In keeping with the tradition of pioneering education to meet the demands of today’s society, the top level international MBAs are designed to train future international business leaders who can operate with vision, innovation, and collaboration in a dynamic and changing global environment. The top MBAs have been dedicated to providing leadership, creativity, and understanding in international business education and focus on the development of key competencies with multicultural, entrepreneurial, and global dimensions for international management.

In France, most of the MBA participant body represents a diverse and talented group of professionals representing a wide range of ages, disciplines, and cultures. The participant to an MBA in France follows an English-speaking programme combined with a French culture in a multicultural environment. In order to create real awareness and understanding of the multicultural issues facing global business managers, most MBA programmes, the ENPC MBA in particular, seek to provide an intercultural team focus with geographic dimensions. There are no dominating cultures in the most famous MBAs in France, but a determinedly multicultural approach with a well-balanced representation of different economical zones, without the predominance of one over the other one.

This is the reason why, participants are placed in culturally diverse teams for project collaboration and problem-solving. There are courses offered on key business regions for more in-depth market studies. In order to sharpen local market knowledge, participants can also choose from study trips or exchange programmes with reputable universities around the world.

Although the participants have different needs and aspirations for professional life, they share the learning philosophy for vision, innovation, and collaboration. This multicultural environment is reinforced by a multicultural core of international faculty. Aside from a roster of successful international business professionals and entrepreneurs, a majority of the teaching faculty is drawn from prestigious universities all around the world. The visiting faculty teaches for short, intensive periods bringing the latest developments in their field which is communicated through their culture and teaching methodology. They come from famous universities such as MIT, UC Berkeley, University of Southern California, Oxford University, London Business School, Imperial College, Todai University and others.

To-day, France is considered as the leader in Economy amongst the European Union countries. Therefore, to do an MBA in France is an excellent entrance gate to develop business in France or in any other European country. So, if one has an international mind, open to a multicultural world, looking for different approaches to acquire and develop technical, personnel and professional knowledge in a multicultural environment; then, that person is the ideal candidate to come and do an MBA in France.

Author: Prof. Michel Fender
Dean
ENPC MBA, The ENPC School of international Management
Paris - France

Advanced study leading to the mastaire (5 years of postsecondary education) can take one of several paths:

• Some students specialize in a specific area of management such as marketing, finance, auditing, or human resources.

• Other students obtain the mastaire as a step toward a doctorate. A doctorate requires eight years of study.

• Still others pursue joint degree programs, earning a magistère together with one of two traditional academic degrees (a DESS or DEA)

Beginning with the fifth year of postsecondary education, most universities provide their management training in so-called IAEs (Institutes d’administration des entreprises, or institutes of business administration). The DESS CAAE degree, a general management credential that complements other non management specializations such as engineering or medicine, is a unique feature of the IAEs that is much appreciated by international students.

The freestanding business schools grant a nationally recognized diploma after three years of postsecondary study. They also offer specialized professional programs, including specialized master’s degrees and MBAs, for students who have completed five years of higher education. In some areas, business schools and universities have joined together to design innovative programs and degrees that share features of both systems.

Nearly all of the universities and schools offer a concentration on Europe, which gives their graduates a truly European perspective. For example, EAP (the Ecole Européenne des Affaires or European business school has four campuses in Europe among which students may move. France’s largest business schools have spent considerable sums to attract eminent faculty that allow them to compete with top institutions like Stanford and the London Business School.

Several university and business school programs are recruiting a diverse body of international students into innovative programs taught partially or entirely in English. Students receive not only advanced management education but also an introduction to France and Europe. Most of these internationally oriented institutions belong to Agence EduFrance, a new agency formed by the French ministries of education and foreign affairs to recruit highly qualified international students into France’s best degree programs. The EAP-ESCP graduate program, for example, trains students in multicultural management. The specialized master’s program in industrial management at the ISGI in Lille is a bilingual program that trains engineer-managers in project management. ESSEC’s MBA in international luxury brand management is taught in English and prepares graduates for careers in the prestige-goods sector, where France is a world leader.

Although mastery of French is not absolutely necessary for business study in France, a good command of the language is highly recommended as a path into other business-related areas of French higher education. Students who take the time to learn French will also gain a better understanding of French life and add yet another accomplishment to their resume-always a plus. International students may choose to learn French in their home country before coming to France to study, through the international network of Alliances Françaises around the world, at one of the Instituts Français, or at a French cultural center, club, or other institution.

It is also possible to study French in France, of course. Students can even focus on business French through short- or long-term courses in Paris or elsewhere. Many universities and schools offer intensive French-language courses of very high quality. These are described in an annual booklet published by the French ministry of foreign affairs.

International students wishing to learn more about management education in France are encouraged to visit the EduFrance web site at www.edufrance.fr

Written by: Nicole Lefour
Agence Edufrance

Specialized instruction in business got an early start in France with the creation of the first business school in Paris in 1819. Over the years, the content and methods of French business education have kept pace with the continual development of knowledge in economics and changes in business practices. University programs offer a wide range of professional education, from the general to the very specialized that covers all sectors of management as well as advanced research. The very selective programs of the freestanding business schools are in close touch with the realities of business firms and the economic world. They train executives and managers to perform at the highest levels of trade, manufacturing, and services.

Excellence in teaching is assured by a faculty that maintains direct contact with the realities of business life. Most programs benefit from the participation of active managers and directors. Theoretical instruction is often provided by renowned members of the university faculty, particularly at upper levels of the curriculum. Frequent internships enable students continually to test theory against practice. Graduates thus benefit from a well rounded education that includes a strong multicultural and international dimension.

International students are welcomed. They may enter the universities and business schools at various points. Decisions concerning the recognition of applicants’ credentials are made by the enrolling institution. Students are admitted on the basis of their academic record, an entrance examination, or another form of test. Students should inquire directly of the institutions whose programs interest them at least several months prior to the beginning of the program.

“The Big Apple”, “The City that never sleeps”, “The Naked City”… New York City has earned many nicknames, but none more deserving the “The Worlds business Capital“. Which is why more and more students from countries around the world are coming to New York City to earn the MBA degree today’s employers’ value most: One that prepares well-rounded business managers for a global marketplace.

The world’s economies are increasingly interdependent, so the ability to reconcile divergent interests is a highly valued business management skill. More and more business schools, such as Dowling College, actively recruit international students to ensure their classrooms more closely reflect today’s business environment. New York City’s richly diverse communities, schools and workplaces offer students nearly constant interaction with people of other nationalities and cultures - and ample opportunities to gain an understanding of, and respect for, foreign customs, perspectives and languages.

Employers today are also demanding more “well-rounded” business school graduates … those who have balanced their training in marketing, management and finance, with studies of music, drama, art and the social sciences. This emphasis on a more broad-based curriculum has practical, as well as less tangible benefits. An appreciation for art and culture often helps those of different nationalities transcend their differences. And the arts also serve graduates as a source of lifelong personal pleasure. Nowhere else in the United States is the arts society so well represented and as easily accessible as in New York City.

Above all, New York City offers an unparalleled opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the world’s most vibrant commercial market. New York City, with over 75,000 companies - most multinational in scope - is home to virtually every enterprise known to man.

Nowhere else in the United States can business training be applied, tested and acquired more easily and effectively than here in New York City. The world’s biggest companies, its greatest concentration of “intellectual capital”, and its most prominent business institutions are right here in New York City. Business schools take full advantage of the City’s resources by creating corporate partnerships, executive-in-residence and mentoring programs, and valuable internship opportunities.

The City’s diverse community, the opportunity to acquire a broad, highly skilled business education and exposure to the world’s most important marketplace, makes New York City the ideal destination for students of international business - now more than ever.

Author: Dr Anthony F Libertella, Dean of Dowling College School of Business

Without doubt, the MBA is the most internationally recognized degree in existence, and arguably with new delivery methods and distance learning opportunities, the world is now your oyster when considering where and how to study.

The UK is top of many people’s lists. Statistics reveal that Business and Management Studies is the most popular area of study by far of international students and managers coming to the UK. For many, the prospect of a 1 year full-time MBA (or more specialized Master’s Degree) set in a modern, vibrant economy, and noted as much for its friendly cosmopolitan welcome as its rich traditions an heritage, is a most appealing prospect.

Don’t be afraid to ask for written testimonials from schools on your shortlist, or from former students from your country who have successfully completed their MBA programme and gone on to new and enhanced careers. The alumni network will be an important facet of your eventual selection.

If for whatever reason you can’t or don’t wish to study in the UK itself, and then consider the possibility of a Distance Learning MBA. There are several very well established UK Business Schools who have proved that they can bring their MBA programmes to students in many countries and regions of the world. Such programmes are truly ‘glocal’ - a new word which means global in scope yet locally delivered. Don’t be afraid to ask about the nature of the learning support that will be provided to you and also the completion rate of the course. Distance Learning can be a bit lonely and the local support and interaction of the group network can make all the difference to your eventual success and satisfaction.

The fact that you are reading this article probably means that you have begun to consider the many options available, but where else can you find the best information to help you make the final choice? Firstly, you can contact the Association of Business Schools (ABS) in the UK. ABS produces a comprehensive Directory of all major MBA providers in the UK and includes details about the programmes, including costs, entry requirements and also independent quality ratings of both teaching and research. The ABS Directory should also be available at your local British Council office. Just ask for the ABS Postgraduate Directory 1997/8.

At ABS, they find that when potential students have considered all the factors involved in selecting an MBA and have produced a shortlist they still find it difficult to make the final decision. After all, an MBA is a major investment with or without employer support. ABS receives a large number of calls, faxes and emails seeking help to make the final choice. Because ABS represents 100 business schools, we are not able to say that school A is better than school B. However, we can answer factual questions in an independent way, and students regularly confirm that we are helpful to them in making their own final decision.

Don’t be afraid to ask for written testimonies from schools on your shortlist, or from former students from your country who have successfully completed their MBA programme and gone on to new and enhanced careers.

Author: Jonathan Slack,
Chief Executive, Association of Business Schools, London
Contact Details: Association of Business Schools, 344/354 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1X 8BP U.K
Tel: +44 (0)207 837 1899 - Fax: +44 (0)207 837 8189
Email: abs@mailbox.ulcc.ac.uk

A Few Reasons ‘Why??’

It is becoming increasingly easy to answer the question: ‘Why study an MBA?’ The answer to the question ‘Why study an MBA in Australia?’ has been an easy one to answer for more than two decades.

Why study an MBA?

If you have an undergraduate degree in any field, have at least two years of managerial, professional or equivalent experience and wish to make the very best investment you can make in your future career success, study leading to the award of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is for you.

Why?

Look around you!

Globalization continues apace, national borders are eroding around the world, international competitive pressures are increasing; industrial re-structuring continues within the giant North American trade bloc, the Euro will soon provide a renewed fillip to industrial reform within Euroland, and Asia, the wounded tiger, will recover its lost vitality over time.

These dramatic changes in long-term world economic prospects are placing an increasing premium upon those who possess a deep knowledge of, and associated skills pertinent to, what it takes to achieve organizational success in a highly competitive world. I use the words ‘organizational success’ advisedly - the usefulness of the knowledge and skills conferred by an MBA are not just confined to business enterprises.

Certainly, the belief is growing in the minds of the Chief Executives of giant international companies that an MBA is rapidly becoming a minimum qualification for managers or executives within their companies. But MBAs can contribute equally well to the success of small businesses scrambling for niche markets in an increasingly globalized market place. MBAs are becoming more and more sought after in public sector organizations under intense pressure from governments for improved performance at reduced cost. Thus ongoing public sector reforms that embody commercialization, corporatisation, outsourcing and/or privatization necessitate the skills possessed by MBA graduates if they are to be implemented effectively.

Moreover, the professional practices of accountants, lawyers, doctors and other health care providers (such as physiotherapists) are facing growing pressures to consolidate, to increase in size, to utilize more sophisticated marketing, information technology, customer service and financial strategies as means to achieve business success. Increasingly, professionals in these fields are deciding to study an MBA as a means to reinforce their business skills, and hence the profitability of their practices.

Finally, whatever the content of one’s undergraduate degree, an MBA increases the range of potential career choices available to include managerial or executive roles within a diverse range of industries.

What are the skills and knowledge encapsulated within an MBA that can contribute to organizational success?

In brief, the secret of the success of a good MBA (and more of this later) is three-fold:

It increases the self-confidence and personal effectiveness of the person concerned. It provides them with a deep understanding of what is required to make organizations successful. It equips them to identify and implement the changes required to ensure an organization achieves success (or remains successful) within a rapidly changing business environment.

How and why does a good MBA confer these skills and knowledge?

An MBA develops appropriate skills and knowledge in two ways: by means of what students have the opportunity to learn, and by how they learn it. Typically, a good MBA will include the opportunity to study around sixteen subjects, which provide a broad portfolio of business-related skills and knowledge. These subjects include fundamentals such as accounting, economics, the study of organizations, quantitative methods, and the elements of international management, and then scope for more intensive study in fields such as finance, people management, information technology, marketing, international management and general management. Specific topics within these fields could range from entrepreneurship to quality management or from derivative securities to operations management. But the way in which students learn within an MBA is even more important than the topics they study.

Students within an MBA program often have quite extensive experience of the business world; hence they represent a key resource in the learning process. The quality and experience of students themselves, of the faculty members, and of the learning resources and facilities available to both are crucial to the quality of the learning environment. In these circumstances, faculty members in a good MBA program assume more of the role of facilitators than of ‘teachers’. The learning process becomes one in which students acquire enlightenment knowledge, skills and growing self-confidence as a result of being exposed to diverse learning opportunities such as individual research, group projects, guest lecturers from business and government, class discussion of real-life cases, and from delivering individual and group presentations to audiences of their peers.

From this ferment of rich educational development, the better students emerge with an ambition ‘to change the world’ and more importantly, the skills and self-confidence to do so! Whilst all MBA graduates must gain experience and earn their advancement ‘on the job’, the MBA provides a powerful conceptual framework within which they are able to derive the greatest advantage from that experience.

Why study an MBA in Australia?

There are two fundamental reasons for studying an MBA in Australia:

Australia offers internationally recognized MBAs at prestigious universities;
Australia offers a host of other advantages for students.

To appreciate the significance of the first point, it is necessary to explore briefly the meaning of the term ‘good MBA’. At one extreme, it is possible in some countries to acquire an ‘MBA’ certificate through the mail by spending a few hundred dollars. Such ‘MBAs’ are obviously not worth the paper they are written on, and any employer duped into hiring such a person would soon learn their mistake and act accordingly. At the other end of the spectrum are MBAs acquired on the basis of diligent study and participation over a period of at least 16 months, within a rich learning environment at an internationally-recognized management school within a prestigious university. The difference between these two experiences lies in the changes that they effect within the student. A good MBA will develop the individual significantly, including their capacity to work as an effective team member, to lead others, and to be effective in interpersonal relationships through enhanced self-confidence, communication, presentation and negotiation skills. In addition, his or her capacity to diagnose the changes required to achieve business success and the power to implement these changes will be increased dramatically. By contrast, a poor MBA will affect none of these changes within the individual, and thus individual performance will be poor.

In summary, if you would like to see more of the world, to study intensively in a clean, pleasant, novel, interesting environment, to complete a high-quality, internationally-recognized business-oriented Masters degree, and to improve significantly on your career prospects, studying towards an MBA is the thing to do - and Australia is the place to do it.

Other advantages of studying in Australia include:

Australia provides a meeting ground between East and West. Perth, for example, is in the same time zone as Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei. Developments in Asia are subject to close academic and business scrutiny within Australia, and specific MBA courses are tailored to elicit deep student understanding of the Asia/Pacific Region.Industrial restructuring and public sector reform have been actively pursued by successive Australian governments since the mid-1970s. As a consequence, the Australian economy is currently experiencing both robust economic growth and low inflation, and is presently one of the strongest performing economies in the world. Hence the analysis of industrial re-structuring, public sector reform and the management of change are right at the ‘cutting edge’ within Australian management schools.

Notwithstanding Australia’s sound economic prospects, because of low world prices for commodities, Australia’s exchange rate are currently low (the Australian dollar is equivalent to 62 US cents). The cost of an MBA program is consequently relatively low in world terms - for example, international students pay AU$2000 per subject for each of the 16 units at the University of Western Australia, a total of AU$32 000.

Australia is renowned for its many attractive beaches and associated tourist outlets, which tend to be popular with visitors from the Northern Hemisphere. The environment is clean and the climate is mild and pleasant in both winter and summer, allowing international students to sample the ample recreational, cultural and sporting facilities, activities which allow students to relax in the few precious moments that they can spare away from their intensive MBA studies!

Author:
Bruce McCallum
Studies Co-coordinator, The Graduate School of Management
The University of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia

Tuition Fee

US business schools fall under two major categories:
- public (state supported), and
- private (independent) institutions.
International students’ tuition expenses at state schools are based on nonresident costs, which are still usually less expensive than those of private universities. It is important to note that the cost of a program in a US school does not necessarily affect its quality.

A brief idea can be got from the following table:

University Type Tuition Fees (annual in U.S. Dollars)
Private School (High Cost) $ 30,000
Private School (Low Cost) $ 15,000
State School (High Cost) $ 20,000
State School (Low Cost) $ 10,000

The tuition fee is different for different universities and varies widely with courses. It can vary from as low as $ 8000 a year for state universities to as much as $ 35000 per annum for some private universities.

For example, Colorado Technical University offers the MBA program for less than US $ 10,000 a year, while many top schools like Harvard Business School and Wharton Business Schools have a fee structure of around US $ 30,000 per year.
For more specific details, please check out the university websites or contact the universities.

Living Expenses

The approximate annual living expenses during the MBA program is about $12,000, which includes accommodation as well as other daily expenses. However, the expenses are different for different people depending on the lifestyles and this is just a rough idea. The main expenses can be split up as:

Rent $ 400 per month
(you can live alone with that amount in a place like Auburn or share an apartment with 6 people in NY)
Groceries $ 150 per month
Utilities $ 150 per month
Phone $ 100 per month (if careful with international calls)
Sundry $ 200 per month

So, about $1000 per month is a good estimation. Mostly people can survive between $700-$1000 a month.

The key here is to share apartments/houses so that you save on the utilities, fixed charge portion of phone and to some extent on groceries.

Currently, a total of 55 Australian universities offer MBA programs. The prevailing model at the better institutions is the ‘Harvard style’ MBA, which provides around 16 diverse business related subjects, delivered over a period of 16 months to 2 years of full-time study. The shorter (16 month) program is delivered by institutions who have adopted the trimester system as a means to reduce the opportunity cost of an MBA to its students. Students may also study part-time, and most choose to do so.

The better MBA programs are truly international in terms of curriculum and orientation. This international focus is enhanced by the large number of international students that study in Australia. At Graduate Schools of Management, for example, students from about 30 countries within Europe, North America, Asia and Africa participate in the MBA program, and graduates now occupy executive positions in organizations throughout the world. Superior MBA programs are delivered by the older universities located in each of the State capital cities. In general, these are particularly well resourced in terms of quality of faculty, caliber of students and also in terms of library, computer and other facilities.

Consortium of Australian Management and Business Schools

Of particular note is the Consortium of Australian Management and Business Schools (CAMBS), which includes a number of these institutions. Members of CAMBS include The University of Adelaide, Deakin University, The University of Queensland, The University of Tasmania and The University of Western Australia. These institutions have agreed to cross-credit subjects studied in the MBA programs of other Consortium members.

This arrangement facilitates ease of movement of students between the various Australian States. The availability of distance education from Deakin University further increases the flexibility that Consortium members can offer.

International students therefore have the opportunity to study an MBA wholly in Australia, or to study for a semester or trimester towards their degree at an institution of their choice. This may be facilitated by exchange arrangements between their home university and an Australian university, as Student Study Plans can be tailored to the specific educational needs of the students concerned. Other award management programs are also on offer including PhD, Doctor of Business Administration, and Graduate Diploma in Management and Graduate Certificate in Management.