LBS Full Time MBA vs Oxbridge MBA + MIT MSMS

Question

Hi,

I am currently preparing for a number of MBA applications but I need to focus on a couple.

I am looking for value in my studies. I have ruled out 2 year US programs because of the cost. As the most strong option this leaves LBS (which can also be completed in 15 months). But would an Oxbridge MBA + MIT MSMS combo be on par?

LBS is indeed one of the top 3 programs in the world however you look at it, but is it that much better than being lets say an Oxford and MIT alumni at the end of it?

Advantages I see:
- Business education in both Europe and the USA
- Alumni of both Oxford and MIT
- 2 postgraduate degrees (MBA & Master of Science in Management Studies) with the MSMS being more academic and offering a future option for a PhD.

Do you think someone holding an MBA from Oxbridge and an MSMS from MIT will be having problems finding an interesting job compared to an LBS graduate?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

enkie · Answer

Question, if you ruled out US schools because of the cost, how is one year Oxbridge MBA + one year MIT MS program cheaper?

gr8tWo · Answer

Because it is cheaper. 1 year in Oxbridge is cheaper than 1 year in the US. And 9 months in MIT is cheaper than a year. But I guess it is not all that cheaper. Especially considering the financial aid offered by some institutions it is feasible to do a US MBA with only $80K debt at the end of it. So I guess applying to the MIT MBA program would be sensible as well.

My question still remains. Is the MIT MSMS + and Oxbridge MBA a strong combo?

My question still remains. Is the MIT MSMS + and Oxbridge MBA a strong combo?

MYCambridge · Answer

No, Oxbridge MBA + MIT Masters is no better than M7 + LBS/Insead/IMD MBAs.

enkie · Answer

In my humble opinion, it depends entirely on your career goals. If you are a career changer, then maybe not. From what I know (my own experience from when I obtained my masters degree in international economics), your year in school should be spent not just on academics, you should be actively networking and looking for a job WHILE IN SCHOOL. So doing two degrees alone (esp in two different continents) breaks up that career seeking process.

Also, it depends on what continent you want to be on (and which you have work authorization for). Personally, I knew A LOT of Columbia Business School alums (I got my econ degree from columbia, and our program networked a lot with CBS) who were not Americans, and most of them could not obtain American employers who would sponsor their visa. So in their cases, just having a great name (and great career history prior to b school too) doesn't help them get a work visa.

My pt is, if you want to work in europe but dont have work authorization, you are better off focusing your efforts on job search with an EURO employers while you are still in school (because once your visa runs out, you gotta go). Vice versa for the states.

And coming from someone who has 11 yrs of work exp (and 7 of those as manager of teams), a MBA from a great school (or, in your case, combo of degrees) is impressive but that alone doesnt get you the job. Prior relevant work exp, skillset, personality all comes into play.

gr8tWo · Answer

enkie thanks for the reply!

LBS Full Time MBA vs Oxbridge MBA + MIT MSMS

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards