Hello all:
I think the key is to find an MBA that is career relevant - in the functional area you are interested in working. IE if you are interested in the marketing area of the media or entertainment business; or if you are interested in the finance end of the media or entertainment business.
Then also consider the location of the school. You want to network with individuals in those fields. So for example, a program in New York City, or Boston, or Chicago, or LA would be good as these are large cities. A program in a more rural or less populated state or city would make it harder to network and probably harder to land a job when you complete the degree. A bigger city would be best.
Also consider a program that includes within the curriculum a required internship for credit. This means that you will gain the knowledge and gain work experience in the field. If the internship is a required part of the MBA, for academic credit, it means the school takes this seriously and is truly career relevant. It also means you will have not only a corporate supervisor but also a faculty mentor for your internship. This accountability insures that the internship will be meaningful and contain a true finance or marketing project rather than, as is so many times the case, just doing administrative tasks. You want a meaningful career-relevant internship experience that adds value to the company and thus also to your resume.
If you are considering international business (and in today's global environment, this is something definitely to think about), then you might want to look at Suffolk University's Global MBA. As Dean of MBA Programs, I direct this program. It does require at least 3 years of full-time experience for admission consideration. It is located in Boston. It is based on the strength of the MBA core curriculum but also includes a very strong 5 course concentration in either international finance or international marketing. This is something also to look for: be sure that the program you ultimately choose has a strong concentration area that you are interested in - ie 2 upper level electives in marketing would not give you the functional expertise that a 5 course sequence will. In the Global MBA, the 5 courses in finance or marketing give you the functional expertise you can use in a multinational company or in a domestic company - to work abroad or at home. The case studies used in the courses are global so they are more expansive.
The full-time Suffolk Global MBA also includes a 6-credit, 3-month full-time internship outside the students' home country. As Dean, I travel globally and within the New England area to create collaborations for these internships - which are really more like consulting projects. I assist with the placements - although some GMBAs find their own placements. Again, since these are for 6 credits, they must include a significant project in either finance or marketing. We have GMBAs placed in 10 countries this summer: IE Coca Cola China in Shanghai; Philips world headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands; BMC Software Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore; ZZK Records world headquarters in Buenos Aires, Argentina; The Timberland world headquarters in New Hampshire etc. Go to
www.globalmba.typepad.com to follow their blogs this summer. Go to
www.suffolk.edu/globalmba and click on Internships....see the PDF for 2010 placements.
Because we have a relationship with the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and MBA and Global MBA alumni around the world, we would work with individuals to place them in a career relevant internship position -- thus providing the real career-relevant work experience that is so important in a graduate degree.
I hope these suggestions help. While I strongly believe in the career relevance of the Suffolk Global MBA....it is truly a life-changing program for many .. there are also many other excellent MBA programs in the US and abroad. Best wishes to you as you seek the right fit for you!
LH
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