Choosing an MBA: 10 do's and don'ts
Key considerations to consider in your MBA choice: alumni network, accreditations, curriculum
Choosing an MBA is no easy process. The number of MBA schools is on the increase and the investment is high.
Make sure you do it with a full understanding and are confident of your choice. Different schools offer different advantages and disadvantages, so make sure that you choose the programme that's right for you.
Here, EDHEC Global MBA Admissions Team offers their advice on some DO's and DON'Ts in choosing the right MBA.
1. DO consider the whole package when you choose your MBA. Your MBA is not just a series of back-to-back classes, so look at the big picture. Remember, an MBA is usually one programme among many within an institution, so make sure that the foundations of the school are solid. If the school is well established and has a long history of producing quality graduates, chances are that it will have a strong reputation among employers and solid corporate relations. Also, check the quality and the dynamism of the alumni network.
2. DO use the school's accreditations and rankings to provide an indication of quality. An AMBA accreditation will guarantee that the quality of the MBA programme meets international standards, while AACSB and Equis will prove the same for the business school itself. Only 59 schools in the world, including EDHEC, have all three at once—the coveted "triple crown" of excellence. Remember that rankings are just a snapshot of the state of a school at a given time, so DON’T use rankings as the sole basis for your choice of MBA. Remember: it’s not because a school boasts a certain post MBA average salary that you will necessarily get the same. Use the rankings to check the criteria you feel are important to you and check the school’s general evolution over a period of time.
3. DON’T underestimate the importance of research produced by the business school. Research contributes to a school’s international visibility and keeps professors at the cutting edge of knowledge in their field.
4. DO ensure that the core curriculum covers your needs once you have established the strength of the school’s foundations. If the school has the AMBA accreditation, you know that the curriculum has been thoroughly audited—together with the quality of faculty—to guarantee high standards. MBA programmes should all offer a blend of core courses covering hard skills like finance and marketing, but remember that soft skills such as leadership and managerial competencies are a crucial element of any MBA curriculum and are dealt with in different ways. Also check that the specialisations offered by the programme match your career goals.
5. While the core curriculum may show similarities in different schools, DO check that there are a variety of learning methods. An MBA should not be a sit-back-and-take-notes course but a hands-on, discussion-based learning environment. DO ensure you change work group often and are not stuck in the same small team for the full year. Ensure that you have the opportunity to do group work a variety of fellow participants so DO choose an MBA with an experienced class profile so that you can learn from peers in group work. These same mature classmates will not only enrich your learning environment but provide better networking potential and form a stronger alumni network. In order to check that an MBA will expose you to the learning experience that you aspire to, DO talk to alumni and, if possible, DO visit the school and audit or sit in the class for a couple of hours.
6. DO choose an MBA whose faculty are not pure academics, who also give executive training courses in companies or who come from industry. This ensures a true understanding of what companies are seeking today.
7. DO make sure the careers service is specialised in MBA careers and that it does not concentrate on first-time jobs for young candidates.
8. As you will be in class most days, DO consider the quality of the campus, both in terms of location (is it really in that city or will it require a long trip on public transport?) and in terms of facilities (is it really a campus or just one classroom in an office block? ). DO make sure there are nearby amenities for the whole family at a price you can afford. If you have to spend a year far from home, the experience has to be as enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.
9. Once you have chosen your MBA and are lucky enough to be accepted, DO NOT be forced into making a hasty decision. An MBA is a big investment and so warning bells should ring if you are offered a seat then told that if you don’t accept within few days you will lose your place or scholarship. DO ask for clarity on scholarships as “you can get a scholarship” might just mean that you are eligible for consideration without any guarantees.
10. DO make sure you get all the information before you make your final decision. The DOs and DON’Ts of choosing an MBA are endless and so is the choice of programme. It’s possible that the same highlight you found in one programme actually exists in another, but it’s up to you to ask the right questions. Finally, with a full understanding and good advice in hand, the next steps are yours to make: there is a time when you DO have to take the plunge yourself; but DON’T wait too long or you might get pushed in!
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