Henley MBA - Opinions?

Hi all,

Does anyone here have any experience with or opinions about Henley and their distance MBA?

http://www.henleymc.ac.uk/

I am starting to look into various programs - and am seriously considering Henley as my first choice.

The program's accreditation look good (AACSB, AMBA, and EFMD) and Henley seems to score quite well on global MBA ranking lists. Although most of the program is "distance", everyone has to complete a one week residency requirement each year.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Although I live in North America, I'm hoping to obtain my MBA from either Europe or the UK.

Again - any opinions, criticisms, comments, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Melanie

 

Having discussed the matter at length with my husband, who works in the City, Henley is a good choice. It has major name recognition over here. It's also a very good MBA.

If you're on the US side of the pond, I can pretty much predict that very few places will have the foggiest idea about Henley. Once you get beyond LBS, Oxford, Cambridge, Insead and maybe somewhere like IE or IESE the name recognition in the States is zero.

Unless you want a job over here on the European side of the pond, I would seriously consider getting a qualification from a ranked school in the US, as the utility over there is much greater.

Angela

 

Like Angela said, Henley is a highly regarded B-school, but in the states, most people will not have heard of it.

Part of your decision will be based on your background. If you are pretty much set in your job/career and are looking for an MBA for advancement, Henley would be a great choice.

However, if you are doing an MBA for a job or career change, I would choose a program closer to home. In fact, I would recommend against a DL program all together. Networking is extremely important in business school, and you just don't get enough of it in a DL program, even with residencies.

 

Henley info

Melanie,

I have completed a long personal research project into UK DL MBA's. (I am based in Aberdeen, Scotland). Something of an iterative process, I am sure your shortlist is similar to mine and that of most people carrying out the same analysis.
My shortlist of two was Henley and Warwick. I actually posted a thread on this forum reference a comparison of the two, which you will be able to find using the search feature. (You will also find many others with Henley references).

I selected Henley as my BS of choice after attending their 'MBA Preview Day', which was part propaganda (great lunch!)/part useful indication of course content and included a sample lecture. The location of Henley is breathtaking, a beautiful building right on the Thames river. I actually stayed overnight, and had to work hard not to be mentally influenced by the surroundings, as it has little impact on a DL course!

Henley are a forward thinking BS. They are not a University, and this I see as a pro, as they are entirely focused on post-grad education, and their faculty reflects this. They are also very well connected in industry, and in fact their full-time faculty members spend one day every week in industry researching new business techniques and practices.

I was also attracted by the course structure. Mainly coursework based (75%), you are required to study 6 work based 'mini-consultancy' projects which your employer will look favourably upon. (Free resource!). There is also a large final project and a dissertation which again can be work based.

I also liked the choice of electives, they do not just cover the drier topics, but also more interesting ones such as 'inter-cultural analysis' and 'relationship marketing'. The downside is that you can only choose two electives.

They are not heavy on finance, if this is what you want then look elsewhere. (LBS, Imperial).

I am sure you know about the 'International Stream' option, so I won't go into details of that.

They do not require a GMAT, which is probably good news for US based person.

I can give you a lot more info. if you send me a private message, and I would also recommend you contact Henley via their website and ask to be put in touch with a member of their alumni, which they will be happy to do.

BUT, the wise Angela Gilham makes an extremely important point for your consideration. If you intend to stay in the western hemisphere you really should look at a good US MBA. Henley simply does not have the name recognition in the US, and a member of their faculty told me they are not targeting the US, although they do pick up some east coast business. (That is not to say they won't in the future, they have a new principal who may introduce new strategies). On the subject of $£, if you have the budget for Henley you have the budget for a large percentage of the US based MBA's. The US market seems far more involved than ours in the UK, so if you do decide to go US then seek the views of the many wise heads on this forum.

If you want to go UK, then I would definitely recommend Henley.

Good Luck either way.

 

First of all, I just wanted to say thanks to all those who have replied. You've given me a lot to think about.

I should have provided a bit more background about myself in my original post.

I'm actually Canadian, not American (although that shouldn't make much of a difference). I'm currently working as a manager for one of the "big five" banks and expected to be promoted to a senior manager role by the end of this year. My salary is nothing to complain about, I get a decent amount of vacation time, my boss is great, the role is challenging, etc... In short, I think I'm doing pretty well for someone my age (30) and am not looking to switch careers or companies (although I get lots of offers). Although I think networking can be important - I am much more interested in the educational and personal growth (as corny as that sounds) experience that an MBA could provide.

The reasons why I started looking at the Henley MBA were:

(a) it was offered as DL (there's no way I'm quitting my job - and I work some evenings and weekend, so part time would never happen)

(b) there was a residency requirement and I thought that would be a great way to still reap some of the benefits of a full or part time program while in a DL stream

(c) Henley's program and approach appealed to me

(d) I have always wanted to work and live in Europe/the UK and thought this would be a good way of opening a door

Again - thanks for all of the feedback! I'm still several months away from making a final decision - but when I do make it, I want it to be as educated as possible.

Melanie

 

If you are Canadian, have you considered the UWO Richard Ivey BS Executive MBA? It is very prestigious, mostly DL, and you should be able to obtain an educational loan if you need one(or even a scholarship.

Good luck

 

Hi joi,

Thanks for the lead! And yes, I am Canadian but have always shied away from the exec MBA programs due to cost. However I should be able to convince my company to foot at least part of the bill - so I will definitely explore this option as well.

Thanks again.

 

You are most welcome.

I know something of Canada because I intend to live there. (I am Paraguayan, live in Cuba and will apply to the Skilled Migrats program).

Edcational loans can complete the part of tuition not covered by your employer, and you will be able to foot the bill with your (likely) increased income.
I ignore where you live, but you may also check some prstigious part- time programs(York, Toronto), which can also suit your needs.

Duke University offeres loans to its MBA students, so you may be able to earn a Duke MBA if you qualify for admission.

My best friend's husband earned his online MBA with Duke. He was earning 320k in Miami before completing the program. Among the job offers he got when he finished, he received a half a million euros a year(plus bonus to direct the European operations of a huge TV Network.

Although his case may be extreme, earning an MBA from any such institution can open many, many doors.

Good luck,


joi

 

my project manager completed his MBA from Henely ( I work in Toronto in a Wireless company) and he was all praises for the course ( not to mention the location)... so if you are motivitated.. go for it...

 

Name recognition

Name recognition
Hi there,

As far as name recoginition (outside UK) is concerned any University of London degree would be a better choice than Henley. May it be LBS, IMperial or even Royal Holloway. Just by having the word "London" in University Titel is benificial in a way. I live in Europe and work in a MNC and havent really heard of Henley much...

The other advantage of UK MBA programs is their shorter duration compared to US MBAs. However this isnt the case with LBS (2 years) the other disadvantage of LBS is that its very expensive. Imperial can be a good option for you but if i remeber right they require a GMAT.
Royal Holloway might qualify for the name recognition aspect but its all "Do it yourself", sort of degree. The delivery method described on their website sounds too weird...

All in all i think Imperial can be a good choice for you..

cheers

WH

 

Imperial requires a GMAT score. Even though it said they expect 600 on this, it can be "compensated" by other good attribute in the application.

Henley is not bad at all. However, its name recognition may hinder somewhat, especially it is a purely management school. People haven't thought of doing an MBA might not know them.

Imperial has its fame among engineering, medical, and science field. Or even if people haven't heard of Imperial, they would know UoL anyway.....

 

Hello All,

This is a very belated thank you and update.

After much additional research, discussions with coaches/mentors, soul searching, etc. - I determined that Henley's MBA was in fact the best fit for me and am beginning my studies this May (International Stream).

I could go on for days about why this is the right program for me. But in short, North American name recognition wasn't really a deciding factor. (My career is well established and I plan to relocate outside of North America in a few years.) Most importantly, Henley just felt like the perfect fit (accreditation, program structure, courses, residency requirements, overall experience). I spent the better part of a year researching other programs and attempting to convince myself they were the better option - but kept coming back to Henley.

I visit these boards regularly (although I haven't posted in quite some time) and continue to find them extremely valuable. I have to specifically thank Dave C for posting so much great info on Henley.

Dave C - if I'm not mistaken, you recently completed your degree. If so, then congrats!!!

Melanie

 

I also live in Canada and one has to be careful about these loans for executive MBAs. The Canadian economy is not that strong for executive MBAs and I see many times people putting themselves in debt for executive programs when the market is not willing to pay for this.

Unless you are very sure that your present employer will be willing to pay you for this and at least willing to give you a promotion, I would suggest to take a regular MBA. Employers normally don't see much of a difference between an Executive MBA and the regular one but the difference in price is Huge!. I paid for my MBA at McGill University about 5K but the same degree from an executive program such as Toronto or Queens is at least 50K. Big difference and believe when employers really don't care much if your MBA came from a regular McGill program or executive Toronto program.

There are few DL Canadian options for regular MBAs in Canada, Athabasca is expensive but not as much as the ones offered by Queens or Toronto. A cheaper option is University of Laval but it is a French University. Royal Roads is another option but it is a no name University. The you have some popular ones in Canada such as the University of Liverpool MBA. In general, the Canadian market is more receptive to UK education rather than American unless is coming from a top tier school. You won't impress any employer in Canada with an American degree from Amber or Aspen for sure, employers hiring at the executive level normally look for brand names in your resume.

If you are technology oriented, the M.Sc in Management from Waterloo is a very good option and not as expensive as executive programs (around 15K).

I hope this helps,

 

Mel,

Firstly, congratulations on making your choice. It sounds like you really pained over it and I do hope Henley meets your expectations.

I am now in the final Part 3 of the Henley MBA. It is a tough part, with a large integrated strategy project, an exam, two electives and the dissertation to wrap things up. I am badly behind due to a variety of reasons, but I'm sure I'll catch up. Do PM me with any detailed questions you may have and let me know when your starter residential is in case I am in Henley at that time.

Two things I wanted to point out which you are no doubt aware of:

1) The Henley MBA course structure was recently overhauled and the new syllabus was rolled out earlier this year - so you will be taking it. The make-up of the subjects has changed, and the dissertation has been replaced by something called an 'Industry Challenge', or something like that, which is fundamentally the same, but perhaps more practical?

2) Henley is in talks with the University of Reading regarding a potential merger, which it seems is likely will happen. By all accounts the Henley name will stay intact, as will the business school itself, but who knows how it will all be branded moving forward.

Anyway, best of luck and fire away with any questions you may have.

All the best,

Dave C.