Which MBA?

[cfachick]

Very keen to do strath. Was giving more thought to mbs n strath. Felt like, MBS has a better edge cos' mbs mba is directly administered by the uni and the alumni quite strong I heard.

Still, strath is bang for buck without doubt. got some other things that made mbs a better choice. have u met up with the mbs local staff? talked with them before. After the talk with them, I'm a bit swayed towards mbs.

u will only do a mba once in in your life..just choose the best one within your budget. Strath will be a good choice if it is not administered by ymca.I agree with you, bang for buck... but too unstable it seems. MBS is more expensive but heard that their alumni is quite active and strong. Syllabus wise both are roughly the same.

Of course, there is also the lancaster mba. did anyone of u attend their preview? The presenter said that the transcript is different from on-campus . I checked their syllabus with the on campus one and it looks different.wonder whether will it undermine the quality?

 

[systeo]

go visit this site

http://www.edupoll.org/content/view/188/97/

shows all the mba programs in singapore from best to worst. quite comprehensive.

MBA cost btw 12k to 100k . its all in the reputation. if u are aiming for a high flying career go for the better ranked ones . US MBA is most preferred choice in the most recent GMAC studies followed by UK then Australia - so u can see that price point, US is the most expensive. like Chicago, Rutgers, City university of New York EMBA all cost btw $100k to $75K SGD. followed by european schools like helsinki, Manchester and straclyde.


my opinion, go for a better ranked ones, cost more but return is definitely higher. bank loans are easy to get for education. peace of mind so u wont regret later for choosing a not so well known school.

 

[delay]

Naturally, if you graduate from Ivies. You wont be entrusting your career search to any entry level recruiter right .

unfortunately that is not true
remember, the lowest and I dare say the least knowledgable members of a HR team are the first filter so do not expect them to know lesser-known ivies in SG.

so unless you have direct line to at least middle management in HR or functional people then you have to put up with these recruiters. Especially if your career aspirations is to go into a field that does not regularly hire MBAs from top schools

I do of course understand your train of thought, in fact these schools generally tell their MBAs to avoid HR for a simple reason..... why get filtered out unnecessarily?
Such is life....

 

[delay]

INSEAD ?? It's renowned!

it's in Singapore so if companies' HR don't know, ask the CEO to fry their behinds!
it takes only a year! and brings you to France too!
!

unfortunately you do not hire your HR person by asking him if he knows which are the best schools but probably how many years of experience he's got in HR and therein lies the fundamental problem


Singapore is an immature market for top end MBAs; local recruiters are looking to hire experience whereas these MBAs are taught to sell not their experience but rather the skills they bring to a job. Even though some jobs do require a fair bit of technical knowledge there is a clear disconnect here.

 

[weicong]

u will only do a mba once in in your life..just choose the best one within your budget. Strath will be a good choice if it is not administered by ymca.I agree with you, bang for buck... but too unstable it seems. MBS is more expensive but heard that their alumni is quite active and strong. Syllabus wise both are roughly the same.

Of course, there is also the lancaster mba. did anyone of u attend their preview? The presenter said that the transcript is different from on-campus . I checked their syllabus with the on campus one and it looks different.wonder whether will it undermine the quality?

I attend before and was told it is the same MBA as their part-time MBA in UK. Likewise I attend Birmingham MBA preview before and was told their MBA is the same MBA as their part-time MBA in UK. I check the modules against their part-time MBA in UK, it is exactly the same. I think Nottingham MBA is also the same as UK part-time MBA.

 

[vesfreq]

u will only do a mba once in in your life..just choose the best one within your budget. Strath will be a good choice if it is not administered by ymca.I agree with you, bang for buck... but too unstable it seems. MBS is more expensive but heard that their alumni is quite active and strong. Syllabus wise both are roughly the same.

Of course, there is also the lancaster mba. did anyone of u attend their preview? The presenter said that the transcript is different from on-campus . I checked their syllabus with the on campus one and it looks different.wonder whether will it undermine the quality?

Ya lor... sigh.... same concerns. argh. I'm pretty impressed by the MBS study materials, student support and alumni. You are rite, we only do mba once. sigh.... I'm also thinking of going for dba after mba. Just damn worried if poor or no support during the programme.

 

[cfachick]

I attend before and was told it is the same MBA as their part-time MBA in UK. Likewise I attend Birmingham MBA preview before and was told their MBA is the same MBA as their part-time MBA in UK. I check the modules against their part-time MBA in UK, it is exactly the same. I think Nottingham MBA is also the same as UK part-time MBA.

Yup, birmingham and nottingham cert and transcript are the same as on campus.

I was told one of the module is different for lancaster mba , thus the transcript is different from on campus.

But then I did my research and found the modules different. Electives are missing in the Sg programme. If it is different, that means it is not the same programme.

Lancaster mba in SG - http://www.lmanc.com.sg/?page_id=61
Lancaster mba in uk - http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/masters/mba/content/
Lancaster EMBA in UK - http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/masters/emba/content/

Have u been able to see the lancaster mba original cert and transcript ? Is it the same?

 

[YWStealth]

unfortunately you do not hire your HR person by asking him if he knows which are the best schools but probably how many years of experience he's got in HR and therein lies the fundamental problem


Singapore is an immature market for top end MBAs; local recruiters are looking to hire experience whereas these MBAs are taught to sell not their experience but rather the skills they bring to a job. Even though some jobs do require a fair bit of technical knowledge there is a clear disconnect here.

True. Always go straight to director/ top management. True. Actually what astounds me is the value of an MBA. I mean, 'll having a lesser known MBA not be paid the same / considered for same job as a higher end MBA?

Btw... have DBA for what? Prof - wnabe?

 

[weicong]

MBS is taught by the UK lecturers in Singapore? How about Imperial MBA?

 

[vesfreq]

True. Always go straight to director/ top management. True. Actually what astounds me is the value of an MBA. I mean, 'll having a lesser known MBA not be paid the same / considered for same job as a higher end MBA?

Btw... have DBA for what? Prof - wnabe?

Ehh.... cannot have dba meh? Prof wannabe or not, its a matter of personal aspirations. If dba is prof wannabe, then mba must be ceo/ md wannabe?

 

[delay]

I mean, 'll having a lesser known MBA not be paid the same / considered for same job as a higher end MBA?

depends on whether your MBA is valued or not

but yes there are certain companies that i know of who will not consider lesser regarded MBAs for their strategy jobs. But these are your regular MBA recruiters who knows the value / ranking etc of your mba

 

[YWStealth]

depends on whether your MBA is valued or not

but yes there are certain companies that i know of who will not consider lesser regarded MBAs for their strategy jobs. But these are your regular MBA recruiters who knows the value / ranking etc of your mba

Ooo okay... siong... any DL MBAs tt die die must avoid? Let's say, relatively the most unheard one is Hull and University Canada West offered by Kaplan..

Ehh.... cannot have dba meh? Prof wannabe or not, its a matter of personal aspirations. If dba is prof wannabe, then mba must be ceo/ md wannabe?

Haha. Your joke quite humorous. Gave me quite a good laugh. I just wna know for what personal aspirations why ppl take DBA. Around 40k plus right?

 

[Dr_ARCHer]

Haha. Your joke quite humorous. Gave me quite a good laugh. I just wna know for what personal aspirations why ppl take DBA. Around 40k plus right?

Same aspiration as those going for PhD . Anyway, some universities award only DBA and not PhD. Typically, PhD is research while DBA is coursework. So I guess the aspiration is similar to why people do Masters by coursework rather than Masters by research.

 

[vesfreq]

Ooo okay... siong... any DL MBAs tt die die must avoid? Let's say, relatively the most unheard one is Hull and University Canada West offered by Kaplan..



Haha. Your joke quite humorous. Gave me quite a good laugh. I just wna know for what personal aspirations why ppl take DBA. Around 40k plus right?

Hull not v unheard of. There are some prominent grads, like one of the senior docs at Raffles Hospital. It was one of my consideration. But, after I thought again, Strath is another 13k more and then the alumni is stronger. Then, there is manchester.... plus another 10k up the ladder n ranking.

Also, hull not new in mkt. Previously, they were under apmi, but kaplan bought over apmi. Its quite value for money too, except that it doesn't ve triple accreditation like strath n mbs which easily catch attention.

 

[jimmypage33]

Haha, tough times indeed choosing an MBA I'd say do the required reserch, but go with your instincts. You will generally listen to very conflicting views when choosing an mba, what is right, what is good and what is bad. Just choose one program that you think will work and stick to it

And really, don't count too much on what you will gain post MBA. The top schools will not necessary guarantee you with the top jobs, and the fact that the market is flooded with MBA holders of all sorts. I generally believe that the HR here hires more based on experience, rather than the origins of your degree. It is usually in countries like the US that really value ivy league versus state colleges.

Try to focus more on the learning experience and networking that can be gained by any program. Look through the courses offered and see if it is to your liking.

I have heard people say that an MBA without GMAT is utterly rubbish. I have heard people say that you must trust only NUS in Singapore, as one must "suffer" with tons of homework and endless classes in order to be considered worthy. I have heard people say that if you do not get into Chicago GSB or Insead, then don't bother doing an MBA and the list goes on and on.

What are your priorities?
What are you willing to sacrifice?
What best fits you?

 

[vesfreq]

You are rite about instinct. Its tough making a choice. I have to say that I totally agree with you regarding the learning experience and networking part. It makes a big diff.

For guys signing for either mbs, strath or whichever mba, may we be friendly classmates, if ever in the same class.

 

[yantao]

Anyone going for mba studies?

I'm kinda stuck in between strathclyde and manchester. Both are reputable schools. But, heard a lot of bad rep going on for strathclyde due to poor student support by ymca.

For the guys going through strathclyde via ymca, how is the quality of the support services by ymca? Would poorer or lack of good rep cos' strathclyde to lose credibility or standing in sg? A lot of my lecturers were strathclyde mba holders.

Manchester is a damn tempting one. But, pricy. Right now, the only turn offs are its 2.5 years and more cost. I was also thinking that in terms of ranking and quality, strath and manch not far apart. Only thing is strath rep is a bit affected by ymca, which I really wonder its really that severe.

Constructive replies pls. If anyone is going for mbs mba, drop me a pm. We could try for group discount, which really helps to offset the cost.

Not sure whether i can help. I have just graduated from MBS MBA last year and I started in 2005 when it cost $30k and still ranked about 44th in FT ranking.

I must really warn you guys here... It's not a easy to get through this MBA, you need a lot of discipline, classmates support to pull through it... During my first year, lost almost 30% of my classmates as they dropped out, second year slightly better...

Although course work is 2.5 yrs but the dissertation is usually the killer... Typically the faster lot will take another 0.5yrs to complete the dissertation, normal ones another 1yrs and slower ones another 1.5yrs... Since we are mostly working adults, there are occasional hiccups during your course which would cause you to delay the modules...

There are also several killer modules which caused some of my classmates to repeat their modules... So beware, even it's open book exams... The books are useless during the exams, because you are not expected to re-produce contents from the books like typical SG degrees... You would need to full understand the concepts, know-how on how to apply the methodologies...

 

[yantao]

MBS is taught by the UK lecturers in Singapore? How about Imperial MBA?

Yes, they will fly the UK professors down for a period of 24hrs (over 3 full days or 5 half days)... During these 3 days, it's intensive and also be prepared to burn your weekends doing workshop assignments and presentations which would count towards your module grades.

In additional, MBS also provides "free" local tuition supports (about 3 for each module) which help you to prepare your assignments and examinations. They are conducted by local lecturers whom some of them are former MBS MBA grads too...

 

[cfachick]

Not sure whether i can help. I have just graduated from MBS MBA last year and I started in 2005 when it cost $30k and still ranked about 44th in FT ranking.

I must really warn you guys here... It's not a easy to get through this MBA, you need a lot of discipline, classmates support to pull through it... During my first year, lost almost 30% of my classmates as they dropped out, second year slightly better...

Although course work is 2.5 yrs but the dissertation is usually the killer... Typically the faster lot will take another 0.5yrs to complete the dissertation, normal ones another 1yrs and slower ones another 1.5yrs... Since we are mostly working adults, there are occasional hiccups during your course which would cause you to delay the modules...

There are also several killer modules which caused some of my classmates to repeat their modules... So beware, even it's open book exams... The books are useless during the exams, because you are not expected to re-produce contents from the books like typical SG degrees... You would need to full understand the concepts, know-how on how to apply the methodologies...

Seems like MBS MBA is a tough one.. may I know why did u select the MBS MBA? I understand that there is a certain level of prestige attached to this MBA ( the more recognised one of the lot).

What do u advise? Is it viable for me to work full time, do cfa exams and study MBS MBA at the same time? Do u have classmates who have successfully done that?

 

[yantao]

Seems like MBS MBA is a tough one.. may I know why did u select the MBS MBA? I understand that there is a certain level of prestige attached to this MBA ( the more recognised one of the lot).

What do u advise? Is it viable for me to work full time, do cfa exams and study MBS MBA at the same time? Do u have classmates who have successfully done that?

When i was sourcing about back in 2005, there wasn't much options available then. MBS was a tier 2 uni in UK, together with Imperial and Warwick. At the time, only 2 unis in SG is above top 50 in FT ranking, Insead & MBS. I did not consider local unis because I wanted a broader perspective and more flexible timing due to occasional biz trip. It's so flexible that I took one of my module workshop in UK during my biz trip to Germany.

A lot of people under-estimated the time commitment required for taking a MBA. You have combination of 2000 words assignment, intensive workshops and group projects to complete one module. With 2 full modules and 1 half-modules per semester, it's quite pack for a working adult with family commitments. When you first started with the MBA, you have all the zealous required, but those would gradually fade as the reality of the MBA digs in... Work and study fatigue takes toll on you. Classmates drop out or reduce their module per semester...

If you are single and available, then doing CFA at the same time might be possible. Depending on your priorities, MBA is good for general knowledge and management position while CFA is a specialized certification which you give u a better chance of securing a good job. If you are still early in your job career, finish your CFA first before thinking of a MBA. The MBA will come handy later in your career ladder as immediate tangible benefits cannot be realized yet. Chances that your employer might send you for a MBA course later in your career is also possible.