Master of Business Administration

[brendan]

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/a-boom-in-business-learning-20081124-6ff5.html?page=-1

[costargh]

Can someone explain to me whats so good about an MBA and how it differs to other qualifications.

[brendan]

It's arguably the most prestigious business degree. I plan to do one, if my future employer will pay for it. I've got a few brochures of the MBA program from MBS, MIT, Wharton, INSEAD, lying around in my room somewhere

[costargh]

Do you plan on
a) working overseas
b) having further study overseas?

And from the limited research I've just done now, the MBA is for people who already have some experience correct?

[costargh]

Also, is there preferred/specific undergraduate courses or undergraduate majors that follow on to completing an MBA? Is there anything that you would suggest?

[brendan]

Do you plan on
a) working overseas
b) having further study overseas?

And from the limited research I've just done now, the MBA is for people who already have some experience correct?

Yup, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone without any work exp.

[brendan]

Also, is there preferred/specific undergraduate courses or undergraduate majors that follow on to completing an MBA? Is there anything that you would suggest?

Nops, that the beauty of the MBA its designed for everyone. But you will find quite a few engineers, because as they move up the hierarchy they do less and less grunt work and more project management stuff, which requires business skills.

[RD]

How long does an MBA take to complete generally?

[costargh]

ahhh I see.

Since asking that question I read some more stuff on the MBS website and their MBA so that kinda gave me more of an idea. If you majored in Economics would their be much need/opportunity to do an MBA or is it more for people in managerial positions (not sure if Economics gets very hierarchical).

[brendan]

It all depends on your career goals. For some the MBA may be the way to go, for others it wouldn't be a wise choice. If you wanted to become an academic economist, then an MBA would not be recommended.

[AppleXY]

Hey Brendan mate,

Would a CFA qualification be more valuable than a MBA one, in the financial services industry?

Thanks.

[brendan]

How long does an MBA take to complete generally?

The great thing about the MBA is it shows you what a market can offer, when its free from government meddling. There are so many ways you can do an MBA, some institutions offer night classes to balance with your full-time work, others offer weekend only classes, others offer the regular day classes, some institutions offer all, for you to choose..
The standard full-time program is typically two years. Most MBAs, given their ambition, take an internship during the summer in between. Any graduate business school worth its weight will provide substantial support in assisting you find relevant internships too. In my view the best MBA program in Australia is the one offered by the Melbourne Business School.

[brendan]

Hey Brendan mate,
Would a CFA qualification be more valuable than a MBA one, in the financial services industry?
Thanks.

It depends, but usually if you are managing money, a CFA is preferred. If you are a managing people, then an MBA is preferred. Of course there are hardly jobs where you are only doing one or the other. But it should serve as a guide. You should also consider the range of Masters programs in finance too. Examples:
Masters of Science in Financial Engineering offered by Columbia
Masters of Science in Financial Mathematics offered by Chicago
Masters of Science in Financial Economics offered by Oxford
Masters of Science in Mathematics of Finance offered by NYU
Masters of Engineering (Financial Engineering) offered by Cornell
Masters in Finance offered by Princeton

See also:
http://www.advancedtrading.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209102204
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Science_in_Finance
http://www.nyunews.com/news/university/courant_named_top_10_in_math_finance

Macquarie Bank has a special deal with INSEAD to provide its employees with a tailor made Masters in Finance specifically tailored to Investment Banking, but of course this is only available to Mac Bank employees.
 

[bubble sunglasses]

 is it the FT which puts out the Times Higher Education Supplement?

[brendan]

I think they are different