Investing in your future: why study an MBA?

Every year, over 100,000 students choose to study an MBA (Masters of Business Administration). For some, it’s a basic pre-requisite to get into their chosen career. For others, it’s the best way to make sure they stand out in a difficult job market.

Many of you will commit to an MBA because you know it’s a quick step up the salary ladder. MBA graduates do make more money, right from the start.

But there are so many options now available around the world – full-time, part-time, distance learning, executive MBA… How do you decide which MBA program is right for you?

The most important thing is to work out why you want to study an MBA in the first place. You’ll need to demonstrate a very clear vision of your future career plans in your application, so get that straight in your mind first.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do you want to switch careers, or progress where you are now? If you need to get new skills to switch careers, choose a school that specialises in that area (for example, engineering or IT). If you want to progress in your current role, talk to your firm about sponsoring your study, based on your commitment to them.

Do you want to keep working while you study? Look at online or distance learning options, or flexible part-time modules.

Top Business School - MBA Guides

Clear Admit School Guides offer objective reports on MBA programs, so you can compare schools in a meaningful way.

If you have a shortlist of business schools you want to attend, and you want to make your application really shine, you need to understand the unique aspects of each school. But it’s difficult to find the time to compare all the different websites and glossy prospectuses – so Clear Admit has done all the hard work for you.

The Guides provide detailed information for your application essays in a timesaving format. Everything you need to know about a school is in one place, including:

• The core curriculum and first-year experience
,
• Leading professors in key fields,
• Student clubs and conferences,
• Full-time job placement by industry and location,
• Student demographics,
• International and experiential learning programs,
• Tuition, financial aid and scholarships


Stand out from the crowd with a Derby MBA

The Derby MBA is an excellent way for you to develop wide ranging skills and equip yourself for a variety of career paths.

It leads to practical management development in your chosen sector to tackle the challenges of a new century of management practices and theories. So, as a senior manager, you’ll be ready to meet the increasing demands upon you from organisations and government.

With the Derby MBA you will:

• develop your knowledge of current management thinking, principles and practice.
• improve your skills in a range of business activities through practical achievements underpinned by academic thinking and research.
• improve your personal effectiveness, knowledge and skills.
• broaden and enhance your career development, improving your status and developing a global support network.

Top-ranking Monash MBA develops future leaders

The world-ranked Monash MBA is a value-added program that provides a breadth of knowledge in the essential business disciplines, while at the same time developing personal skills and career development strategies for its students.

The program comprises 16 semester-length units – ten core units and six electives. The core curriculum is designed to provide an educational foundation for students to develop their leadership and management capabilities.

Effective leaders and managers must be capable strategists. They must have highly developed personal skills including analytical, problem solving, communication and teamwork skills. They must be innovative and have relevant professional and personal capabilities within an international or global context. They need to understand the driving forces of technological change that are transforming society and industry on a global scale.

Rayat LC announces 2009 scholarship programme

Rayat London College, the West London-based business school has announced a programme of Scholarship awards for overseas students applying for this years MBA and BA (Hons) curriculums

Following on from the highly successful 2008 academic year, Rayat London College, the West London-based business school has announced a programme of Scholarship awards for overseas students applying for this years MBA and BA (Hons) curriculums.

Top 10 tips on getting that scholarship

Many of you will rely on some financial support to pay for your international education. For some, a scholarship could mean the difference between studying… and not studying. For others, it just helps with the cost of living, and also provides a bit extra to enjoy student life.

There are many scholarships available, and not all of them require you to prove you’re the most academically gifted person on earth. But they are incredibly competitive. So how do you make sure you get the scholarship or bursary you deserve?

Top tip #1: You usually can’t apply for a scholarship until you have been accepted into the course
This may seem like it’s the wrong way around, but you do need to know you can pay your tuition fees and travel expenses without a scholarship. That way, if you do win a grant, you can pay back your local bank loan or have a bit of extra spending money.

Subject guide: Hospitality and tourism

Do you love travelling, learning about new cultures and meeting people? Of course you do – that’s why you want to study overseas. But these are also the qualities you need to enjoy a career in hospitality, the world’s largest service industry.

There is a growing shortage of well-trained senior managers in the hospitality and tourism industry, so a well-regarded hospitality qualification is a great way to launch your career. And it could take you around the world, working for international hotels, entertainment venues or amazing restaurants.

Japan: A global MBA advantage at IUJ

The International University of Japan’s Business School has ranked in the top 100 MBA programs for six years running, and is the only business school in Japan to feature in this prestigious list. This year the Economist Intelligence Unit placed in 82nd in the world, and 8th in the Asia-Pacific region.

The program’s strengths lie in the international mix of students, teachers and alumni, and in the support provided for career services. IUJ is a modern university based near Urasa, about 230 km (less than two hours by bullet train) northwest of Tokyo. Its Business School was opened in 1988, in collaboration with the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College. It was the first US-style business school in Japan.

USA: The power of poly thinking

Here’s a quick quiz for you. Which university produced:

1. the person who invented Teflon, that miracle substance that stops eggs from sticking to the frying pan;
2. the person who developed the touch-screen ATM, and dreamt up a bank-from-home banking system;
3. the person who thought up fax machines, VCRs and camcorders;
4. the person who discovered a way to mass-produce penicillin, our first line of defence for over 100 diseases.

If you answered NYU Polytechnic to every one of these, you’d be right.

UK: New scholarships available in London

As part of the British Council’s 60th anniversary celebrations, Regent’s College is offering six new scholarships for students from Hong Kong.

Regent’s College is the largest private college of higher education in the UK, and has two specialist business schools: the European Business School London and Regent’s Business School London.

Both are located in Regent’s Park in central London, and offer small classes and a personal, hands on tutorial approach. Over 100 different nationalities make up the 2000 students on campus, and there is a strong focus on developing language skills.

All courses provide opportunities to develop networking and leadership skills, take on meaningful paid work experience, and even study abroad at other campuses.