Students choose to complete an MBA for many reasons:
It opens up a wealth of networking opportunities through the curriculum activities and university alumni. Those who complete an MBA are statistically more likely to get hired into senior job roles, with a higher salary. It teaches all elements of creating and running a business, making it a great resource for aspiring entrepreneurs. As a postgraduate course, an MBA is ideal for personal development and for establishing a clear-cut career path.
Which MBA Is Right for Me?
There are thousands of MBA programs to choose from, but not all of them are the same. Before starting your applications, you need to make sure you are applying to the right one. Here are some things to consider:
Do you want to study in a particular state? – Sure, the course might sound perfect, but there is also a lot of extra-curricular work, so you need to be in an area that suits you – interest in technology or interest in luxury? Hot weather or seasons? Family-friendly or big city living? What will your specialization be? – Do you want a program that emphasizes global markets, or are you content with the US market? Do you want to create your own curriculum that focuses on specific topics?
This MBA consists of 12 core modules. The main focus of this program is finance, corporate social responsibility and leadership. Elective modules can be taken from the spring semester onwards, and all students are required to take part in at least one Applied Innovation elective. Examples of these are:
Haas Socially Responsible Investment Fund Cleantech to Market Real Estate Investment Analysis Hedge Funds Strategy The Start-Up Lab
The University of Chicago promises that its MBA is the most flexible in the world and offers you all the freedom you need to succeed. The curriculum specialties include accounting, economic, psychology, sociology and statistics. The only compulsory module is LEAD, which is designed to identify your leadership and communication skills. Outside of that, you are free to choose the modules that interest you most, based around the core specialties mentioned above.
The primary focus of Columbia’s MBA is entrepreneurship. The program also offers several global electives, including Global Immersion, which allows you to spend a week in a different country to learn about its culture and business customs. The second semester is mostly made up of electives, which gives you a lot of flexibility to study what interests you. Columbia also offers several co-curricular opportunities to facilitate your learning experience.
As an institute that always ranks at the top, the Harvard MBA comes with high expectations. The two-year program is designed to make you the best decision-maker and leader you can be. In the first year, 28% of the program focuses on global markets; the second year, it is 38%. Both years also offer immersion weeks in various locations around the world.
There are three core tracks in this MBA: Once you have completed your first-semester core modules, you are free to create your own curriculum for the remaining three semesters. As well as elective modules, you can choose to take a specific track route, complete an MIT certificate in subjects such as sustainability, healthcare or statistics, or combine your MBA with another master’s degree.
The Stern NYU MBA is a truly immersive program. The program curriculum starts with LAUNCH, a course designed to change your mindset into that of a business person. The first-year required modules are Financial Accounting & Reporting and Statistics & Data Analysis. The rest of the course is then yours to create. Following the completion of the first two modules, you then choose five other modules from a list of eight. To complete your first year, NYU will assist you in securing a summer internship at any location in the world. For your second year of study, you select up to three specializations and can choose from over 200 electives; five of those can be taken at any NYU graduate school. There are 25 specializations including:
Luxury Marketing Corporate Finance Entertainment and Media Real Estate Supply Chain Management and Global Sourcing
Your electives can complement your specializations or serve as additional interests. Stern also offers semesters abroad with its exchange program or the Doing Business IN… course, which consists of a week or two-week intensive trip at one of the university’s overseas partnered locations. Stern also offers a Fashion and Luxury MBA and a Tech MBA for those wanting to specialize in those markets.
The Kellogg School of Management MBA emphasizes global markets, and there are several opportunities to experience these markets first-hand throughout the program. The curriculum is made up of nine core modules covering economics, finance, marketing and strategy, as well as a series of electives. To focus your study, you can choose from eight majors, such as managing organizations, marketing, accounting, strategy and operations. Or you can select a ‘pathway’ to focus your program. Pathways include, but are not limited to: A one-year full-time MBA is available for those who have completed the relevant coursework as an undergraduate. This program starts in June. You will have to complete five courses before joining the second-year MBA students in September.
The Wharton MBA core modules focus on leadership, economics, statistics and communication. There are five fixed core modules and 25 flexible core modules, as well as over 200 electives. The curriculum was redesigned in 2012, so all the resources and content are up-to-date. Coursework and assessments are dependent on the tutor and the topic, giving even more variation to the curriculum.
The Stanford ethos for this MBA is collaboration and innovation. Like many other curriculums, the first year compromises of core modules, while the second year is filled with electives, seminars and the option to pair your MBA with another master’s program. A compulsory Global Experience is required for graduation; this is either a Global Management Immersion Experience (GMIX), which you complete by yourself, or a Global Study Trip (GST) where you travel with some of your peers for an intensive group-learning experience. Past GMIXs include a four-week trip with UNICEF to Israel and Palestine, while GST locations were Hong Kong, Switzerland and Ghana.
Separating this MBA from the rest is its onboarding program, which starts in the summer. During this time, you will complete the first two modules of your MBA – Leadership Foundations and Managerial Accounting – as well as your career plan. There are also classes which aim to develop skills such as PowerPoint and financial modeling. The first year is made up of management and finance modules, while the second year is built around your specialization. To finish your MBA, you need to complete a global requirement. This can be done one of three ways:
As mentioned earlier, you need to consider the location of the MBA and what you want to specialize in. Both NYU Stern and Columbia are in the heart of New York, giving an advantage to those wishing to enter the fashion or luxury industries. California is preferable for those interested in specializing in technology. Alternatively, the resources available at Ivy League schools, such as Harvard and MIT, may sway your choice. Before starting any admissions, take the time to thoroughly research your choices. Speak to as many people as you can, attend open days and ask all the questions. An MBA is a big investment financially and personally, but it could also change your life, so it needs to be the right one.
