Advantages of MBA from European universities

Recently, I represented one of the European Universities in an Education Fair organized in Hyatt Regency, Chennai for admissions into foreign universities. Most of the students, irrespective of their degree backgrounds enquired about MBA courses. Business Administration, notably Masters, is one of the most sought after studies from all the branches and MBA is highly regarded. From business conglomerates to social enterprises, most seek MBA graduates for various assignments. 

The business schools in Europe have started gaining popularity from 2006, even overtaking the US. There are statistical reports to confirm upward trend from then on. United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria are the leading providers with a high count of programmes. The popularity was achieved by their adopting to English education and ‘cheaper than the US’ maxim. They offer either a oneyear intensely packaged course, or two years depending on the programme. 

The procedure for MBA, some B-Schools term it MSc, admission is demanding. One has to dedicate quality time preparing for it. European schools require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Minimum GMAT score of 700+ is the safest. Mostly IELTS and TOEFL are exempted for Indian students as we mostly do our college degrees in English stream. An essay to evaluate the suitability of prospective student and finally there is the interview is to admit. They generally ask for two letters of recommendation to decide between two applicants who have similar profiles. The courses are offered with or without experience. It is solely determined by the school depending on the discipline. 

The universities in Europe conduct test individually looking into their specific requirements but similar in nature. The costs vary from country, university, and programme. It starts from € 10,000 to € 50,000 per year. But the average is estimated around € 30,000 per annum. 

Finding scholarship is hard, but there is a handful of European scholarships, grants and fellowships available for students from developing countries and also especially for women. GMAT score and work experience play important roles for scholarships. Naturally, the higher score the better.

You can check web portals like scholars4dev.com, mbascholarships101.com. The Erasmus Mundus Scholarships by the European Commission and GoEuro European Study Abroad Scholarship are for studying all over Europe. Each country offers its own scholarships to study in their country. I know a dozen of them existing in the Netherlands alone and Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, and Slovakia all have their own. 

Europe is a home for many oldest universities. They are widely appreciated for practical exposure and case studies approach. If you get a chance, grab it.