-class education programmes combining a healthy mix of theoretical knowledge and practical insight. And yes, we are consistently ranked amongst the top business schools in Europe and the world. However, what truly sets Vlerick apart is not what we do but the spirit in which we do it – a spirit defined by openness, vitality and a passion for innovation and enterprise. It is a spirit that can be found in every aspect of our school and its activities: from our enthusiastic, highly motivated staff to our innovative and pragmatic teaching methods; from our global network of students, alumni and corporate partners to our inspiring, vibrant campuses.

Student Body

▪ Programme Presentation:

Admission Requirements

With access to leading multinationals, innovative start-ups and SMEs, and socially responsible non-profits and NGOs, you will be challenged to find a better place to pursue your MBA than Europe’s capital – Brussels. You will be sharing this experience with a community of globally minded, intellectually curious, and culturally diverse professionals. In addition our programme is structured to ensure that you not only grasp the key management concepts that define business today, but that you also understand how to apply these concepts in a real-world setting. The one-year programme is structured to offer participants the opportunity to tailor the experience to meet individual needs. A great deal of choice is integrated into the programme: a choice of elective modules; a choice of five international trip locations; a choice of experiential learning projects. In parallel to the academic programme is a career development programme that prepares each participant for whatever career needs he or she may have.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

RANKINGS:

Financial Times for Global MBA, EMBA, and Top European Business Schools

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

Full-time MBA, Executive MBA

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION

• Entrepreneurship • International Business • Heavy emphasis on project-based learning – including live Consultancy Projects in International Companies and the non-profit sector.

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

For Full-time MBA: Rolling Admissions, Non-EU Citizens - 30 April; EU Citizens - 30 June

STARTING DATES:

Full-Time MBA: September; Executive MBA: January, September & October

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

Every student chooses an international trip in one of the BRICS countries

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 6/1 Male/Female Ratio: 58/42% Age Range: 25–38 Average Age: 29 Degree Background: • Engineering: 44% • Economics: 37% • Social Sciences: 10% • Arts: 6% • Medicine/Pharma: 3% International Students: Europe: 48% Americas: 14% Asia: 27% Africa & Middle East: 11% University Degree: Bachelor’s GMAT: Average 640 GMAT 80% Range - 580-720 English Language Qualification: Admissions Test option in place of GMAT & English Language Qualification Language Fluency: English, written and spoken Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years

Costs

Application Fees: 50 EUR Tuition Fees: : • Full-time MBA: 37,000 EUR • Executive MBA: 37,000 EUR Scholarships: A range of Scholarships available funded by the School and our Corporate Partners Scholarships Values: • Typically 50% or 25% of tuition fees • Vlerick Loan Scheme available for international students

Contacts

Name: Frank Fletcher Email: [email protected] Telephone: +32 16 24 88 08 Website: www.vlerick.com/mba

MBA Listings Tables of some of the top MBA programmes in the world

114

MBA Rankings

Money, Money, Money The Raw Return of MBA Education try. China preserved its first four places in 2014, with the fifth taken by the National University of Singapore Business School. In 2015 the first placed Shanghai Jiao Tong University Antai is followed by the Chinese Fudan University School of Management and CEIBS. In fourth and fifth positions are the Indian School of Business and the National University of Singapore Business School respectively.

F

rom a purely academic tool, to a mass-media opinion-making machine. The MBA rankings have changed dramatically since 1977, when they were first introduced. In the beginning it was the Carter Report, whose criteria were limited to faculty publications in academic journals.The Ladd & Lipset Survey, started in the same year, examined how faculties ranked schools, and deans voted for the best programmes in the MBA Magazine (now defunct). But it wasn’t until 1988, when Business Week published its first ranking, that the whole game of assessing, criticising, and wooing between business schools and big media really began. Just like ROI, rankings are a helpful tool if utilised properly, as they contain a lot of valuable information for applicants.

But being critical is useful in this case. The drawbacks of rankings are inherent in their huge influence, as they tend to overshadow more important factors. Such as, for example, whether a school is really suitable for a candidate, whether it fits his/her career goals, and whether it is recognised by the applicant’s preferred industry. Rankings also contribute to the culture of shallow evaluation of business schools. They cannot give all the answers, no matter how exhaustive and detailed they seem to be.

PAY AFTER GRADUATION

To demonstrate some of the benefits of rankings, we will review one of the most interesting aspects for prospective students – the change of salary after graduation. For this purpose, we shall rely on the Financial Times’ data. It is no surprise that schools from the developing world are leaders when it comes to biggest percentage increase. For the last two years, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Antai has been the champion. In 2015 its disciples saw a 160% boost in their income compared to their pre-MBA days, to 93,690 USD; and in 2014 the rise was 166% to 84,890 USD. Chinese schools dominate, and in 2013 all the top five positions were from this coun-

The way the rankings are determined depends on the schools providing good education at reasonable prices and on graduates receiving attractive salaries. Asia, mainly due to the lower income level of countries such as China, also provides a greater difference in salaries prior and post MBA. This rule is valid for the booming developing countries as a whole and explains the high pay percentage boost we observe. But this is also a proof that the industry acknowledges the quality of the good business schools and pays their alumni well. Undoubtedly, the influx of investment in Asia in the last two decades have made it a vibrant place for studying MBA. However, there are some geographical specifics one should be aware of. For example, the top Chinese business schools may be relatively internationalised, but the same cannot be said about the situation in the job market in mainland China. In contrast, Singapore offers more career opportunities for expatriates, especially considering the scope of the job market. If we look further down this ranking, the last two places are taken by the University of St Gallen, Switzerland and the University of Bath School of Management, UK. The first’s mean salary is 104,891 USD and reports a 58% increase in pay, and the second has a salary of 96,846 USD which represents a 55% increase. These are still very decent numbers and they demonstrate that one shouldn’t be mesmerised by the huge percentage boost in Asia. If we really want to learn about who gets the highest pay, we have to go west.

MBA Rankings

According to the 2015 figures for weighted salary, the highest paid alumni three years after graduation were those of the “usual suspects”. Disciples of Harvard received almost 180,000 USD, followed closely by the graduates of Stanford, Wharton and Columbia. Logically, this list is more sustainable than that for the salary percentage increase. 2014’s Top 5 had the same participants except that Stanford was the leader, Harvard second and Kellogg fifth. Stanford also took the first position in 2013, with an average salary of close to 195,000 USD; Harvard in second again, and the rest of the positions the same as in 2015. At the bottom of the ranking for weighted salary are Fudan University School of Management, China with about 91,000 USD and McGill University Desautels, Canada with close to 90,000 USD. Paradoxically, Fudan was also second in the world for percentage salary increase, with an astounding 148% – a great illustration of the combination of impressive development and imbalance so typical for China. Good old Europe lags behind America significantly in terms of weighted salary three years after graduation. The highest salary (approximately 155,000 USD) went to the disciples of INSEAD which ranked 10th, followed by London Business School (about 154,000 USD) at 12th

place, IE Business School at 14th place, IMD at 16th, and Cambridge Judge Business School at 18th place with 147,000 USD. One of the reasons for this balance of power is that Americans simply pay more to MBAs. The better handling of financial and economic problems in the US does not weigh here so much. And should the trend in the currency markets for a weak euro and strong dollar prove sustainable, this distinction could deepen even further. However, applicants must take into account that generally ROI in Europe should be higher than in America, mainly because the degree is shorter. The Old Continent’s other big advantages are that the MBA is more internationalised and that there are better chances to realise ROI in the job market.

RANKINGS METHODOLOGY

The rankings of the Financial Times, Forbes magazine, The Economist, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, and US News & World Report have gained global recognition over the years. However reputable they are, it would be wise to look not solely at them, but also at the methodology they are based on to understand if they fit with your own preferences. Forbes magazine’s biennial ranking only takes into account the return of invest-

ment in the five years after graduation. The Financial Times’ formula includes the weighted salary of MBA graduates (20%), salary increase in the last three years (another 20%), number of articles of faculty members in academic journals (10%), international mobility (6%), doctoral rank (5%), and faculty with doctorates (5%). Business Week’s methodology relies mainly on the opinion poll of students and corporate recruiters – 45% each. The remaining 10% is taken up by a scholarly criterion – publications in academic journals. ACCESS MBA Guide traditionally recommends candidates to put more weight on accreditations than on rankings when deciding where to apply. We believe that they more adequately reflect the quality of education, as the rankings may be compiled from incomplete facts and figures. The main accreditation bodies – EQUIS, managed by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD); the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); and the Association of MBAs (AMBA) – certify institutions only after a careful review of their academic standards. When a school receives an accreditation, it has an obligation to preserve the criteria for it was accredited. This is more relevant proof of merit than a place in Top 20 that may simply not apply next year. □ D.G. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

115

US

US

US

US

US

US

US

Hungary

China

China

UK

US

Canada

US

UK

US

US

UK

Spain

France

Scotland/ UAE

Bentley University

Boston College: Carroll School of Management

Boston University School of Management

Brandeis International Business School

Brigham Young University: Marriott

Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business Case Western Reserve University – Weatherhead School of Management CEU Business School

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

CUHK Business School

City University: Cass

Columbia Business School

Concordia University – John Molson School of Business

Cornell University: Johnson

Cranfield School of Management

Dartmouth College: Tuck School of Business

Duke University: Fuqua School of Business

Durham University Business School

EADA Business School

EDHEC Business School

Edinburgh Business School - Heriot-Watt

USD 90950

USD 105226

USD 59756

China

US

US

US

Japan

France

US

Canada

France

Germany

China

US / UK / UAE / China

Spain

Spain

France Switzerland

UK

India

India

Fudan University School of Management

George Washington University Georgetown University: Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business Georgia Institute of Technology: Scheller

Globis University

Grenoble Graduate School of Business

Harvard Business School

HEC Montréal

HEC Paris

HHL - Leipzig Graduate School of Management

Hong Kong UST Business School

Hult International Business School

IE Business School

Iese Business School

IESEG School of Management IMD

Imperial College Business School

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

Frankfurt School of Finance and Management

European University

EUR 59700

USD 26600

INR 2150000

GBP 39000

EUR 20000 CHF 60000

USD 95160

EUR 61900

USD 69800

HKD 545000

EUR 29000

EUR 52000

USD 31000

USD 140511

EUR 31300

JPY 2930000

USD 33000

EUR 31000

EUR 15900

EUR 29000

Spain

Germany Spain/ Germany/ Switzerland Germany

ESMT - European School of Management and Technology

EUR 44500

USD 97438

EUR 41000

EUR 35500

GBP 25000

USD 117604

USD 64680

GBP 36000

USD 116384

USD 42000

USD 133135

GBP 39500

HKD 499500

RMB 388000

USD 23240

USD 23240

USD 45748

USD 92844

USD 90540

USD 65000

USD 98144

AUD 72960

EUR 12000

EUR 30000

GBP 25250

GBP 32500

Esade Business School

Netherlands

US

Babson College: Olin Graduate School of Business

Erasmus University: Rotterdam School of Management

EUR 38000

Australia

Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM)

France

Greece

Athens University of Economics and Business

US

France

Audencia Nantes School of Management

EMLyon Business School

GBP 15300

UK

Aston Business School

Emory University: Goizueta

USD 90280

EUR 13000

UK

Ashridge Business School

USD 52962

US

Arizona State University: W. P. Carey School of Business

EUR 19750

Costs

Greece

Country

ALBA Graduate Business School

School name

82

26

34

20

7

12

61

14

16

1

65

42

90

55

63

19

45

59

79

21

23

45

28

6

45

30

11

36

93

78

90

73

75

76

Financial Times

48

21

5

36

55

62

4

79

6

75

42

78

26

24

60

17

71

44

77

25

2

53

23

81

10

54

97

84

83

22

98

73

88

87

50

The Economist

Rankings

8

28

24

53

18

1

15

13

5

84

10

27

57

52

58

67

Business Week

24

22

12

12 11

19

13

12

16

12 to 18

12

12

24

12

12

21

21

21

24

15

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

10

11

12

22

21

13

21

16

20

12

16

18

11

21

21

24

18

22

22

11 / 21

21

16

11

12

12

12

22

12

Course Length

134538

167676

108553

148148

144992

152286

105844

132416

129544

179910

113498

128684

104994

90833

99822

133138

103626

122559

93356

96363

142557

153896

118458

138782

169252

114032

112204

149504

133252

108549

109775

113846

119996

109794

104356

FT

Weighted salary (USD)

75

88

88

70

121

104

91

117

104

96

108

96

85

148

65

117

78

85

62

66

91

94

71

98

106

68

125

147

100

108

97

80

95

59

96

FT

1

74

4

55

6

75

3

97

87

64

28

>100

21

10

22

27

37

48

76

42

51

66

39

90

83

94

82

49

8

15

26

40

>100

17

7

TE

51

24

29

7

65

20

39

2

26

66

38

98

93

42

4

50

25

75

15

15

94

81

18

77

78

34

44

31

80

25

64

84

56

43

57

FT

73

79

83

87

85

81

52

81

83

84

80

82

79

76

84

84

80

81

78

75

83

82

83

82

82

82

72

78

82

37

82

84

77

81

82

FT

100 (97)

83 (100)

84 (96)

77 (100)

90 (91)

92 (89)

85 (90)

81 (96)

90 (88)

90 (100)

94 (92)

89 (96)

85 (85)

96 (100)

78 (91)

88 (93)

80 (94)

95 (99)

83 (88)

78 (91)

90 (100)

94 (100)

83 (100)

90 (99)

91 (91)

66 (93)

77 (99)

92 (100)

88 (100)

95 (100)

90 (89)

91 (96)

84 (89)

85 (84)

90 (100)

FT

1

27

10

30

92

49

45

97

20

40

47

83

77

13

81

2

45

48

90

54

11

83

42

98

3

94

74

34

87

38

>100

64

88

56

53

TE

Salary Value for money Aims achieved Employed at three percentage rank rank months (%) increase

0

2

77

96

84

91

95

65

95

35

29

47

50

11

92

96

97

46

88

88

46

42

87

39

47

84

56

42

41

16

80

38

36

74

82

36

FT

93

65

44

50

58

53

61

68

28

67

60

74

67

BW

TE

International students (%)

64

92

80

67

17

40

SD

9

15

49

26

22

28

32

33

30

41

24

32

40

59

37

28

28

29

62

27

34

32

19

29

36

35

38

33

27

21

55

39

34

31

27

28

FT

TE

61

44

31

34

47

31

28

30

32

20

46

42

29

27

BW

30

35

39

22

40

30

53

42

SD

Women students (%)

EQUIS

EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AMBA, BAC, NEASC

AACSB

AACSB, ACQUIN

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB By the Japanese Ministry of Education AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

ACBSP, IACBE, CEEMAN

AACSB, AMBA, FIBAA

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS Royal Charter – United Kingdom AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, SACS

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, ADCSC, EQUIS

AMBA

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS, NEASC   

AACSB, EQUIS, NEASC

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AMBA

Accreditation(s)

116

MBA Listings

JPY 1900000

EUR 30750

Japan

Monaco

UK

UK

UK Netherlands Australia

UK

Germany Canada Australia

US

Italy

US

Switzerland

Germany

Singapore

Singapore

France

UK

US

Lancaster University Management School

Leeds University Business School

London Business School Maastricht School of Management Macquarie Graduate School of Management

Manchester Business School

Mannheim Business School McGill University: Desautels Melbourne Business School

Michigan State University: Broad

MIP Politecnico di Milano

MIT: Sloan

Montreux School of Business

Munich Business School

Nanyang Business School

National University of Singapore Business School

NEOMA Business School

Newcastle University Business School

New York University: Stern

South Korea

Sungkyunkwan University GSB

USD 54918

EUR 32000

USD 36735

USD 67574

US

US US Portugal

Belgium/France

US

US

Netherlands US US US

Temple University – Fox School of Business

Texas A & M University: Mays Texas Christian University: Neeley School of Business The Lisbon MBA

The Solvay-Ponts MBA The University of Tennessee: Knoxville College of Business Administration Thunderbird School of Global Management

Tilburg University: TiasNimbas Tulane University: Freeman UCLA: Anderson School of Management University at Buffalo School of Management

EUR 37500 USD 107810 USD 102318 USD 33848

USD 35122 USD 87280 EUR 35000

USD 74762

KRW 44500

USD 126750

USD 19500

US

Syracuse University: Whitman School of Management

Stanford Graduate School of Business

SP Jain School of Global Management

US Dubai/Singapore/ Sydney US

Southern Methodist University: Cox School of Business

USD 100140

RMB 178000

China

USD 52340

GBP 17300

Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Antai

Scotland

Robert Gordon University: Aberdeen Business School

USD 106800

EUR 47000

US

Rice University: Jones

CAD 87000

USD 44816

USD 49099 USD 36962

GBP 21000

Rutgers University, Newark & New Brunswick Rutgers Business US School SDA Bocconi Italy

US

US US

Ohio State University: Fisher Pennsylvania State University: Smeal College of Business

Canada

UK

Nottingham University Business School

Purdue University: Krannert

US

Queen's School of Business

USD 88602

US

Northwestern University: Kellogg School of Management

USD 124642

USD 39954

US

North Carolina State University: Jenkins Graduate School of Management Northeastern University D'Amore-McKim School of Business

USD 127796

GBP 20000

EUR 30500

SGD 58000

USD 55000

EUR 26850

CHF 29500

USD 122880

EUR 28700

USD 56626

25

97

36

52

4

76

55

26

43

86

48

69 86

14

18

31

40

8

54

55 100 90

EUR 33000  CAD 75500 USD 77688

13

92

67

57

9

86

39

33

28 61

70

14

8

95

66

12

40

38

49

68 35

15

82

89

96

31 18

The Economist

Rankings

2

50

62 4

33

Financial Times

GBP 38800

GBP 67750 EUR 14900 AUD 65600

GBP 19500

GBP 27000

USD 55202 EUR 65800

US France / Singapore

Indiana University: Kelley School of Business Insead International University of Japan – Graduate School of International Management International University of Monaco

USD 40000

Costs

India

Country

Indian School of Business

School name

64 11 39

62

55

42 49

69

4

32

65

25

43

34 40

7

73

54

22

14

33

16

Business Week

12 22 24 21

12

17

12 to 15

16 12 12

24

21

16

24

12

21

24

12

24

12

22

12

21

21 21

12

24

24

21

22

12

12

17

12

12

12

24

14

24

12 16 12

18

15 12 24

12

12

10

24

21 10

11

Course Length

89848 97962 142380

122334

108699

109636

177089

110297

93690

121100

123058

92388

108622

105409 104612

159598

146701

107282

110642

158926

110062

106106 89510 96411

115763

120485

154147

96919

116254 155015

126544

FT

Weighted salary (USD)

84 111 92

97

99

76

80

99

160

107

104

86

113

102 100

90

90

127

107

97

113

75 67 60

92

61

97

81

105 86

131

FT

59

34

36

63

92

88

9

30

29 43

12

93

78

98

86

89

25

62

>100

69

35

81

58

18 84

TE

13 73 73

3

19

46

79

82

41

23

68

32

36

55 49

86

99

28

27

89

47

8 52 33

48

10

61

14

67 11

35

FT

94 83 81

77

58

82

82

83

72

81

81

83

78

81 77

84

81

78

76

81

80

81 78 79

84

80

85

88

81 82

79

FT

76 (94) 88 (81) 89 (98)

81 (77)

90 (100)

89 (97)

92 (100)

92 (99)

100 (97)

85 (87)

59

>100

55

71

25

96

60

100 53 32

35

29

30

44

30

17

71

41

88 (100)

56

33 44

42

37

89

84

47

76 78 83 42

92

86

91

92

100

37 94

1

FT

55 12

28 89

79

16

17

50

68

22

58

40

72

19

85

78

7

37 21

TE

83 (92)

76 (100)

93 (100) 85 (100)

88 (99)

90 (95)

98 (96)

90 (100)

93 (99)

96 (100)

90 (89) 89 (93) 87 (96)

66 (87)

92 (89)

93 (99)

91 (93)

88 (99) 83 (90)

97 (93)

FT

Salary Value for money Aims achieved Employed at three percentage rank rank months (%) increase

50 60 68

76

38

69 56

75

54

46

65 72

74

49

45

75

75

BW

TE

International students (%)

80

90

80

98

90

SD

50 34 33

21

29

30

42

37

34

36

32

42

26

33 24

35

36

31

41

39

33 29 33 24

34

30

36

50

32 31

30

FT

TE

29 31 32

20

22

26 32

37

25

32

42

33 32

44

39

39

40

69

31

BW

30

40

35

58

65

40

41

SD

Women students (%)

AACSB, AMBA AACSB AACSB AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB AACSB AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

ABEST21, TEQSA

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB AACSB

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

FIBAA

ACBSP

AACSB

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS EQUIS AACSB, EQUIS AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS AMBA, IACBE, ACBSP, NVAO AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AMBA

Ministry of Education

AACSB AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

Accreditation(s)

MBA Listings 117

Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

USD 65616 CAD 99710 USD 104850 USD 60678

USD 123373 USD 49000

UK

UK

Canada

US

US

US

US UK

South Africa

US

Scotland

US

US

China

US

US

US

US

US

US

US

US

UK

US

US

Australia

US US

US US

Switzerland

UK

US Canada

US

US

US

Australia/ UAE

US

Belgium

US

UK

US Canada

Germany

US

US

Republic of Korea

Canada

University of Bath School of Management

University of Birmingham – Birmingham Business School

University of British Columbia: Sauder

University of California at Berkeley: Haas

University of California at Irvine: Merage

University of California, Davis

University of California, San Diego: Rady University of Cambridge: Judge

University of Cape Town GSB

University of Chicago: Booth

University of Edinburgh Business School

University of Florida Hough Graduate School of Business

University of Georgia – Terry College of Business

University of Hong Kong

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Iowa Tippie School of Management University of Maryland: Smith

University of Michigan: Ann Arbor Ross School of Business

University of Minnesota: Carlson School of Management

University of Missouri, Columbia Trulaske College of Business

University of North Carolina: Kenan-Flagler

University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business

University of Oxford: Saïd Business School

University of Pennsylvania: Wharton

University of Pittsburgh: Katz Graduate School of Business

University of Queensland – Business School

University of Rochester: Simon Graduate School of Business University of San Diego School of Business Administration

University of South Carolina: Moore University of Southern California: Marshall

University of St Gallen

University of Strathclyde Business School

University of Texas at Austin: McCombs University of Toronto: Joseph L Rotman School of Management University of Virginia: Darden Graduate School of Business Administration University of Washington: Foster School of Business

University of Wisconsin, MadisonSchool of Business

University of Wollongong in Dubai

Vanderbilt University: Owen Graduate School of Management

Vlerick Business School

Wake Forest University: Babcock

Warwick Business School

Washington University: Olin Business School Western University: Ivey

WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management

Wisconsin School of Business

Yale School of Management

Yonsei

York University: Schulich

3. BW - Business Week 4. SD - School Data

USD 82626

US

University of Arizona – Eller College of Management

1. FT - Financial Times 2. TE - The Economist

USD 42474

Canada

University of Alberta

Footnotes:

GBP 15700

Scotland

66

17

70

71 97

38

94

94

61

51

32

40 53

80

67

96 58

85 66

97

3

22

89

39

83

24

49

63

71

28

9

52

93 13

98

43

10

81

95

84

86

73

Financial Times

41

99

19

100

47

37

65

29

56

30

4

32

46

59

94 64

58

16

76

11

69

45

35

20

51

72

27

74

80

90

1

91 52

68

7

93

43

85

63

The Economist

Rankings

6

26

46

30

44

37

20

23

71 21

38

35

2

29

12

70

36

9

17

75

45

50

48

3

51

60

31

19

68

Business Week

16

18

22

21

15

22 12

12

21

12

21

24

21

21

21

21 20

12

12

12 20

22 22

12

12

21

12

21

21

18

22

16

21

21

21

14

22

24

12

21

11

21 12

21

21

21

16

12

12

21

16 to 20

12

12

Course Length

89332

154175

110676

110810 96990

118411

103696

100809

120936

115924

141297

133300 91974

98839

104891

92526 126141

108321 106400

92160

171543

136474

116394

125937

112208

144159

108143

110258

111224

118354

161289

144744

99200 146664

96864

112166

158518

95427

102367

96846

92370

108154

FT

Weighted salary (USD)

5. Value for Money: Calculated by considering the salary earned by alumni today, course length, fees, other costs, and opportunity cost of not working for the programme duration. 6. Aims achieved rank: The level at which alumni fulfilled their purpose of doing the MBA.

USD 76723

USD 53514

EUR 36000

USD 103925 EUR 88500

GBP 33000

USD 83984

EUR 36 000

USD 95900

AED 96480

USD 28640

GBP 25000

CHF 56500

USD 35776 USD 115000

USD 105392 USD 74760

AUD 61440

USD 48964

USD 136420

GBP 45790

USD 98550

USD 80078

USD 26950

USD 78568

USD 109557

USD 52420

HKD 468000

USD 30068

USD 26364

GBP 27100

USD 123354

R 308 000

USD 88000 GBP 40500

USD 72977

USD 77863

USD 103038

CAD 56123

GBP 20790

GBP 28000

USD 51276

CND 50113

EUR 29500

Costs

Ireland

Country

University College Dublin: Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business University of Aberdeen

School name

2

>100

46

77

24

13

60

41

67

38

57

73

61

71

91

14

>100

20

>100

100

5

23

56

33

11

16

54

68

85

53

44 99

32

79

47

70

31

52

TE

27

70

39

96 40

17

59

6

83

60

71

69 95

12

21

91 100

88 53

58

87

13

62

85

90

74

76

22

59

37

92

1

97 5

81

63

72

54

19

30

45

9

FT

93

84

82

77 77

83

29

81

84

82

82

79 75

77

83

81 79

77 91

75

82

85

82

80

85

82

80

81

80

81

83

74

77 86

87

79

83

76

73

74

72

77

FT

FT

88 (93)

89 (100)

88 (100)

97 (96) 90 (99)

88 (96)

88 (100)

36 (89)

91 (98)

96 (100)

93 (97)

91 (98) 70 (95)

86 (84)

100 (79)

70 (91) 86 (97)

95 (92) 57 (100)

95 (98)

96 (93)

89 (87)

88 (98)

89 (95)

83 (96)

90 (93)

89 (99)

93 (98)

80 (89)

79 (86)

97 (99)

73 (100)

86 (92) 88 (93)

95 (98)

82 (100)

87 (99)

77 (90)

88 (73)

95 (90)

85 (99)

90 (94)

FT

65

80

43

>100

7

73

61

29

52

6

36

18

5

70

93

32

14

44

9

57

33

35

75

69

62

30

67

99

51

FT

29

40

32

30

26

25

32

34

27

27

40

36

24

30

34

39

23

43

32

42

46

32

27

77

44

25

42 27

88

12

79

22

33

37

25 50

96

94

21 30

76

45

43

57

60

42

TE

29

30

31

39

34

28

24 37

32

34

28

27

28

35

30

20

36

28

29

32

36

42

44

39

34

BW

37

28

30

30

SD

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS, FIBAA

AACSB EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AUQA,

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB AACSB

AACSB AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

EQUIS

AACSB AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

Accreditation(s)

9. %age of Salary increase: Displays the percentage increase in salary pre and post MBA. 10. International students: Shows mix of international students.

30

37

39

28 32

38

25

38

30

32

32

32 32

38

37

32 31

37

SD

53

TE

22 33 49

67

48

63

55

63

60

54

66

74

79

52

46

80

67

73

47

61

BW

Women students (%)

57

41

32

97

33

39

25

34

44

35

51

71

96

45

29

88

24

67

39

45

46

46

60

91

85

67

51

95

23

14

91

26

63

4

TE

International students (%)

7. Career progress rank: Indicates the progress in career levels that alumni made pre and post MBA. 8. Weighted Salary in US $: States the average salary today, includes salaries for current year and one or two preceding years.

88

96

100

87 68

61

120

71

88

93

100

88 80

80

58

97 84

102 112

105

90

86

93

93

75

97

93

117

94

108

97

76

72 93

68

105

88

67

61

55

95

69

FT

Salary Value for money Aims achieved Employed at three percentage rank rank months (%) increase

118

MBA Listings

2015-2016 EMBA SPECIAL

Executive Global Publica tio n f o r E M B A S tu d e n ts

The Art of Investment

Blended EMBA

Priceless Value

EMBA Interviews

Joining the Elite

School Profiles and Rankings

120

EMBA Overview

The Priceless Value of a Pricey Education An EMBA Degree’s Overall Worth Is Much Bigger Than Its Individual Parts

W

hile the Executive MBA remains among the costliest degrees, it is well worth your money. Not only does the ROI work in your favour but the degree also gives you fresh insights and valuable know-how that you can immediately apply to the workplace. And you gain an executive (soft-skill oriented) edge in a constantly shifting market economy. THE ROI IS FAVOURABLE

Studies show unquestionably that graduates of top tier programmes make more money. The most obvious way to

measure the worth of an EMBA is salary growth. A first-of-its-kind 2010 survey of EMBA graduates dealt with those who had finished their studies an average of 9.5 years earlier. The survey showed substantial increases in participants’ salaries over the decade that elapsed from the time of their graduation to the time of the survey. The increase in salary averaged out as 131% from 92,000 USD at the time they entered the programme to 213,000 USD ten years later and many with the same employer. Thus, the survey suggests that an EMBA makes sense from an economic perspective for both the employer and employee. This trend has been maintained – according to data by the Financial Times, despite market turbulence, the salary increase of EMBA graduates in recent years has remained around 48%.

THE ROR WORKS EVEN BETTER

Nearly 90% of all EMBA graduates indicate the new business and personal contacts they have established during their studies as one of the biggest advantages of the degree. “Instead of ROI, I prefer to speak of ROR – the return on relationship – an emerging concept that evaluates value from engaging with others”, says publisher Daniel Kehrer, who decided to pursue an EMBA in order to better cope with a media world turned digitally upside down. “Connections are both short- and long-term assets that will pay dividends for years to come”, says Kehrer. It is hardly a secret that B-schools are ‘a meeting point’ of individuals with similar professional interests. And one of the greatest benefits of the EMBA degree is that it gives students a chance to make new useful contacts, exchange ideas and

EMBA Overview

even take their business to a new level – the professional acquaintances students make can prove to be especially fruitful for their business endeavours. A good networker will not only be able to make the most of the opportunities an EMBA holds for their present work but will be able to build on these networks post-EMBA as well.

REAL-LIFE BUSINESS ISSUES AND IMMEDIATE APPLICATION OF NEW KNOWLEDGE ARE A PLUS

“There is no one reason to attend an Executive MBA programme - there are least twelve. The EMBA offers hands-on experience in starting, building, expanding and managing a business. Typically accomplished in two years, the programme draws many of the best and the brightest both in the faculty and student body. I feel the EMBA is an incredibly valuable degree. It means that the candidate is someone with tremendous practical experience, the kind of experience I evaluate to hire. I also feel that the EMBA offers the company, along with the individual, a richer, more thorough perspective of the issues they face within a competitive environment... I got my MBA early in life, between the ages of 22 and 24. Now, looking back, I earned this degree early in life, possibly too early, without first getting my feet really wet with experience. I am actually evaluating the decision to get a Ph.D. or an EMBA.Getting an EMBA is not just about getting a degree, but it is about getting educated”, says Synthia Molina, former admissions officer for Claremont Graduate University, the Drucker School and current CEO of Mission Accomplished/Intelliworks. “Obviously, attending the EMBA allowed me to continue to work, but it also allowed me to apply what was happening in my career. Whatever I was studying in school, the application of it was close by and reinforced the instruction”, recounts Shelley Boyce, Wharton EMBA graduate and the CEO of MedRisk. While theory is part of the academic experience of an EMBA programme,

classroom discussions are intense and provocative, interspersed with real-life cases. The learning environment varies from executive training centre to corporate boardroom. Some programmes rarely utilize their own campus, instead they hold classes at company headquarters or executive training centres, although cut backs have pushed more programmes back onto campus. Students study practical business issues, and many evaluate these issues first hand at the company and on foreign soil. Students meet with corporate leaders across the globe and participate in global joint consulting projects. NYU students consulted on media and technology for the Walt Disney Corporation while visiting Silicon Valley. Fordham University students consulted on a market entry strategy for a fast-growing computer company while studying in Beijing, China. While visiting Hong Kong, Wharton students studied go-to market strategies for mobile phone applications and their usage in day-today life. Georgetown students consulted on the privatization of air traffic control services for the British and Scottish governments. These are just a handful of the many dynamic and highly practical business school projects that have been part of Executive MBA curriculums.

SOFT SKILLS ARE A HARD ASSET

EMBAs are aspirers and, as such, they put a special emphasis on the soft skills they can master and practise while in the programme. Hence, all quality B-schools aim to tailor their curricula to students’ needs and leadership challenges. Most programmes enhance the general managerial skills of their EMBAs by focusing on leadership, adaptability to new situations and self-awareness. Flexibility, openness towards innovation and creativity are also among the soft skills employers value the most. These are honed in the classroom – through rigorous modules, one-on-one discussions – and applied outside it, in the workplace or through work collaborations with fellow students. Communication also tops the list of indispensable managerial skills. Writing a report that people may or may not read no longer does the trick. In today’s world, the way you communicate and present yourself and how you lay your ideas on the table are extremely important for your success as a CEO. Your communication style is the thing that sets you apart. Many b-schools have modules that focus precisely on developing students’ communicative skills. Graduates learn how to read their audience, discern what content to present and how, and respond to questions in a way that shows they understand the content they are presenting.

THE EMBA IS A LEAP FORWARD

The pros of the degree outweigh any of the cons. Research shows that most EMBA holders are set to get a salary increase in the long run. The employee retention rate is also quite high – a 2010 US study has shown that 40% of respondents are still with the same employer. Most graduates (91%) say the degree was worth the investment and 99% recommend the education. EMBA graduates overwhelmingly value the experience they gain and are practically unanimous in recommending the education to others. So if you’re still considering your options, you may start considering making the leap. □ E.I. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

121

122

EMBA Overview

EMBA: The Art of Investment Dissecting the ROI of Executive Education – the MBA equivalent, according to the same study in 2015 – will offer its alumni an average salary of 180,183 USD. That is a difference of more than 120%. What is more, graduates of the ranked number ten EMBA school – IMD in Switzerland – can expect to receive as much as 66,000 USD more than the world-renowned Harvard alumni. So how about the “before-and-after” comparison? The average salary growth for MBA graduates from the top 100 business schools in 2015, calculated over a period of three years after graduation, is 92%. The equivalent percentage for EMBA graduates in 2014 is 52% – not a great surprise considering the immense differences in absolute values.

L

ike any business deal, investment in higher education is about the delicate balance between risk and potential. This is especially true when it comes to postgraduate education, and even more so with regards to the EMBA degree.

But why is the EMBA such a tough deal to strike? Risk-wise, an EMBA course could draw upon a somewhat specific, and therefore confined, pool of candidates; provide broad skills and knowledge, and

last but certainly not least, because it costs a small fortune to complete. However, looking at the numbers alone, the EMBA degree will provide a graduate with the highest achievable salary out of all possible postgraduate education programmes.

RAW NUMBERS

Let us take the top 10 business schools in the world by factor of salary after graduation and compare the EMBA to its closest contender – the MBA. According to Financial Times 2014 Business Education Rankings, the number one executive business school partnership under this criterion – the Kellogg/HKUST EMBA programme – would net a salary of 403,560 USD. Harvard Business School

The statistics are simple and definite, although not unexpected. An EMBA student will usually have at least 5, mostly up to 10, years of work experience; will be above 35, and would often hold some kind of management position upon entry into the programme. Conversely, most MBA students are in their late-20s and have around 5 years of work experience, in mainly sub-management positions. Comparatively speaking, EMBA graduates are simply more senior to begin with, and thus better paid. But do the numbers add up? What is the actual return on investment? EMBA programmes charge as much as 50% more than MBA courses, bringing the approximate cost to about 75,000 USD. EMBA graduates from Financial Times’ top 100 schools in the world end up earning an average of 175,000 USD, compared to 121,000 USD for MBA graduates. Strictly speaking, the ROI of the EMBA degree is 1.33 or 133%. In terms of raw numbers, the EMBA degree remains unmatched in post-education remuneration. Quantitatively speaking, there is

EMBA Overview

simply no better education that money can buy.

EDUCATION VALUE

EMBA programmes are in stark contrast to other postgraduate education programmes, such as the Master’s degree, in that they put equal emphasis on soft and hard skills. The premise is that an EMBA degree would teach communication and people management skills which are essential to the C-level job that a graduate is expected to undertake upon graduation. However, what many underestimate are the hard skills that higher education, even at the EMBA level, is able to provide to graduates. Classic MBA fields such as accounting, financial management, and corporate governance follow their own rules and models much like architecture or particle physics would follow theirs. These are sciences in their own right and an EMBA programme approaches them as such. The “MBA” in “EMBA” is dedicated as much to the governance of people as it is to knowing and being able to execute the processes under which those same people are expected to operate. The value of EMBA education is that of learning about the business interrelationships both within the organisation and in the market where that organisation positions itself. This is expertise. However, the added value of an EMBA degree can be found in the fusion between the hard science of, say, operations management and the soft skill of managing the employees and contractors in the supply chain. This is management. In other words, EMBA is as much about “Administration”, as it is about “Business” itself. This means that when it comes to business education, along with all the theories, models and rules that education is about, the choice of MBA or EMBA degree is almost predetermined. But how is this return on investment? The simple answer is that it is not, at least not in the fiscal sense of the term. The simple argument against that is that knowledge is invaluable. And indeed it is. But simplicity aside, if EMBA’s ROI

is currently 133%, could it be said that someone with an EMBA degree would be 133% better at doing their job? That depends on the student’s personal commitment to the programme, its core subjects and its intangible advantages. It could be that, and it could be catastrophically less or shockingly more.

INTANGIBLE BENEFITS

The EMBA’s greatest advantage lies in its soft power. Management, leadership and networking remain the linchpins of MBA education, and the EMBA programme puts an even heavier emphasis on achieving these rather intangible effects. Although all three will be taught scientifically during the programme, their implementation is a matter of personal goals and individual aptitude, which is hard to measure. The more senior profile of EMBA students means that a large portion of their motivation to follow such a programme comes not from the desire to learn how to network and lead, but the premise to actually network and meet leaders. Network expansion in itself is among the top three motivations for people to study MBA and EMBA. The UK’s Independent even argues that it is “half the reason many of them are there”. But consider this: another major reason to follow an EMBA programme is the ability to comprehend the world in complex terms, so as to be able to lead

from the front, rather than the back. In a popular article by Michael Simmons in Forbes Magazine, the author argues that “The No. 1 Predictor of Career Success According to Network Science” is being part of open networks as opposed to closed networks. To sum up, a closed network is comprised of individuals who share the same acquaintances, interests and professional fields. An open network brings together people with widely different areas of interest and expertise, as well as conflicting perspectives. But it is this clash of worldviews where horizons become wider and ideas glow brighter: “People in open networks have unique challenges and opportunities. Because they’re part of multiple groups, they have unique relationships, experiences and knowledge that other people in their groups don’t.” Being part of an EMBA programme will provide just that – a chance to be a part of an open network which will not only expand a person’s contacts pool, but alter the way they think about business and management, ushering them into previously unthinkable ventures. This is arguably the most cherished ROI advantage of MBA and EMBA education, albeit the most unquantifiable one. But then again, can you put a price tag on being better than the rest? □ A.Z. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

123

124

EMBA Overview

Lonely Island or Unexplored Continent? Differences Between the MBA and the EMBA

A

re you currently trying to decide whether an EMBA would be a smart option for you? If so, there are others facing the same problem. While the traditional MBA has been a popular choice among business graduates and executives, the EMBA degree is gradually gaining momentum, with about 35% of professionals with experience opting for it, meaning approximately 125,000 new students over Europe and the USA. You may be wondering why you should choose an EMBA rather than a traditional MBA. What is the difference between the two and what are the actual benefits of the EMBA? APPLICANTS AND STRUCTURE

The EMBA usually enrols people who have at least five years of experience (the requirement differs from school to school) in a managerial position and who are generally older than traditional MBA students. Thus, while the EMBA programme is similar to the MBA in terms of the types of courses offered, it is designed to suit more mature, experienced applicants in the pursuit of practical experience, as opposed to MBA students who want to learn the basics of theory. Does this mean that the EMBA does not offer basic courses such as Accounting or Marketing? Most EMBA programmes

EMBA Overview

offer the courses taught in the traditional MBA, yet the style of teaching may be different. While a traditional MBA may require you to focus on a specialised field such as accounting or marketing, an EMBA may not allow you to do so. Some may perceive this as a restraint, others may take it as a blessing, as the EMBA allows them to take electives based upon the various hard or soft skills that they want to acquire, which rarely limit their learning to a particular field. For example, some EMBA students may wish to strengthen their leadership skills, while others may seek to study financial management or accounting. Thus, a student who wishes to learn a particular type of financial management can opt for that elective and is not obliged to take other similar courses; someone who wishes to polish their soft skills such as leadership and presentation may opt for those electives. Another distinction between the EMBA programme and the traditional MBA is that EMBA classes are smaller in size and thus they tend to have a bigger impact on individual students. Moreover, because of the higher level of experience and advanced understanding of students, EMBA classes may also be better in terms of quality and class discussions. However, EMBA programmes are more focused upon management in terms of course content and teaching methods. Conversely, the MBA may focus on a number of disciplines such as marketing, finance, human resources, etc.

THE CURRICULUM

The curriculum in traditional higher education programmes is usually a mixture of theory and practice, and this holds true for traditional MBA programmes. The course content for EMBA programmes is mainly focused on management rather than on other specialised areas such as in the traditional MBA. However, management is combined with other specialised fields such as marketing, human resources, and finance to offer courses such as managerial finance, marketing management, and accounting for decision-making. Students are usually allowed to opt for electives and take courses which are appropriate for the needs of their organisation or for their own career goals. MBA programmes,

on the other hand, are not specifically tailored towards management only and allow students to explore various areas of specialisation.

TEACHING METHODS

The EMBA programme, being relatively new and catering for a smaller group of students, appears to be a lonely island in the ocean of higher education. However, it is actually an amalgamation of the teaching requirements of higher education institutes and the learning requirements current managers have during the course of their jobs. EMBA students may require more personalised coaching, which helps them achieve their personal career goals or gives them exposure to more challenging alternatives. Most schools and universities understand the need for a more practical experience with students who are already working, such as in the EMBA programme, and base their teaching upon concepts that can be implemented immediately. Thus, teaching methods may include an emphasis on giving students international exposure by offering them a week-long module in another country, and boosting students’ personal and career development by showing them how they can use the knowledge they have gained during their modules to suit their organisation’s needs or their personal career advancement needs. Accordingly, the EMBA teaching methods include workshops, seminars, discussions and oneon-one coaching to help students realise their personal goals and enable them to tailor their knowledge. For example, an EMBA student may not particularly need to know about the various advertising methods but may wish to learn how to advertise products in the fast-moving consumer goods segment. One-on-one coaching will enable the student to gain a better understanding of how to use this knowledge to their advantage.

NETWORKING

An additional advantage of the EMBA programme is the opportunity for these managers who have gone back to school, to network and associate with others who have the same or more experience in similar fields. As the Princeton Review states, “The EMBA programme has the additional advantage of giving managers the opportunity to network

with other managers and create new career opportunities”. Opportunities for networking exist as managers complete the course with the same group of students, helping to develop mutually beneficial relationships and improve future job and/or business opportunities. Ram Athurik, a private career counsellor and digital marketing expert in the United States, says, “While an EMBA and MBA programme are rather similar in Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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curriculum, the EMBA provides current managers with an additional advantage of networking and a hands-on experience!”

HARD SKILLS AND SOFT SKILLS

While most EMBA programmes are funded by employers to help their employees enhance their skills, who later benefit from this additional expertise, many people pursue an EMBA programme independently. Some EMBA students want to set up their own business; progress to the position of CEO, COO, CFO; or obtain a higher managerial position. Depending on student preferences, the EMBA programme’s teaching may consist of theoretical lectures and workshops for the acquisition of hard skills such as financial management or accounting, or it may focus upon discussions, practice sessions, and group projects which help with soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, and presentation. EMBA programmes are designed to be practical and applicable when learning new hard and soft skills, and they do not

heavily emphasise the basics, since students require further instruction to build on their current knowledge.

FLEXIBILITY

Speaking of flexibility, it is important to note that EMBA programmes usually have the same duration as the MBA, which is approximately two years. However, the added advantage is that students do not have to give up their salary in order to return to school. Thus, professionals can pursue EMBA while working, with the programme being particularly tailored to a flexible schedule. EMBA students usually meet once a week or during the weekends so that students can work on weekdays. Moreover, they are also likely to meet in diverse settings which are convenient and provide a more comfortable atmosphere. Additionally, technological advances such as video conferencing, open source learning platforms such as Moodle, and other online applications give students easy access to study mate-

rials to keep up to date even if they are unable to attend classes. These applications also allow students to collaborate easily on group projects and assignments while juggling other work commitments. In the words of Amy Preston, student of the EMBA programme at the London School of Economics, states, “I am glad I waited to gain professional experience and go for an EMBA rather than a traditional MBA. It is a completely different educational experience and one that has provided me with great benefit.” Thus, the amount of flexibility, networking opportunities and exposure that the EMBA offers may not be prevalent in a traditional MBA. Moreover, an EMBA degree usually means you are given more weight in the job market and a higher salary. Hence, while relatively new, the EMBA programme may not be a lonely island in the global ocean of higher education for long, as more people in senior management positions are opting for an EMBA. □

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The Ultimate Decision for an Ultimate Degree How to Choose the Right EMBA

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ou are in your late 30s; you have 10+ years of work experience, including some five years of managerial experience; you have family responsibilities; you have reached a mid or senior level management post but aim to further advance on the career ladder, targeting a C-level post; you want to broaden your knowledge in a different area or develop a brand new business idea. If some of the above relate to you, then you are ready to go back to school and pursue an Executive MBA (EMBA).

The EMBA programme is essentially a Part-time MBA targeting a particular group of students. The programme is designed for medium-level or senior-level corporate professionals who want to further advance in their career or develop a new business. The EMBA programmes were designed to meet the market needs of top professionals, senior managers and those working in higher management and assuming higher-level strategic roles. EMBA course participants are usually aged between 30 and 45, with average professional experience of around 8-15 years, of which about 5-10 years is managerial. Whereas, in the typical part-time format, participants are younger and have about five years of work experience, and it is not necessary to have any managerial experience at all. But there is one essential difference in particular between the EMBA and the Part-time MBA and that is money. Inarguably, the return on investment (ROI) in

absolute terms of an EMBA programme is incomparably higher than that of a Part-time MBA. As the EMBA teaches global management style, cultivating high-calibre leaders defining global business processes and decision makers at a global level, ROI is what really shows the worth of the programme.

CLEAR CAREER GOALS

Thus, if you really aim to reach the very top, you should choose an EMBA. The Part-time MBA will be more helpful if you aim to just climb the career ladder at your current company or maybe make a career change. However, if you really want to switch career direction, then a Full-time MBA programme is the best option. So, you need to clarify your desired career path in order to be able to select the adequate MBA programme format. “I realised that I needed to boost my managerial and leadership skills. I had

1,000 employees, 40 nursing schools and a good 10,000 volunteers in my charge at that point. I knew there was much more I could, and needed to do,” says Ariel Kestens, a 2009 graduate of the Global Executive MBA programme of IESE Business School, who is the Global Head of Learning and Development at the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies. “I have a target of teaching our 1.7 million volunteers 7 key competencies by 2020 to help them discharge their tasks efficiently […] in the end, it’s all about management,” he adds, explaining why he had decided to undergo the programme even though humanitarian organisations have traditionally been hesitant to embrace business concepts. Once you have made up your mind that an EMBA is the next step to take, then a load of questions burst into your mind. “Where to do the EMBA?”, “Which EMBA?”, “How much will it cost me?”, “Will my employer support me?”, “What

EMBA Format

shall I sacrifice?” These are just a few of the questions that will need an answer. The answers will guide you to the best EMBA for you. With hundreds of EMBA programmes on the market, it is not an easy choice to make. There are a number of factors to be mulled over.

GLOBAL SCHOOL LOCATION

With economies becoming more global than ever, business schools have followed the “becoming global” trend and now you can choose to study your EMBA on other continents, making the most of the invaluable experience of living and studying abroad and at the same time becoming one of the future business leaders. For example, the INSEAD Business School offers a modular Executive MBA programme across three fully integrated campuses in Europe (France), in Asia (Singapore) and in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi). With three routes, depending on the starting campus, the Global Executive MBA offers experienced executives an intensive fast track to the top over 14-17 months.

TIME COMMITMENT AND PROGRAMME FORMAT

Although the EMBA programme is not a full-time programme demanding 100% of your time, it is still a time-consuming endeavour. The programme is delivered in various formats, requiring students to attend class for long weekends or in modules that could sometimes be weeklong. Apart from that, the programme requires 15-20 hours per week of study at home. Considering that, an EMBA could be even more challenging regarding time commitment, as attendees of the programme need to balance their

time between study, a full-time job and family responsibilities. Hence, the time you would need to commit to the programme, and the format in which the programme of your interest is delivered, should be carefully considered before enrolling in a particular programme.

SKILLS AND ELECTIVES

The focus of EMBA programmes vary. It could be either soft skills such as management and leadership, or hard skills such as accounting and finance, or a mixture of both. The need to collate the programme curriculum with your personal needs and career goals comes naturally. As your employer may contribute to your programme and cover some of your tuition fees, it is good to discuss with him/her the programme curriculum and how it will contribute to the daily business of the organisation. The electives offered in the EMBA programme must be also considered as they can play a key role in achieving your career goals. The number of electives and the ability to focus on a particular area of study differs from school to school. If the coursework you prefer is not offered within your school choices, you should consider other alternatives allowing you to achieve your career goals.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Class diversity and interaction is a key feature of every EMBA class. The typical EMBA class brings together different types of students – economists, venture capitalists, lawyers, engineers, bankers, physicians. It is of key importance that

all attendees contribute to the diversification of the class – with their experience, real-life examples of achievements and failures, and expertise in their areas. Building a network of contacts and keeping that network playing a key role in your post-study life is a key asset of every EMBA programme. That’s why, prior to enrolling into a particular programme, it is good to check out the networking opportunities the programme can offer. “The programme is like a big dish of Spanish paella, where the cherrypicked high achievers and leaders from a wide spectrum of professions and cultural backgrounds from around the globe gather under one roof, to learn from each other, crack brains and exchange ideas as a team in order to complete countless challenging assignments,” says Shannon Sun Sun Tan, an IE Business School EMBA graduate and deputy director of financial planning with Nanyang Technological University. “I am sure that most of us will stay connected long after we finish. Once we have started this brotherhood and friendship relationship, we will look after each other as long as needed and beyond,” adds Stephen Ketcha Yanga, also an EMBA student at IE and regional ICT coordinator at UNAIDS. “By gaining skills and perspectives that make participants better leaders and managers, the EMBA experience results in many positive outcomes,” says Michael Desiderio, executive director of the EMBA Council. “These outcomes include tangible ones such as salary, and intangible ones such as greater knowledge, improved leadership abilities and a broader network, which stay with graduates throughout their career.” □ I.D.S. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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A Global Education For a Global Leader EMBA Education Is About the Complex Interconnections of Today’s Globalised World

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n a world of painfully delicate terms such as “global financial crisis” and “wealth gap”, people on both sides of the social equilibrium often get upset about the stereotypes branded firmly on the classes they represent. Truthfully, however, our society constantly pushes us to become more regardless of our starting point, and striving to do that is what makes a leader – unbound by class or income. But what is the connection between all of that – leadership, capital, globalisation, people? GLOBAL PEOPLE CAPITAL

Let us turn our attention to what the experts say. First, the world is converging and thus becoming smaller indeed. According to a report by Deloitte the rapid expansion and universal approval of globalisation was facilitated by the fact that “from around 1980, and for almost three decades, global trade increased at about 7 percent per annum on average—twice the rate of growth of global GDP”. The report goes on to note that the 2008 financial crisis only served to bring the speed of trade growth in line with GDP growth. Second, people have become empowered by unseen levels of connectivity, thus allowing them greater control over their personal, social and work lives. The UN Development Programme claims that “more people have access to

a mobile device than to justice or legal services” and that we are witnessing “a new wave of democratisation” as a result of “state-of-the-art technologies and diminishing barriers to entry”.

LOCALISED LEADERSHIP

But what about leadership?

Global leadership is local people management. It is about the practical implementation of the complex relations between international capital and national employees. And it is executive MBA education that teaches this strategic thinking to C-level managers.

It all starts with tapping into a network of globally thinking, and yet locally raised seniors: “You meet extraordinary people from five continents that will become your friends for life, you have discussions that will change the way you view the world and help you understand yourself better. I have the frameworks in all fields, the network of individuals that can help and the leadership skills to realise our dream”, says Anthony Boukather, an INSEAD EMBA graduate, and Co-CEO of A.N. Boukather Holding. EMBA education teaches cross-cultural soft skills by localising the experience.

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According to Sophie Mathiaut, Marketing Manager of the KelloggWHU EMBA programme, students learn about doing business locally in different parts of the world such as Asia or Latin America, while also benefiting from a global alumni network.

A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD

Global EMBA programmes are not bound to one location, and this is one of their greatest benefits. Students are able to travel the world and visit the campuses of the school in order to learn from the best local minds, in addition to catering to their own geographical limitations. This also allows for another advantage – time management. EMBA programmes last longer than Full-time MBAs i.e. 16 to 21 months, compared to 10-12 months,

but that is due to their understanding of the busy schedule of their students. Furthermore, EMBA education allows managers to implement new knowledge and skills on-the-job right away due to its modular structure and on/off-campus nature. It also provides the framework to fine-tune one’s leadership skills and build a personal style by benchmarking with other executives: “I feel that one of the main challenges of executive training is to really get participants to change the way they work. More often than not, you go back to the office and you eventually end up working the same old way. The programme really forced me to rethink how I approach my work”, says Caroline Wouters, Vice President at Wolters Kluwer, The Netherlands.

TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION

A study by Harvard Business Review claims that today’s global companies are transnational in nature and require the leadership of diverse people. Ultimately, this is exactly what global EMBA education is centred around – transnationalism – or the term behind the evergreen saying “think global, act local”. Education merely follows the trends of the sector it is positioned in, leading to the need for business schools to adapt their curricula and teaching methods to new developments. If global business is about transnationalism, globalisation about localisation, and leadership about people, then EMBA education is about creating global leaders. □ A.Z.

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What Is a Blended EMBA? Convenience Through Technology

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echnology has brought such a huge change to our lives in the past 15 years that even a century-old form of higher education such as the MBA needs to abide by its rules. Check out the blended EMBA: old school meets new methods of instruction to cater to the needs of an even larger audience. The education system has not hesitated to adapt its scope and offerings due to the constantly shifting economy. From its origins back in the late 19th century, business education has kept evolving and aligning to the current business climate and requirements, catering to the ever-increasing need for global business leaders. Business schools successfully maintained and raised their standards with an emphasis on academic research. That resulted in the classic MBA model – one year of management courses, followed by a year of more of specialised and intensive study. Developing further, the range of Master’s degrees increased to include the Part-time MBA, the Executive MBA and the online MBA. The first web-based learning programmes were mostly a compilation of recorded courses with quizzes, presenting classroom-based content over the Internet. But they offered many distinct

advantages – accommodating family and work obligations, learning at one’s own pace and reduced cost, to name but a few. However, studies have shown that a purely online method of instruction fails to provide sufficient engagement, social contact and context required to facilitate successful learning and performance. Thus, the blended approach was born. The blended EMBA combines classroom training with a schedule close to that of the EMBA programme, but including various forms of online learning. So, unlike an online MBA, students are required to spend time in the classroom – for several days of group workshops or on-campus classes which are typically held every two or three months. Although this is much less than in traditional EMBAs, being physically present in the classroom, at least part of the time, is an important aspect of MBA education. MBAs are highly practical and functional programmes. They also rely heavily on the experience, knowledge, cultural traits and mind-sets that the different participants bring to the table. Communication skills, together with leadership, are considered the most important assets of a successful highranking employee. Therefore, being physically present with your peers, exchanging ideas, brainstorming, arguing and supporting each other in discussions, case studies and real-life projects, is an important part of MBA education. Live contact with your

faculty and access to the programme’s facilities, as well as to the university in general, are all considered key opportunities that B-schools provide and that they consider important for students to tap into. Positioned between an EMBA and an online MBA, the blended programme seems to have the best of both worlds and, more importantly, it directly responds to the dynamics of the world we live in.

BETTER WORK-LIFE-STUDY BALANCE

The blended ЕMBA is a great option for people whose family or work obligations make attending even an EMBA challenging, for example due to geographical reasons. Studying in a blended executive programme allows for a job change, a relocation, raising a family, maternity leave or leave of absence from work. However, as with online or executive MBAs, it means busy weekends and nights, and requires a strong sense of discipline and good time management.

THE RIGHT LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES

The blended EMBA supports many learning styles and is focused on the learning objective, rather than the delivery. While ‘blended’ used to mean a combination of classroom and web-based learning, nowadays it is much more than that. The blended EMBA allows for structured and unstructured learning, capturing conversations and ideas from an unstructured

EMBA Format

environment, such as meetings and email, and adding all of that to the structured, textbook content. In addition, the blended EMBA allows for self-paced and collaborative learning, where self-study is followed by an offline or online peerto-peer discussion of the material and key understanding. The blended EMBA solves one of the major issues with online MBAs – allowing for proper assessment of knowledge and student development. Key material is taught in face-to-face sessions rather than online, strengthening students’ understanding of the subject matter.

RELEVANT TO THE WORLD WE LIVE IN

The blended EMBA emulates real life – just as we increasingly find ourselves working in virtual teams spanning several time zones, languages and cultures, it is the very form of the blended EMBA that provides the tools and experience to manage such complex situations. At the beginning of 2013, Dave Wilson, CEO of the Graduate Management Admission Council, stated that increased usage of technology is one of the main trends in MBA education, and blended MBAs and EMBAs are certainly on top of that, using the latest in online collaboration tools.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

The blended ЕMBA is targeted at working professionals, many of whom might not be able to attend a traditional full-time or part-time programme, for example because of work or family obligations, or a very busy travel schedule. Such

students can contribute their experiences and skills to both face-to-face and virtual discussions and collaboration, and are able to apply the concepts and tools from their programmes to their companies in real time.

purely face-to-face ones. A case study from the survey, University of Central Florida, shows consistently higher ranking of its blended programmes, highest levels of student success and lowest withdrawals.

NETWORKING

However, there are still challenges that may affect the success of a blended EMBA programme.

Most blended EMBA offerings suggest at least three or four ‘offline’, oncampus sessions, allowing students to build bonds that last well beyond the duration of the EMBA programme. Blended EMBA alumni stay even closer to their classmates, as they have already developed the habit of skyping or emailing, and thus continue their online interaction after graduating. Blended EMBA programmes have been offered since the early 2000s, and with the improvement of technology and virtual classroom tools, and the increased number of schools offering the programme, they have seen increased demand over the last few years. A 2014 survey by the European University Association shows that blended learning is offered by 91% of the 249 participating higher education institutions across Europe, including top ones such as IE Business School, Warwick Business School and Manchester Business School. Recent studies by the US Department of Education suggest that the blend of online and in-person instruction could be the most effective method of teaching, with students performing better in blended courses than in purely online or

For a blended EMBA to be successful takes committed leadership from the faculty and administrators, faculty development programmes and modifications to evaluation methods and rewarding of performance – and that is only half of the equation. Blended EMBAs also need to attract the right students – those with the right level of self-discipline to cope with the large amounts of asynchronous work to be done in-between face-to-face sessions, which are even rarer in blended EMBA programmes. In the middle is technology, which must be used in a dynamic, web2.0 way, engaging students and tutors in collaboration and a learning exchange. Studies carried out on both traditional and blended EMBA courses have shown that students learning under the two delivery methods do not differ significantly in their assessment. One unbeatable value of traditional classroom instruction continues to be instructional clarity – both students and teachers feel more comfortable in the classroom, merely because of the knowledge that it has always existed. But the blended learning approach does offer one incremental value – students report better understanding of concepts, enhanced understanding through the use of more numerous online resources, better preparation and more active participation in the learning process. But will the blended EMBA completely replace the traditional EMBA? Probably not. In today’s increasingly competitive education market, blended EMBAs will most likely continue to develop separately as instructors learn from both online and offline methods, and take full advantage of the ease and userfriendliness of the technology. □ E.V. Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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Quick Tips on Preparing for EMBA Admission

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f you are a manager looking to reach the final frontier in career progression, an EMBA education could be the answer to your ambitions. But first, you must get in. Here are some tips on what to focus on when applying for an EMBA programme.

RESEARCH THE COURSE

Knowing what an EMBA course entails will shine through in any application. For this reason, it is important to sit down and look at the course particulars before you proceed. Like with any course, there will be a different emphasis depending on the university. Think about what you are looking for in the course and try to understand whether the one that you are applying for meets your expectations. Furthermore, you will need to know the application process steps which, in most cases, include registering interest and completing an online application. A standard application requires one or several essays, a resume and, depending on the school or course provider, the completion of tests such as the GMAT. But since this is a programme based on the interactions between students with senior experience and seasoned tutors, who teach C-level general management, you will be asked to prove that you have the necessary managerial and professional background within your sphere of expertise. This includes both length and depth of management expertise.

SPEAK TO YOUR EMPLOYER EARLY ON

Potential sponsorship and/or the ability to get proof of time sponsorship from employers is often a matter of timing. Sponsorship means that your employer

is happy for you to take some time off work to complete training. Organisations respond better to employee requests if they are given plenty of time to consider what the request might mean. Potential EMBA students are more likely to get support for their course if they speak with their employer sooner rather than later. All EMBA courses require students, as a minimum, to have proof of time sponsorship from their current employer.

NYU Stem, Dina Glasofer, said: “It is important to demonstrate strong quantitative abilities as an applicant to an EMBA programme. If you have concerns about this, there are several ways to address it. If you did not take quantitative classes as an undergraduate or if you do not feel that your undergraduate grades reflect your abilities, consider taking the GMAT or a quantitative class at a local accredited school.”

Furthermore, although full financial sponsorship from employers for EMBA courses is now rarer than it was a few years back, there is still an opportunity to receive some money towards your EMBA course. It should be noted that employers can also benefit from sponsoring your EMBA since it will typically be in a part-time modular format and you will keep contributing to the company.

BE WELL PREPARED FOR THE INTERVIEW

Moreover, you will be in a position to immediately implement the new knowledge, skills and ideas gained in the EMBA classroom. On the flip side, employer sponsorship is binding, so make sure you check out your obligations under the sponsorship contract and decide whether they suit you. Also, some companies have policies and procedures to identify management talent in the company before they allocate their support. These procedures may be just once a year. Checking early is key.

TAKE A QUANTITATIVE ABILITIES COURSE

Different EMBA programmes have different requirements for entry. Conversely to MBA programmes, you may or may not be required to take a GMAT, and the required score will vary from school to school. However, if your school of choice does indeed ask you to take the GMAT, it is important to be confident in your numerical skills before applying. As former Senior Associate Director of Admissions for the Executive MBA programme at

EMBA course entry is a competitive affair, and an interview is an excellent opportunity for you to sell yourself and put forward any information you felt you missed out on your written application. Schools often determine who they admit based on an interview, so be prepared. Research the school and the programme to be able to answer questions on the spot. You are more than likely to be asked about where you think your career is going, what type of progress you aim to make, and to give demonstrations of your leadership ability. It is also very useful to be able to verbally demonstrate your professional skills and portray a clear vision of your short and long term career aspirations and, of course, contributions to the programme. According to the executive director of the MBA Programme for Executives in San Francisco, Bernie Birt, “The interview is more a conversation about their [the applicants’] career journey, goals, and how (the applicant) made the decisions in life that helped get them to this point. I try to dig deeper to see how they fit into a team setting because that is critical for success in our programme.” Joining the exclusive club of executives is no small feat, and yet it is a natural progression for the bravest and most ambitious professionals. Good luck in your journey to greatness!

Global EMBA Features Gain an in-depth insight through features of top business schools

Ashridge Business School 136 BMI 138 Chicago Booth University 139 Cass Business School 140 ESCP Europe Business School 141 ESADE Georgetown 142 HEC Paris 143 IE Business School 145 Kellogg-WHU 146 Lorange Institute of Business 148 Manchester Business School 150 SKEMA Business School 152 Télécom École de Management 153 Toulouse Business School 154 University of St. Gallen 156

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An EMBA 100% Linked to Business With Ashridge Business School Who is the Ashridge EMBA for?

The two-year Ashridge Executive MBA (EMBA) is aimed at individuals who want to progress their career within their organisation. As such, assignments are usually based on live issues facing the organisation, thereby providing valuable consultancy throughout, and an immediate return on investment to both the EMBA participant and their employer. Not surprisingly, many participants on this programme receive company sponsorship. The Ashridge EMBA balances the need to develop both ‘hard’ business capabilities and ‘softer’ personal skills, by providing a thorough grounding in all the disciplines required to run a business.

then act as consultants to provide solutions to a particular business challenge. The ‘Employability Programme’ runs throughout the duration of the EMBA so that students can take the opportunity to improve their career prospects.

What advice would you offer to a person who is thinking about studying for an Executive MBA? Rebecca Brown, Head of Admissions at Ashridge Business School shares her extensive experience and provides insight into what makes an application to a top business school successful.

What characteristics do you look for in applicants? Motivation; ambition to develop in a strategic management role, either in an organisation or running their own business; ability to share experiences in small classes and to actively participate in dynamic group discussion and activities; clarity of long-term career goals and means to achieve them; self-awareness; readiness to challenge personal beliefs and willingness to change; resilience, determination and commitment to study.

What sets your programme apart from other EMBA programmes?

Nearly 100% of Ashridge’s EMBA is linked to business: participants work on a final strategic consultancy project with a real organisation; they don’t sit exams but are assessed in more business-relevant ways which are tailored to each subject and their assignments can be based on their own organisation, providing the organisation with expert consultancy, throughout the programme. This is supported by professionally-experienced faculty and the triple accreditation of Ashridge Business School, ensuring quality and relevance to business today. The Ashridge’s EMBA is designed to suit individuals across the world. Participants

study at Ashridge for one week every two months, which gives them the opportunity to apply fresh new insights to their workplace and bring challenges back into the classroom.

Tell us about your curriculum. How is the EMBA programme structured?

There are 13 modules, which can be divided into three groups: • core business modules (marketing, innovation, finance, strategy, economics, operations), soft skills modules (leadership, personal impact) • modules tackling current business challenges (managing globally, sustainability, creating stakeholder value, leading change) • a compulsory week abroad where students meet with companies to learn about the local business environment and

You must have clear motives for studying and be clear on how the particular EMBA programmes you are looking at can help you to meet your personal objectives. Choose a school that provides a programme which includes a high level of practical application and experience so that your Executive MBA is relevant to your role even while you are studying - employers will value this much more and take an active interest in your studies. You may also like to prepare answers to the following questions before you apply: • What experience can I bring to the classroom and how will I share that with my colleagues? • What is different about my career history/personality/experience/background that will make me stand out from other candidates? • How do I plan to fund my studies? (do not rely on the school to tell you as they will be dealing with many applications and if it appears that you have not thought through how you will fund your studies, you may be overlooked).

If you have to name only one, what would be the strongest added value of your programme and school and why? Relevance. Relevance to business and a professional environment in which to base your study, taught by experienced professionals and surrounded by experienced managers; working on live business cases within organisations to complete the programme confident to address future business challenges and to lead effectively.

EMBA School Profile

Rigorous. Relevant. Real. UNITED KINGDOM ▪ School Presentation:

Ashridge Business School, based just 50 km from London, has provided Executive Education for nearly 60 years, working with thousands of business professionals worldwide. At one of the world’s most beautiful campuses, it provides open and customised corporate programmes, MBAs and Executive MBAs (EMBAs), Online Executive Master’s in Management and a range of part-time specialist Master’s programmes. The Ashridge Faculty comprises both business professionals and consultants, who bring academic rigour, in-depth industry experience and the latest management practice to the MBA programmes. Ashridge works with over 6,000 business executives a year from most of the global top 100 corporates. This experience is shared across the faculty and then brought into the classroom, to enable a high-class, highly interactive and dynamic learning environment.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Ashridge offers a one-year full time MBA and a two-year Executive MBA both starting in October. The Executive MBA requires class attendance for one week every two months. Both provide a blend of core and soft skills modules as well as modules tackling current business challenges such as Sustainability, Innovation and Leading Change. Key Features • Great connections with organisations - Ashridge is one of the best business schools worldwide for its corporate links, and students learn through live case studies, consultancy project work and direct corporate involvement • International diversity - Full time and Executive MBA students share some modules to enable them to benefit from many different professional backgrounds and nationalities, thus gaining a rich cultural understanding of the global business environment • Academic rigour with practical focus - Real insight offered by the experienced Ashridge Faculty through live case studies, projects and group work to enhance employability and commercial awareness • Quality and credibility - Ashridge is one of only 1% of business schools worldwide to be approved by US, European and UK MBA accrediting bodies, providing increased global recognition • Consultancy projects for real companies • International business week with emerging markets • No lecture theatres, just training rooms and small group discussions • Diverse student backgrounds • No long exams - assessment is by assignments and short tests only • Free access to our award winning Virtual Ashridge learning portal

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 60/40% Age Average: 25-45+ Average Age: 30-44 Average Work Experience: 10-12 years International Students: British: 44% Western Europe: 28% Eastern Europe: 10% North America: 8% South America: 3% Middle East: 3% Asia: 4%

Admission Requirements

We look for motivated, enthusiastic individuals who can contribute their experience in the classroom and have clear objectives for taking an MBA and particularly, the Ashridge Executive MBA. University Degree: Bachelor’s GMAT: Not required TOEFL: 100 (not compulsory) References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Three years with a first degree, or five years with no first degree

Costs

Application Fees: None Tuition Fees: 32,500 GBP including VAT Scholarships: Yes, please visit website for more information

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS: RANKINGS: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES:

AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB Global top 20 in Business Week rankings Full-time, Part-time Executive One-year Full-time, two-year Part-time Leadership, consultancy, strategy, entrepreneurship Rolling (recommended deadline for the 2015 intake is 31 July) 1 October

Contacts

Name: Kim Dunton Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)1442 841120 Website: www.ashridge.org.uk/mba

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IF YOU CAN FIND THIS ON SALE, DON‘T HESITATE

OTHERWISE, CONSIDER JOINING THE BMI INTERNATIONAL EMBA DEVELOPED & DELIVERED IN EUROPE AND ASIA BY BMI PARTNER SCHOOLS:

Copenhagen Business School Denmark

HEC Paris School of Management France

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www.bmi.lt [email protected]

Norwegian School of Economics Norway

Shanghai Jiao Tong University China

EMBA Interview

Learn How to Think, Not What to Think doctors, lawyers, engineers, bankers and entrepreneurs in the classroom. These people become a trusted network of potential friends, advisors, employers, investors and business partners.

C

hicago Booth has been teaching executives longer than any other business school in the world. From our campuses in London, Hong Kong and Chicago we produce research and ideas that shape the world of business. Our top ranked, world renowned Executive MBA is a part-time programme designed for mid to senior level executives. It is a uniquely global programme which includes study on our campuses in London, Chicago and Hong Kong, allowing you to collaborate and connect with executives from around the world.

Could you give us a brief overview of your EMBA programme?

The Chicago Booth Executive MBA was actually the first of its kind – we were the first school to offer an Executive MBA programme back in 1943. Indeed, as a business school we are famous for our ‘firsts’; the first Executive MBA, the first PhD in Management, the first school to publish a scholarly journal in business. We were also the first school to open permanent campuses on three continents. These days our top ranked Executive MBA is offered from our campuses in Chicago, London and Hong Kong. It is an academically rigorous, 21-month, part-time programme designed for experienced managers.

What is the profile of your students?

Our Executive MBA students are mid to senior level executives from around the world, representing a diverse range of backgrounds. On average our students are aged around 37 with approximately 13 years of experience. There is no really typical profile – we have medical

What makes your EMBA special?

Rachel Waites is the Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the Executive MBA programme at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Rachel is based on Booth’s London campus and has been with the school since 2008.

Whichever campus you choose, the Chicago Booth Executive MBA is exactly the same – the same world-class faculty, the same superior content, the same outstanding quality and the same MBA. We are proud to offer an MBA which is ‘pure Chicago’. At Chicago Booth everyone graduates with the same MBA, whether you choose an Executive, Full-time or Part-time format. This dedication to quality sets us apart – we do not partner with other schools or offer joint programmes. When you graduate with a Booth MBA you join a network of 49,000 senior leaders with the same MBA as you.

Could you tell us more about your school’s career service provision? Our careers service is consistently ranked the best of its kind in the world. On the Executive MBA, our careers service is very personalised and individual. You will develop an ‘action plan’ for your future – whether planning a move, being introduced to the right people in our network, negotiating a promotion or relocating to another part of the world. We offer a lifelong, global service to all our students and graduates.

What advice would you offer to a person who is thinking about getting an EMBA?

There is never a ‘good time’ to do an Executive MBA. You will always be busy – that never changes! My advice is to go for it – think about your goals, start researching schools, speak with people who have done an MBA and find the perfect programme. □ www.chicagobooth.edu Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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The Cass Executive MBA

All that you can be,

realise it here.

Designed for ambitious working professionals, the Cass Executive MBA focuses on real world business, so you know what you learn in the classroom can be applied in the modern business environment. Delivered over 24-months, our flexible EMBA allows you to study in the evenings or over one long weekend each month. Located in the financial district and next to Tech City, London’s thriving technology hub and start-up scene, the Cass Executive MBA provides you with the platform, the exposure and the tools to realise your potential.

For further information about the Cass Executive MBA please contact [email protected]

cassmbalondon.com

EMBA School Profile

Experience Real-Time Transformation FRANCE ▪ School Presentation:

EDHEC Business School has been providing first-class management education for more than 100 years and is constantly ranked among the Top 5 Business Schools in France. EDHEC aims to be recognised for its high-quality research and education, and for innovative ideas and tools that impact business. This “EDHEC for Business” strategy is underpinned by excellent academic research, the results of which are systematically disseminated through EDHEC’s academic programmes, and to the business world and society at large. KEY FEATURES • 5 campuses: Lille, Nice, Paris, London and Singapore • 6,200 students and 10,000 participants in Executive Education, conferences and seminars • 20 degree programmes: Undergraduate, Master’s in Management, Master’s of Sciences, MBAs, PhD • Over 30,000 graduates in 120 countries • 142 permanent faculty and 810 adjunct faculty • 13 research and teaching chairs

▪ Programme Presentation:

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 77/23% Average Age: 38 International Students: 25%

Admission Requirements

University degree: Bachelor degree or equivalent Minimum Work Experience: 8 years

Costs

Application fees: 100 EUR excl. V.A.T Tuition fees: 39,500 EUR excl. V.A.T (including Global Business Trips) Scholarships: A variety of financial aids are available for this programme

We Also Offer …

EDHEC Family Business GEMBA: the first Executive MBA created specifically for the future leaders of Family Businesses. www.edhec-family-business-gemba.com

EDHEC Executive MBA programme is designed for experienced managers, entrepreneurs and senior executives seeking to experience a professional transformation. It enables its students to polish their leadership skills and acquire a fresh perspective on global business. WEEKEND FORMAT Friday & Saturday, Once a month Length: 18 months Lille Campus: located at the heart of the Euro region. WEEKDAY FORMAT Wednesday-Saturday, Twice a month Length: 16 months Paris Campus: An exceptional business environment, in Central Paris

▪ Programme Info:

COURSE LANGUAGE:

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS Executive MBA Part-time: Paris (16 months) and Lille (18 months) Core courses and a large choice of Electives Individual Consulting Project 2 Business Trips 5 Coaching sessions English

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

30 June and 30 December

STARTING DATES:

September or February

ACCREDITATIONS: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT:

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Contacts

Name: EMBA Admission Manager Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33(0)1.53.32.87.60/76.30 Website: http://emba.edhec-executive.com

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EMBA School Profile

Top-Ranked, Cross-Cultural and Customisable EUROPE ▪ School Presentation:

ESCP Europe has a mission to bring together and to train students and executives of high potential for successful careers in a global and multicultural context. It is our belief that the keys to successful management lie in values such as open-mindedness, exchange, teamwork and sharing of experience. Understanding different managerial cultures and working together to achieve common goals help to create stronger and more efficient organisations. ESCP Europe Executive MBA is a rigorous, action-oriented degree programme that thrives on diversity and expertise in management education. The course has been developed at five European campuses (Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, Turin) and at our five partner universities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. The programme’s aim is to expand the knowledge of management of seasoned executives and shape their vision of business organisation in a multicultural context. Skills development and peer learning are an integral part of the process.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The Executive MBA curriculum provides participants with unique opportunities for group learning and study. Our Executive MBA programme, delivered across five campuses with four study tracks (Paris, Berlin-London, Turin, Itinerant), is composed of four building blocks: • 9 Core Courses: the fundamentals of effective management • 9 Electives: customise your curriculum by choosing an additional 9 courses from a portfolio of 45 offered across our five campuses • 5 International Seminars: experience business approaches specific to Europe, Asia and the Americas • International Consulting Project: a strategic development real life case within a multicultural team. Executive coaches offer you individual, personalised guidance for the duration of your studies, whether regarding making the best use of your Executive MBA, managing your career, determining your next steps or helping you develop a strategy to reach your desired goals. The Executive MBA is a part-time programme lasting 18 or 30 months, designed to meet the schedules of busy executives. Participants may choose to start with only the 9 core courses the first 12 months (General Management Programme) and progress to the full Executive MBA programme in the following 18 months.

Student Body

Class to Graduate in 2016: 82 Male/Female Ratio: 74/26% Age Range: 29-52 Average Age: 37 International Students: 26 nationalities Western Europe: 73% Eastern Europe: 6% Asia: 6% Middle East: 5% Africa: 4% The Americas: 6%

Admission Requirements University Degree: BA or BSc GMAT: Not Required TOEFL (minimum): 100 In-house Test: (free) References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Five years

Costs

Tuition Fees: Executive MBA: 51,000 EUR General Management Programme (the 9 core courses of the Executive MBA): 19,500 EUR Scholarships: 5/10,000 EUR each open to Women Leaders, SMEs, NGOs, Entrepreneurs, Emerging markets managers

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS: RANKINGS: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES: PERCENTAGE OF SALARY INCREASE AFTER GRADUATION:

AASCB, AMBA, Equis 16 EMBA with four study tracks Itinerant Track (rotating in all 5 campuses) Paris Track, Berlin-London Track, Turin Track Part-Time English must be fluent Rolling admissions January/February/March 70%

Contacts

Name: Isabelle Perna Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33 1 49 23 22 70 Mobile: +33 6 73 11 96 24 Website: www.escpeurope.eu/emba

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EMBA School Profile

1 Degree, 8 Majors, 14 Locations FRANCE ▪ School Presentation:

Created in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HEC Paris aims to train high potential individuals, capable of becoming architects of a responsible world. What makes HEC Paris unique is its conviction shared by the HEC Community: knowledge determines the freedom and entrepreneurship required for a better world. HEC Paris’ mission is twofold: training the global leaders of tomorrow and taking an active part in the production of knowledge on management thanks to our internationally renowned faculty who are at the forefront of their respective fields.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The HEC Paris Executive MBA offers modular, executive-friendly formats to suit a variety of work schedules. Delivered around the world and offering a range of majors (specialisations), it is uniquely positioned to offer participants the opportunity to study in different countries with classmates from very diverse backgrounds. Our special focus on strategy, leadership and the global business environment ensures that our participants gain comprehensive, innovative and applicable knowledge and skills. In keeping with HEC’s motto: “The more you know, the more you dare”, our goal is not only to strengthen the technical expertise and leadership skills of future global leaders, but also to enable you to “dare” to implement innovative ideas and solutions in complex professional situations. Our internationally renowned faculty members draw on extensive real world experience to provide participants with a solid foundation in management fundamentals and exposure to cutting edge business knowledge.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AMBA, AACBS, EQUIS

RANKING:

Ranked #1 Worldwide in Executive Education by the Financial Times in 2014

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Executive MBA

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

One-day-a-week; Six-day-modules every month; Eight-day-modules every two months; End-of-week

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Rolling admissions

STARTING DATES:

January, February, March, September, October, November

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 80/20% Average Age: 39 Number of Accepted Participants Enrolled in 2012: 315 International Students: Europe: 66% Asia and Middle East: 22% Average Professional Experience: 15 years

Admission Requirements

GMAT: Required or HEC internal management test TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS for non-native English speakers References: Two persuasive letters of recommendation Minimum Length of Work Experience: 8 years of professional experience • International exposure • Management experience • Convincing personal and professional goals Languages of Instruction: English, English/French or English/Chinese (translation) Intakes • Paris, France intakes: English Modular: January End-of-week: March One-day-a-week: September Paris Modular: October • Doha, Qatar intake (in partnership with the Qatar Foundation): February • China intake: Shanghai & Beijing Modular: November

Contacts

Name: Sara Drews Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33 (0)1 55 65 59 77 Website: www.emba.hec.edu

EMBA Interview

The Path of the Self-made Millionaire Jean-Etienne Bouedec, HEC Paris Executive MBA, Class of 2014 Jean-Etienne Bouedec holds a Master’s degree in Management Sciences and is an HEC Paris Executive MBA graduate. He boasts 25 years of professional experience in Digital Marketing, Customer Marketing and Innovation. He was behind the introduction of an Internet-based offer to users of the French National Lottery operator “La Française des Jeux” and supported the company throughout its digital transformation by proposing unique online gaming services to both the monopolistic and competitive markets.

Has the EMBA degree helped you achieve your ultimate career goal, and how?

Initially the EMBA degree helped me to seize new opportunities within my company. The competencies I acquired during the programme enabled me to implement projects successfully and have my leadership skills acknowledged. It also gave me the confidence to go one step further and launch a project that I’ve had in mind for a long time. So at the beginning of 2015 I created FIZIAN, an operational consulting company. We specialise in providing client support during all the different stages of a project – from conception to operational deployment.

Do you feel satisfied with your investment? What has the EMBA given you career-wise?

I think you have to consider return on investment from both a professional and personal perspective. I not only learned a lot from the courses but also from the exchanges with other classmates. Before the programme I felt that many of the subjects were outside my areas of expertise but they gradually became much easier to understand and challenge. Being in a context where you have to constantly adapt and challenge yourself gives you the mental agility to understand specific issues and stimulates the

necessary creativity to find solutions. I think that it helped me identify a wide range of business opportunities and gave me the confidence to choose the ones I feel the most comfortable with.

What would your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs be? Should they follow in your footsteps? Should they go for an MBA? Why?

My experience of entrepreneurship is really new and at the moment I feel that I am following the footsteps of my predecessors. The quality of the relationships I developed with my EMBA classmates makes it easy to ask any kind of question - even in areas where you are in competition. This is truly precious as we generally face the same issues during the development phase. Of course this can save time and money but it also helps to confirm your initial convictions. Launching an entrepreneurial project after a career in a major company is not easy, even if you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit. Joining an EMBA programme gives you an extra chance of succeeding in your business venture. The more you know, the more you dare!

How has the network that you built at HEC helped you achieve your career goals once you graduated?

Within our promotion we regularly share our experiences and it is really exciting to see how each of us is evolving. A wide diversity of occupations is represented and it’s easy to find good advice when you are facing specific issues. It’s also a good way of finding the people you want to work with – dealing with all the legal aspects of setting up my company is a good example. Being part of HEC Alumni gives me opportunities to enlarge my core network, especially through events and communities. And it allows me to combine business with my areas of interest.

Tell us about a situation where what you’ve learned during your studies has helped you make a vital decision?

The vital decision that I made, thanks to the programmes and especially the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Major, was to throw myself into the setting up of FIZIAN. Working closely with other classmates who had the same goal of developing a business and being able to share best practices was really exciting. Seeing some of them moving into business creation has certainly been a catalyst. Today I can say that we share a common mantra - “Think big; start small; move fast”. □ www.www.exed.hec.edu/ Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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EMBA Interview

More than a Great Stamp on Your CV WHU Dean Markus Global on Global Networks and Regional Opportunities

W

HU – Otto Beisheim School of Management is an internationally oriented and privately financed business school based in Vallendar and Düsseldorf. Founded in 1984, WHU is one of the most renowned German business schools with an exceptional national and international reputation. WHU stands for “Excellence in Management Education” and pursues this ideal in three core areas of activity: Academic Programmes, Research and Transfer in the field of general management. This standard of excellence is reflected in accreditations from AACSB, EQUIS and FIBAA as well as a leading position in national and international rankings. WHU students profit from a large network of partner universities, companies and alumni.

Could you please describe your EMBA programme (i.e. the Kellogg -WHU EMBA Programme)?

The Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA Programme is a joint MBA degree programme between the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in the US and our business school, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management based in Vallendar and Düsseldorf, Germany. This joint programme has been in existence for almost 20 years, with the main mission to develop managers into cross-border and cross-functional leaders. The programme combines the expertise of American and European management and offers students the opportunity to gain new perspectives from major world regions through international modules at one of the Kellogg School of Management’s global hubs: Chicago, Miami, Hong Kong, Beijing, Toronto and Tel Aviv. The faculty is composed of business experts from Kellogg, WHU and partner schools whose innovative ideas and extensive research are

Markus Rudolf is Dean of WHU, full Allianz Professor of Finance at the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management since 1998, and head of WHU’s Centre of Asset and Wealth Management. He earned his Ph.D. degree in 1994 and his habilitation degree in May 1999, both at the University St. Gallen, Switzerland. Rudolf is co-editor of the journal “Financial Markets and Portfolio Management”. He holds supervisory board positions at BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG and at Boeker & Paul AG.

constantly shaping global business education.

What do you think makes your EMBA programme unique?

Our partnership with the Kellogg School of Management and international partners of the Kellogg EMBA Global Network is truly unique. It allows EMBA students from all the Kellogg EMBA partner programmes to build strong lifelong connections, facilitates access to some of the best business experts in the world, provides real knowledge of local markets and regions, and fosters direct application of business concepts and leadership training in the workplace.

In your opinion, what is the added value of an MBA degree today, particularly for executives? An MBA degree from a globally rec-

ognised EMBA programme such as Kellogg-WHU, or top business schools such as WHU and Kellogg, is of course a great stamp to have on a CV. An MBA degree demonstrates that you have attained a high level of business management education and personal growth. Joint MBA degrees such as the Kellogg-WHU EMBA Programme add even more value in the sense that such collaborations allow students and alumni to tap into huge networks that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Joint MBA programmes provide many opportunities for students and alumni to meet and connect with senior corporate managers, experts and investors all around the world and facilitate future business development and collaboration.

What is your school’s connection to the entrepreneurial world?

Our business school, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, is particularly well connected to the entrepreneurial world, not only globally but especially regionally. The entrepreneurial spirit has been in WHU’s DNA since its inception and transpires through the students it educates. Every year, our business school produces some of the most successful entrepreneurs. Throughout the years, our school has built a huge network of students and alumni entrepreneurs who are very active in and keep strong connections with the WHU community. The entrepreneurial spirit is everywhere at WHU and our school provides many opportunities for future entrepreneurs to develop their entrepreneurship drive or ignite the entrepreneurial spark. The Kellogg WHU EMBA Programme’s curriculum includes entrepreneurship courses such as “Foundations of Entrepreneurship” and “The Entrepreneurial Journey” and encourages its students to use their Master Thesis as the business plan for their new ventures. Our business school also hosts major entrepreneurship conferences and events such as the IdeaLab! and 3Day Start-up every year and is home to its own incubator. □ www.kellogg.whu.edu Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

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EMBA Interview

See the World Through my Clients’ Eyes Sven Greulich, Kellogg-WHU EMBA Graduate, Class of 2014 Sven Greulich, recent graduate of the Kellogg-WHU EMBA Programme, a joint MBA programme between America’s Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Germany’s WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, holds a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Münster, Germany and a Master of Law (LL.M.) from Canterbury University, New Zealand. Sven is an attorney at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, one of the top 20 global law firms. He advises technology companies and venture capital investors.

Why did you decide to pursue an EMBA?

You know when you’re lying in your bed at night and have those nagging feelings that don’t want to go away? Feelings that there is more that you should be doing than what you currently do, but somehow don’t feel adequately equipped to accomplish your goals... When those feelings are still there in the morning, then you should go and pursue an Executive MBA!

What were the most important aspects you considered when choosing the EMBA programme?

I looked at the rankings of course; however what really fascinated me was the particularly strong entrepreneurial spirit at both Kellogg and WHU. Even though the Kellogg-WHU EMBA Programme is a General Management programme, it allows students to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship if desired. In my job, I advise technology companies on their growth trajectory, or investors on making investments in promising emerging companies. So, in this sense, Kellogg-WHU was a perfect match for me.

What was your most valuable experience during the study? I know this might sound a bit of a cliché but nevertheless the personal develop-

ment I experienced for two years during my EMBA programme helped me on all three dimensions of leadership: leading others, being led, and leading oneself. I learned how to assess my own leadership style and to question myself when I did not get to where I wanted to be. Receiving honest feedback from incredibly smart people within your programme is certainly not always pleasant, but it is well worth it. Did I suddenly become a great leader? Certainly not! But definitely a better one than I was before starting the EMBA programme. And thanks to the Lifelong Learning Advantage Programme that Kellogg-WHU offers to its alumni, I have a lot of opportunities to learn and grow further.

Has the EMBA degree helped you achieve better results career-wise, and how?

Absolutely! Most of my clients are business people; they don’t have a law background and don’t think like us lawyers. What they’re looking for when they seek our services are trusted advisors who speak their language, understand their business, and quickly assess where money is made and/or lost within their respective industries. The EMBA not only boosted my business knowledge but

also provided me with a “second pair of glasses” to see the world through my clients’ eyes. For instance, if you want to help an e-commerce client with his internationalisation strategy, you need to understand the economics of e-commerce along the entire value chain. In this case, as in many other cases, the EMBA programme gave me valuable insights.

How would you describe the learning environment at the Kellogg-WHU EMBA Programme?

As a perfect combination of three Cs: Camaraderie, Challenges and Cultural diversity. The level of openness and willingness to share experiences and ideas among the entire Kellogg-WHU EMBA community was beyond anything I had experienced before. You could feel that you were surrounded by truly smart and ambitious people who expected each team member to contribute and raise the bar. All this took place within a very respectful and tolerant atmosphere, everyone taking the various cultural backgrounds and communication styles into consideration.

Would you recommend your programme to others? Is there a stronger word for “absolutely!”? □ www.kellogg.whu.edu

EMBA Interview

From Practice to Success Why Education Means More Than Hours of Lectures What is the philosophy of your Executive MBA programme?

B

eautifully located on the shores of Lake Zurich, the Lorange Institute of Business is unique with its high quality, modular and flexible Senior Executive Programmes, including an Executive MBA and an Executive Master of Science. All study modules of the Master’s programmes are open to business executives, which results in a unique diversity of participants: Executive MBA students learn together with executives and managers. Its founder and honorary chairman is the legendary business academic Prof. Peter Lorange.

Dr. Lorange, what are the characteristics of your Executive MBA programme?

The three most outstanding aspects can be summarised as world-class faculty, modern pedagogy, living cases. Our professors are global experts in their fields. They come from other universities for short teaching stints, bringing the latest insights in management and business. We have little didactic teaching and more plenary discussions. Thanks to this innovation, our students learn in two days what they used to learn in five. Our Zurich Living Cases™ are real consultancy tasks submitted to the Lorange Institute by a wide range of companies.

What kinds of people are drawn to your Executive MBA?

Most of our students hold executive positions and are looking for cutting edge management education. Although the majority possess a degree from a

Our Executive MBA is doing more than propelling careers. It is designed as a transformational experience, which equips our students with practice proven skills and knowledge. And, most of all, it offers them a network, preparing them for leading positions in a globalised world.

What business areas do your students generally enter after graduation? Dr. Dr. h.c. (mult.) Peter Lorange, age 74. He founded the Lorange Institute of Business in 2009. Before that, he had served as president of IMD for 15 years and made it one of the most renowned business schools of the world. higher-level college, university or vocational school, we tend to view applications holistically and also consider candidates such as engineers or technicians who have alternative higher professional qualifications and in-depth professional experience as an equivalent. As we are practice oriented, a minimum of five years in a middle or higher management position is also required.

What makes your Executive MBA unique amongst business schools?

We are not only a business school but a debate forum; a meeting place where students, faculty members, and practitioners build networks and share insights, ideas and expertise. This includes core elements such as the Zurich Living Cases™ for which our Executive MBA student teams elaborate solutions. Not to mention how flexible we are: the students can decide for themselves when to attend which module.

Some of them stay in their business areas in a higher position. Others, like the many engineers we train, switch from technical to managerial positions. And some of them start their own businesses.

What advice do you have for Executive MBA students?

Those who set off on this fascinating journey should be ready to set fire to their heart and to give birth to their vision. At the end of the day, it is in the hands of each individual person what he or she gets out of the programme.

I understand that your school has a strong emphasis on practice. What exactly does «practice» mean? Three things which clearly explain why our practice orientation is not just a claim: Our professors are experts in their fields and often work for international companies. Their knowledge is forged in the heat of business. Then, our Zurich Living Cases™ are real consultancy tasks, where the students present their solution to the representatives of the Living Case company. Our latest cooperation with one of the leading Chinese business schools proves that we are in the eye of a storm called the future. That’s why we are proud of our title The Business School of the Future. □ www.lorange.org

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EMBA School Profile

Boutique, Cutting Edge and Innovative The Business School of the Future ▪ School Presentation:

Beautifully located on the shores of Lake Zurich, only 25 minutes from the airport, the Lorange Institute of Business Zurich is the business school of the future. Rather uniquely, we have no fixed permanent faculty. This means that we can offer ultimate flexibility to move with the times and react to student feedback. We can source global experts in their field from around the world, bringing with them the latest insights in the fields of management and business. We have a vision of a new way of learning – tailored to the real needs of the 21st century. With no more than 25 students per module, our classes provide optimum peer learning conditions. Rather than just listening to a monologue, you will participate in lively thematic discussions: our business school is a meeting place! You will network with fellow participants as well as faculty members, establishing valuable contacts for life. Your learning will suit your personal needs, and can immediately be put into practice on the job.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Lorange offers a Dual Executive MBA and an Executive MSc in Management with four possible specialisations. Our dual degree partner is the top ranked Ashridge Business School, UK. Our flexible, high-quality, modular Executive programmes allow our students to remain in full-time employment and schedule each module around their existing commitments. The EMBA course consists of: • 5 x 12-day modules • 12 x 2-day workshops • 2-day Essentials of Academic Work and Thesis. Although the standard course length is three years, students can choose how intensive their educational journey will be. Every module runs at least once each year, so fast-tracking in 12 months is possible. In addition to the standard three years, students can extend for up to a further two years.

SWITZERLAND Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 70/30 Age Range: 30-47 Average Age: 42 Degree Background: 40% Engineering 30% Economics, Business Admin. 15% Science 10% Social Science 5% Information Technology International Students: Europe: 80% North America: 5% Central/South America: 2% Middle East: 5% Oceania and Asia: 5% Africa: 1% Latin America: 2%

Admission Requirements

We look for motivated, focused and enthusiastic individuals who can bring their experience to the table. University Degree: Bachelor TOEFL: 75 (or equivalent) References: Letter of recommendation Minimum Length of Work Experience: Five years’ managerial experience

Costs

Application Fees: None Tuition Fees: 69,000 CHF Scholarships: Please visit website for more information

Quality and Credibility: We are working in partnership with two highly ranked business schools, namely Ashridge and CEIBS.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS: RANKINGS: TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION: LANGUAGE COURSES: STARTING DATES:

AMBA, EPAS, EDUQUA 9th by CEO Magazine 2015; 10th by the Financial Times for Dual Degree with Ashridge in Europe Dual Executive MBA and MSc Modular and flexible schedule, 12–60 months World class faculty, cutting edge content and practical, “Zurich Living Case” is just one of our unique features English Any time

Contacts

Name: Alexander von Arx Email: [email protected] Telephone: +41 728 99 44 Website: www.lorange.org

EMBA School Profile

Global Perspective, Local Expertise UNITED KINGDOM ▪ School Presentation:

If you have the stamina to take it on, the Manchester MBA can help transform your career and change your life. At Manchester Business School we offer a range of accredited and unique MBA programmes to suit your career goals and professional situation.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Manchester Global MBA The Manchester Global Part-time MBA is designed to fit around work and personal commitments. World-class teaching is delivered in blocks at residential workshops, with online activity to enrich the learning experience. Residential workshops provide a minimum of 24 hours of face-to-face contact per course. You may select the general stream or opt for one of our specialist learning pathways in Finance, Engineering or Project Management. There is international flexibility within the programme: you can attend workshops at any of our global centres in Manchester, Shanghai, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Miami and Sao Paulo. Manchester Global Executive MBA The Global Executive MBA is distinctive, challenging and inspirational. It is designed to take you out of your time zone and your comfort zone, and equip you with the skills, knowledge and networks to transform your career, your organisation and the communities around you. International diversity is ingrained, with six residential workshops across four international centres: Manchester, Shanghai, Dubai and Miami. GEMBA+ will help you define your goals, enhance your interpersonal skills, build your corporate connections and raise your profile across the world.

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 74/26% Age Average: 26-55 Average Age: 36 International Students: Europe: 19% North America: 4% Central/South America: 7% Middle East: 16% Oceania and Asia: 49% Africa: 5% Global Centres: Manchester, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Miami, Sao Paulo

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Yes GMAT: Not required TOEFL: Not required References: Two references Minimum Length of Work Experience: Manchester Global MBA: At least 4 years’ work experience with strong career progression Manchester Global Executive MBA: At least 8 years’ management experience

Costs

▪ Programme Info: RANKINGS:

Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2015: We are positioned 5th in the UK, 12th in Europe and 35th in the world; 9th in the world for ‘Alumni Aims Achieved’

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

Part-time/Distance Learning/Executive

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Specialist learning pathways available on the Global MBA in Engineering, Finance and Project Management

LANGUAGE COURSES:

English

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Manchester Global MBA: 1 June 2015 Manchester Global Executive MBA: 1 June 2015

STARTING DATES:

Manchester Global MBA: July 2015 and January 2016 Manchester Global Executive MBA: July 2015

Tuition Fees: Manchester Global MBA: 27,300 GBP Manchester Global Executive MBA: 51,500 GBP

Contacts

Name: Ekaterina Clarke Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0) 161 275 7212 Website: www.mbs.ac.uk/mba/part-time/ www.mbs.ac.uk/mba/executive/

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152

EMBA Interview

WHEN EVERYONE IS BRILLIANT HOW DO YOU GAIN AN EDGE? The Global Executive MBA Manchester Business School Find out more about events and scholarships mbs.ac.uk/gemba

Manchester Shanghai Dubai Miami Singapore Hong Kong São Paulo

EMBA School Profile

Knowledge Makes the Difference EUROPE ▪ School Presentation:

SKEMA Business School is one of France’s largest “Grandes Écoles” with 6,700 students and 166 permanent faculty members. It is one of only 3% of business schools worldwide to hold both EQUIS and AACSB accreditations. The school offers a wide range of degree programmes, including Bachelor’s, Grande École (Master’s in Management), Master’s of Science, specialised Master’s, PhD and Executive MBA. The school currently has campuses in France (Paris, Lille, Sophia-Antipolis), China (Suzhou) and the United States (North Carolina). A campus will also soon be added in Brazil. SKEMA Business School was created in 2009 by the merger of CERAM Business School and Groupe ESC Lille to offer greater resources to its students, its corporate partners, and its 32,000 alumni.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The SKEMA Executive MBA is particularly well suited for managers who have pressing professional commitments. The blended learning format is designed to optimise face-to-face sessions by distance mode preparation through highly structured modules that participants can adapt to their personal and professional schedule. The programme offers two specialisations over 4 different locations: most courses are based in SKEMA’S Lille campus, but also take place in Oslo (Norway), Shanghai (China) and Dallas (Texas, USA) - this international exposure is specifically designed to internationalise participants’ profiles and raise awareness about the globalised economy. • Strengthening managerial and strategic skills in all management disciplines • Boosting in-depth understanding of the challenges of the global knowledge economy • Developing analytical and problem solving skills at strategic, tactical and operational levels • Helping participants to understand the mechanisms, structures and processes for implementing management practices in global environments • Developing leadership skills and influence in a dynamic globalised company environment • Developing global economy talents

Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 20/20 Male/Female Ratio: 72/28% Age Range: 36-45 Average Age: 42 Degree Background: International Bachelor’s, Master’s Degree or equivalent International Students: Europe: 50% North America: 9% Middle East: 41%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: International Bachelor’s, Master’s Degree or equivalent IELTS: 7 (ENG) TOEIC: 875 (ENG) CECR: C1 (FR) References: Recommendation forms Minimum Length of Work Experience: Five to ten years professional experience

Costs

Application Fees: 120 EUR Tuition Fees: 32,000 EUR Scholarships: Merit Scholarship (30%)

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

EQUIS, AACSB

RANKING:

Financial Times 80th Executive Education (customised programmes)

TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT: CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION: LANGUAGE COURSES: APPLICATION DEADLINES: STARTING DATES:

Blended Learning Part-Time Project & Programme Management English November 2015 January 2016

Contacts

Name: Martine Verbrugghe-Maillard Email: martine.verbrugghemaillard@ skema.edu Telephone: +33 (0)3 20 21 59 34 Website: www.skema.edu

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154

EMBA School Profile

Leading Innovation in a Digital World FRANCE ▪ School Presentation:

Founded in 1979, Télécom École de Management has a renowned expertise in information technologies. Accredited by AACSB and AMBA, it is ranked 25th in the Financial Times Master’s in Management Ranking. Télécom École de Management is the Business School of Institut Mines-Télécom, the leading group of engineering schools in France, under the supervision of the French Ministry of Economics, Industry, and Finance. Télécom École de Management has 1,500 students, 72 fulltime faculty members and over 5, 000 alumni.

▪ Programme Presentation:

The EMBA “Leading Innovation in a Digital World” will develop your managerial and strategic skills and your leadership, while giving you the ability to catch the opportunities of the digital economy. Taught part-time in Paris, the programme will take you to the heart of the major technological clusters in the USA, Finland and India. During the programme, you will have the unique opportunity to develop your own digital project, join one of our incubators in France and benefit from the full support of our faculty. Because we emphasise innovation, you will meet with start-ups and entrepreneurs in France and abroad, work alongside them on their own strategy and share their experience. Becoming a participant of our programme will give you the unique opportunity to join the alumni network of Institut Mines-Telecom, one of the largest of the French Grandes Écoles with 100,000 alumni.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AMBA; AACSB

TYPE OF PROGRAMME:

Executive MBA

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

18 months, comprising 12 academic weeks in Paris, plus 3 international weeks (from Monday morning to Saturday evening) every 5 weeks. Entirely taught in English

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Digital Innovation, Innovation Management, Digital Strategy, Digital Transformation, Leadership

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Rolling

STARTING DATES:

- 5 October 2014 - 13 April 2015 - 26 October 2015

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME:

March 2015 USA (San Francisco) September 2015 Finland (Helsinki & Tempere) March 2016 India (Bangalore & Chennai)

Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 86/14% Age Range: 35-45 Average Age: 39 years old Degree Background: Business Administration, IT, Electronics, Computer Networks, MIS, Chemistry Management, Engineering International Students: 40% France: 60% Africa: 28% South America: 6% East Europe: 11%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Bachelor’s or equivalent TOEFL (minimum): 90 (or equivalent TOEIC, IELTS, CAE or BULATS) and a Case Study References: Two recommendation forms Minimum Length of Work Experience: Five years

Costs

Tuition Fees: 40,000 EUR (includes accommodation expenses for the three international weeks, does not cover flight expenses) Scholarships: Opportunity for scholarship up to 20,000 EUR, request has to be motivated

Contacts

Name: Anaïs Ressot Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33 (0)1 60 76 43 56 Website: www.telecom-em.eu/en/ emba

EMBA School Profile

155

Think out of the box Create new possibilities*

EXECUTIVE MBA © Getty. * Penser autrement. Créer de nouvelles opportunités.

● Strengthen your managerial skills and become

a socially-responsible leader, involved in an international network. ● Improve your ability to step back and take a more strategic view of your business. ● Develop a more open-minded approach to change and seize whatever opportunities present themselves. ● Enhance your ability to foster and deploy strategies for change and business development.

4 TRACKS: ● Strategic Management ● Management Consulting ● Innovation & Creativity ● Cinema industry and Audiovisual Management

Contact [email protected] +33 (0)5 61 29 46 49 / +33 (0)6 43 47 28 10

www.tbs-education.fr

Toulouse - Paris - Barcelona - Casablanca

3 CAMPUSES: Toulouse ● Barcelona ● Casablanca ● 1 branch in Paris

A school

3 INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATIONS Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

156

EMBA School Profile

Three Campuses, Three Accreditations, One School Open to the World FRANCE ▪ School Presentation:

Toulouse Business School (TBS) has existed for over a century and is one of the most prestigious French Management Schools (Grande École). TBS is one of the few Management Schools in the world accredited by the three main accreditation organisations: EQUIS since 2001, AMBA since 2002 and AACSB since 2003. The school manages its own training facilities in France (Toulouse, Paris) and abroad (Barcelona, Casablanca) to ensure the same level of quality at each site. We have established national and international partnerships with leading schools, research facilities and companies, working in the fields covered by TBS programmes.

▪ Programme Presentation:

In an ever-changing world, the Executive MBA provides companies and trainees with two key assets. From the business point of view, it creates value and performance, and on a personal level, it instils leadership skills. Through training modules that blend traditional methods with innovation, the Executive MBA provides a solid theoretical foundation combined with practical professional skills. Our goal is to develop a forward-looking approach to help you improve your processes and methods, as well as your professional and interpersonal skills.

Student Body

Ratio of Applicants to Places: 3/1 Male/Female Ratio: 75/25% Age Range: 30-55 Average Age: 42 Degree Background: Bac+5 (FR) (University, Management School, Engineer School), Postgraduate International Students: 50% Europe: 50% Middle East: 2% Africa: 48%

Admission Requirements

University Degree: 3-year Bachelor’s degree minimum GMAT: N/A TOEFL: N/A Minimum Length of Work Experience: Five years

Costs

Application Fees: 170 EUR Tuition Fees: 25,000 EUR (19,000EUR for the unemployed)

Particular care is paid to the quality and diversity of the course group, ensuring the value of the experiences shared and the synergies for networking between the participants. The international group seminars on the TBS campuses, along with the collaborative class work and studies conducted with participants from different cultures and backgrounds, are key components of the programme’s multicultural and international dimension.

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS: RANKINGS:

EQUIS (since 2001), AMBA (since 2002), AACSB (since 2003) EQUIS, AMBA, AACSB, 8th (SMBG), 2nd (EMBA Morocco)

LANGUAGE COURSES:

Part-time programme over 24 months 660 hours, 3 one-day sessions every three weeks and 5 international full-time weeks Core Modules (300 hrs) + one track of specialisation (120 hrs amongst: Strategic Management, Consulting Management, Innovation & Creativity or Cinema & Audiovisual Management) + Elective modules (240 hrs) English and French

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

15 October 2015

STARTING DATES:

25 November 2015

TYPE OF PROGRAMME: PROGRAMME FORMAT:

CONTENT STRENGTH OR SPECIALISATION:

Contacts

Name: Vanessa GATTI Email: [email protected] Telephone: (+33)6.43.47.28.10 / (+33)5.61.29.46.49 Website: www.tbs-education.fr MBA Blog: www.mba.tbs-education.fr

EMBA School Profile

Pioneering Education in German-speaking Europe ▪ School Presentation:

The University of St. Gallen is a leading European business school located in Switzerland. Founded in 1898, it became a fully-fledged business school in 1911 and today has the largest management faculty in the German-speaking area and more than 7,000 students. St. Gallen offers a full range of undergraduate, postgraduate, executive and doctoral programmes, and is accredited by both EQUIS and AACSB.

▪ Programme Presentation:

Executive MBA: The Executive MBA in General Management has a flexible programme structure, which lasts a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 48 months. This part-time modular course is taught entirely in German and consists of core modules, electives and a personal development course. International Executive MBA: The International Executive MBA in General Management is an 18-month programme which combines a general management perspective with an additional focus on international business, personal development and sustainability. Courses are taught in English, and take place in Switzerland, Germany, the UK and South America. Global Executive MBA HSG: The Global Executive MBA HSG is an intensive 18-month course, taught in English across key business hubs around the world: St. Gallen, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Shanghai, Los Angeles, and Istanbul. It is one of the first truly global programmes of its kind, teaching individuals the skills to lead in an increasingly globalised environment, and offering a network of international contacts. The programme will start in mid-2016.

SWITZERLAND Student Body

Male/Female Ratio: 70/30% Age Average: 38

Admission Requirements

University Degree: Yes, in any discipline GMAT/TOEFL: Fluency in English for IEMBA HSG and GEMBA HSG References: Two Minimum Length of Work Experience: Five years with three years of minimal leadership experience

Costs

EMBA: 64,000 CHF IEMBA: 70,000 CHF GEMBA: 89,000 CHF Scholarships: Available for all programmes Scholarship categories: Sustainability Emerging Markets, Women in Leadership, Excellence in Leadership, Entrepreneurs, Non-profit Management Early Booking Incentives: Up to 9,000 CHF are available for all programmes

▪ Programme Info: ACCREDITATIONS:

AACSB, EQUIS

RANKING:

6th in the European Business School Ranking (2014 Financial Times)

PROGRAMME FORMAT:

Full-time & Part-time

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Rolling Admissions

STARTING DATES:

EMBA – 16 March & 14 September 2015, IEMBA – 29 June 2015, GEMBA – 8 August 2016

Contacts

Name: Fabio Lenzlinger, Head of Marketing Executive MBA HSG Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0041 71 224 27 02 Website: www.emba.unisg.ch

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157

EMBA Listings Tables of some of the top EMBA programmes in the world

EUR 41500 EUR 31500

Finland / Singapore / South Korea / Poland

Belgium / Russia

China

US

Aalto University

Antwerp Management School

Arizona State University: Carey

Baylor University: Hankamer

RMB 588000 USD 38000 GBP 42000 USD 132840 USD 168480

China

Peru / Colombia

UK / UAE

UK / US

Ceibs

Centrum Católica

City University: Cass

Columbia / London Business School

HKD 489600 USD 162000

USD 30800 EUR 51000

US

US / Canada

UK

China

US

France

US

Lebanon

France / UK / Germany / Spain / Italy

Germany

France / Germany

US

China

US / Spain

US

US

US

Cornell University: Johnson

Cornell University: Johnson/Queen's School of Business

Cranfield School of Management

CUHK Business School

Duke University: Fuqua

EMLyon Business School

Emory University: Goizueta

ESA Business School

ESCP Europe

ESMT - European School of Management and Technology

Essec / Mannheim

Fordham University Graduate School of Business

Fudan University School of Management

Georgetown University / Esade Business School

Georgetown University: McDonough

Georgia Institute of Technology: Scheller College of Business

Georgia State University: Robinson

EUR 55200 EUR 95000

UK

Germany

Spain

Spain / US

Switzerland

UK

France / Singapore / UAE

France / China

Canada

China

Henley Business School

HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

IE Business School

Iese Business School

IMD

Imperial College Business School

Insead

Kedge Business School

Kellogg/York University: Schulich

Kellog/HKUST Business School

HKD 1205000

CDN 115000

RMB 588000

GBP 42000/43500 EUR 102000/ USD 110000

CHF 105000

EUR 43000

GBP 35750

CHF 34500

EUR 31300

France

Switzerland

Grenoble Graduate School of Business

HEC Lausanne

USD 68000

USD 79000

USD 124000

USD 148625

RMB 560000

USD 92882

EUR 49500

EUR 57500

USD 110000

EUR 38000

GBP 35000

USD 115740

USD 157416

DKK 400000

US

Denmark

Columbia Business School

Copenhagen Business School

USD 94000

Boston University School of Management

RMB 288000

China

US

BI Norwegian Business School/ Fudan University School of Management

USD 83000

USD 78000

Costs

Country

School name

GEMBA

Kellog-HKUST EMBA

Kellogg-Schulich EMBA

Kedge-SJTU Global MBA

Insead Global EMBA

EMBA

IMD EMBA

2

33

27

9

33

19

12

15

69

Part-time Master’s Programme in General Management EMBA

53

93

70

75

36

22

38

76

50

30

16

57

91

19

24

73

47

42

91

EMBA

EMBA

Part-Time MBA

EMBA

EMBA

EMBA

GEMBA

Fudan EMBA

Fordham University EMBA

Essec & Mannheim EMBA

EMBA

European EMBA

Executive MBA

Weekend EMBA

EMBA

Duke MBA - Global Executive

EMBA

Cranfield EMBA

Cornell-Queen's EMBA

Cornell EMBA

CBS EMBA

25

5

EMBA-Global Americas and Europe EMBA

40

52

10

69

55

88

29

59

85

Financial Times

EMBA

Global MBA

Global EMBA

Boston University EMBA

BI-Fudan MBA

Baylor University EMBA

Carey / SNAI EMBA

EMBA

Aalto University EMBA

Programme name

11

34

18

42

22

14

29

6

30

40

10

5

2

27

12

16

51

52

20

25

19

23

36

42

Business The Week Economist

Rankings

403560

157779

171052

186211

139497

226764

210196

183431

106082

109492

100506

165095

189356

217870

202611

161898

131037

150498

155087

177099

102598

236118

271138

125718

159940

213513

113712

197029

252539

148970

195325

283503

208011

151576

132729

194796

147777

33

36

112

58

69

50

49

110

67

18

72

42

58

54

80

52

45

55

70

45

29

29

50

42

53

42

34

58

71

60

45

47

28

85

58

77

51

41

FT

FT 134911

Salary increase (%)

Salary today (USD)

12

58

11

59

13

26

30

59

2

79

90

67

16

61

99

78

37

1

2

40

14

86

88

71

28

22

80

23

8

29

84

5

81

48

42

66

19

64

FT

Career progress rank

11

37

71

16

12

14

2

26

99

31

67

81

29

38

32

95

20

6

8

61

17

30

93

65

55

70

54

32

4

42

77

43

97

99

62

73

19

60

FT

Aims achieved rank

16

32

45

24

19

11

27

23

28

24

50

24

25

14

22

34

23

33

28

20

16

16

36

43

25

21

23

25

17

26

28

31

24

59

37

35

20

27

FT

27

21

24

40

20

14

24

26

31

21

BW

32

50

SD

Women students (% FT

15

16

71

17

6

4

22

33

42

4

55

58

63

40

84

31

33

27

21

73

61

44

53

3

20

41

56

39

9

11

43

46

74

78

87

97

57

77

77

17

12

30

11

33

21

21

7

10

BW

International students (%) SD (%)

3

17

95

6

87

4

7

49

100

10

94

50

73

15

61

88

28

19

34

67

24

7

38

55

64

61

52

87

29

65

31

20

23

86

81

40

39

42

FT

15

5

SD

Average work experience

AACSB, EQUIS, FIBAA Premium

AACSB

AMBA, AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, ACQUIN

AMBA, AACSB, EQUIS

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AMBA

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, SACS

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

Accreditation(s)

EMBA Listings 159

Access MBA Guide 2015-2016

Switzerland

Belgium

US

Singapore

Taiwan

Lorange Institute of Business Zurich

Louvain School of Management

Michigan State University: Broad

Nanyang Business School

National Sun Yat-sen University

USD 109000 for US USD 117970

Netherlands / US / Brazil / Mexico

US

Canada

China

US

Netherlands

US

Turkey

Italy

OneMBA: CUHK/RSM/UNC/FGV São Paulo/EGADE

Pepperdine University, Graziadio School of Business & Management

Queen's School of Business

Renmin University of China School of Business

Rice University: Jones

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

Rutgers Business School

Sabanci University School of Management

SDA Bocconi

EUR 40000 RMB 250000

USD 165900 USD 100000

US

Sweden

France

US

US

US

Netherlands

China

France

France / UK / US

China / Singapore / UAE / France

US

US

SMU: Cox

Stockholm School of Economics

Télécom École de Management

Temple University: Fox

Texas A & M University: Mays

Thunderbird School of Global Management

Tilburg University, TiasNimbas

Tongji University/ENPC

Toulouse Business School

Trium: HEC Paris / LSE / New York University: Stern

Tsinghua University / Insead

Tulane University: Freeman

UCLA: Anderson

USD 138758

USD 44225

EUR 25000

USD 91500

USD 86000

USD 60000

EUR 40000

EUR 25000

USD 115500

EUR 32000

RMB 538000

China

Europe

Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Antai

Skema Business School

EUR 59000

TRY 64350

USD 22492

EUR 47000

USD 111000

CDN 95000

USD 89500

USD 180084

US

US

Northwestern University: Kellogg

USD 170200

SGD 95000

SGD 90000

USD 67000

EUR 30000

CHF 69000

EUR 28500

KRW 80M

Ohio State University: Fisher

Singapore

UK / UAE

London Business School

US

UK

Lancaster University Management School

National University of Singapore Business School

GBP 69660

Poland

Kozminski University

New York University: Stern

GBP 19500

South Korea

Korea University Business School

TL 64350

Turkey

EUR 75000

Germany

Costs

Koç University Graduate School of Business

Country

Kellogg / WHU Beisheim

School name

Rutgers EMBA

EMBA

EMBA

Tsinghua-Insead EMBA

Trium Global EMBA

Executive MBA

Shanghai International MBA

EMBA

EMBA

Texas A&M EMBA

Fox EMBA

Executive MBA

SSE MBA

SMU Cox EMBA

Executive MBA

EMBA

EMBA

Sabanci EMBA

41

88

3

1

68

97

60

58

95

63

17

70

98

70

61

31

Rice MBA for Executives EMBA

43

99

38

13

34

18

83

8

90

25

45

28

78

22

Financial Times

EMBA

Queen's EMBA

EMBA

OneMBA: RSM/UNC/FGV São Paulo/Egade

Fisher EMBA

Kellogg EMBA

NYU Stern EMBA

NUS Asia-Pacific EMBA

EMBA

Nanyang EMBA

EMBA

International Executive MBA

Dual Executive MBA

EMBA

EMBA

EMBA

EMBA

EMBA

Kellogg-WHU EMBA

Programme name

27

23

9

37

Business The Week Economist

Rankings

182554

151534

304843

307003

127962

105380

179036

156426

122917

177001

260708

133796

117986

169010

118828

218340

200394

123488

167987

183640

241096

193323

244911

155071

221672

130730

172028

151910

229060

131406

176998

FT

Salary today (USD)

42

34

65

60

83

44

42

48

42

41

81

52

39

49

44

60

58

33

54

42

53

36

59

53

71

44

47

84

74

51

57

FT

Salary increase (%)

25

54

4

39

95

57

63

83

82

26

73

85

91

33

45

64

98

97

53

18

35

24

89

100

62

30

21

31

32

77

47

FT

Career progress rank

18

80

12

2

96

39

15

90

57

49

78

98

94

88

68

14

9

79

27

57

51

82

66

23

45

84

41

56

26

83

7

FT

Aims achieved rank

28

29

24

18

42

18

18

32

16

23

26

19

29

30

21

14

25

27

19

18

24

28

23

28

21

25

17

30

16

38

24

FT

31

38

25

BW

25

14

28

50

SD

Women students (%

50

72

10

19

80

65

54

45

77

68

96

82

88

66

5

29

94

62

42

83

95

32

13

99

14

83

1

36

91

89

24

FT

31

3

9

BW

International students (%)

50

40

50

SD (%)

44

71

4

1

72

82

30

26

22

57

85

51

97

58

66

35

53

76

32

37

36

68

27

90

45

91

33

92

89

69

25

FT

5

4

5

5

5

17

5

7

SD

Average work experience

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AMBA

AACSB, AMBA

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA

EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

EQUIS, CEMS, PIM

AMBA, EPAS, EDUQUA

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

Accreditation(s)

160

EMBA Listings

RMB 198000 USD 74700

UK

US / UK / China

China

US

US

UK

UK

US

US

US

Cambridge Judge Business School

University of Chicago: Booth University of Hong Kong / Fudan University School of Management University of Houston: Bauer

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Leicester

University of Liverpool - Laureate Online Education

University of Maryland: Smith School of Business

University of Miami School of Business Administration

University of Michigan: Ross

USD 97500 CHF 60000

US US / Brazil / Czech Republic

South Africa

US / Switzerland

US

Switzerland UK / Switzerland / Greece / UAE / Bahrain / Oman US

US

Canada

US

US

US

Switzerland

US

University of Pretoria, Gibs

University of Rochester: Simon

University of Southern California: Marshall School of Business

University of St. Gallen

University of Strathclyde Business School

University of Texas at Dallas: Jindal

University of Toronto: Rotman

University of Utah: Eccles School of Business

University of Virginia: Darden School of Business

University of Washington: Foster

University of Zurich

Vanderbilt University: Owen

USD 95100

Footnotes:

1. FT - Financial Times 2. BW - Business Week

South Korea

Canada / China

Yonsei University School of Business

CND 94250

China

Austria

US

Washington University, St. Louis: Olin Business School Washington University: Olin/Fudan University School of Management Western University: Ivey

WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business)/University of Minnesota: Carlson

RMB 600000

UK

Warwick Business School

EMBA

Corporate MBA

KRW 51750000

3. SD - School Data 4. Salary today: Avg salary 3 years after graduation

Global EMBA

Ivey EMBA

Washington-Fudan EMBA

Olin’s Executive MBA

Warwick EMBA

EMBA

Vanderbilt EMBA

Zurich EMBA

EMBA

Darden MBA

EMBA

Rotman EMBA

EMBA

Texas EMBA

Strathclyde EMBA

EMBA HSG

USC Marshall Executive MBA

EUR 42000

GBP 37500 USD 108500

Belgium

EUR 37000

USD 102000

USD 129900

USD 79000

CAD 106000

USD 82000

USD 99500

GBP 16000

CHF 64000

USD 122000

Modular & Part-Time MBA

EMBA Worldwide

USD 70000 R 172000

Wharton MBA for Executives

USD 181500

Vlerick Business School

University of Texas at Austin: McCombs

University of Pittsburgh: Katz

University of Pennsylvania: Wharton

GBP 67483

UK

University of Oxford: Saïd

The Notre Dame Executive MBA Oxford EMBA

Executive MBA

GBP 11700 USD 97000

EMBA

USD 93500

US

Carlson EMBA

EMBA

Miami EMBA

Smith EMBA

Online MBA 

Blended Learning MBA

Illinois EMBA

EMBA

HKU-Fudan IMBA

EMBA

Cambridge EMBA

EMBA

Alberta-Haskayne EMBA

EMBA

Programme name

USD 108000

USD 141000

USD 87600

USD 117900

EUR 20250

GBP 13500

USD 97000

GBP 44960

USD 103600

University of Notre Dame: Mendoza College of Business

University of Minnesota: Carlson US University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business US School UK/ UAE/ Qatar/ LebaUniversity of Northampton non/ Saudi Arabia

USD 174000

US

University of California at Irvine: Merage

EUR 14750

Canada

CDN 64500

Ireland

Costs

University of Alberta/University of Calgary: Haskayne

Country

University College Dublin: Smurfit

School name

56

62

48

7

19

82

77

67

95

45

74

64

51

86

80

53

6

21

79

35

65

44

65

83

49

11

36

87

94

Financial Times

31

44

15

166825

147252

183982

269775

148680

115946

149118

125011

161122

138280

138672

140048

149853

121422

147240

127622

185982

171340

223809

205942

147695

215183

168640

172964

144111

141298

123840

221584

192834

152375

130627

109697

FT

Salary today (USD)

61

30

46

51

94

56

55

24

36

41

25

33

41

70

47

43

56

37

60

55

32

42

44

38

42

48

99

47

54

56

45

46

FT

Salary increase (%)

9

74

75

49

3

20

70

65

52

93

43

71

44

55

15

69

68

36

17

13

60

18

41

34

51

72

76

50

27

93

87

96

FT

Career progress rank

72

40

86

34

24

58

52

21

85

74

50

85

92

89

5

47

76

33

25

13

69

36

91

28

46

60

87

44

59

74

64

63

FT

Aims achieved rank

5. Salary Inc: Displays salary increase before and after MBA 6. Career Progress: changes in career before and after the MBA

31

35

13

38

8

15

12

36

Business The Week Economist

Rankings

32

16

29

49

17

13

17

24

31

32

32

26

17

28

12

27

40

26

28

21

31

21

30

29

27

24

45

20

23

24

26

25

FT

29

29

16

32

22

19

28

21

BW

98

37

49

84

26

48

87

52

76

81

30

73

64

22

85

47

100

92

35

6

69

79

34

51

60

59

93

23

12

85

67

75

FT

10

8

9

16

2

2

15

5

BW

International students (%) SD (%)

99

9

41

11

83

84

73

13

74

60

37

60

70

75

16

48

79

46

78

14

42

54

98

43

56

80

93

18

21

44

59

49

FT

18

12

SD

Average work experience

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB

Association of Business Schools

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB

AMBA

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, EQUIS

AACSB

AMBA, EQUIS

AACSB

AACSB

AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS

Accreditation(s)

7. Aims Achieved: The level at which the alumni fulfilled their purpose of doing an MBA

92

87

SD

Women students (%

EMBA Listings 161

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