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Expert lists out tips for deciding on the MBA programme to pursue

Going to the best business school in town sounds like a good idea for those looking to climb up the corporate ladder, but what are the criteria that need to be kept in mind before deciding to pursue an MBA or other business education programmes?

“In light of the financial crisis, employers were telling us they needed different skills from students. We changed the curriculum in many ways. The curriculum forces people with very different value systems to work together on complex decisions,” Dana Brown, director of MBA programme at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, told Khaleej Times.

In Dubai, business education programmes continue to be the most popular study option among students. Taking up an executive MBA programme requires students to undergo intensive training with several hours of case studies, debates and discussions inside a classroom.

For fresh graduates looking to gain an edge, an MBA without experience adds little value. Most universities advise students to gain real-world work experience before deciding on a business studies course.

“A lot of the learning we do in the classroom is experiential or case-based. The value of putting together people who will clash and then mentoring them to teach them to negotiate and reach a resolution is important. We want bigger participation from students in the Arab region which will allow us to have more voices in the room,” Brown said.

Here are a few tips from Dana on deciding to do an MBA programme:

Have a career goal: An MBA is not a magic wand that gets you a job. People who are trying to make a big transition in their career have to be realistic about what the MBA achieves for them.

Work hard: The MBA is a huge personal investment. An MBA is a really rigorous programme and a student has to be 100 per cent dedicated before dedicating their time to an educational programme.

Be open-minded: If you already know everything, don’t apply. You must be open-minded to learning in order to benefit from the experience. Doing something for a credential and not to grow yourself personally is not worth it.

Have an impact: Developing people with self-awareness and soft skills is more important today. Each of our students has an executive coach or mentor who would help them in their weak areas. Students should come out with personal growth and an ability to tackle global challenges.

muaz@khaleejtimes.com