I think this really depends on your goals.

For most students, MBS is the obvious choice. It offers a series of face-to-face workshops in Miami which will give you a real 'cohort MBA' experience. I think that's a great part of developing soft skills and personal networking. All the students move in lock-step. There is a huge emphasis on core courses, giving it a solid general management curriculum.

The Warwick degree has much less face to face learning and is not a cohort programme. It doesn't offer teaching in the US, not even a single elective. So, I think it takes much more individual effort and I would imagine that as a result the time to completion is longer and the completion rate will be lower. However, the major advantage of the WBS programme is that the core courses are compressed in order to give a wider range of electives. If the block week elective format worked for you, and you wanted to specialise more than MBS would allow, then that cannot be ignored.

In terms of brand profile, MBS does have higher standing. In the FT ranking for fulltime MBAs, MBS is better than WBS on almost every variable. Forbes ranks it #2 worldwide http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eidm45mmg/2-manchester

Warwick, of course, is still a good choice: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eidm45edgd/8-warwick but perhaps not the better.

.

Duncan,
Thanks for sharing your meaningful thoughts, appreciate your time & for your contribution on this forum. The one thing that struck me with WBS is the partner exchange program that enables to do the electives in the partner schools in the US. Need to clarify how it works with DL students. I like your reasoning and look for cohort and F2F sessions ,hence leaning towards MBS, the admission team in Miami is fabulous as well. I would like to know how the course content, structure, exams (I am in CA) works between the MBS and WBS .

I think that is not presented clearly on the WBS site. Almost certainly the only opportunity to study in the US is a full-time exchange programme for a semester at a US business school. Furthermore most exchange schools are not open to people who have lived and worked in that country for a long time. I would be amazed if you were able to take a single elective at a partner school, since that would take the place of a full-time Warwick student spending a semester at the same school. I don't think there are any exchange schools in the US at which every seat will not be taken up.

Your argument makes sense, US schools will be the most sought after b-schools, as an US resident for the last 9 years & being a DL student, would make it difficult for me to find a place in exchange program.

I would imagine that, at the very least, if you wanted to go full time then that would have to mean transferring into the full time programme at the end of the second year, competing for best grades for places, and then going to a school in neither the US nor your home country. That seems very insecure.

That said WBS does have some international electives: they are mostly in Germany.

BEA, did you talk with recent students?

http://gmatclub.com/forum/mbs-or-warwick-business-school-90569.html

Maubia,
I haven't spoken to any one, I will do so now. Thanks for the link.

I talked with an italian who finished mbs global 3y ago... he impression was positive: the mba helped him with his career (it consultant.. he changed different employe and he could spend the degree.

I admit that I got the most positive impression by an IE online student: IT guy (indian living in US) as well who switch into marketing... he told me that he couldn't take advantage from IE network (much stronger in Eu) but he could spend the mba as well

Thanks Maubia!

I am only considering Manchester and Warwick right now, IE is a great school and in a different space in terms of cost. I also look at the F2F component, MBS has 6 days workshop every 6 months, WBS have Warwick September, IE online/distance program do not have F2F ( other than the orientation) meetings on their 15 months program.

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/part_time_mba_profiles/manchester.html

it seems they have improved the platform

Quite surprised to see how many applicants they enrol:

Total applications, most recent entering class: 642
Admitted students enrolled: 74 %

For the schools, online programs are great because there are generally minimal physical demands for space - and as long as their online platforms are efficiently managed and there is sufficient faculty, then it doesn't really make a difference to the students. That said, Manchester does enroll a lot of people, at least compared to other online programs: Florida State enrolled about 90 people last year; ASU Carey's online program a bit more than that.

I'd imagine that managing all those online classes at Manchester would be logistically complicated, but not impossible.

<blockquote>Total applications, most recent entering class: 642
Admitted students enrolled: 74 %</blockquote>

Ezra,

Thanks, I agree with you on the number of enrolled students, but Manchester has 6 global centers around the world in addition to the Manchester campus to support. Hence, I think they would be able to support the students reasonably well.

Hi Bea,

Can you please give us an update on whether you chose MBS or WBS and why?

I'm in the same predicament, so your help is much appreciated.

Thanks.