What to look for in an MBA program

An MBA program is only good as the components of the program. This means that the program must reflect current requirements and be adequately armed with a complete selection of core and elective courses. Crucial to any program is proper content and structure, elective alternatives, teaching quality and relevance to current business needs.

Faculty

The quality of any MBA program is directly related to the abilities and qualifications of the staff teaching, and supporting the program. The academic reputation of faculty and staff members, as well as their research credentials and ability to enthusiastically transfer knowledge form a foundation to the quality of any MBA program under consideration.

Culture

Each business school has a culture that is pretty well distinct from another business school. The same of course applies to the corporate world. The prospective MBA student should understand the target business school’s culture and should ensure their ability to fit in to the respective culture.

Size

The size of a particular business school may be an indication of the involvement and resources related to the business school. Large business schools have more resources at the student’s disposal but can be impersonal. Smaller business schools, intentionally or otherwise, usually allow more personal involvement but can be restrictive when it comes to resources.

Facilities

Facilities provide an important support mechanism for any studies. A business school should at least be equipped with good and relevant libraries, multimedia broadband communication systems and related media centers. Sports and recreation facilities may also be desirable.

Careers Services

An organized career service can be a strategic asset for any graduate school of business. Good career services provide proper career guidance, job matching and placement offices. Adequately staffed guidance services help graduates properly reflect and prepare for targeted job applications and interviews.

Internationalism

Business is becoming international and geographic borders are slowly melting away. Most future job seekers and workers will engage their skills in a multicultural multinational multilingual environment. Adaptation is critical for career and business success. As a result an internationally oriented business school may reflect more business reality than a business school limited to a particular location.

Accreditation

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 20th Anniversary Edition of Which MBA? 2009, “accreditation acts as an assurance that a school’s curriculum meets a minimum standard in terms of what is taught, the quality of students that are admitted, and the standard of the faculty.”
The three main accreditation bodies when it comes to MBA studies are the US AACSB International, the European EQUIS and the British AMBA. These organizations are international and a chosen MBA program should belong to a business school that adheres to the standards fostered by the above organizations.

Sources:
Bickerstaffe, George. 20th Anniversary Edition: Which MBA? 2009. London: The Economist Intelligence Unit