Introduction
For each of the four programme descriptions, you will find a detailed summary of the programme"s principal features, including admission requirements, structure, length, expected tuition fees, coursework, content, campus approach, and, finally the benefits and drawbacks. By studying these characteristics, you will be able to determine whether one or more categories are applicable to your personal and professional goals.
Full-time MBA Programme
Length: From 10 to 24 months
North America: Two-years including internship
Europe: One-year plus internship
Tuition fees (not including facilities): 20,000 euros to 60,000 euros per year on average.
Admission requirements: completed application, GMAT test scores, TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS results for non-native speakers, official academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, essays and interview. In addition, candidates should have at least two to three years" work experience.
Programme Curriculum: The traditional full-time MBA follows an intensive schedule, with courses being held throughout the week and even at weekends. In the core phase, students take classes in the essential management sciences, such as accounting, economics, management, marketing, organizational behaviour and quantitative analysis. In the specialty phase, students can custom-design the MBA by taking electives, doing special projects or becoming interns.
Careers Services: Candidates can freely access the dedicated careers development centre, whose services are the hallmark of elite business schools. Dedicated careers specialists organize job fairs on and off campus, maintain careers advisory services and support networking initiatives.
Introduction
A full-time MBA requires dedication and commitment throughout the duration of the programme. It offers students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a stimulating environment delivering greater development of personal and professional skills.
Structure
- Two-year format (mainly North America): In the core phase, students learn the essentials of management, while in the specialty phase, they can choose from a broad range of electives, conduct a supervised business consulting project with other students and take on an internship at a company or organization.
- One-year format (mainly Europe): In the accelerated format, students can dedicate the entire 10 to 14 months to the programme. In addition, students can take advantage of the flexibility of the programmes to pursue the electives of their choice and do an internship.
Content:
The full-time MBA courses are designed to prepare students to take their careers to new levels. The courses offer in-depth knowledge on a range of different topics, enabling candidates organized into workgroup to absorb more informational and knowledge over a short period of time. Candidates benefit from a pool of valuable skills and experiences through these well-rounded courses. The programme is usually divided into terms or semesters, whereby the core courses are held in the first phase and the electives held in the second phase. Towards the end of the programme, students are required to write up a report on their business project or internship to demonstrate to their academic supervisors that they have applied their theoretical knowledge to the actual business world.
Location:
The full-time MBA usually requires candidates to relocate to the campus where classes are held. This type of programme is best suited to individuals who are ready to explore new regions and opportunities. This course structure is not a suitable option for those who wish to continue working.
Benefits:
- Course completion over a fixed period of time
- Wider access to highly qualified teaching resources, networking and career services
- Option of exploring ventures and opportunities in a new city or country
- Greater possibility to switch careers or work in a different region
- Increased probability that salary expectations will improve
- Enhanced family life as all members live, work and play in the same campus
- Benefit from an internship that could lead to a larger window of employability
- Connect to an international and diverse student body.
Drawbacks:
- Courses follow an intensive schedule, often placing high demand on students
- Living on a student budget while managing tuition fees and living expenses could require more discipline than expected
- Entrance exam is more competitive than the Executive MBA
- Too much importance is attached to GMAT scores
- Students are away from their jobs for more than one year.
Part-time MBA Programme
Length: From 18 to 36 months on average
Tuition fees: 20,000 euros to 60,000 euros in instalments.
Admissions requirements: same as full-time, completed application, GMAT test scores, TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS results for non-native speakers, official academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, essays and interview. In addition, candidates should have three years" experience.
Programme Curriculum: In the classroom phase, students take classes in the essential management sciences, such as accounting, business economics, management, marketing, organizational behaviour, and quantitative analysis. In the project phase, students work in teams on group projects staying in touch with each other by email and a range of collaborative tools such as Skype and video conferencing. Many universities create a virtual campus, such as INSEAD"s Second Life.
Careers services: Employers are interested in part-time students because they have a wealth of experience. Recruiters organize careers fairs on campus at convenient times for part-time students. Building networks, however, remains the best solution to career advancement, as most career development specialists are focused on finding new jobs for full-time MBA graduates.
Introduction
The part-time MBA is designed for students climbing the career ladder within the structure of their own organization over a period of time. Part-time students are heavily committed to their professional mobility and see no reason to leave their hard-earned positions. They want to keep their risk profile in check for any number of reasons, personal or professional. All the same, part-timers must have the maturity and discipline to complete the coursework on time and within budget, despite the ongoing demands of job and family. For this reason, almost all programmes require students to obtain endorsement from their employers in the application process.
Structure
The part-time MBA follows a flexible schedule, with courses being held at night, at weekends or in block modules, which allows students to attend classes from abroad.
- Evening part-time: Consists of one to two demanding evenings a week in class plus approximately 15 hours a week for individual study, preparation and group work.
- Weekend part-time: Consists of classes usually held from Friday afternoon to Sunday. In addition, students have 15 hours of homework per week, which involves study, preparation and group work.
- Modular: Modules can take place over a long four-day weekend or over an entire week. During the length of the programme, the modular blocks are scheduled every four to eight weeks. Professors stay in touch with their students via the internet during periods of non-classroom activity to ensure continuity of the learning experience.
Content:
Two types of courses: core courses and electives. All part-time MBA programmes include a range of electives. Applicants should find out whether their desired electives are going to be offered by the business schools of their choice, and if so when.
Location:
Regular part-time programmes are designed for students from the local area, who often commute to and from the campus for evening classes and at weekends. Modular programmes attract high-flying students who are prepared to catch round-trip flights to take up residency on or near campus during the block of time in which modules take place.
Benefits:
- Accessible to young professionals
- Cost of a part-time MBA can be spread out over a longer period of time
- Flexibility of curriculum
- Skills learned in class can be applied directly to job.
Drawbacks:
- The challenge to balance study, work and personal life
- Less developed careers services
- Less suitable when it comes to finding a new job on graduation
- Less attractive to career changers
- Increase in salary is less important to part-timers compared to full-time MBAs.
Executive MBA Programme
Length: From two to three years.
Tuition fees: 25,000 euros to 100,000 euros for the entire course, excluding travel expenses. The Executive MBA Council has said the cost of the average EMBA in the USA was $63,000 in 2008.
Admissions requirements: completed application, TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS results, official academic transcripts for non-native speakers, letters of recommendation, essays and interview. GMAT test scores are often waived for senior executives with several years" managerial experience. In fact, applicants should have at least five to seven years" experience in leading projects. A majority of EMBA programmes require students to have the endorsement of their companies.
Corporate Sponsorship: The Executive MBA Council found that the percentage of US companies offering full and partial sponsorships to EMBA students in 2008 was 32 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively. The proportion of students who self-financed their EMBA was 32 per cent. Europe has approximately the same averages.
Programme curriculum: The Executive MBA is designed to meet the professional needs of senior managers. Offering a select range of core courses and a broad range of electives, top programmes enable executives to share managerial experiences while challenging their existing habits and business approaches. Course work may be accelerated at times as professors carefully hone each classroom activity to enhance the learning experience of senior executive who may already know the basics of management skills.
Careers services: Executives can access the careers development centre, whose services are the hallmark of elite business schools. However, senior executives are often better served by head hunters and corporate recruiters, so they often do not take advantage of these services, with the exception of the networking opportunities.
Introduction
Intensive and complete, the Executive MBA is designed for highly experienced executives. The return on investment is astonishing. In a 2007 study, the Executive MBA Council found that the salaries of EMBA students rose from a mean of $107,097 when entering their EMBA Programme to $130,056 after completing the programme.
Structure:
- Evening part-time: Consists of one to two demanding evenings a week in class plus approximately 15 hours a week for individual study, preparation and group work.
- Weekend part-time: Consists of classes run from Friday afternoon to Sunday. In addition, students have 15 hours of homework per week, which involves study, preparation and group work.
- Modular: Modules can take place over a long four-day weekend or over an entire week. During the length of the programme, modular blocks are scheduled every four to eight weeks. If questions arise during periods of non-modular activity, students can stay in touch with their professors and fellow executives via Internet to ensure continuity of the learning experience. The modular approach allows elite business schools to attract senior executives who need global exposure via a two-country or three-country approach to the EMBA, often in partnership with other universities.
Content:
EMBA programmes generally have a strong focus on team-based learning, with participants learning from each other"s experience. Case studies are employed in such a way that they become a platform for discussion. Much care is taken when EMBA teams are put together so that the quality of the students is not reduced for the sake of increasing enrolment. The aim is to create as diverse a culture and experience as possible.
Location:
Global Executive MBA programmes are increasingly being used to strengthen alliances among business schools. This gives students an excellent opportunity to take advantage of residential modules at university campuses situated around the world, particularly in Asia.
Benefits:
- Increased earning power following graduation
- Immediate application of acquired knowledge
- Sharing experience with senior, highly experienced executives
- Increase in long-term career potential through the development of communications skills and networking abilities
- Modular programmes allowing to study abroad
- Admissions based on previous experience and responsibilities.
Drawbacks:
- Requires high degree of prioritizing skills. While holding down full-time senior positions, executives are expected to move around from one campus to another, often on different continents, and to complete a certain amount of independent study,
- Applicants need the endorsement of their companies. Why? Admission committees need to know that their supervisors have given them the green light as students will need to allocate time and effort for study.
Online MBA Programme
Length: Two to four years.
Tuition Fees: 10,000 euros to 50,000 euros for the entire course.
Admissions requirements: Completed application, GMAT test scores, TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS results for non-native speakers, official academic transcripts, and letters of recommendation. In addition, candidates should have access to a computer with an Internet connection. Between one and two years" experience is required.
Programme Curriculum: Students follow the standard curriculum including the key business topics such as accounting and management. However, courses also include current business topics with up-to-date business strategies. These increasingly popular programmes teach students how to manage and lead complex organizations in today"s competitive business environment. In addition, many online MBA teachers are successful business professionals with real-world experience and insight, who are actively working in the field that they are teaching. Learning is self-paced.
Career Services: Most students continue to work for a company during the online programmes. Hence, students have access to a business school"s careers advisory services for help with their CVs and access to the range of online job bulletin boards.
Introduction
With the economic downturn, business schools are reporting a sharp increase in the number of applications to their online MBA programmes. According to the Sloan Consortium, which tracks online education in the USA, online MBA programmes and online higher education in general reported an increase of 3.9 million participants in the autumn of 2007, an increase of 12.9 per cent over the 2006 academic year. At the same time, the growth of collaborative tools makes for an enhanced learning environment. Students can submit "paper work" in standard, easy-to-read PDF format with greater ease. Online programmes also appeal to horizontally mobile applicants such as consultants whose careers take them from one company or even country to another. These highly trained specialists can follow the curriculum of online programmes and participate actively in the learning environment provided they have an internet connection.
Structure:
Students go online and submit papers, just like ordinary MBA participants. The difference is that these study-at-home students often combine online seminars with visits to the main campus one to three times a year. Although the visits are not mandatory, students can arrange visits with their professors to discuss their written work and virtual participation.
Content:
Distance learning offers a certain number of advantages and develops a particular set of important skills. In short, it allows for greater explanatory and cognitive learning.
- Kit of study materials: course books, study guides, CD-ROMs and DVDs, full website access to download podcasts and share documents with classmates
- Online lectures delivered by video or downloadable, which allow live interaction between students, professors and guest lecturers.
Location:
There are no geographical constraints except in cases where students want to use the school library facilities on a regular basis. By definition, online programs use collaborative and virtual technologies such as Microsoft"s Live Meeting or Second Life. This enables students to participate in workgroups and download lectures, while giving them the opportunity to speak with classmates and ask questions of their professors. Many schools allow, and even encourage, students to participate in short residency periods on the home campus.
Benefits:
- Relatively inexpensive
- Easier access to top-level business schools because of broader open admissions criteria
- Ability to keep a full-time job
- Flexibility to balance study hours with family commitments
- Greater academic accountability for both students and professors, as classroom participation and interaction are written and recorded. Hence, more attention and participation are required on both sides of the learning equation
- No geographical limits
- Ability to study at your own pace.
Drawbacks:
- Minimal face-to-face interaction
- High drop-out rate
- Limited networking services
- No ranking system :. yet!
