MBA – EUROPEAN STYLE

Thinking of a mba degree from europe!! Read on. I have reproduced this article from from EFMD website and would urge those interested to visit the site themselves!!

source: http://www.efmd.be/

e-mail: info@efmd.be

Typically, a European MBA programme is shorter than in the US. In general MBA courses in Europe run for a year. American schools in general would have more star professors the their European counterparts. However, the experts may devote only limited time to teaching or may not teach at the MBA programmes at all. The size and culture of a school are often overlooked when considering business schools. In general, schools in the US are larger, with an average intake of full-time MBA students of 287, compared with 124 in Europe.
European schools have a significantly higher percentage of non-national students then their American counterparts, and the same picture emerges when analysing non-national faculty member. However, internationalisation does not translate directly into number of foreign students or faculty. Alliances and exchanges, for instance, contribute to an overall international culture.
From recent discussions at the efmd (europen foundation for management development) MBA Directors meeting, we learnt that European MBAs were more than relevant in the world of business. When comparing notes on the value of an MBA, organisations like Novartis and Andersen made it clear that the choice of MBA recruitment depended very much on previous experience of the graduate, quality of the school and the appropriateness of the individual for the particular environment. At the same meeting, the scientific validity of rankings was heavily debated between leading business education journalists and the European MBA directors.
Technology is one of the drivers in the changing MBA programmes environment. There is a clear trend towards increased demand in executive and part-time MBA’s, and ICT applications are a key element. The HEC School of Management in Paris, for instance, offers “MBA discussions forums” where potential candidates, alumni, professors and staff have real time discussions. The internet is also an integral part of ‘live case studies’ in most European schools. Intranet and extranet features increasingly offer services for admissions, recruitment and on-campus information, from the course syllabus to informal social activities. Furthermore, the latest technological applications make a big difference in research activities and internationalisation opportunities.
Apart from the added value of ICT applications, a key factor is still “people” learning and sharing in a business school. Innovative faculty who change the way people think and good students who participate actively in an MBA programme make it a unique experience. Or to quote Angel Cabrera, Dean of Instituto de Empressa in Madrid: “The main building blocks for training managers of the future at I.E are innovation, a responsible entrepreneurial spirit, academic excellence and a commitment to new technologies.”
The top two reasons for people to want an MBA qualification are “to open new career opportunities” and “, both in ranpersonal development”. Ultimately, potential students have little doubt about their increased success in the corporate world and in salary.
The average salary for an MBA graduate from a top business school in Europe is estimated at €85,000. Such a figure should obviously be treated with caution. It does not reflect differences in types of programmes or age experience of graduates. Overall, salaries for graduating MBA’s have increased by over 25% in the past four years according to the MBA Career Guide annual survey of over 250 recruiting companies. Consulting is the sector consistently at the top end of salaries paid to new MBA graduates. The fees for most MBA programmes range from €10,000 to €40,000.