Which UK University would you choose ... PhD/DBA Program ...

Dear All,

Hope all is fine and well. It has been while.

My friend, the lady who relocated to UK finally has processed
her applications and currently has offers to 4 of these schools:

- Bradford SoM for a PhD in Management

- Leeds LUBS for a PhD in Management

- Nottingham Trent NBS for a DBA in Management

- Southampton SBS for a DBA in Management

She also had a preliminary offer from Birmingham but has now decided to side step it and concentrate on the four above.

Each has its own advantages and disadvantages but she is more interested in other students opinions and perceptions.

She wants to one day maintain her ambitions for a corporate career while at the same time have an option for teaching. Distance is not a factor to her yet but prices/costs of living is. Reputation and prospect of lucrative job offers is a strong factor.

Please share with her/us your thoughts on the schools above.
Prof. Kennedy, I would also welcome your thougts on this.

Thanks!

MM

 

Based on Business Studies Rankings by The Times Good University Guide in the UK: Leeds is 22 in the UK, Bradford 34, Nottingham Trent 35, and Southampton 39.....

So, from a Business Rankings perspective, Leeds would be the school of choice.

For OVERALL university rankings Southampton is ranked 25, Leeds is 34, Bradford 47, Nottingham Trent 57.

This makes an interesting situation. Southapton is the best overall ranked university of the group, however, has the lowest ranked business school.

Since none of the schools are in the Top 20 in the UK.... although Southampton comes close, I would make the choice based on the ranking of the business school. So MY choice might be Leeds unless any of the other schools were significanly less expensive and offered a better experience.

 

Is she going full time or part time? DBAs are more suitable for part time study since they are more structured than PhDs. On the other hand, if she is planning to pursue a career in teaching, the PhD would be the best option. A DBA is acceptable to teach at the university in the US and Canada but it is not the standard degree to teach in the UK as a full time faculty member.

 

Excellent responses ....

Dear Scott and RF Valvel,

Thanks for the response.

Scott: Your response got me thinking and my friend and her researched more on Doctoral Rankings and MBA Rankings both for the UK and Globally. (refer to Financial Times Ranking 2004).

It looks like of the 4, Bradford/Nimbas is the highest placed (85th overall globally) and maybe followed by Leeds.

From a UK standpoint, itsa Bradford, Leeds, NTU and SHampton.

So it seems that the reputation is also subjective as it depends on whether you use FT, Guardian, Times, etc.

RF Valve: Your point is very important as she had not see that perspective from a global point of view. It seems that in order yto have a foot in both the teaching and career world, the safest route is a PhD. As for the FT/PT options, she prefers FT although she is open to PT options if that is the best program available.

Looking forward to even more responses. What about job prospects, research capability and costs of the programs?

Thanks!

MM