Hello PGs,
Having been a PG for the last 2+ years, and having observed posts and threads across the International Section of the forums, I find that many are relatively less aware of some of the other interesting educational avenues available to people (depending of course on ones and career objectives and profile).
Through a series of posts spanning this thread, I would like to make PG's aware of avenues beyond just MBAs to build and enhance careers.
While Top International MBAs are justifiably hyped and normally boast of professionally very successful graduates, they're not necessarily the only feeders into top jobs at some of the top companies. You have many programs that don't offer the MBA (the degree), BUT they do offer strong, focussed and career relevant education; that would help (in some cases) position oneself for the same opportunities that MBAs enjoy; perhaps with the advantage of rigorous specialist education to complement / enhance business subjects. The attendees of such programs are often just as experienced, educated and capable as those in MBAs, and go into the same / similarly great business-oriented jobs that MBAs do, including consulting & banking.
Some of the salient features of such programs are as follows:
1. They're normally not called MBAs, though some might offer an MBA as one degree in a dual-degree program. They're Master's, M.S or M.Sc or even M.A programs.
2. Entrance requirements (4 year degree), GMAT / GRE / TOEFL / IELTS are as rigorous as those for business schools if not more. Some programs in systems or high-tech may require previous education in the hard sciences, relevant social sciences (like advanced micro-macro economics), or engineering.
3. Some of these programs (particularly those in the US), given their delivery out of a hard / social science or engineering school or department, offer a greater probability of scholarships or graduate assistantships (refer point 6 for main reason). Co-signor free loans however might not be easy, if at all available.
4. The education is a healthy mix of technical and business subjects. Please note that I am not referring to M.S in Engineering / Science Programs that fresh Engineering or Science graduates attend immediately after graduation. The programs I will cite as examples might involve a little of hard engineering, but are focussed on core - operational, design, financial and commercial aspects of and applicable to business at large.
5. The program is not always run by the business school, but by a department or school in the hard or social sciences, engineering etc.. with attendees normally required to attend or able to cross-register for core / elective subjects in the business school affiliated to the same or neighboring university. The flexibility in the curriculuam and it's delivery means you might seek skills beyond just your education (like learning a language) at no additional cost!
6. There's a strong research element involved, leading normally to an almost Ph.D level Thesis. Many programs will however, offer the same opportunity for internships - perhaps connected with the Thesis one has to complete to graduate. This is the truly rigorous part of the program.
7. Subject to the same working rules as those offered to MBAs. The work-permit rules, job-market economics, employment conditions and salaries are the same that MBAs are subject to, meaning it's just as challenging to get a job out of these programs as it is out of an MBA. However the combination of business and technical education + previous experience occassionally makes these candidates a more attractive recruit for a company than one who has just an MBA.
8. Depending on the school, location, age/experience profile and the quasi-specialist nature of the program involved, career services will be offered to attendees, either specially attached to the program, or as part of the graduate school of the university or even in conjunction with the business school's career services. One have 3 potential career service avenues.
9. If you go into the websites of some of these programs and see the profiles of those who attend (particularly the more experienced ones, you will be seriously awe-struck).
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Hopefully, the posts that follow will offer all of you options you can consider to either:-
1. start a business career at a fairly functional-specialist level, which is supremely important to build
2. if you're more experienced, an option towards a broad and deep education that would offer you a leg-up with the companies you want to work for.
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Before reading further, three key watch-outs:
1. The rule of being crystal clear about your professional goals applies just as much for these programs as they do for MBAs
2. You might not find as much information on the net (like rankings, profiles etc.) about these programs as you would for MBAs. So it is extremely important for you to be proactive, start contacting schools for the information you want and perhaps establish contacts with current students and alumni. Don't depend on fellow forum members to feed you information or opinions that you need to find & form yourself.
3. These programs are NOT time-pass. The education and subjects are rigorous and some are quite tough to get into.
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Enjoy the thread, please use the information therein and as always, please do your homework....
Cheerz
Baccardisprite
Next Post - Some very special Master's Programs from MIT, Cambridge, USA
My UG college is not very highly ranked (non IIT/NIT). Will it be a hurdle in getting into these courses ?
). Though, I want to be in rotation leadership programs but don't know whether I am a good candidate after 8 yrs Exp in IT or May be in Management consulting firm where I can work in different industries but doubt the possibility for candidates with 8 years exp. Through chat with my Indian friends studying in US/European business schools, I had the impression that these firms prefer young/Local guys for such programs. In short, if such programs are not available for me then I want to be in closest role that would fulfill my criteria and hence looking out options for my profile. 