Weighing the Pros and Cons of Getting Your MBA Online

An MBA degree can be transformational for a career, be it for fresh graduates or working professionals. Overseas education consultants in Delhi will tell you that an MBA is not only helpful for people who are completely focused on their career but also for stay-at-home mothers who want to make a comeback to work. Today, time or distance doesn’t pose a barrier to education anymore. With virtual learning, everybody can further their education. For the same reason, an online MBA program is fast gaining popularity, with many of the world's top business schools developing virtual learning courses that can match up to their full-time MBA programs.

But as with everything, online MBA too has its own benefits and disadvantages. Let's look at them below:

Pros:

1. Online MBA programs have the same curriculum as a traditional MBA, that prepare students in business management skills. The level of difficulty and the duration also remain the so you can reap the benefits of a full-time MBA program right from home.

2. An online MBA program eliminates the need to travel to college every day, leaving you with ample time. This is great for students with work commitments, stay-at-home mothers, or anybody who cannot commit to a full-time MBA program.

3. An online MBA course requires you to be more disciplined. When you study from home at your own pace, there are numerous distractions that can come in the way. Students need to be more focused since there is no teacher to guide them all the time and this helps them become disciplined.

4. A virtual MBA course consists of lectures, reading materials, and assignments that can be downloaded as text, audio, or other multimedia files. Through webinars, discussion boards, chat and email, interaction is made between teachers and students and among students. Since modern businesses heavily rely on online communication, online MBA grads have better knowledge of the technological aspects.

Cons:

1. Reputation is seen as the biggest disadvantage of an online MBA program. Although some of the top B-schools now offer virtual MBA courses, most recruiters still look down upon such programs and give more importance to traditional MBA courses. This could result in difficulty to land job offers after completing the course.

2. Traditional MBA courses require students to attend lectures on site and face to face interaction with peers and professors, resulting in fruitful relationships and a healthy exhange of ideas and information. Students need to collaborate on projects which closely resembles work environment, preparing students for the business world. Online MBA programs lack this benefit.

3. It is easy to get distracted in an online course, especially if you're doing it from home. You will be tempted to take a break very often, make a sandwich, or laze around, making you lose out on precious time. You need to be extremely disciplined to take a virtual program.

Overseas educations consultants in Delhi will help you pick out the right course for yourself. But whether a traditional MBA suits you better or an online one is a decision you have to make on your own.

Critical Requirements to Fulfill When Applying for an International MBA

The most frequently asked question when considering an international MBA program is: What are the requirements that one needs to fulfill? When talking to MBA admission consultants, Hyderabad students often find out that although the requirements for an international MBA are quite different from that of their Indian counterparts, there are also lots of similarities, irrespective of the country of your choice.

Below we discuss the academic requirements, work experience, and other details related to an international MBA course:

Academic Requirements

The minimum qualifying academic requirements is a bachelor's degree in any field. This could be an engineering degree like a Btech or BE, or a general degree like a Bsc, Bcom or BA. A postgraduate degree like an MSc or a PhD is also welcome. Many students, who go abroad for work, take up an MBA course after a few years' of work experience.

Although a full-time degree from a reputed university is most preferred, many B-schools also consider correspondence or distance education. As primary evidence, you have to submit your academic credentials that include your semester-wise marksheets.

Work experience

This is where international MBA programs differ from Indian programs. While for a two year MBA course in India students can do without work experience, for an MBA abroad, B-schools seek substantial experiential training from students. Since MBA programs abroad are more industry oriented, applicants are expected to not only have technical skills that can be achieved in junior roles, but also managerial skills, leadership training, team leading and coordination. Often, work experience is given more importance than academic qualifications. Instances where B-schools have given consideration to exceptional applicants without any experience are very rare.

Application Requirements

An MBA application is not a simple one-pager. It is a lot more elaborate and can seem daunting to first-timers. The application usually consists of three parts:

General information: This is where you have to fill in your objective data, like name, age, experience, etc. Some B-schools may ask for a separate résumé.

MBA essay: This is where you have to elaborate on your experience so far, your reasons for an MBA, your career vision, your strengths and weaknesses, etc. It may have a word limit of 200-400 words, or it may be open-ended. By taking tips and suggestions from MBA admission consultants Hyderabad students can write a winning MBA essay.

Recommendations: A very important part of the application is recommendations. They can be from colleagues, supervisors, managers who you've worked with. Since each B-school has its own recommendation format, you cannot send a single recommendation letter to every institute. It is also very vital to have an excellent score in the entrance tests.

Interview: Interviews are generally by invitation only. If the admissions committee finds you eligible for the final step after taking all the above into consideration, you will be invited for the interview.

The application process for an international MBA may seem challenging but with the help of MBA admission consultants, Hyderabad students and MBA aspirants can successfully make the cut and get selected in their dream B-school.

An Indian Student's Guide to Getting into an MBA Program in the US

With interest in pursuing MBA programs in the US continuing to rise among Indian students, here are some essential tips that will help you prepare better and increase your chances of securing a berth in a premier American management school.

• Criteria for Selecting a School

There are several B-schools in the USA that offer quality programs. But your choice will depend on your expectations from the course and the kind of career prospects you want after its completion. To make an informed decision, it is important to know your criteria well. What area would you like to specialize in? What kind of a career are you interested in? Do you want the school to be in a small town or a big city? Does it have to be a large university or a smaller one? All these and more can be the things you would like the B-school to offer you. Your final choice would depend on the same.

• Experiential Training

While Indian students often excel in theoretical knowledge, they lag behind in experience and hands-on training. Along with strong academics, US universities also seek strong leadership skills, community service, global awareness and some industry experience. Presentation is also important since how you present your essays and value statements will either help you get selected or rejected. Building a strong profile is of utmost significance.

• Resources

Studying and living in the US is expensive, so you must make sure you have the resources to be able to afford it. While many universities do offer some kind of assistance in the form of scholarships or teaching assistantships, but they may often be hard to obtain. Assess how much you can afford and if you are willing to take loans. Taking loans might affect your choice of schools so consider that too. Upon seeing an MBA admission consultant, Chennai students can learn more about financial assistance and how to go about the process.

• Choose an Accredited Program

The highest accreditation comes from AACSB International, and out of the 579 accredited business schools, 469 are in the US. Be careful about choosing an accredited program because most US employers don't hire graduates from non accredited programs.

• Prepare Well

Having a high GMAT or GRE score is vital and investing time and effort in preparation will pay off well. Taking preparation exams will help you anticipate questions as well as strengthen other skills.

• Take a second option

Even the highest scores cannot promise you a seat in a top school. In case you cannot make the cut, keep a second choice ready. With an MBA admission consultant, Chennai students can get valuable information on the list of good universities worldwide.

• Talk to Other Students

If you know of students who are currently doing an MBA in the US, then talking to them can be helpful in gathering some suggestion on how to prepare and what not to do.

• Take your Time

Never make a choice in a hurry. Prepare well in advance and give thought and time to your decision to get into the school that you want to.

An MBA may be commonplace now but pursuing a quality program from a US university can open many doors before you.

Essential Guide to Successfully Applying in Canadian Colleges of your Choice

With reputed universities, affordable costs, and friendly ambience, Canada is a wonderful place to live and study in. Most universities in Canada are publicly funded and accredited, ensuring the highest standards of quality in education. In addition, when you talk to study abroad consultants in Ahmedabad, you will find that the application process for Canadian universities is simpler than in other countries. Most application procedures take less than an hour to complete.

However, since there are more than a hundred universities in the country, some procedures might vary from one institution to another. But the general guidelines remain the same for every university. Follow the given tips to apply successfully to any Canadian university in a hassle-free manner.

Check the Requirements for Each Institute

In Canada, because there is no central clearing house and educational institutes are controlled by each province, students have to apply to each institute separately. While most process remains the same throughout all institutes, some application requirements may vary. However, there are exceptions, like the University of Ontario, where you can apply to multiple institutes at once. Make sure you understand all the information and requirements before submitting your application.

Hassle-free Online Application

For all Canadian universities, applications can be completed and submitted online, thereby taking less time and hassle. The procedure with most universities is simple enough, taking no more thirty minutes to an hour to complete. The most important requirements are biographical information, educational history, and your choice of program. Other information like test scores, essays, or references are usually not required, but there may be exceptions with some universities, so students need to find out before applying.

Check the Deadline and Start Date

Application deadlines in Canada are usually later than that in other countries. Applications mostly start around October and Continue till June or July, with start dates around September. Some universities also have different start dates to make it easy for students from other countries. You could also talk to your study abroad consultant in Ahmedabad for more information regarding application dates and patterns of each university.

Types of Applications

There are basically two different types of application procedures in Canada: One is rolling admission, where your application is evaluated as and when it is received, in most cases an admission decision can even be made in less than a week. The other is competitive admission, where applications will not be evaluated until the deadline is reached. Make sure you figure out from beforehand what is the case with your chosen university or institute.

Check Other Requirements for Enrollment

International students need a study permit for any course more than four months. Students would also need to maintain a certain academic average and graduate from high school with decent scores to obtain full admission in any university. Make sure to read your admission letter carefully for other terms and conditions that might not be so transparent.

Canadian universities rank amongst the best in the world. The academic standards are highly regarded all across the globe and a degree from a Canadian university will get you a great start in your career.

Common Problems Faced By International Students in Australia

Any student who goes abroad to study will inevitably face various kinds of difficulties adjusting to the new place, new people, or a new culture. That said, Australia, the land of coral reefs, is a great place for higher studies. Besides the esteemed colleges and universities and quality career prospects, the country is beautiful with a host of options available to international students. 

If you talk to a higher education consultant Coimbatore students aspiring to study in Australia you will find that the land is peaceful and friendly. However, sometimes students may land in trouble if they fail to follow rules or laws, or choose a college half-heartedly.

Below we list some common problems faced by international students in Australia: 

* Language Fatigue

Most international students, especially those from Asia, aren't used to speaking English all the time, which they have to in Australia. This may result in language fatigue for some students. However, this can be avoided by trying to make friends with students from your country so you can speak in your native language among yourselves.

* Study Shock

The education pattern in Australia is different from other countries. Here, students don't learn by rote. Instead, they read and research to gather information before working on a project. Students here also mostly work individually, which may seem rude or selfish to foreign students.

* Legal Troubles

Australia is known to be very strict with rules and regulations. Drink driving, illegal possession or consumptions of drugs, working illegally, expired visa, etc. can cause a lot of legal hassles for a student who's unfamiliar with the new country. Being careful and on your best behavior reduces such possibilities.

* Deportation

Although this happens in very rare cases, breaking rules of very serious kind can result in the deportation of the student. This means the student will lose all fees already paid for the course, insurance, living costs, etc. When talking to a higher education consultant Coimbatore students must learn about the rules and regulations of Australia and the obligations of the students.

* Changing the Course

It might become a problem if you want to change a course after being admitted to it. This happens especially when students choose a course based on the cost alone. Although changing courses is allowed in some cases, the immigration department states there has to be a solid reason. This often results in breach of contract and the student may not have the fees refunded. Choosing a course with care doesn't cause such problems.

* Finding a Job

Although Australia has plenty of jobs, it can take some time to find a proper job after finishing a course. Since a lot of part time jobs aren’t available for foreign students, it is better to have extra money handy or have some kind of financial assistance to see you through until you get a job.

Life in Australia can be peaceful and safe no matter which place or course you choose. Just following the rules and taking a little care will ensure you have a good time in the country.

Different Types of MBA Programs to Choose In UK

Getting an MBA from any University in the UK is often a sure ticket to a senior management position in a prominent company, be it in India or anywhere else in the world. But with economic instability in many regions of the world and high unemployment rates and intense competition for jobs, students considering an MBA need to be more selective of the kind of course they want to pursue since the quality and strength of the program will significantly influence your career options.

By talking to an MBA admission consultant Bangalore students will highly benefit from the valuable advice and suggestions regarding the types of MBA programs in the UK. Some of the common types of MBA programs in the UK are:

General MBA

This is the most common type of MBA program, where they teach you broad business management skills. A general MBA will help a student get placed in numerous sectors and roles. This type of program is for students who possess limited managerial or business experience, but want to advance in their career by having a management degree. Usually, at least three years of work experience is required but some institutions may seek more. A GMAT score is required to analyses your quantitative and written skills.

Executive MBA

These are more practical courses that attract working students with at least ten years of experience. These programs focus on improving leadership capacities and networking prospects so that students can quickly accelerate their career. Since students are working and also often have families, these programs are usually made to fit in students’ careers and schedules, with classes taking place in the evenings and weekends.

Specialist MBA

This kind of a course is perfect for you if you already have some managerial experience and want to remain within, enter, or advance in a particular sector. A specialist MBA program teaches general business and management skills, but focus on a particular industry such as aviation or healthcare. These programs attract students who find that a general program does not meet their requirements or fail to give them knowledge on a particular niche of the business world. These courses are also attended by working students and are scheduled in the evenings or weekends.

Distance Learning

With more students more interested in work experience than spending hours in the classroom, distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular option. The advantage of a distance MBA program is the flexibility it allows students, letting them study at their own time and pace, using supplied material with support from a tutor. The Open University MBA programme is just one example of a distance learning course. However, even though you may not be required to attend regular classes, you will need to set aside at least 20 hours a week for a distance learning programme.

There are several types of MBA programmes in the UK, catering to various kinds of students. By hiring an MBA admission consultant Bangalore students will get complete information on the types of courses and which one is the right fit for them.