Scotland's MBAs have become a flourishing export and are essential to nurturing domestic talent too. They also allow our businesses to cherry pick some of the most promising overseas graduates
Scotland's MBAs have become a flourishing export and are essential to nurturing domestic talent too. They also allow our businesses to cherry pick some of the most promising overseas graduates.
Universities take very different approaches to their Master of Business administration courses and have specific strategies for building and maintaining their own niche in a hugely competitive international market. all are united in the view that we enjoy a major reputational advantage over most of our competitors - still regarded worldwide as an excellent centre for education partly thanks to the continuing legacy of the scottish Enlightenment. In what look like being tough years ahead for higher education, they are equally concerned to ensure this reputation is cherished.
The University of Edinburgh's business school actively trades on the country's intellectual heritage and markets itself as offering an Enlightenment MBa for the 21st century. dr Brad MacKay, senior lecturer and director of the fulltime MBa programme, says: "one of scotland's great strengths is its universities, especially the top four or five. I think protecting them and making sure they maintain their international reputation for excellence is vital for scotland's future."
As a Canadian who came here to study then stayed and built an academic career, he is perhaps more acutely aware than most of the regard in which our universities are held. MacKay points out that many higher education institutions round the world were based on scottish models. Potential students are also attracted to the idea of studying somewhere which offers beauty, history and culture. "Edinburgh is the perfect city, just the right size and a fantastic place to be," he says. "some international students bring their entire families over; it's a great place for them to live and to send their kids to school for a year."
The university offers a one-year full-time option, plus part-time and modular alternatives, with large s numbers of candidates competing for each place. Its attention to quality places it at 89 in the highly regarded FT Top 100 World MBA rankings (or 75 on a three-year average), which also say that a typical graduate commands a salary of $98,256.
A recent refreshing of the full-time course means this September's intake can look forward to a number of changes. "Part of what we picked up from students was they were looking for a really experiential approach," says MacKay. "We have strengthened that side, so there is very strong theory followed by more experience."
There is an emphasis on working with companies on practical projects and the school's philosophy is that it is a place where business is done as well as studied. The academic foundations of the course are designed to meet changing needs, so there is a new core module in leadership and decisionmaking in high performance teams. An element of specialisation has also been introduced, to gear people's studies more closely to their interests.
"Those who want to have more focus can do so. For example, there's carbon management where they can take advantage of the fact we have one of the best carbon management centres in the world. Then there are options in entrepreneurship, finance and banking," says MacKay.
Last year the 41 students on the fulltime course were from 19 countries, while the part-time course largely attracts Scots, including many middle managers on the verge of breaking into senior roles.
The University of Strathclyde inevitably catches the eye of ambitious people looking to do an MBA. Currently at number 51 (41 over three years) in the FT rankings, the average alumni salary is around $110,000.
Professor Susan Hart, dean of the university's business school, points to the course content as well as the future earnings potential, as reasons why their Association of MBAs (AMBA) and Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited MBAs are so highly esteemed. What they gain is a combination of knowledge, skills and self-awareness. "It's about leadership and having good skills, being aware of how to do something rather than just knowing what needs to be done. Our MBA is focused on strategy and how to be a good leader. It enhances students' chances of obtaining leadership positions," says Hart.
There are around 1200 people studying offshore each year, with 75 based at the university. Many who come to Scotland to study return to their country of origin, while others boost our economy by staying to set up companies.
Elsewhere on the FT spectrum the Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University is top-placed among providers of non-traditional MBAs, with the vast majority of its students being distance learners. It provides one programme but delivers it in a multitude of ways, at a pace to suit the individual, and in six languages including Chinese, Arabic, Russian and Hebrew. Last year some 14,000 of its 8800 active MBA students took exams in 40 subjects at 350 centres across the globe.
Alick Kitchin, the school's business director, says: "Our philosophy emphasises intellectual capability rather than where and how people study. Students learn in different ways and we give them choices. We think these are mature people and can decide what's best for them. That's how we approach it and that's what they seem to like."
The school targets mid-career professionals, typically aged around 35, and gives them a respected British degree and an understanding of people, money, markets, planning a business strategy and managing change. "It's an example of Scotland coming up with a winning educational proposition," says Kitchin.
The breakdown of student origins shows many are from Europe, Asia and Africa but a striking 30 per cent are US-based. "It's interesting we have so many students in the USA which is the home of the MBA and where British universities normally don't get a look in," adds Kitchin.
Robert Gordon University's Aberdeen Business School provides a vivid contrast, renowned as a specialist centre for anyone wanting an energy-industry focused AMBA-accredited MBA. Allan Scott, the school's MBA director, says: "Nowhere else in Europe do you have the s intensity of oil, gas and energy activity you do in Aberdeen. Aberdeen is also a very prosperous city and a good place to be. We have excellent connections with businesses of all kinds in the area."
The part-time and online courses are favourite options for UK students, whether studying in this country or while working overseas. RGU has a strong brand image in Africa due to its longestablished links with Shell and in most countries with oil and gas industries. More than a quarter of MBA students are already in very senior positions, close to 40 per cent are middle managers and many others are in engineering roles. "They come to us first and foremost because s they want to improve their careers.
What we do puts a strong emphasis on their careers," says Scott. "Many want to expand their competencies and increase their confidence. This can be especially true of engineers who have been identified for management roles and want to develop their skills."
He adds that for many people the sheer fact of taking an MBA can transform their prospects. "For those not already in senior roles, what they are doing is waving their hands and saying to top management 'look, I'm doing an MBA, you should think differently now', and that's exactly what happens." Indeed, it is not infrequent for some of the 300 or so students taking the various MBA courses at the Aberdeen Business School, to be identified for promotion before even completing their degrees.
Most of the students are distance learners and, in common with other Scottish universities, it has developed partnerships which allow its courses to be delivered at higher education centres overseas .
The University of Glasgow is experiencing growing demand for its MBAs, which are AACSB-accredited, with every place being hugely oversubscribed. Prof Robert Paton, MBA programme director at the university'school of management, says: "The UK is particularly attractive as you can take a one year MBA which would take two years in America."
As one of the country's ancient universities Glasgow enjoys a reputation for excellence but believes its MBAs are distinctive for their emphasis on developing critical capacity and strategic foresight. "Most of us can spot a problem, but coming up with a solution is the difficult bit. So the course is very critically driven and less accepting," says Paton.
Uk companies are keen to recruit from its alumni and many international students who return home maintain links with Scotland which can yield seconomic benefits in years to come. Local companies also gain because students carry out projects for them as part of their courses .
As part of the Russell Group of top UK universities, Glasgow is a natural choice for anyone wanting a highly respected degree. However, Paton believes Scotland as a whole enjoys an enviable image. "All the city universities have done a very good job of talking up Glasgow as a place to be. And beyond that people are aware of Scotland as a good centre of education - it is an area where Scotland still boxes above its weight," he says.
The Dundee Business School
For those whose sights are set on success within a specific industry a specialist MBA course can be the ideal option. The Dundee Business School has carved out a niche in by providing courses that build on the strengths of other parts of the University of Abertay, and the city as a whole.
From September 2011 there will be an MBA in creative industries, reflecting Dundee's status as a centre of excellence for the computer games industry. This will join existing courses in areas such as biotechnology - currently a big draw for Indian students - corporate finance, sports development, HR and marketing.
Professor Heather Tarbert (pictured), the school's recently appointed head, says: "What we do particularly well at Abertay is our trans-disciplinary courses that build on the strengths of our other schools."
The school caters for overseas and UK students by offering full-time, part-time and distance learning options that can take between one and three years. According to Tarbert the MBAs are also very strong on encouraging innovative thinking and using approaches like live case studies to ensure learning is always related to real-world experience.
Premalatha Punadi, a part-time student who graduated in 2008, was highly impressed by the approach to teaching. She says: "It was much more about the discovery and application of knowledge rather than simply the acquisition of facts. There was abundant opportunity to be creative and radical when tackling case studies and teaching staffwere responsive to new ideas and approaches .
"The teaching staffwere accessible, pleasant and supportive, providing useful feedback on coursework and presentations. The library resources were excellent and the mix of international and home students made for interesting workshops. My MBA was a great investment."
It's an approach which clearly suited Ian Ross, who graduated in 2004, and had a strong interest in Chinese business and culture. He subsequently persuaded his employers to try developing in China and has successfully managed its venture in Nanjing.
Not content with having a demanding senior management role Ross, who described his MBA as "truly life-changing" has further demonstrated his entrepreneurial flare by opening an Irish bar in the city.
Perhaps one of the best measures of the school's own success is student satisfaction. "On a recent trip to Nigeria I met a couple of graduates who told me how much they had enjoyed their courses. They must have been impressed because they introduced other people who they were recommending to come and study with us," says Tarbert.
Stirling Management School
The University of Stirling is among the Scottish universities using its academic expertise in business as a major opportunity for overseas expansion.
From early 2011 the Stirling Management School will offer an MBA in Finance based at Vietnam's Foreign Trade University (FTU). This will be jointly delivered by Stirling staffand FTU colleagues and is geared to doing business in, and with, developing economies.
Professor Roger Sugden, the school's director, says: "We are building on our existing relationship with universities in Vietnam where there is a real recognition of the high quality of our courses, and where we have an excellent reputation in delivering for students."
The first intake will be of around 15 students, mostly local, growing to around 50 by year five. The course will use the excellent reputation of Scottish higher education to help satisfy the appetite of students from emerging economies to carve out a niche for themselves, and their countries, in a globalised economy.
Stirling is already eyeing up the opportunities for similar developments in other markets including India. It already has 43 students on its Singapore parttime retail MBA, in addition to more than 40 taking the full-time general MBA in Scotland and many others taking specialist courses in areas like public sector management.
The university has also just carried out a review of its general MBA which, from 2011, will include core modules on responsible business in society and business in and with emerging economies.
Aberdeen Business School
Aberdeen's reputation as a world energy capital and Robert Gordon University's status as a centre for excellence make them a magnet for foreign talent. Among the courses at RGU's Aberdeen Business School, founded in 1965, are a general MBA and a specialist one in oil and gas management.
Three overseas graduates of December 2009 explain why they opted for RGU and how they hope the educational investment will benefit them.
Stella Emeye, 38 (pictured), is a married mother of two from Nigeria who took the MBA in oil and gas management. She says: "I worked in the oil and gas industry and switched from engineering to supply chain management mid-career. To get to the top I decided to get an MBA. I looked at Manchester but then discovered there was the specialist MBA at Aberdeen. It was perfect for my needs, and I also had a recommendation from someone who had been to RGU and rated it very highly.
"The AMBA accreditation was important, and it was a good course, well balanced between specialist oil and gas aspects and general skills. I am far better equipped now as a manager, and am optimistic about the future. I have good experience, and the MBA gives me an added advantage even though the economy is struggling."
Jean-Marc Cauquil, 46, who now lives near Toulouse in France, brought his wife and son to Aberdeen where he took the general MBA. He says: "My background is in the hospitality industry and I had been working at a five star resort in Saudi - so the weather was quite a shock.
"I chose Aberdeen Business School because of its recognised quality, and affordability was also an issue. It has opened up opportunities for me and there are other things I can consider now such as becoming an academic or a consultant which I could not do before."
Henry Bob-Manuel, 35, came from Nigeria for the specialist oil and gas MBA and has now secured a senior role in a major UK energy business. He says: "My first degree was in chemical engineering and my career was in oil and gas with a Nigerian company, where I had become involved in business development. I needed to improve my management skills and gain new insights to add further value to any business I was working for.
"I wanted to go international and work for a global company and coming to an oil and gas capital like Aberdeen was very attractive. My career had drifted a long way from the technical role and I often had to learn on the job, so it was good to get some really strong foundations and a strong grasp of the fundamentals.
"The course has made me so much more self-aware. And the MBA made a real difference when applying for senior roles; it meant they took me seriously."
University of Strathclyde Business School
Originally from Kashmir in India, Rukhsar Ahmed (pictured), 37, graduated from the University of Strathclyde Business School full-time MBA in 2003. He chose the university because he wanted to study in a large European city with lots of networking opportunities.
"After a business studies degree from Delhi University, I spent six years working in the consumer and call centre sectors in the city. I became increasingly interested in studying and working abroad.
"My initial research led me to the FT rankings, and a number of universities were of interest. English is my first language so I was keen to go to America, Europe or Australia, but wanted to condense my studies into one year, rather than two. I chose Strathclyde primarily because of its high position in the FT rankings, but also because of the opportunities it gave me to work and study with people from all over the world .
"The teaching at Strathclyde is geared towards putting academic excellence into industrial practice. As well as giving an exceptional grounding in academic concepts, it allows students to work in teams to ensure what they learn can be applied practically "After graduating I set up an outsourcing company with three other Strathclyde graduates and have since created two further businesses, C&T Collections and Motivation Marketing, both in partnership with other Strathclyde graduates. That's a benefit that shouldn't be underestimated - the chance to network and do business with like-minded people after graduation.
"Glasgow has many cross-sector industries, and has allowed me to pursue a number of business ventures. As well as coming to Strathclyde to further my education, Glasgow has allowed me to expand my business networks."
Edinburgh Napier Business School
Taking an MBA is about investing in the future - equipping graduates for life at the top of large companies, as entrepreneurs or consultants. Among the attractions of the business school at Edinburgh Napier is that it is among the top 10 UK universities for student employability.
Mammed Bagher, MBA programme director (pictured), says: "It's something we take very seriously indeed. Industry knows our students have their feet firmly on the ground. They have good academic skills and know how to put what they know into practice."
The school provides two full-time and one flexible study option with start dates in January or September. Like many Scottish universities it has recently redesigned aspects of its MBA course to reflect the huge upheavals in the global economy.
"Business as usual is not an option and people must be prepared to meet the challenges that are constantly presenting themselves. Our qualification is contemporary and very much in line with the nature of the global market.
"We have recently strengthened the legal and financial aspects of the course as you have to be aware of the fiscal and legal elements of business. We are not turning our management students into lawyers or accountants but they must be aware of the issues."
According to Bagher, international students gain a huge amount by getting to understand how business is done in the UK and Europe.
At the same time, there is a great deal of pride in the quality of relationships that are nurtured between students and academics.
"I'm a great believer in the human touch; I think it is one of the things that distinguish us. We emphasise accessibility and staffhave an open door policy. We try to make sure we enter dialogues with the students."
The school is actively developing its overseas market and has been successfully targeting North America and the Far East. "There are lots of managers in both China and India who want bespoke management courses."
While many people value the opportunity to pack their MBA into one year, others see advantages in taking the 18-month option. Bagher says: "Some students want to spend more time here as part of a cultural experience; the longer course giving more opportunities to learn about the business environment and attend things like our master classes."