Specialised MBA courses, Is Demand on the rise

When Bharti Airtel set off to hire fresh management graduates this year, besides premier B-schools it also visited Mumbai’s National Institute of Industrial Engineering, which offers specialised programmes in areas such as industrial engineering and industrial management. 

The country’s top telecom operator has increased its focus on hiring young talent in specialised spaces, said Srikanth Balachandran, global chief human resources officer at the firm. "We gauge the aptitude of the student and sift out the ones we need for our area specific roles in primary stages using contests and online registrations. We also hire from campuses like NITIE," he said. 

Airtel is not alone. While full-time general MBA remains the most considered programme type among recruiters, there is increasing demand for specialised management graduates, and a host of management schools across the country now offer specialised courses in areas ranging from logistics and supply chain management, to oil and gas management. 

According to universities and business schools, specialised programmes make sense for those who already have some specific expertise and are looking to update their skillsets and competencies to grow in the chosen area. 

"Very niche programmes like these — for instance, the one in consulting management — will help a student specialise in how to deal with clients, reports and various bench-marking skills very much from the start," said Nitish Jain, president at SP Jain School of Global Management. The institute offers specialised degrees in logistics and supply chain management and consulting management. 

Utpal Ghosh, president at University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, said, "The MBA segment is getting overcrowded at several levels, and institutes and students are looking to find differentiators. A lot of students are looking for sector specialisations at an early stage." 

The university offers specialised management courses in oil and gas, aviation, infrastructure management, ports and shipping, and power. 

Chinese multinational Lenovo is among the companies looking to hire candidates with specialised MBA degrees. "In the last year, our requirement for them has shot up in the areas of analytics business in India," said Rohit Sandal, HR director of the PC maker in India. "We also have a marketing hub which does creative work for our Europe and US offices. These kinds of roles can be filled well by specialised MBA graduates," he said. 

Lenovo is considering visiting specific campuses to recruit those with degrees in analytics, communications and marketing next year, Sandal said. 

Adarsh Khandelwal, director at admission consultancy and coaching firm Collegify, said a rising number of students in the past two years have approached the firm “with plans to pursue specialist MBA programmes”. 

WeSchool, or Welingkar Institute of Management, offers specialised MBA degrees in areas like rural management, retail management, sports management, and healthcare management. "We are soon planning to roll out a specialised MBA course in sports management, and have been in extensive talks with some top institutes in Australia to discuss how this can be taken forward," said Uday Salunkhe, group director at WeSchool. "Right now we are focusing on getting our ecosystem ready, we will probably roll it out as a short-term course and thereafter make it a specialised MBA degree." 

Chennai-based Great Lakes Institute of Management, too, offers a specialised programme in business analytics. 

Some experts, however, feel that the rush for specialised MBA will lose steam in the years to come. Dishan Kamdar, deputy dean of academic programmes at The Indian school of Business, believes that in the long run students will only opt for generic MBA programmes.
Source : ET

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MBA Specialization : A Lot Depends Upon Your Pesonaity

Before year 2000 MBA programme had specializations in marketing, finance and human resources management only. 

Looking to the industry needs and requirements of the job market many sector wise specializations were added to routine MBA program to make specialized MBA in specific sector.

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Choice of specialized programme does not depend only on job prospects but also on personality type of students. 
Many join marketing courses because of peer pressure or it is an evergreen field of growth but gradually find themselves misfits.

There is a simple test for your innate likings. If you are extrovert, like friends and enjoy parties one should join fields like marketing, advertising and public relations etc. 

If one loves to sit and work on desk for long hours, he/she should prefer finance, international business and foreign trade.

Also, two primary factors should be kept in mind while choosing an MBA specialization. One is, of course, the careers available upon completion and the other is your interests. It should be a combination of what excites you and what may offer you a rewarding career. 

If you choose a specialization that has great prospects but does not make you feel charged enough, it will make you disillusioned, sooner or later. Similarly, a profession may give you immense satisfaction, but you may not sustain the work because it is not monetarily rewarding enough or does not have ample room for growth. So, one's choice should be a healthy mix of these two ingredients.


MBA program is a tool which equips to take challenges of life and career. It is up to the student to use these skills for his/her benefits. One must choose the programme which is close to the area of interest so that work life becomes interesting and rewarding.

Source: TOI

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The Global Language, MBA Program- An Exciting Combination Of Specialisation And Professionalism

Wherever you are in the world, and whatever field you may have chosen to specialise in, there is no doubt that the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree gives you a special advantage. The MBA designation, which originated in the United States as the country industrialised in the 19th century, offers a scientific approach to management. 


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An MBA degree provides certain tools and skills to identify new opportunities for organisational success. Sound communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to analyse and strategise, leadership skills and professionalism towards work are some of the many benefits of doing an MBA course.

MBA today has become a minimum basic requirement because it not only develops the personality of an individual but also gives it a global edge.
As businesses and firms are growing globally, corporates are stressing the need for professionalism at all levels. People with an MBA degree have a greater chance of getting recruited in these companies and moving up the ladder swiftly. 

The MBA also provides specialisation in various fields. For example you can now do an MBA in almost any stream of interest such as Real Estate, Pharma, International Business, Retail, Hospitality and Health-care, to name just a few options from a long list.

"My MBA degree gave me the opportunity to handle the international business department," says Niraj Dholakiya, Manager, International Business, Marksans Pharma Ltd, who completed his MBA in International Business. "It gave a direction to my career after graduation. Specialisation provides you with an additional edge and a perfect launch pad. The MBA degree gave me knowledge of working with international clients and how to become a professional at work."

The maximum benefits can be got from an MBA degree only if it is line with your profession, say experts. Suchitra Surve, a career counselor at Growth Centre agrees. She says, "An MBA does give an overall sense of Marketing, HR, Finance and various aspects of running a business and hence it is meant for people who want to be in the same functions. For example, a doctor can pursue an MBA in Health-care, if he wants to get into the administration section and is not keen to work in the surgical area." 

 The MBA degree allows working with a wide range of businesses in a conducive environment and opens up avenues. Increasing competition in various fields has also been a catalyst to the growing numbers of professionals from different fields, who are opting for the course. 

"There are a lot of job opportunities available in big hospitals for people with a medical and managerial background," says Rajeev Ranjan, who completed his basic dentistry course and is currently pursuing his MBA degree. Instead of getting into mainstream dentistry, now working as a health care analyst, he believes that his profession requires certain skills which can be learnt from an MBA programme. "I am the bridge between the technical and clinical person and it will really make a difference once I have completed my MBA," he explains.

Similarly, Advocate Mohammad Shine also acquired an MBA degree as he felt it would be necessary in the near future. He says, "Presently I am working in an individual firm. It doesn't matter to my clients whether I have an MBA degree or not. What makes a difference is how good I am in court, fighting cases."
Shine adds, "However, the training does help me in handling corporate cases. Further, in future if I decide to join a corporate legal department, I would also need to know how a corporate functions from within, how the different departments co-ordinate with each other, how the management charts out its business plans. The MBA degree will help me then as it gives me indepth knowledge about how a company functions."
Theoretical knowledge, hands-on experience and a personality makeover… an MBA degree provides all this and more; it is your gateway to global success.

Source - TOI

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Looking For Specialization in MBA, A Wide Choice Is Available

If someone had to do an MBA in early days, there were limited choices. Human resources, Marketing or Finance would be the only options to choose from since these were the important sectors in any organisation. 

However, with the growth of information technology, systems management became a key area to master and hence many schools introduced an MBA programme that offered a specialisation in computers i.e. MBA-IT. But with time as job opportunities multiplied and more areas opened up requiring specialised knowledge. And today we have schools offering MBA programmes for retail, hospitality, media and many more. 


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For those who love number crunching and mathematics calculations, the best choice is MBA in finance. With the growing Indian economy and becoming more global in nature, there is an undying need for finance experts to manage the growth. 

Those with finance expertise can work with banks and financial institutions like the stock market and brokerage firms and different wealth and finance consulting companies in various analyst and associate capacities. 

It is a rewarding proposition especially for those doing a CA, ICWA or CS. All in all, an MBA in finance offers a highly challenging job environment and a very stimulating career.  

If the word 'brand' ticks with you, marketing is the place to be. It involves putting the product in a market and making it sell. It is a complete front-end activity that requires one to be in the market to gauge what works and what does not. 

MBA in marketing will prepare you in different areas like identifying a concept, research, advertising, marketing strategies and promotions. As a part of your final projects you can expect activities like creating your own brand and marketing it to the public to give you a feel of the actual market. 

If brand management and sales management is what interests you, an MBA in marketing is the way ahead. 

Interpersonal relations are at every level in the organisation and those in the human relations department are responsible to strike a balance. 

The role of a human resources person involves dealing with people at various levels in the organisation and maintaining cordial relations with one and all. The common role of an HR person
includes dealing with recruitment, staffing, organisation structure, work environment, employee retention, and a host of other activities. An MBA in Human Resources will train you to deal with people, maintain calm and deal with unstructured situations at hand. If you are a people's man, a smooth talker, someone who can negotiate well, this is your domain. 


Operations management deals with taking care of the supply chain activities of an organisation starting right from areas like inventory management, vendor management and the overall sourcing activity. It mainly looks into the back-end processes of the company that help achieve efficiency levels in an organisation. Since this field involves need of technical
knowledge, an MBA in Operations Management will help you train better if this is your area of interest. 

With all activities increasingly getting computerised, systems management has assumed great importance in current times. The IT department of a company integrates all the systems and creates linkages and for that prefers people with MBA in IT. Under systems management, one has to handle the entire IT requirement of the company starting with creating, coding, updating different software, regular monitoring and maintenance of the computer systems and the server and so on. 

Different B-schools are known for their different specialisations. So once you have decided on your field of specialisation you should choose your B-school such that it is the best in your chosen field. 

Also, one must also decide whether one wants to pursue a one-year or two-year MBA. The one-year course is more intensive and so it is preferably a better choice to opt for a two-year programme that allows more time and further specialisation in the second year. There is also an option of doing part-time MBA which runs over three years. 

Several universities have also started offering dual specialisations that help the students get knowledge of two different fields during the course tenure. Generally, one subject has to be chosen as the major and another one as the minor subject. So if you are interested in both finance and systems, you could major in finance and select systems as your minor subject. 

Apart from the conventional streams available, many schools are offering highly specialised subjects like retail, hospitality, media and so on as other options to choose for within dual specializations. Many schools also offer comprehensive two year MBA programmes for the same.

The MBA programme today is no more restricted to the conventional streams; there is an MBA programme for even a peculiar field of interest - be it arts or bio sciences or pharmaceuticals or even something as niche as Islamic banking, petroleum management or even wine management. However, it is advisable that one clearly understands what subject one is most comfortable with to select the right programme for maximum effectiveness in their job run. And those with a chunk of experience on their CV can always consider an executive MBA programme to up their resume.

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MBA vs Specialist Masters

A new study of prospective MBA students suggests growing interest in specialist Masters and less interest in the MBA. The ‘2010 Tomorrow’s MBA’ study found that only 4% of Indian respondents would definitely consider a specialist Masters rather than an MBA. In the same study in 2011, repeated by CarringtonCrisp, European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and Association of Business Schools (ABS), 14% of Indians said they would consider a specialist Masters, and across the world it was as high as 28%. At the same time, GMAC reported that applications for Master of Finance programmes rose by 83%, Master in Management by 69% and Master of Accounting by 51%. So why the rising interest in specialist Masters?

MBA vs Specialist Masters
Part of the answer lies in the problems of the MBA rather than the attraction of the specialist Masters. The MBA jobs market has tightened in recent years, especially with declining recruitment in the financial sector. Where recruitment has continued relatively strongly, it has tended to be concentrated at the top MBA schools.
From the other side a specialist Masters will often provide skills in a specific field, making a graduate well suited to a particular career and, more importantly, a particular vacancy.
The second part of the equation is cost. It’s not unheard of for an MBA at a top school to cost over £100,000 and possibly as much as double this figure once income foregone from giving up a job is taken into account. Getting a return on such an investment again requires a highly paid job and will still take several years to break even.
A specialist Masters degree has lower fees than an MBA at the same school. It may also be quicker to complete than an MBA. Even with a lower paid job on graduation, the sums add
up, offering a quicker return on investment for the individual.

Admissions & Cost
Then there is the question of admissions. Getting on to an MBA degree may be harder than a specialist Masters, and there are likely to be fewer places. Combine the issue of admissions and costs, and a prospective student might decide that they had a better chance of getting on to a Masters programme at a school with a stronger reputation and at a lower cost than they would when applying for an MBA at a lesser ranked school.
For new undergraduates the Masters degree can also offer a way to differentiate themselves in the labour market. In many countries the number of undergraduates has grown significantly in recent years, while jobs markets have not been strong. A one-year Masters offers a useful tool to distinguish an undergraduate in the job market, more so when most MBA degrees require work experience of several years.
Maybe these Masters students will decide in a few years that they still need an MBA to make the next step up the corporate ladder. For now, they are increasingly thinking about studying finance, accounting, marketing and international management as a specialist Masters.

FACT SHEET
In 2009 and 2010, 1 in 5 or less of the respondents said they would definitely consider a specialist Masters as an alternative to an MBA; in 2011, 28% said they would definitely consider a specialist Masters and a further 23% said this would be a possibility The study of specialist subjects such as Logistics or Taxation look attractive as a Masters rather than within an MBA, being cheaper and often quicker to complete A further consequence of the growing popularity of the pre-experience Masters programme may be that graduates of these programmes perceive less value in completing an MBA at a later stage in their careers Styles of learning are also changing with a moveaway from the traditional academic terms-office hours; such a traditional approach is the preferred choice of only 18% of the sample. The most popular style of study is blended learning, chosen by 27%, representing a combination of e-learning and face-to-face

Source: Tomorrow’s MBA 2012

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Tips for MBA Students to Make Themselves More Employable

A simple graduation was all that it took to get employed in the 80’s.With growing competition and the rise for skilled talent, that bar was raised to an engineering degree in the 90’s.

Until recently, it was the MBA that was doing the popularity rounds. But with the dawn of the new millennium, even the reputed MBA (with exceptions of those from the pedigreed institutions) seems to be falling short in providing employment to the fresh graduates.


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 Just getting a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) degree is not enough to get your dream job in modern job market. In this time when MNCs opine that 75% of MBAs are proving nothing but just another brick of wall, they are not employable, one need to have something more than just academics to prove himself unique in crowd. Since the corporate world is too competitive, demanding and dynamic, there are other skills that you should be proficient enough to secure the job of your dreams with a handsome salary. Here are some tips that experts suggest every MBA student, in order to help him/her out to make a better career.

1) Enhance Your Soft Skills – Its Important: It is very important to enhance your communication skills, presentation skills and soft skills. For those who're not confident about their soft skills, joining a finishing school to develop your personality, body language, inter-personal and social interaction skills will be beneficial.

2) Knowledge Building: You should be updated with latest trends in your field. It is important to keep on doing courses to update your knowledge. Participate in all kinds of group activities like group case studies, simulations, industry interaction programs and inter- college level academic and extra-curricular competitions to keep yourself updated.

3) Develop Corporate Awareness – It’s Necessary : An employer is not only looking for a MBA degree but also the application orientation of the student. Students in B-school study the concepts of management in their classes but hardly understand how this knowledge can be applied in real business scenario. Thus there is a gap between theory and knowledge. To be able to bag the coveted job you must understand what business is all about and how you can contribute to the growth of any organization.

4) Develop Leadership Skills: Since you will be hired at a managerial position after completing your MBA, it is very important that you're able to manage a group of people. For that you need to develop leadership skills.

5) Learn to be a Team Player: It is very important that you can work in a team, coordinate with your colleagues, communicate with them effectively and make proper adjustments.

6) Strong Network: To be a successful professional, you must be well connected and have a strong networking with people in your field. Having a good network and being active on social networking sites will be useful for you.

7) Carefully selecting internships and placements: You must select a good/ reputed company in your field for internship as it is the only opportunity where you can exhibit your skills by translating them in performance. At the same time, you learn about a particular industry, how it functions and its operations in detail. Ensure that you select an internship in the same profile or industry you intend to work in future.

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Executive MBA Programmes - Opening Doors for Rising Managers

If you are one of those who are dreaming to make a bright career ahead, then 'resting on your laurels can be very risky' in this cutthroat competitive world. When the world is changing at such a fast pace, it is very important to keep yourself abreast of these changes. Hence, it is essential for rising managers to measure how far they have come and where they want to go. It is also beneficial for them to identify areas of improvement and to improve them. As they enter their 30s, many managers get tired of their role and are looking for something new and challenging to add to their profiles.

The executive MBA- the basic MBA course that has become synonymous with executive education- helps managers to change their streams and put their careers on the fast track.

Types of executive MBAs -:

1) Regular Executive MBA: It is for those who are not tied up with money constraints and have a stable job, you can take a study sabbatical and apply for such a program. An executive MBA residential program takes 12 to 15 months.

2) Weekend programme:  If you are willing to enhance your career prospects, but you can't leave your job, then you can pursue an executive MBA where the classes are held on the weekends.

3) Short programmes / Open course: These programmes range from 3 days to 2 weeks. Once you have a basic MBA and direction in your job profile, these courses provide focus bursts of learning in chosen area & a way to stay engaged with latest trends and best practices of their fields.

4) Online MBA: In India, some of the leading b- schools like IIM Ahmedabad, IIFT, IIT Delhi have taken the initiative of offering online MBA courses in India. It’s really a good initiative.

Experts say at times one-year executive MBA program is better for working professionals in India. These courses maybe demanding, but it is value for money.

Many organizations have tie-ups with management institutes, especially IIMs, for six-month general management programmes. However, these programmes are tailored to the company you work in.

 

Benefits

• Gives you a knowledge edge over others
• Keeps you engaged with your profession
• Enriches your macro view of business
• Enhances your growth and promotion prospects
• Broadens your circle of network

On the basis of quality, variety and relevance here are some courses for rising managers. From young executives to CEOs, from bankers to defence officers, these courses have plenty to offer managers and enable them to move up the ladder in the industry.

Best Executive MBA Programmes in India -

Executive MBA programs	Institute	FEES
International Programme in Management for Executives	IIM Lucknow (Noida campus)	Rs 14 lakh
National Management Programme	Management Development Institute, Gurgaon	Rs 5.14 lakh
Executive PG Diploma in Business Management	Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Bangalore	Rs 6.5 lakh per year
Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Executive)	Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad	Rs 6.6 lakh per year
Post-Graduate Global Executive Program in Management	Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai	Rs 6 lakh
Executive MBA weekend programme	Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune	Rs 50,000 per semseter
Post-Graduate programme in Business Management for Working Managers	IIM Lucknow (Noida campus)	Rs 4.2 lakh
Executive PG Diploma in International Business	Indian Institute of Foreign Trade	Rs 4.5 lakh

Source - Outlook, Youtube, Columbia Business School, Internet 

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MBA vs PGDM

The Admissions 2011 season is in full bloom. One of the key questions that is striking the minds of many management education seekers at present is: Should I join a PGDM programme or a MBA programme? The aspirants are most often in a dilemma with respect to these two terms ‘PGDM’ and ‘MBA’, as many of them have no clear idea on the exact differences between the two.
With MBA admissions over at university B-schools like JBIMS, FMS Delhi, the PGDM admissions are also getting into the final gear at present. Although the top league PGDM institutions, such as XLRI, MDI, IMT, BIMTECH, and others have announced the final list of selected candidates, the admissions are on at other B-schools across the country.
This is the peak time to apply and gain admission to a PGDM institute or another option is to start preparations for gaining admissions to university B-schools next year for pursuing MBA.
Come, lets see, how MBA is different from PGDM.

The Differences 

How are PGDM programmes different from MBA programmes?
Explaining the differences between PGDM and MBA, Fr. PT Joseph, Director, XIMB said, “PGDM programmes are Diploma programmes, which are granted by the institutions that are recognized by Government of India through the Ministry of HRD or AICTE. The MBA programmes are offered by business schools which are mandatorily affiliated to a University, usually a technical University of their respective states.”
“The PGDM programmes are offered to students under the CAT/XAT/MAT, etc entrance examinations while the students undertaking MBA are admitted mainly through the respective State Government’s Joint Entrance Examination. PGDM Programmes are more flexible and customized while MBA programmes are University run and therefore its adaptability is difficult at short notice,” added Fr. Joseph.
PGDM is autonomous, MBA is affiliated. Curriculum for PGDM is dynamic and can change every term even. MBA curriculum has to follow University Syllabi and can change in several years.

USPs of PGDM
“PGDM programmes usually provide more scope for learning as the course curriculum is customized to the needs of a specific institute’s students. It also provides flexibility in pedagogical systems, teaching-learning process, examination schedules and timely evaluation and convocations, whereas the MBA programmes are stifled due to the University hierarchy which takes longer period of time to amend its curriculum and policies and thereby curbs innovation and creativity in the academic culture,” said Fr. PT Joseph, Director, XIMB.
The PGDM institutes have the best of faculty, infrastructure and have the capacity to invite best of people from industry for mentoring, lecturing the students.”
The unique selling proposition of a PGDM programme is the structure of the curricula: it is dynamic and undergoes changes according to the needs of the industry. PGDM scores some brownie points over University MBA. PGDM Institutes are flexible in the conduction of examinations, assessments of the students pursuing their PGDM programme and in summer-internships and final placements too. Assessments or conduction of examinations or even for that matter, their management of summer projects and placements of MBA in University systems are iron clad. Therefore, PGDM is always a better alternative.

Which one is the superior
Highlighting the superior aspects of PGDM programme when compared to MBA, Fr. PT Joseph, Director, XIMB said, “PGDM programmes are superior especially due to their contemporary approach, flexible modules and industry relevance whereas the MBA programmes suffer from outdated syllabi and lack of customized approach for a particular segment of students. The PGDM programmes are dynamic in nature while MBA programmes due to their affiliation to Universities are marred by bureaucratization.
It is really difficult to say whether MBA is superior to PGDM or vice versa, since it may be possible to have innovative approach to conduct MBA programs too. However it is clear that more autonomy to the PGDM programs results in a program delivery model that results in management graduates gaining more industry acceptance.

Final decision lies with you
Giving his advice to the student aspirants Fr. PT Joseph, Director, XIMB said, “My advice to the aspirants who are intending to undertake their careers in business management is to opt for PGDM programmes from reputed institutions like the IIMs, XLRI, XIMB, MDI, FMS and similar institutions and make sure that equivalence to MBA is given to that program by AIU. They should opt for CAT, XAT, MAT as entrance examinations and ensure that they score well across all the sub-sections of the test. They need to prepare effectively and showcase their strengths at the Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds. They need to brush up their communication skills and exhibit positive attitude and team-work.”

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Should I get an MBA, duel degrees, or choose a concentration? So many options

Selecting a business school that meets your professional objective is not easy - and it can be further complicated if you think that you might like to pursue a dual degree or concentration! The MBA typically offers skills and knowledge in general management that help professionals take on new responsibilities and open up new opportunities for advancement.

Joint degree programs are designed to allow students with strong interest in two professional areas to study for two graduate degrees at the same time. These intensive programs generally require that a candidate fulfill all of the first-year foundation requirements of both degree programs. The benefit comes as you complete your elective coursework, where certain courses can be applied to both degree requirements. Typically, joint degree programs reduce, by one year, the time required if you were to complete the two degrees separately. For example, at Georgetown, an MBA coupled with another two-year graduate program would take 3 years to complete. An MBA with a Juris Doctor (law degree) would take 4 years. An MBA with a medical degree (MD) would last 5 years.

Another option is to choose a concentration. This can be done during the two-year MBA program without additional time. A concentration focuses elective course work on a specific functional area. A concentration, major, or focus (they all mean the same thing) is a good idea for people who know they are going to focus their career in a specific direction and want to build a stronger skill base in that area.

Dual degree - fad or fabulous?

Thomas Schroeder

Director Business Development

Australian Graduate School of Management

Over the last couple of years business schools have seen a proliferation of dual (joint) degrees at their campuses. A dual degree is usually a combination of a traditional MBA with another Masters degree in an entirely different discipline like law, medicine, engineering, or information technology. These programs typically require admission by both faculties.

 Prospective candidates should consider a few things choosing this option. One often cited advantage is that dual degrees usually take less time to complete compared to studying two different masters degree independently. However, this comes at a cost in the form of increased tuition and more time than the MBA alone. The workload for dual programs tend to be even more demanding than the MBA program alone. Juggling requirements for two degrees implies trade-offs concerning choice of electives and summer internship options. These programs tend to require a tight curriculum with limited flexibility. According to recruiters, actual work experience in the field may be as valuable as an additional degree. But for candidates who know exactly what field they want to work in after their studies, a dual degree can offer a competitive advantage and an important point of differentiation on their resume.

The dual degree option offers definite pros and cons. It is yet another reason why it is so important for MBA candidates to be clear about their career goals before choosing among the different options

Broadening the learning and adding skills

Charmaine Courtis, Executive Director

Students Services and Relations

Schulich School of Business

York University

In the early '70s the Schulich School of Business launched its first joint program between the business school and the law school. This four-year, full time MBA/LLB program allowed entrants to complete the two degrees in a reduced time period. Students are required to complete first year in each of the programs and then combining course work from both programs during the remaining two years of study. The joint program gives graduates added support in career direction and choice. By completing the two programs simultaneously they demonstrate to future employers a capacity for multiple lines of thinking, problem solving and framing. These graduates are highly sought after and are extremely successful.

A different kind of dual degree permits a student to earn two MBA degrees from two business schools. The student spends the first year of the MBA in a prominent MBA degree program and the second year at Schulich where the student has over 20 different specializations to choose from. The dual degree reduces the financial pressures for the international student who wishes to have a North American experience as they only have to budget for one year abroad. For many, this is a high value-added proposition. Additionally, these graduates have the full benefit of both schools with placement opportunities internationally. The graduates become alumni of each school. By studying in two different environments they also have learned to be adaptable, and have developed different analytical and problem solving skills. These graduates are truly the leaders of tomorrow. This option makes the MBA degree truly transnational.

 By -

Monica Gray, Director of Admissions

McDonough School of Business

Georgetown University

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