So stats confirm my intuitive apprehension - costs and Spanish as instruction laguage are the major criterions for Latin Americans to chose their MBA , but up 90% wow, that's amazing!

For an MBA in Barcelona, I would definitely suggest the BMI MBA programme as well as the MBAs of other institutions. I am a student at BMI, and having studied at BMI for a couple of months, I can say that the programme is just great. I don't think that making positive or negative assumptions about a programme or institution, to which you haven't personally been, is reasonable. Therefore, I cannot say anything about the other programmes.

BMI is new, and it is not in the rankings, that's true, but the point is not only doing an MBA just to tell others that you're doing an MBA, right? I chose BMI, because the curriculum is very effective. We do not take more than two different types of modules at one time which makes us and the professors focus more on the lecture. I see BMI being new as a positive thing. The style is very modern. It is not like the "classical" MBAs where you have to take several lectures at one time.

I always wanted to do an MBA, and I made a lot of research about the subject. I can say that BMI follows a very unique programme. The professors we had so far were very friendly, willing to share their knowledge and experience, willing to help you and answer your questions. The staff is more than helpful in every single problem that you are experiencing from finding an accomodation to visa problems etc. The lecture rooms are open 24 hours and you can reach the professors and the staff whenever you like.

Besides, we have very practical Spanish lectures. I am in the beginners group, but in such a short-time, like 2 months, everybody in the class started to speak Spanish.

Why I chose BMI is that I wanted to "learn". It is definitely a very good place for learning and get prepared for the professional life. The lectures are very practical and they are not only about the theories but also about the self-improvement.

The atmosphere is very comfortable. I didn't think about the accreditation and ranking issue as an issue. Rather than studying at an institution which has accreditation and high ranking but which is not good for learning, I chose BMI and I do not regret the decision that I made. Yes, the rankings "usually" show the success of the institutions/universities plus the accreditation is important for the next stages, but without being in the rankings because it is new, I can assure you that BMI MBA is good, and about finding a job afterwards, I want to emphasise the fact that instead of learning nothing and graduating from an institution, I would rather "learn", practice and improve myself. About finding a job I don't have any concerns, because I do not want to work at a company which hires me just looking at the rankings or the accreditations. I want to work at a company which hires me for what I know and what differences I can make. Actually, even in that short-time, I can say that I have learnt a lot at BMI, and at the end, when I finish the programme, I am sure that I will be satisfied, and I will be ready for what I want to do next.

Hey dagny,
can you tell me something about the situation regarding job possibilities after finishing the MBA, How is the alumni situation?
Thanks!
Kata

I still waiting for some coments regarding BMI from Jaitego !

dagny , that sounds awsome ,can you tell me how many people are in your class? actually i spoke to DR Branch one of your preffesors ,he was very helpful and easy to talk to but then i heard some negative comments about BMI and the fact that BMI do not have accreditation was the reason that i changed my mind,so how is the spanish classes how many hours you studying spanish?
Thanks

Hi Katalina!

As BMI MBA is a brand new programme, unfortunately I cannot inform you about the alumni, but BMI has good connections with a number of companies, we have internships and additionally the career service at BMI informs us about the job offers, posts etc.Whenever they hear something of our interest and specialty, they tell us. Here is the link:http://www.barcelonami.org

Considering that we are already being assisted while we are still students, I think when we finish the programme we will have great chances of finding a suitable job.

And we have a Consulting Project in which we will specialise in our field of interest and I guess it will be a great experience. You can have more information about the project from the following website:
http://www.barcelonami.org

All my classmates have different backgrounds and they are very qualified so I'm expecting them to have good positions at successful companies.

Hope the info is helpful.

Hi Sunnyboy!

Well, about the accreditation, I have some comments. BMI MBA is very modern as I have said. The focus is not on research, I guess this might be the reason why it is not accredited. It is a practical programme.

The answers to your questions... We were six in the class before the Easter break, and after the break we'll most probably between 10-15. The newcomers and we'll take some courses together, and they will take the ones we've had so far, and they will graduate next April, later than we will.

We've had 4 hours of Spanish per week before the Easter break, but as the goal is learning Business Spanish, we'll have 6 hours per week, most probably in the last term.

John Branch is a great guy, a very modest, friendly and intelligent guy he is. You should see him when he's teaching. I'm looking forward to having his lecture once again.

Hello dagny,
What I don't understand is why tht tuition of BMI is that high.
As Jaitego says about BMI (see above):

It has no international accreditation and no reputation. ... tuition is 19,500 euros, which is the same (I think) as EADA (and EADA has 3 international accreditations!!).

Hi Katalina!

I perfectly understand you; doing an MBA is an investment in yourself, and you should definitely choose the best program. It's a big commitment. All of us are concerned about the tuition fees, but I think BMI MBA deserves that amount because at the end you learn.

For me, the most important aspect of a school is the professors. I'm sure that we've all suffered from professors who do not like teaching and sharing their knowledge but just try to make you fail. Well, the biggest reason I chose BMI is that it has award-winning professors. Yes, the program is not ranked or accredited, but its professors are already good, therefore I didn't worry about the accreditation.

You do not pay for the books, the materials, the Career and Student Services, copies, business field trips, consulting projects, any extra money for Spanish lectures or materials, cultural activities, etc and they have a kitchen, a copy room, and free internet connection, and the institute is open 24 hours. You feel that they care for you. It's not a place which takes your money for nothing, they give you lots in return.

Most importantly, they offer scholarships to students who showed outstanding performances, and I think they are fair at deciding about the scholarships. They provide you with all oppurtunities: you work in an environment with talented professors who are experts at their subjects and you have good classmates; that's the case in my situation.

As I've said before, I understand your point, and you're right about having concerns. You should be sure about the school before investing your money and time. I wish you good luck and hope you can choose the best program for yourself.

thanks for the detailed answer dagny, and congratulation that you have found a program that suits you well!
I'll take into consideration what you said, but I'll be very careful as well to make the best choice for me.
All the best for your studies,
Kata

You're welcome. Hope it was helpful. All the best for your studies. (dag)

Hi all

I am applying for the Int. Master in management from EADA, any comments about it? I have 1 year work experience in Canada and would like to return to work here. Will EADA title be recognized?

Also I have apply for ESIC MBA any comments about it?

What's school is better Internationally?

Thanks

Just an outside look, I'm not an expert regarding bschools in Spain (as some others at this board):
ESIC definitely does not have the same international standing as EADA which is ranked in several relevant rankings.
I have no idea about accreditation of the ESIC MBA, you should have a look. EADA is accredited, I don't know exactly which accreditations, but you'll be able to find that out quite easily I think.

Can you maybe tell me what the tuition of the ESIC MBA is? I'm curious

Hey Jona,
The ESIC acreditation are still not clear for me, the tuition at ESIC is:
MBA
- English: ? 20,000
- Spanish: ? 18,000
But since I am from Latin America, Honduras I waiting for help with the Fundacion Carolina..
What do you think of the Carlos III MBA?
Are you thinking of doing an MBA in spain also?

MariaJoseV,

ESIC does not have any of the three big international accreditations. Their web site is quite ambiguous. It's really upsetting: they want to make you believe that they are accredited without really telling you so. The truth is they are not accredited by AMBA (Association of MBAs). They are not accredited by AACSB either (they are just members, which means that they pay a membership fee, that's all). And they don't have the EQUIS accreditation, although they are a member of EFMD, the institution that grants EQUIS accreditations. Again, a school can be a member (this means it pays the membership fee) without being accredited. So don't be fooled by their web site. If you want to know if a school is accredited, go to the accrediting agencies web sites:

AMBA:
http://www.mbaworld.com/index.php?content=accreditedlistall&mm=28&sm=8

EQUIS:
http://www.efmd.org/html/Accreditations/link_overview.asp?id=040929sqku&tid=4&ref=ind

AACSB:
http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/accreditedmembers.asp


So based on all this, I would also say, like Jona, that EADA is a better choice than ESIC.

The Carlos III MBA, which you also mention, is also internationally accredited (by AMBA) and is more affordable than other accredited MBA programs in Spain. So I think it is a much better choice than ESIC for an MBA program and something worth looking at.

You should anyways also take into account if this is really the right time for you to do an MBA. I think you mentioned you have one-year work experience. Have you thought about waiting for a couple of more years? One year is not enough, both because your chances of getting into a good program are small, and also because even if you get in you won't take as much from it as if you wait a bit more.

Hi Jaitego,

Thank very much for your information it's very helpful. As for EADA I didn't applied for the MBA program since they required more years of work experience so they told to apply for the Master of International Management since the class rage is 22-26. So I will be taking my admission test very soon do you know how it is? What should I expect from it?
Any comments in this program?

Thanks

I don't know about that program at EADA. Some other people in this board may be able to help you. But I would consider waiting a bit more, and then engage in an MBA. If you accumulate more work experience you will take much more out of the program, you'll have more fun, and your employment opportunities will also be better afterwards. An MBA is a more standard degree and will have more international recognition. Plus the Master program that you want to apply to is also very expensive, probably as much as an MBA. Are you sure you don't want to wait?

An MBA is like a label, employers all around the world will immediately have an idea what it means and what level and what kind of knowledge this degree confers.
The other program you name might be good, but unless someone knows this particular program, or the school, impossible to judge. There are thousands of Master degrees of all sorts you can do, some are worth nothing, or are very easy to achieve for students already enrolled in the institution.

When you come along with an MBA degree (especially if its a program which is not completely unknown), your potential employer will know that you fulfilled the requirements of admission, means you had a good level of education, knowledge and experience when you started your MBA, and that you invested a considerable amount of money and energy -

You'll have to invest a similar amount of money and effort to do this international Master, but the degree you hold then does not tell it...

Besides, your benefit will be a lot bigger with some more work eperience, for yourself, and for your career chances.

You'll do your MBA (or similar) only once, it's a big investment, better prepare it carefully and make the best out of it!

I'd just like to say that Dagny's comments do not coincide at all with what I know about BMI. I mean how would you feel if you showed up to do an MBA and there were just a handful of students? And it's a new school so there is no alumni network. I don't think I would be happy. Dagny says we all know what it's like to study with teachers who don't want to share their knowledge and want you to fail. I have had teachers who were better than others but I've never had a teacher who didn't want to share their knowledge and wanted me to fail. What does this mean? That teachers at IESE or EADA are terrible and want their students to fail? I don't think this makes sense. And if BMI is really charging 20,000 ? for their program when EADA is almos the same price, why would you go there? Maybe because you couldn't get in to the accredited schools. Otherwise, it makes no sense.

I would like to ask you a question Caveat, what do you know about BMI? If you know how it is, better than the students who study there, tell us. It is not logical to say something about a place where you have not been.
I think studying in a small group is better than studying in a large group. I see it as advantage and I enjoy the environment better like this. This is a matter of choice. Research shows that small class size is a better way of education:
http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues067.shtml

Second of all, I have not stated any comments about IESE or EADA or any other school than BMI, because I have not been to these schools. Making the comment that the only reason going to BMI is because one could not get in to the accredited schools is very shallow. I can assure you that people at my school have great backgrounds, and it is not true that we "were not capable of" getting in the other schools.