My undergraduate degree is in a technology discipline, and I have 5 years of post-graduation IT experience, based within the financial services sector. Currently at a managerial level within an IT department there.
I'm seriously thinking of starting an MBA to develop/formalise my business skills further, at a ~ 2014/2015 intake. My career ambitions are to move into some sort of IT strategy/department-level role, you know, IT Director-type positions, or even CIO level over the much longer term (i.e. aiming high).
I would need to continue working full-time during study, but think I have a realistic idea of the commitment this would involve; I have no other commitments such as caring duties which would interfere, and my employer offers something akin to flexi-time.
Anyway, I currently live in a large city with an array of fairly poorly-thought-of newer unis and 1 red brick which doesn't offer a non-Exec part-time MBA (so not an option to attend face-to-face part time locally).
Thus I've been looking, over the last few months, at distance learning MBAs offered by institutions across the UK.
Currently on my shortlist are ones like Durham, Aston, Bradford, Manchester, etc. - the usual suspects.
Some of the things that matter to me are a mix of:
1) Triple accreditation, which narrows it down some
2) The "maturity" of the course; I don't want to be a guinea pig first intake even if a well-respected uni is rolling out a new degree structure
3) The general "prestige" of the degree - I notice that some programmes are formally listed as "Online MBAs" and I'm not sure whether in more traditional financial services organisations that would devalue it (rightly or wrongly in the eyes of the perceiving party)
4) Total cost, to a degree (could afford the current £19k Durham fees but that's top of how much I could afford without employer support, which is unlikely)
5) Overall flexibility and course content - if I had to attend a 1 week block session on campus every 2 months, for example, I can't do that (hence Durham etc looks more attractive as fairly low campus attendance requirements - but would have the OPTION of campus modules if I could manage it)
6) Overall suitability re: the career aspirations I've mentioned above (e.g. I've read that Durham is quite academic rather than hands-on, and I need the MBA to serve my career-supporting goal well)
I'd be interested in hearing comments on the above from some of the board regulars. I know there's already a lot of discussion to browse about X vs Y in general terms, but I'm wondering whether item (6) above will prompt more specific snippets of advice for me?
I'm seriously thinking of starting an MBA to develop/formalise my business skills further, at a ~ 2014/2015 intake. My career ambitions are to move into some sort of IT strategy/department-level role, you know, IT Director-type positions, or even CIO level over the much longer term (i.e. aiming high).
I would need to continue working full-time during study, but think I have a realistic idea of the commitment this would involve; I have no other commitments such as caring duties which would interfere, and my employer offers something akin to flexi-time.
Anyway, I currently live in a large city with an array of fairly poorly-thought-of newer unis and 1 red brick which doesn't offer a non-Exec part-time MBA (so not an option to attend face-to-face part time locally).
Thus I've been looking, over the last few months, at distance learning MBAs offered by institutions across the UK.
Currently on my shortlist are ones like Durham, Aston, Bradford, Manchester, etc. - the usual suspects.
Some of the things that matter to me are a mix of:
1) Triple accreditation, which narrows it down some
2) The "maturity" of the course; I don't want to be a guinea pig first intake even if a well-respected uni is rolling out a new degree structure
3) The general "prestige" of the degree - I notice that some programmes are formally listed as "Online MBAs" and I'm not sure whether in more traditional financial services organisations that would devalue it (rightly or wrongly in the eyes of the perceiving party)
4) Total cost, to a degree (could afford the current £19k Durham fees but that's top of how much I could afford without employer support, which is unlikely)
5) Overall flexibility and course content - if I had to attend a 1 week block session on campus every 2 months, for example, I can't do that (hence Durham etc looks more attractive as fairly low campus attendance requirements - but would have the OPTION of campus modules if I could manage it)
6) Overall suitability re: the career aspirations I've mentioned above (e.g. I've read that Durham is quite academic rather than hands-on, and I need the MBA to serve my career-supporting goal well)
I'd be interested in hearing comments on the above from some of the board regulars. I know there's already a lot of discussion to browse about X vs Y in general terms, but I'm wondering whether item (6) above will prompt more specific snippets of advice for me?
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