Wish to seek advice on full-time or part-time EMBA?
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18 Sep 2014, 18:46
Hi everyone
I'd like to seek your advice on whether I should go for a full-time or part-time EMBA Program and which schools might be best fit?
1. Age (at application): 41 Yrs
2. Background: Singaporean, married with 3 kids, aged 11, 8 and 4.
2. Education: Bachelor (4 Yr full-time, engineering, NUS in Singapore), Masters in Engineering (2 Yr part-time, NUS), Masters in Financial Engineering (1.5 Yr part-time, NUS),
3. Work exp (at application): 15 years
4. Current Job: Associate Director at a Big 4 based in Singapore. In Advisory services, doing consulting for banks and insurance companies, 3+ direct reports, and usually 5+ indirect reports on projects (extended team). Areas of expertise include target operating model design, business process re-engineering, business transformation and technology strategy. I also have a strong industry focus on Private Wealth Management, especially in Asia, HK and SG.
5. Progression: In my 5 yrs after being with my current firm, I have moved from Manager to Associate Director and taken on Business Development roles in addition to delivery. I am seriously considering MBA to broaden my skillset.
6. GMAT: 635 (last taken in 2009, now expired)
7. Application Target: A program starting in Jun 2015 or Jan 2016
8. Target Schools: INSEAD EMBA, IMD EMBA, Chicago Booth EMBA, Kellogg-HKUST EMBA, Oxford EMBA
9. Post-MBA: Still in the consulting line and moving on to more Business Development / Commercial roles with my current employer (#1); CEO or COO office of large multinational (#2) in certain industries.
Additional info:
- I previously applied to Oxford full-time MBA and got in. Unfortunately I had to reject it due to unforseen family circumstances.
- I'm pretty sure I should be aiming for an EMBA, not full-time MBA as I'm too old now (missed the boat to do a MBA when I was young).
- I've a preference to stay with my current employer and do a 'part-time' EMBA. As such, my choices are international EMBAs (preferably with an Asia focus) like INSEAD, Chicago Booth (run out of HK), Kellogg-HKUST (run out of HK), or even IMD or Oxford (though I have to fly into Switzerland or London every month).
- However, staying with my employer limits my program choices, especially the good US ones like MIT Sloan Fellows, Wharton EMBA. Those programs are done on weekends in the US - I can't travel that far, unless I take a year's leave from the current job and re-locate to US for a year to finish the program. In which case there is a risk my employer won't want me back after a year and I also have several mouths to feed at home.
- Of course, doing the full-time EMBA would also give me time off for learning, development and reflection.
- I also have the choice of UCLA-NUS (based in Singapore). But I have three degrees from NUS and frankly, want to experience a totally new, non-Singaporean school. The other EMba based out of Singapore is INSEAD - but very competitive, tough to get in.
- I do not want to do "executive education" type of programes like those offered by Harvard. I want a full, undiluted MBA.
My key questions:
1. Should I quit / take a year off the current job and take a 'full-time' EMBA (preferably a very good school, including weekend programs in the US like Sloan, Wharton, etc.)? But risk not having a job after that - no guarantees my employer will want me back.
2. Do you think it is reasonable / or crazy for me to fly into HK or even London and do my "part-time" EMBA? More feasible choices would be programs based in Singapore, e.g. INSEAD EMBA. But in Singapore there are now no longer many good choices (Booth moved to HK last year). I like the Oxford name actually but am fearful that traveling to London almost every month is not feasible if I hold on to my current job in Singapore.
3. Should I re-take my GMAT? Or ignore it and apply for a waiver? I have good quantitative skills, i.e. Masters in Financial Engineering. For INSEAD, should I do GMAT or take their "EMBA Admissions Test"?
Appreciate any views you may have. Many thanks!