Hi all The only college I applied to was SKK GSB because of the pandemic situation as Korea was only one of the few countries taking hybrid classes last year.


I have a lot of ambiguity about the school. The ranking is 35th in 2021 FT ranking which I consider a very good rank. But what surprise me that the GMAT is not mandatory and the school is not so popular globally. I could find very few discussions about the school in forums. The ones in findmba.com are also from 2009s where people are arguing about its popularity.


To be specific my question is will MBA from this school hold value globally or in Asia?

[Edited by truewarrior on Jun 02, 2021]

Few schools have global brand equity (Few Americas know IESE; Few Europeans know Fuqua or Tuck).  Indeed, and not all have continent-wide reputations (few Indians know CIEBS). It's even harder for young schools. SKK has an excellent full-time FT with a strong position in the Korean market. Perhaps it's a bit more internationally oriented, informal and interactive than the MBAs from the 'SKY' universities, and it's been able to attract almost half the class from abroad, including a notable minority of international students from outside Asia, particularly through double degree programmes. Compared to many other MBAs, the students are a little older, often sponsored by Korean companies and many aged around 30 (Korean schools do even better in the EMBA ranking). There's strong support for language learning and an excellent career development service really focussed on coaching students and offering personal advice on networking (which in Korea involves a lot of eating and drinking) and acculturation for the Korean market. 

Without a doubt, both the full-time and joint EMBA with Indiana aim to primarily service their domestic market and offer a way for Korean business leaders to be able to better work in English and get exposure to new perspectives, and use an interactive classroom approach. A US-style interactive classroom discussion with different opinions and lots of teamwork can be challenging for participants in some other Asian schools. The Western education style is highly favoured in Korean businesses, and many leaders have studied in the West.  Many of the faculty have international PhDs and teaching experience. The students are smart. In a nutshell, it's made a lot of progress in just 15 years, and which entered the FT ranking as early as 2012: very fast! 

Outside its domestic market, SKK has little brand equity. It's well located, in Seoul. Like many East Asian programmes that need a critical mass or foreigners to get groups working in English, it has generous incentives for some foreigners. It has better financial aid and scholarship options than many students. However, if you need placement support and do not want to work in Korea, it makes little sense. 

[Edited by StuartHE on May 19, 2021]

Thanks Stuart very well articulated. Got your point. Would you have any idea if its easy to get jobs in MNCs like amazon, google or Microsoft in Korea with a degree from SKK GSB (without knowing the local language). And will the degree be valued by Korean companies in India? 

Take a look at job adverts. I struggle to see what you can do in Korea without Korean. 

I looked at MBA roles in Korea on LinkedIn: at least 80% require Korean. The others are mostly senior vacancies with continental leadership roles, rather than MBA entry roles: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search/?currentJobId=2391498960&geoId=105149562&keywords=mba&location=South%20Korea 

[Edited by Duncan on May 20, 2021]

Thanks Duncan and Stuart for taking out time to reply. If my goal is to improve my public speaking and communication skills, obtain a global perspective and broaden my business skills, will MBA from SKK GSB help in that respect. Does FT rankings reflects the quality of the school. Its one of the cheapest top 50 school and I can also do a semester abroad in good schools such HKUST, Ceibs or IE or obtain a dual degree from Indiana Kelly, therefore I would not have to take a big loan and work in India afterward where the average salaries are not that big to replay amounts that an average US or UK school would charge. Also, would the dual degree from Indiana kelly be worth it. Kelly is a respectable school in US but having dual degree instead of full time degree from the school dilutes its value in the US market?
PS - In this case, I would want to come back to India and work and would explore opportunities totally on the basis of my current network and brand value of CPA degree which is very respectable in India or Work in US post opting for Indiana Kelly dual degree.


   

[Edited by truewarrior on May 24, 2021]

The FT ranking includes many variables. You can see them on the FT website when you click through to each schools entry in the ranking. All the top schools deliver a great education. 


PS A dual degree adds value. Your ability to work in the US would be limited if you did not already have the right to reside there. 

[Edited by Duncan on May 24, 2021]