Hi folks,

Bit of advice please. Looking at doing an EMBA or distance learning MBA. I will be self funding.

I'm 34, 13 years post grad work experience but only 3 years management. Currently on a 2 year fast track management programme in a large NHS organisation.

Narrowed it down to Henley Emba (£33k 2 years) or distance learning (£20k 3 years)) or Open University (£16k 3 years)

I'm leaning towards the Henley Emba due to the increased face to face time and increased team working. However, it is way more expensive than the other two and I could only afford it with a 50% bursary.

Career wise, I'm looking at a director level position but I've also always fancied starting my own business or looking at healthcare consulting so want the best opportunities for this too.

I've heard both have relatively weak careers services. Is this true and how important is it if I'm mainly looking at pursuing nhs jobs? Also what sort of recruiters look at these 2 schools?

Any help gratefully received.

These are the two schools with the most MBA alumni in UK healthcare (closely collowed by Cranfield and Warwick). I think it's fair to say that the NHS won't value the difference highly, which is why the OU is the most common.

As a physical school, Henley will have better career services. I don't think the OU has any real premium over any other AMBA MBA. If you can get the bursary then the EMBA is certainly better. If not, then it seems you have no choice.

I would replace the OU with Manchester and Warwick.

Hi Duncan,

I have confirmed admit from Ashridge Business Schools - 1 year - full time MBA and Durham business School, UK.

how do these compare to each other, i have 10 year work exp in banking and financial services and aim of MBA is to be able to secure a career opportunity in UK.

There is a lot already written about those schools on this board. They are totally different programmes and schools. Read more about them and let me know if you have specific questions. Durham is a conventional, academic programme. Ashridge is a unique, integrated, project centred MBA for senior people who are looking for experienced hire positions rather than traditional MBA vacancies. Speak to some alumni. Ashridge is a risky and transformative choice. Durham is safer but a little junior for you.

Thanks Duncan,
I've been reading that due to the Henley full time format change and move to Reading that that have taken a big hit in the rankings. Do you think the emba and dl courses will be looked down on because of this?

Can I also ask whether Henley or Warwick has more project based team working on the dl courses? I know I learn better this way.

Should I not really be considering the OU in terms of quality then?

Thanks

The general trend is that Henley's rising in the rankings, not falling. I think it will take decades for the brand to erode, and some mistakes. By having a 640 minimum on their full-time MBA they should be able to do something interesting, but the reality is that the part-time programmes are very stable. The one year EMBA was a very unusual programme, which was unsustainable in a recession. Ashridge's similar programme also had to transform.

I'm not really aware of there being any project focus at either the Henley or Warwick DL programmes. A former colleague of mind took the Henley programme, and it seemed like a very individual process, outside of some teamworking at the annual residential sessions. My friend on the Manchester Global MBA, on the other hand, really is having a very team-based and project-focussed EMBA-type experience. Warwick has study groups, but its modules are not build around group assignments (let along group projects) so the gravity holding them together will be more limited.

Hi Duncan,

I would argue it the other way. I see that Ashridge could be a less risky choice than Durham.

The reason being that I've seen a number of people from academic MBAs do very poorly once hired. IMO, it's soft skills that count in the medium- to long-term. Ashridge will do a first class job of developing these soft skills. I would argue that an integrated, project centred MBA is far more relevant to your career than an academic MBA. Ashridge is the safer long-term bet, in my opinion.

I agree. But in the short term, Durham is a bigger school with more direct hiring. Ashridge is a luxury boutique (the loss on the MBA must be massive) and students need to network into their first role from there.

You could say I'm biased (I'm studying there) but it's also worth considering Cranfield. The course is at least as transformative as Ashridge's - a lot of group work, and a big focus on organisational behaviour and personal and professional development - but it also has an intake large enough to have a full-scale careers department.

Hi Duncan,
I am a physician having 8 years part time experience in hospital sector management and 20 years of professional experience. I want to enter healthcare management in a full fleged way. Please suggest me some of the good MBA in UK from where candidates have gone in health sector.Some of the business school I could think of are:
Henley, Lancaster, Durham, Bath,Surrey,Aston,Birmingham, Hull

Look at my comment above, on Mar 23, 2012.

Where in the world are you? I think from your post that English isn't your first language. Why not study in the region where you want to work?

I would put them in this order:
Henley = Lancaster
Aston
Durham = Birmingham
Bath
Surrey
Hull

Thanks Duncan, I am an Indian national presently working in middle east. I would like to work in UK for a short while but would ultimately like to return and work in middleeast or India. With this information,what do you suggest.

Why work in the UK? The SP Jain School stands out as a school in Asia which a high profile in Dubai and India (http://www.spjain.org/). I would look at that seriously. Otherwise, take the UK schools more or less in the order I have listed them.