Hi Abhishek, Birmingham offers rich experience and good class profile. As far as job is concerned it rests a lot on your networking skills, opportunities you are willing to explore and your own career goals. Living cost vary widely according to your life style choices but you can get an approximate idea from this link http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/support/moneyadvice/living.aspx

Yes, in terms of employment, nothing is guaranteed. You should have a clear view of what you want to do from the very beginning, and then take electives and network based on those goals. I believe that Birmingham offers an internship component, so you should try to do an internship in the field or industry that you want to land a job.

In terms of a part-time job during your studies, I do believe that the tier four visa in the UK allows for employment, but your capacity will most likely be limited, since the workload in a full-time MBA program tends to be quite intense.

Dear Friends,

I am looking forward to join University of Birmingham MBA International Business 2 year full time course in sept 2015.I m from INDIA.

I hereby request your kind reviews about University Reputation,Employability,Life Style,Part Time Jobs,Cost of living and life and guide me out .

Dear Duncan & all,

By right, typical business school in Europe offers 1 year full time MBA programme. From what I infer on their website, the requirements for the 2 year MBA in Birmingham Uni is lower than the 1 year one. As long as students make it through the first year with an average of 60%, they can proceed to the actual MBA programme. I am wondering if the 2 year MBA from Birmingham Uni actually dumb down the cohort and the course?

Thanks.

It could be the other way around: the students who have gone through the preparatory year could be up to speed with all the finance stuff, could have completed internships, might be already networked with alumni.

I don't think it's a "dumbed-down" version of the program. English language test requirements are a bit lower, and work experience requirements are less, but nothing too drastic.

My sense is that the extra is more like a preparatory year for students with a bit less work experience. Once you enter the MBA stream, you should be at the same level as others who enter the 12-month program.

I don't think it's a "dumbed-down" version of the program. English language test requirements are a bit lower, and work experience requirements are less, but nothing too drastic.

My sense is that the extra is more like a preparatory year for students with a bit less work experience. Once you enter the MBA stream, you should be at the same level as others who enter the 12-month program.

Interesting...

University of Birmingham is building a postgraduate teaching centre for the Business School. What does it mean for the future of Birmingham Business School and its MBA?

Probably not a big difference for the MBA. Most UK business schools are customer-oriented, and my guess is the new space will allow more break-out space, social space and catering space for the MSc students.

Probably not a big difference for the MBA. Most UK business schools are customer-oriented, and my guess is the new space will allow more break-out space, social space and catering space for the MSc students.

Shame that it's just mainly focusing on the MSc students then... but I guess that's how they increase their revenue through increasing the number of them. The amount they are charging for an MSc is exorbitantly high!

Not really: MBA students will also benefit from enlarged facilities, but Birmingham is right to enlarge the MSc (for which there is huge employer demand) rather than the MBA (which is more a niche product). That is where the demand is growing from employers. It's not business schools growing supply to make money. Remember that major business schools are nowhere a profit-making business. There is more demand, and so they are responding by growing.

PS The UK fees are actually rather low when you compare with the global competition. The Birmingham MSc is between 16 and 19 thousand pounds: compare that with what you would pay in the US, Singapore or Australia, or even comparible European schools like HEC. If you want to pay less, study on mainland Europe but you will struggle to get the sort of classmates, faculty and facilities of a top international school.

I thought their MSc comprise mainly of students from mainland China? Is it more of a huge employer demand from China? It is good to know that it is not into profit making though.

If MBA is their niche product, does it make it more valuable? Is it also because there are lesser candidates in a cohort?

You can see profiles of their students at http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/business/student-profiles/index.aspx and look through their photos on social media. It doesn't seem likely at all to me that most of their students will be from mainland China (I teach at Edinburgh, a broadly similar triple-crown Russell Group school and I doubt that would be true at any of our peers). I would expect they will have five or ten applications for very MSc seat and will have no trouble getting a diverse group of students. Indeed, they will be valued by employers all over the world.

Yes, MBA students get much higher salaries than MSc students because of their greater experience and value in the workplace.

Duncan,

have a look at below link. In the page, under lecture theatre, more than half of the class is full of Chinese! Unbelievable!

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/business/about/facilities.aspx

As you say, very unlikely. That's just one photograph. That could be a talk of particular interest to Chinese students (Is the lecturer also of Chinese descent?). Of course appearance is no guide to nationality. People who look Chinese could have grown up in any country, even Britain.