MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 2457
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: Some Questions...
[#permalink]
25 Nov 2009, 15:15
For Europe, it depends on what your career goals are.
For management consulting and investment banking, it's more or less the same as the US in terms of the top programs (plus INSEAD and LBS). For industry, it's more hit and miss and also varies by country. The UK seems to be pretty familiar with MBA graduates (as that is where the majority of MBA grads in Europe will cluster anyhow - in London, as that is where a lot or even most of the MBA job opportunities will be).
Keep in mind that the MBA is an American-driven phenomenon, and when you're talking about European industry/business, there's already a self-perpetuating system of prestige and patronage that is centuries old. For example, in France there's the Grande Ecoles (which tends to self-select the rich and privileged - who then end up taking up the plum jobs in France). Or even the UK with Oxford and Cambridge (not their MBA programs, but their colleges) which also traditionally self-select the rich and privileged who then end up taking the plum positions across many industries.