Find your dream school

Picking the best MBA programme means asking vital questions about which the best school is for you, writes Dr Ronald K Chung

In the last issue, we discussed different types of MBA programmes. Our next point focuses on choosing the school that best meets your needs.

In Hong Kong, many prospective students, especially those in full-time work, use the CEQ criteria to pick a MBA programme. CEQ does not refer to mathematical proof - that's QED - nor does it mean Chinese Emotional Quotient. CEQ means Cheap-Easy-Quick.

Picking a quick-and-easy programme is certainly understandable, given the pressure of work, plus pressures from home, here and there ... (It sounds almost as if these people need a stress management course, rather than a MBA.) And, of course, money is an issue - who in today's world can afford to dish out HK$100,000?

But think harder. Do you really only want three more letters on your business card or do you want a valuable investment? If the former, I have a real CEQ for you - look at our neighbours in Shenzhen. The asking price for a degree, as far as I am aware, is RMB450. Experienced Shenzhen shoppers can tell you that the asking price is the highest possible price you can pay in that market and is certainly negotiable. If, on the other hand, you really want to invest in your career, pick a respectable programme from a respectable school. We've all heard of Harvard. Why?

A school's reputation is not as important as the programme itself, but it is important. Otherwise, why spend the time and money? Your name will be tied to the school forever. If it isn't on your business card, it will be on your CV. This isn't good if you have an MBA from Camford - a joint business school operated by Cambridge and Oxford. On the other hand, have you seen people putting (UCLA) or (Oxford) after their degree designation on their business cards? Why?

All you have to do is to use a lot of common sense. Ask around. Talk to your friends, boss or prospective employers. Speak with your professors at college, call the relevant government departments, talk to Tim (a headhunter friend of mine) or send a secret e-mail to my mail box. Whatever you do, do a lot of asking. Be a consumer before you pick a programme, not after.

If you're shy and don't like asking too many questions, at least find out if the programme has one of the following accreditations: AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB, ACBSP. Without going into too much detail, both AMBA and EQUIS are primarily European-based accreditations and AACSB and ACBSP are American. They are granted by organisations that ensure programme quality by asking schools to put their programmes through a rather rigorous evaluation process. That said, Australian schools typically belong to neither group, but that doesn't mean that they are not good. Top Australian schools with a strong tradition are known as the "Group of Eight".

Talking about tradition, remember to find out how long the school has been established and when the programme was introduced.

Over the next few weeks, we will run through the rest of the list. Remember, be prepared for tomorrow. Until next time, work hard, play hard.

Acknowledgement Dr Ronald K Chung is academic development director of the ET Business College, a member of the Hong Kong Economic Times Group. He has worked for a number of private companies and universities in the United States, as well as Hong Kong's Consumer Council. To contact Dr Chung, please write to DrChung@etbc.com.hk.

Taken from Career Times 2003/10/03