If you’re considering pursuing a Masters or an MBA degree abroad, don’t miss out on the QS Virtual Connect event taking place on November 4th. You will be able to reach out & speak to admissions directors from Audencia BS, Alliance Manchester BS, Hult, IE, American University – Kogod and QS Virtual Connect Masters event to meet Toulouse BS, NEOMA, Montpellier BS, EM Normandie, American University – Kogod, Audencia, Columbia Univ. School of Profession, Concordia Univ., ESCP, ESSEC, Hult, IE, Imperial College, LBS, UBC Sauder, Bocconi in 25 minute personalised meetings.
Both Masters & MBA events are FREE to register but will have limited spaces for personalized meetings. Also, attendees will receive free consultation and access to $5.8 million in scholarships!
Here are the links to register for your MBA and/or Masters events:
MBA event: [Link]
Masters event: [Link]
MBA or Masters: What is the right choice?
Getting a Masters or an MBA degree is a great deal of time, effort, money and dedication. You pick up skills and knowledge along the way but do you know which one is the right one for your needs?
Your choice of program very much depends on two critical factors.
First, your ambitions: if you are clear on the type of career or specialism you hope to develop in your future career, then the advantages of a master’s degree often outweigh the more generic, business-focused approach of many MBA curricula.
Second, your background and qualifications: the most highly regarded international MBA or master’s programs require very precise entry qualifications, whether they are framed in terms of GMAT or GRE scores, professional experience, academic achievements or language requirements.
Key differences
Any discussion of the differences between the two qualifications cannot be entirely separated from the current economic and financial crisis. With close to 100,000 MBA graduates a year leaving US business schools and universities alone, 40% of whom traditionally enter finance or finance-related careers, the undeniable link between the MBA degree and the financial turmoil of the last 12 months has caused many to question both the validity and position of the MBA qualification in today’s globalized education system.
Henry Mintzberg, Professor of Management Studies at Canada’s McGill University, is perhaps the most vocal of the recent critics of the MBA qualification.
“My view is you cannot create a manager in a classroom, let alone a leader. You simply can’t. Management is not a science, it’s not a profession, it’s a practice; you learn it by doing it. “To claim that you’re training people who are not managers to be managers, is a sham, pure and simple, it’s a sham. You can’t do it. You give completely the wrong impression and you send them out with an enormous amount of hubris which is, ‘I can manage anything, even though I’ve never managed anything’.”
The candidate
The first area to examine is undoubtedly that of the candidate’s experience before they apply. The intention of both degrees is different – MBAs seek to develop appropriate skills on a foundation of a candidate’s life or professional experience, while the majority of master’s degrees build on the academic background of the student.
The program
The second most significant difference between the two graduate-level degrees is that of teaching style. While there have been tremendous developments in the way in which all university programs are taught, particularly with the introduction of new online learning technologies, MBA and master’s programs enjoy entirely different learning styles.
Traditional MBA programs are dominated by what is referred to as `case studies’, real-world examples of business issues or problems that students are expected to explore, discuss and reflect on in small groups or `syndicates’ of fellow students.
While the more traditional lectures and tutorial classes also feature in some MBA programs, these are far less common than in their master’s degree counterparts. Master’s programs, on the other hand, continue to develop their teaching methodologies around classroom or laboratory-based activities such as lectures, tutorials or presentations.
While small group work can be a feature of some master’s programs, the emphasis on individual or independent learning is often more significant than in many MBA degrees.
Employer perspectives
The differences in such a specialized area as human resources or personnel management are also important to employers. Gary Garber, an HR professional in a Chicago-based finance company, is clear on the differences between the two qualifications.
“An MBA has a ton of general business courses and only a few HR ones. As a graduate of Cornell’s Masters in Industrial and Labor Relations (MILR), my experience is the opposite – the MILR has a ton of HR courses and only a few general business ones.
“Employers certainly consider both degrees, but I think where there are specific HR vacancies, then the level of specialized knowledge the MILR provides you with wins out.”
Russ echoes Garber’s views. “In making my decision to switch programs I spoke with several HR professionals I know through our local professional network. They, my advisor, and our dean of business graduate studies, all gave me the same advice.“In a nutshell, what they told me was that if HR is really what you want to do, then the master’s is your best option. You also have to remember that in specialized fields, a lot of schools have MBA programs but a master’s degree is something that can set you apart in the industry.”
Register here:
MBA event: [Link]
Masters event: [Link]