Edinburgh Business School vs. alternatives?

Does anyone have experience with EBS? Out of all of the MBA programs this one looks like the best. Is it a hinderance to have a foreign school, like EBS on your resume vs a State school?

Thanks
Travis

 

You will find quite a few EBS students and graduates on this board. In terms of flexibility and academics, it is the best. I was both an on-campus and DL student, so I was able to get to know both sides.

I haven't found it a hindrance at all, in fact I've found it to be an advantage. However it probably depends a bit on what work experience you have, what you want to do, and the caliber of HR people you have to deal with.

Usually the hindrance is not if your degree was foreign or domestic, but that it was DL. There is still a lot of bias against DL in some areas (although that is changing). Having a degree from a known state school might make it a easier to get past the resume screeners.

 

It is also essential to consider your learning style when making this decision. EBS is truly a lonely program (but there are networking opportunities with other students). You study, you test, you study, you test. And I understand that the exams are difficult.

In return, you get a degree from a very well-respected school, and get to do it in an individualized, self-paced manner for a pretty low cost. If this shoe fits, by all means wear it.

 

This MBA program is open to students who didn't complete or don't have Bachelors degree.

I'm not sure if this is the practice today but in the past the MBA student will receive a Graduate Certificate / Diploma with each course completed, once achieved all 9 for general MBA and 11+
for Specialized MBA then the degree is awarded.

The Certificates and Diplomas can help the student wile he or she is applying for employment opportunities, as graduate certificates in management with newly gained knolage provide value as one progresses on his pat to the MBA.

Learner

 

Another key consideration is why are you going for the MBA in the first place?

If you are trying to "break into" a new field with it then I would definately stick to a traditional campus setting where you can try to network etc.

If on the other hand you are just wanting to use it to progress in a chosen field that you already have experience in (as I did) then I think you can be more flexible and serious consider the EBS MBA which I found to be very challenging and rewarding.

Good Luck

 

edowave, I've noticed that you are now a Ph.D. student. Did you get accepted into your Ph.D. program due to your Heriot Watt MBA?

Dennis

 

EBS

I have to put in my 2 cents here in favor of EBS (Both MBA and DBA).

Yes, the MBA can be lonely and tough, but on the other hand, you know your stuff when you are done.

Also, yes, I used the HW MBA to enter into the Capella University PhD program.

I am now enrolled in the EBS DBA program, and am really pleased with the curriculum.

Finally, graduating in Edinburgh is a real treat. At the ceremony, you fell as if you just got knighted. And then there's the pub-hopping...or so I hear anyway..

 

Well the MBA helped, but I also had to take the GRE, submit a statement of purpose, get 3 letters of recommendation, and neatly fill out the application.

What is really nice is that I was allowed to transfer 26 credits from the Heriot-Watt program into the PhD program. That saves me about a year of coursework.

 

edowave and Jim, did the lack of a thesis in the Heriot Watt MBA program have any impact on your acceptance into your Ph.D. programs? Incidentally, in which academic areas did you/do you persue your Ph.Ds?

Thank you,

Dennis

 

Nobody ever asked for a thesis. That might be because the department I'm in offers a non-thesis option Master's, so if they didn't require it of their own grads, why would they require it of others?

I'm doing an interdisciplinary PhD in management, economics, and geomatics.

 

Is your PHD DL or Full-time?

Thanks.

 

The lack of a thesis was not an issue for acceptance.

I will say, however, that the Capella PhD requires a lot of writing, and using APA 5.0.

Obviously, you are not exposed to that in the EBS MBA, so I struggled to learn academic writing (I did eventually).

My PhD was in Organization & Management, with Info Technology Management Specialization.

 

Full time on-campus and working part-time. I must say though doing a master's DL has spoiled me a bit. It was so nice being able to work on my schedule. Now I have to work around class times, work, sleep, etc.

And as DRMarion said, a lot of writing. I think that goes with any PhD/DBA program though.

 

edowave and Jim, getting back to your Heriot Watt MBA again, how rigorous did you perceive the exams to be? Do you think the program is much more difficult than that of a MBA program from an average US RA university?

Thanks,

Dennis

 

Tough beyond my expectation....

I felt the exams were far more tough than any other taken at any RA school...although, I must say, RA MBA courses tended to avoid exams, and focus more on papers and projects.

In spite of what I have said, once your expectations are set that you have to "know the material...cold..", then you tend to develop your own personal "algorithm" for studying and retaining the course material. Its a lot of work, but then, I never failed any exam.

 

I concur with Dr. Marion. The EBS exams are very rigorous. Probably the most difficult I have ever taken so far. You have to show that you just don't know the material, but you can apply it to a real life situation.

It was this very reason that led to me choosing to EBS MBA. I kept hearing how difficult they were and I wanted to know if I could handle them. It's good to know that I could.

 

Chiming in here as another EBS graduate (June 2000), the best description of the exams I have heard is "a really tough open book exam without the open book".

I would say that pretty much captures it. And I have a lot of experience taking those exams. Some of them twice!

 

A question for any Capella learners

I am drawn to the Capella PhD in Organization and Management as it seems to be a good balance of practicioner and researcher....however, I have a hard time seeing myself tackling more than 1 course per term with full-time work, family, side-business, etc. Since I pay by the term and not by the course, taking 1 course and not 2 would seem like throwing away money....but could I handle 2 a term?

Are there any Capella students in this PhD program that are taking/ have taken 2 classes a term that can help me resolve my dilemma? How many hours a week does 2 classes demand from you?

 

2 courses per term...

I did this in the Capella program...you're right, it is not easy, however, I got through it, and looking back, (perhaps thru rose colored glasses...) it wasn't all that bad.

A very good program...learned a lot...

 

Decisions...decisions...

Thanks for the feedback! I'll continue to reasearch Capella among others while I weigh this decsion.

I know it may be hard to quantify, but what kind of work does a single Capella course demand, 50 page papers each course? 25? 100? I have always been pretty good at tackling the large research papers in a short amount of time, but any additional workload details would help me figure out what other time opportunities I would need to sacrifice to go for it or maybe help me realize a school like NCU (one course a time) might be better).

Thanks ahead of time for any additional details!