Specialist Master's or General Management

First things first - Warwick's programmes are top class. I made it to BAC. A shame I was late in applying to MSOR: I was told, however, that I would be allowed to switch (they are sister courses, after all) if there was any last-minute vacancy. But this info came in rather late and I had to make a decision by then.

I chose to enrol at UCL's Master of Management programme. There were a number of factors that I had to consider - location played a big role. This is not to belittle Coventry in any way. But studying in London, to me, was more appealing at this level.

Furthermore, the project opportunities are fantastic. My dissertation will be on a real-world project and not a research project (which is the case at Warwick - only a limited number get to do a real-world consultancy project).

UCL's programme has been modelled along the lines of the one that is offered at London Business School - in fact, we do have a couple of modules that have been assigned tutors from LBS.

As regards your aim - I concur. MSOR/BAC/MM are all equally suited for a Management Consultant. The difference is that MSOR is the most number crunching of the three programmes. Followed by BAC. I have an Operations module as part of my MM programme which will, in some way, add to the number crunching bit.

So... MSOR and BAC are more specialised programmes (as evidenced from Warwick's website!) - while MM looks to make you more rounded - covering all major areas (helps if you choose, say, consultancy in a bank, etc.)

I don't have any regrets - UCL understands that this programme is only in to its second year and they definitely are fine-tuning it and helping us in every possible way.

However - do not get swayed by my opinion alone. Do your research. (I'm sure you will!)

Good luck! And feel free to ask your questions in this thread...

Hey kartnite,

I've been looking through some MSc courses and I find myself with the same options as u did, with a slight inclination towards Warwick for its reputation.

-I'm 23 and will have 2 years work-exp by August 2012. Working for a reputed IT MNC in Bangalore as a financial analyst in a Continent-level PMO which overlooks a large number of Accounts.
-I currently have a Bachelor's in engineering but all my work-exp is in finance and operations (which hopefully works in my favor for this course).
-I'll be writing GMAT in Feb.

Personally, the BAC course appeals to me the most as I intend to find employment after my studies as well (which is a little difficult with the abolishment of PSW) and the course shows good synergy with my work-exp as well.


Please tell me if you think otherwise, or have any better suggestions at all.


Thanks!

Sorry for the delayed response; I hardly login here these days. But I will try my best to help...

Well, for starters, I will never discount WBS and their programmes. But what I will say is look at other options around you. What is it that you actually want?

Instead of looking at BAC, I'll also urge you to apply for their MSOR programme. It is a lot tougher to get in as only a handful are selected (30-odd, as opposed to 70 for BAC))! I was late in applying for MSOR (a shame!) but I had an offer for BAC (with a chance to get in to the MSOR cohort if there was a last-minute vacancy!).

From the little that I understand of your work experience, you seem headed in the right track. But as I mentioned a while ago - what is it that you exactly want to do?

Any of the three subjects that have been brought up in this thread (BAC, MSOR, MM) are suited for a Management Consultant. BAC and MSOR will give you a technical edge while the MM programme will touch all areas, thereby giving you a solid understanding of everything ("well-rounded" as they say).

Feel free to pose your questions; I'll check again soon. Good luck...

Hello, In reference to the discussion above, I would also like to mention my case. I have graduated in BSc (Hon.) Mathematics with minor in Economics in 2010. During this degree, I also took an exchange year to York University, Canada, to take specialized courses in Actuarial Sciences.
Currently I'm working at Unilever, a consumer goods giant, from last 2.5 years. My current role is in Modern Trade Key accounts. I recently took my GMAT and scored 660 with 49 in Quant (81 percentile) and 6 in Integrated Reasoning (67 percentile).
My passion has always been to work with Business analytics while my experience at Unilever has provided me the opportunity to gain a wholesome understanding of the business processes as well. I think this particular MSc will help me shine in my field of choice. My post-masters goal is to work in a well-established airline, aviation industry in general.

Need your comments on my case. Thanking in anticipation.