Hello Everyone, A collegue of mine is finally taking the distance learning plunge and would like to pursue her MBA via distance studies. She has narrowed her choices down to the University of Manchester (MBS) and Durham MBA's. Could anyone provide any helpful information on either program? Is anyone enrolled in either that could shed light on its pros and cons? Which one would you recommend and why? Manchester: http://www.mbs-worldwide.ac.uk/ Durham: http://www.dur.ac.uk/dbs/degrees/mba/mba_dl/ I informed her that there is a vast amount of "alternative education" know-how amongst many members on this board and assured her that some helpful info will be brought forth. leejabron
I'm guessing there's a reason she's concentrating on UK schools. Is she hard and fast on that, or would she consider a regionally accredited MBA from the US or it's international equivalant? (Note to board: Not trying to fan the regional vs. national accreditation flames, just advising from a personal perspective). Does she have a price range and/or a particular preference as far as curriculum emphasis? As a hint, use the search function above to look for "MBA programs". Should be lots of great info. Best of luck! Dave
Online AACSB Accredited MBAs Top 25 Ranked Best Buys http://www.geteducated.com/rankings/best_mbaaacsb.asp
Leejabron, You will find limited first-hand information on UK schools on this board, as the majority of the posters are American and are therefore understandably more familiar with US schools. There are many good options for studying a DL MBA in the UK. I spent a year researching my options before I took the plunge. I am currently studying my DL MBA at Henley Management College in Oxfordshire and would recommend it to anyone - HMC Two major reasons for my choice of Henley are as follows: 1) It is a blended learning course. Basically the student attends several residentials each year which give an introduction to each new module and just as importantly gives the opportunity to catch up with your cohort face-to-face. 2) All assignments are based around your company, so it gives you an opportunity to dig deep into your organisation and gives you great exposure. My recent 'Managing People' assignment was circulated all the way to the CEO! If your friend does not live in the UK there is an international stream option, which only requires one visit to Henley per year. I have several American friends studying using this option. I also visited Henley for an 'MBA Open Day' before I made my final choice and I would recommend your friend does this for all the schools on her shortlist. After Henley my next choice was Warwick. The main reason for rejecting Warwick was that I didn't want to be assessed by exams alone. The Henley mix of 75% assignment and 25% exam split suits me just fine. My third choice was Cranfield, but they only offer a Modular study route and my employer would not support this. Your friend's current choices of Durham and Manchester are both fine schools but I would recommend she also considers Henley and Warwick as a minimum. Heriot-Watt is popular on this board as it is one of the few UK schools that have made an effort to attract US students. I didn't go with it as I wanted an interactive process and HW was a little dry for me, basically you recieve study packs, study, and then sit extremely tough exams. She should also consider entry requirements, GMAT etc. Fire away with any questions. All the best, Dave C.
Hey Dave, Thanks for the information. How many hours a week do you devote to your studies? I would imagine it is rigourous, but how flexible is it when trying to juggle a full-time position at the same time? How is the course materials in your opinion, do they complement the course well? She has narrowed it down to the aforementioned schools, because of overall structure and in particular, with Durham because of the ability to waive the residency requirements. She also has post-graduate business courses that she will have a chance to apply for exemptions for at Durham. I guess the program is still decent ie..AMBA and EQUIS accredited and has top 100 FT rankings (Not as high as Henley) and is 62 on the Economist World MBA Rankings. I believe the Economist rankings for this year will include a ranking for distance based programs for the first time, and I am led to believe that these rankings will be available online sometime next week. She is also gonna wait for those results before deciding. Thank you for your help. Leejabron
Lee, I also paid a lot of attention to rankings and commercial accreditation when considering my options, perhaps too much. The rankings are of arguable utility as if you dig deep the criteria is very subjective. They do give a trend however although they tend to be a little US-biased. If a non-US school is on the list it is doing ok. I believe in fact that Harvard and I think Wharton have stopped allowing assessment of their schools for these rankings as they doubt the utility so will no longer appear. Tell you friend to use her own analysis of the course content rather than rankings to make her final choice. It sounds like Durham suits her needs very well. I would caution her against choosing Manchester above Durham simply because it finishes higher up the ranking table. Accreditation. This means something different in the UK in real terms. The most important factor is that the school has a Queen's charter. If they do, which your friend's choices do, then they can be considered equivalent to RA in the US. The commercial accreditation is icing on the cake so to speak, but is no bad thing. An an example Henley has AACSB accreditation, which means very little in the UK, but does count for something if I ever look for work in the US. How much time do I spend per week? Good question. I am just starting my first module in Part 2 (year 2), so I am in coast mode at the moment, maybe spending 5-10 hours a week reading material. After the residential in a few weeks that will be more like 15 and just before assignment deadlines it tends to go bananas. Less so if you manage your time well of course and depends on work commitments. It also gets pretty hot just before exams. I have baby number 1 coming in January next year, so that's when the fun really begins! I find the course material good. It is CD-based with some video stuff. There is also online tasks and discussion areas, and I tend to talk/chat to my group a lot on Skype. Henley has an online library and a wealth of further reading papers for gluttons for punishment. No doubt Durham and Manchester will have a similar set-up to what I have described above. In conclusion, based on your last message it sounds as if Durham is the school for your friend. Two final thoughts: 1) Do not let next week's ranking alone make the decision. A school visit should be done if possible. 2) Think hard before waiving residency requirements. I have got so much on so many levels from the residencies. (I understand if there is geographical constraints, but I have friends who come from as far away as China and the US. I personally fly down from Aberdeen, in the north of Scotland). Best wishes to your friend and let me know if I can help in any other way. Cheers, Dave C.
