Hi guys,
My plan was to do an MBA in Europe, and then go back to Canada. I'm very convinced that this experience will have a great value for me personally.
But we North Americans tend to be a bit too focussed on our own things, so I was wondering if it would be a big disadvantage for me to have a European MBA, when I'll be looking for a job in the US, compared to other candidates holding a US MBA? Any comments?

Doing your MBA in North America will definitely give you better exposure to employers in North America: it will be easier for you to get internships in the US and you will probably get access to more job interviews, because most good schools will organize employment fairs with national employers.

Having said that, doing an MBA in Europe can give you exposure to a different culture, and you could take advantage of it to learn a different language. That would differentiate your resumé versus MBA graduates from US programs. You would need to choose a language that is relevant for business --perhaps Spanish, French or German. If you don't have something really clear and specific like a language advantage, I think you'd be better off doing your MBA in North America.

Other things to take into account are costs --1 year usually in Europe vs 2 years in the US-- and your chances of admissions --maybe you don't get into top US programs but you get into a top European program.

Hi Jaitego,
That's exactly what I thought: With an MBA from the US I'd have far better employment chances in US companies, but there are some advantages when I do a European MBA, like experience of other culture, including different business culture. That's the priority for me actually.
Besides, I'm not so sure that I want to work in the US, maybe better go back to Canada, and there situation might be a bit different anyways.
What I did not take into account is language, I intended to study in Scandinavia, or NL. So thanks a lot for this comment, I will definitely look in German speaking Europe now.
Pablo

Hello Jaitego,
Referring to the costs, is that so, 1 year Europe vs 2 years US? I am surprised, in terms of tuitions good programs in the US tend to be so expensive! Besides, in Europe some schools are not so expensive because they have some sort of public funding, they are integrated in the public educational system.

As far as I know, standard MBA programs in the US last for two years, whereas in Europe the one-year format is the most frequent. But I guess you can find one-year programs in the US and two-year programs in Europe. You're right that you can find lower tuitions in Europe if you go to public universities, many of which offer excellent programs. So if you go to a one-year program in a public university in Europe you get to pay less. I would nonetheless add two qualifications: first, the euro is a bit expensive right now; second, with a two-year program you pay more but of course you also learn more. There's much more choice of specialization.

I understand Jaitego, since I focussed on Europe in my research about MBA programs, I was never aware of the fact that US MBA usually lasts for two years.
Sure you learn more, but besides that I imagine it quite heavy to have a break of two years in your professional activity. I feel a lot mor comfortable with the idea of a one-year program.
Not to talk about costs...

Reading your comments I think there are strong arguments for doing an MBA in Europe. Only in case that you are 100% sure that you want to work in the US afterwards you should definitely as well study in the US.
Especially for students who have reduced financial means, coming f.ex. from Asian or Latin-American countries, it could be a good idea to do their MBA in Europe.

Exactly Pablo, coming from Indonesia and with a family who are not millionaires, I could simply not afford to study in the US. In Europe you can do an MBA for less money, you only need to be careful to do the right choice...

Same here. In the very beginning I only thought about doing an MBA in the States. That's somehow the image one has of an MBA.. But once I gathered some more information about different possibilities, Europe and maybe Australia seem to be a better option (unless, as you say, you have the declared goal of working in the US afterwards).
By the way Pablo, I think for me it will be Germany too!
Attiya

It makes sense to think first of the US. The MBA was invented in the States and rankings of top global programs are dominated by American schools.

As a North American you will certainly differentiate yourself by choosing a program outside of your contintent. It will give you a credible claim to being a global business person.

You will want your European MBA to be respected in North America once you are on the job market. One way to ensure this is to find a program with strong links to the top American schools as the vast majority of employers are familiar with a short list of leading MBA brands. Links to top programs (ex. Professors from US Schools) also guarantee that you receive the quality that you expect and that your post-MBA employer will demand. Being able to say, "I received the top grade in X class from one of the top Professors at the University of Michigan and second highest grade in classes taught by Professors at Stanford and MIT" will minimize concerns over the quality of a MBA in Europe.

Full Disclosure: I am participating in the FIND MBA board as an excercise to provide an illustration for a segment I am teaching of the course "What the CEO wants you to know" at BMI http://www.barcelonami.org One of the readings for the segment is http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.04/wired40_ceo.html Click on Post MBA for more biographical info.