How do I find the right MBA course for me?

Institutions offer a variety of MBA course alternatives and it can be difficult to narrow down your options. Most MBA courses are designed for students who have a minimum of two to six years of professional work experience prior to applying. These courses can require you to draw on your personal experiences during class discussions and for assignments. Other courses are designed specifically for students with limited or no professional work experience. There is also the option of studying part-time by distance if you would like to continue working full time in your country.

MBA courses offer a range of different areas that you can specialise in. These include common options such as accounting, finance, human resource development, international business, marketing, law, e-commerce, entrepreneurship, public sector management, healthcare, and information technology. There are also a few more original areas to specialise in such as European business, engineering, environmental management, voluntary sector, risk and insurance, hospitality and tourism, real estate and construction, sport and leisure, and even brewing and distilling. By selecting a specialisation, you gain the general MBA background along with specific knowledge in one area that can be helpful in finding a job after the completion of studies.

In selecting an MBA course, it is important to: note the professional work experience required for course entry, review the different specialisations that you are interested in, and consider other factors related to your personal and location preferences.

StudyLink’s counsellors are happy to help you find a course to meet your academic and personal interests. contact a counsellor or browse the StudyLink MBA directory to get started.

What students say about StudyLink, our online applications and our counsellors

StudyLink designs its own websites, provides online applications, and offers free counselling advice and assistance to help you with your study plans. We appreciate your comments and your feedback. Read some of the comments we’ve received from other students, and be sure to send us your own.

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Elizabeth (USA)

Post your own comments here or email them to us by replying to this message. You may see your own comments in one of our future newsletters or on our websites. Contact a counsellor with any questions on your study plans.

Don’t miss out on studying in 2006

Australia – If you would like to start studying in Australia starting in July/August 2006 (second semester), we encourage you to apply now. You will need to submit your full application materials by mid-April. Contact a counsellor for assistance with selecting a course or completing your applications.

US – If you would like to start studying in the US in September 2006 (first semester), we encourage you to submit your application now. Contact a counsellor with any questions.

UK – Applications are being accepted for students interested to start studies in the fall of 2006 (August/September) for most disciplines. Applications are now being reviewed on a rolling admissions basis. Contact a counsellor to discuss your study plans and get help selecting a course.

If you are applying for medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, applications have closed for the September 2006 entry. Consider applying for 2007 or applying for a different course starting in 2006. Contact a counsellor for assistance in selecting a course.

Institutions New to our Website:

Newcastle College) – undergraduate certificate, diploma, and foundation courses (UK)

Sydney International Film School) – film production course (Australia)

don Quijote) – Spanish language courses (Spain)

Why I chose the MBA course I did

Profile on Radhika Lavu

Prior to studying at Hult, Radhika worked as a senior IT analyst, software engineer, and consultant in countries around the world. Not only does she have a Masters of Commerce and a post-graduate degree in Computer Science, she also holds a degree in Hotel Management.

Which school did you choose and why?

When I decided to pursue a MBA, I was looking for a comprehensive program that would establish my general management skills within a span of one year instead of a lengthy two-year program. But also I wanted the one-year program to provide the same insights that a two-year program would. Hult offered me this opportunity.

Being a one-year program, the learning curve is steep and exams are frequent, yet I have been able to perform at my best in this wonderful environment.

Where do you live?

I live in Salem, a small town in the outskirts of Boston. It is an old town with a lot of history. It is known for its famous Witch Trials and you are greeted in every corner of the road by a witch statue. This is not the ideal way to start your day under Indian beliefs!

Boston, though expensive in comparison with some cities in U.S, is a very nice place to study. You have a lot of networking and learning opportunities. Boston has a host of summer and winter sports to keep you occupied outside the demanding school curriculum.

Is there any difference between the US and India in the way you are taught?

The professors who teach here are from the top universities. The style of their teaching is completely different from what I have experienced back in India. The method they use to discuss topics uses real life cases and encourages class participation. As my class is a true representation of an international community, everyone has brought in valuable experiences on various topics.

The case-based learning method and teamwork are two of my favourite things at Hult. The case-based approach is extremely useful and teaches valuable knowledge that would otherwise only come with years of experience. Teamwork has given me an opportunity to learn a lot beyond what is taught in the classroom.

Thinking of studying an MBA in the US? Contact a StudyLink counsellor to learn more about the opportunities available.

MBA the European way

The US may be considered the traditional home of the MBA but there are many other locations that offer quality education. One such place is Germany. Not only can you learn in a top European school but it is home to some of the world’s leading businesses.

The European School of Management and Technology (esmt) in Berlin is one such alternative, having recently opened its doors to MBA students.

The school, which also has campuses in Munich and Schloss Gracht, offers executive education in addition to its one-year, full-time MBA program. The Executive Education programs include career development, competence-building and customised courses. Since its founding in 2002, more that 4,200 participants have already taken part in esmt’s Executive Education programs.

The school’s educational methods are based on the Bauhaus movement of the 1920s and 1930s. These methods are focussed on participant-centered learning as opposed to professor-centered teaching, and on workshop activities involving real management problems together with regular classroom work.

esmt founding president Derek Abell describes the school as having two “sharp edges”. One is the school’s research focus on Europe and European business and the other is its focus on the interface between technology and management — a key point for European business success in global markets.

The school’s focus on European business is demonstrated in the MBA course, with its students taking on concrete tasks and solving real problems in companies over two, one-month projects.

To find out more about the European School of Management and Technology or other MBA options, contact a counsellor.

Looking to do something completely different?

Why not consider a course that involves the use of Australia’s only university-based clay modelling studio.

Established by Monash University’s Art and Design faculty, the Caulfield campus based studio is currently being used by industrial design students specialising in automotive design.

Third year and honours students are using the studio to create three-dimensional scale models of their automotive designs. The designs currently taking shape include cars, a school bus, an ambulance, a utility, an off-road vehicle and a three-wheeled motorcycle.

Nine of the students working in the studio were finalists in the 2005 Wheels Automotive Design Award for Young Designer of the Year, which was won by industrial design honours student Adam Ty Dean Smith.

Industrial design course coordinator Selby Coxon said the studio could be expanded to include modelling of other consumer products such as whitegoods.

"There is a world-wide shortage of clay modellers, and the Monash studio is a way of developing this expertise in our students and adding to their skill set," Mr Coxon said.

Automotive industry interest in the new facility is so great that executives from General Motors' headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, visited the studio in late 2005 as part of a worldwide audit of 20 universities from which the organisation recruits graduates.
Head of General Motors’ clay modelling studio Mike Chester is conducting twice-weekly studio sessions at Monash as part of General Motors' commitment to the advancement of engineering education through industry-institution collaboration.

Contact a counsellor to learn more about industrial design courses at Monash or about those at other universities.

Industrial design honours student Adam Ty Dean Smith, winner of the 2005 Wheels Automotive Design Award for Young Designer of the Year.