Make sure you find a business school that will suit your needs. If you are just looking to enhance your current job and the company you work for is your own then you don't need to go for a top flight school but one that will just teach you what you don't know already. If you are going to use the MBA to get you a future position somewhere then look only to the top schools in your country or region, ie North America, Europe, Asia. These are generally more expensive, however the name of the school will get doors opening for you. It is a balance you have to weigh up that suits your needs.

posted January 4, 2007

Dear Jon,

as the other answers suggest, it is crucial that you sort out your needs first. The highest ranked school is not always the best for you.

With some experience at your hands, I would really recommend (though certainly not from a completely neutral position) to do an executive course. From my experience, it is very valuable to get back to the real world after a week at the school thus having a constant interchange between both worlds with the opportunity to discuss business problems with your class mates and MBA-concepts with your colleagues. During my first year at Cranfield (I'm just starting the second one now) I had the opportunity to apply concepts learned on the course all the time (not alway succesfully - but that's part of the learning process).
Among the exec programmes, I recommend to choose one with residential phases of about a week or longer. At Cranfield, I can compare with course-mates doing the weekend mode. Apart from the excessive travel effort when you don't live close to the school, this mode doesn't allow for the same intensity of discussion in your learning team.

One other point: you refer to several "Subjects" where you want to expand your knowledge. What's often forgotten is the soft part of personal development. I must say that there is nothing I learned more about last year than about myself and how I work in a team. You can learn facts from a book cheaper and more conveniently - look for an MBA programme that INTEGRATES your personal development in the programme and where learning is not in class only but in working on assignments as a team.

I am, of course, quite passionate about the Cranfield programme, where I met most exceptional people among teachers and class mates alike. But there are probably other programmes out there with similar approaches (my second choice was Ashridge, 3rd IMD).
Make sure you go to open days of the schools on your short list. You spend some time with these people, so it hast to FEEL RIGHT.

anyway:
if you feel like it, go for it!
There is no such investment opportunity as investing in yourself.

good luck,
Sven

Links:

• http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/mba/executivemba/index.asp
• http://www.imd.ch/programs/emba/index.cfm?bhcp=1
• http://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/Content.nsf/wDEG/MBA,+MSc+and+Diploma?op...

posted January 4, 2007

Consider whether it's the knowledge or the diploma you really need.

If it's the diploma, then find a good, well-known school and attend. I attended Keller, and while I got a good education there are a lot of degree-snobs out there - for an advanced degree it pays to seek a top-drawer school.

If it's only the knowledge, then consider doing the education on your own, via something like Josh Kaufman's personal MBA: http://joshkaufman.net/personalmba/. It's a lot cheaper, and can be tailored to your exact needs.

Links:

• http://joshkaufman.net/personalmba/

posted January 4, 2007

I am doing my MBA through distance education at the University of Liverpool in the UK. I like it because I can do courses at my own pace and I don't need to take anytime off work.

posted January 4, 2007

Any MBA should cover economics and marketing but product management is likely an elective. There are so many MBA programs out there especially in the US. There are 'degree snobs' and it is a lot of work to research and apply to schools, might I suggest reading the "Which MBA?" book. It has rankings but also more general advise, it is put out by the Economist Intelligence Unit so it has a global perspective.

Rankings aren't unimportant, but I'd say having recently done my MBA that the career services at the school is something to look into carefully. If you want to work for a specific company or in a certain industry do they recruit at the school?

I've been asked this question more than once and can provide more personalized advice. Have you written the GMAT or the GRE? Preparing for and doing well on those tests is likely necessary and if you click a box any school can see your score, I got a lot of emails from a lot of schools I'd never even considered, even Ivy league schools, but I didn't have time to explore all the oportunities. The application process can take up a lot of time with essays and letters of reference and what not.

Links:

• http://mba.eiu.com/

posted January 4, 2007

I am doing a distance MBA with Athabasca University. It is the most creditable distance MBA program I found in Canada. It is the only ranked distance MBA program as well. Work constraints caused me to choose a distance program. The school has alliances with CMA's, CGA's and a few others.

Athabasca University has been ranked among the top three Executive MBAs in Canada (Canadian Business, 2001) and among the top Executive MBAs in the world (Financial Times, UK, 2003, 2004 and 2006).

Links:

• http://mba.athabascau.ca

posted January 4, 2007

I strongly recommend doing a full time MBA if you are early in your career, and under 35...you may also want to consider doing an MBA in the US vs Europe, which will give you additional exposure to our startups sector...the other issue is whether to do a 1 vs 2 year MBA...1 year MBAs are generally not viewed as being as strong as 2 year MBAs by US employers...

Links:

• http://www.advancedmbas.org

posted January 4, 2007

Hello Jon,

Well, the best MBA for you... An easy way to roll the dices is to look at the rankings (the companies look at those rankings, as well as the public bodies, which means that somebody has already chewed the information you need, someone who is an expert):
Financial Times is the most prestigious
Business Week is authoritarian in the US
The Economist is the most detailed.

The chances are that there you will find a suitable school. If a school is not in the rankings it means that it is overlooked by emplyers and that (more important) it is not accredited, which means that no external body has validated its curricula.

Secondly, you should look at the relevant type of program:
- on site , where you are taken away from your work;
- online, not so prestigious but very convenient; lacks direct interactions;
- distance learning, a combination of the above.

Thirdly, choose a geographical area where you have cultural affinities. It will help a lot.

At last but not at least you should try to visit some schools of choice or talk to some alumni. This should help, of course.

I hope this is useful.

Radu

Links:

• http://www.ft.com
• http://www.businessweel.com
• http://www.economist.com

posted January 5, 2007

I have found the reasons for taking MBA's vary from person to person. If you are looking at it to change your career path, then I would recommend you look at the top business schools. The MBAs may be very expensive, but the return on investment is self evident over a period of time.

That being said if you are looking to raise your sights from the departmental level to corporate level most MBAs should be able to achieve this.

To me there are 3 things to balance with an MBA. These are Time, Cost, and subjects covered.

Time
A full time MBA gives the single focus of completing the course, vs. the constant interference of work related projects. However this means you will need to give up an income, and unless you can negotiate a sabbatical you current job position (Many companies will do this, and what is the harm in asking, some may even sponsor you through the course). The drop out rates of part time / distance learning courses are much higher due to the conflict on time. Obviously it depends on you as an individual and the course but a distance learning course will require 10 -20 hours a week dedicated to study. Make sure you are willing to sacrifice this before you start.... Generally the higher regarded the course the more work that is expected of you. Location also plays a big part. Many MBA part time courses encourage students to meet up outside class time. This is hard to do if you live 300 miles from the other students. This is also very relevant for revision, and group project works.

Cost.
MBAs cost from about £15,000 to £45,000. Generally the more respected the business school the higher the cost.

Subject matter.
Write down the 5 areas of expertise you want to develop, make sure the course fulfils those areas. Look at yourself, and work out how academic vs. practical you are. It might seem silly, but this is key. If you are a practical person, then the course needs to be related to real world examples, maybe even related directly to what you do/have done. If you are more academic then there is no problem in theoretical situations related to totally foreign environments. This differential is much more relevant in MBAs than degrees.

I found that the MBA was a life changing experience and changed my outlook on how organisations work. I have however not found it particularly useful in progressing a career in IT (Although I believe the MBA has made me much better at my job). The time that the course took put significant stress on my relationship, and the dissertation almost took me to the divorce courts. That being said now it is completes I am extremely pleased with my achievement, and what I have learnt.

I wish you all the best in selecting the course.

posted January 5, 2007

Hi Jon,

The Krannert Business School (Purdue) & Tias offer an executive MBA which attracts many people with a comparable background as you have. As an alumni of this program I can honestly say it is absolutely high quality. See mostinternationalmba.com

posted January 5, 2007

Hi Jon,

I can very much recommend a full time MBA, you will experience the close and intense interaction between faculty, businesses and your fellow students. An important source for both professional and personal growth.

In terms of which school or program: If you choose an MBA then go for the very good ones! The rankings will give you an indication, and may be relevant in terms of post-MBA employment. Also, choose carefully in terms of curricula. MBA programs focus differently, but if you choose a top50 it wount be a holiday anyway. Find the one that keeps you curious.

I invite you to look at the Lancaster MBA, which is not a famous school but ranked 4th in the UK (FT MBA). I find it extremely challenging and motivating. The program continuously focus on working with external clients, as you will see.

Best of luck.
Carsten

Links:

• http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk

posted January 6, 2007