Hello All,
First of all thank you for reading this and any advice you end up giving will be very much appreciated.

Personal info: I am 29 years old, Dutch national and have been working banking for 5 years at the same Dutch Bank. Mainly for the non-international side of the bank. I have a bachelor degree in HRM, minor finance.

Since this year i have been working as a consultant (for the same employer) in Myanmar with a partner bank of ours. I am working as a program / product manager. I will be working in this position in Myanmar for the coming 2 years.

I have followed a lot of certified courses which helped me keep moving my career within my current company but i feel like i need an Master's degree to keep progressing further. Especially if i want to switch employers.

 Personal goals: I am ambitious and want to keep improving my career. Aiming to stay in consulting/ banking but want to trainsition to roles with more leadership. It also always have been a personal goal of mine to finish a master degree and an MBA from a reputable university is my preference. I do not have a specific geographical location i prefer working, but it most likely not be US. For the long term I would looking at The Netherlands, Australia, New-Zealand and maybe Asia (i know being more specific would be helpful but i just dont know (yet)). I feel confident that i would be able to do networking myself and would not rely specifically on the network of any university.


Because i am working in Myanmar i currently cannot attend any regular MBA from an reputable university. I can either wait until after my time here is finished and do an regular MBA or do an Online MBA while i am working here. For me the latter seems a more efficient use of time while working in Myanmar. But i worry an Online MBA is worth less than a regular MBA.


I am leaning towards doing an online MBA, because of my current geographical location, being able to do it part time and cost are obviously lower than a full time MBA.

What do you think of that if you read my background? If you agree, what Online MBA would you suggest for me? Currently i am most interested in the online MBA's from Gies or MGSM  as both are affordable and have a high standard. 

 Please advice 

[Edited by Danny _ on Jul 06, 2020]

Would you be able to attend a program in Singapore? 

Gies is a very strong value proposition.

Would you be able to attend a program in Singapore? 

Gies is a very strong value proposition.

Very likely more brand equity and a better alumni network. Maybe time zone advantages too.


I am confused about the scale of the course. At the undergrad level 12 Macquarie credit points are equivalent to 30 ECTS (European Credit Transfer Scheme). The MBA claims to be 120 credits but that feels like a lot more study time than the curriculum feels like. I would check that. 

After searching information on the official website i come to the following calculation regarding the ECTS equivalant.

The Global MBA consists of 6 pillars (or specialisations). Each pillar has 4 units. One unit is completed in one term of 6 weeks. Each unit takes 13,5 hours a week (including 1 hour of class)

One unit is 13,5 hours per week * 6 weeks = 81 hours / 30 (30 hours is one ECTS) = 2,7 ECTS
The Global MBA consists of 24 units. 24* 2,7 ECTS = 64,8 ECTS

So that is comparable to one year full time study (if i am not mistaken).

Yup. Most British DL MBAs are 60 ECTS of courses and a 30 ECTS thesis or projects. 

Gies is 72 hours, roughly 144 ECTS, so two years of full time study. Really outstanding value. 

Gies is 72 hours, roughly 144 ECTS, so two years of full time study. Really outstanding value. 

The FT MBA is a massive acceleration in career advancement. You have to get the perspective right.
Gies say it will take approximately 8–10 hours of commitment per week to complete any Illinois-credit course.

I think that reflects the seven-course per year tempo, which is more efficient than the four quarter cycle at most schools. https://onlinemba.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2018/08/AnnualCourseOffering.pdf 

The FT MBA is a massive acceleration in career advancement. You have to get the perspective right. 

Obviously this depends on where you want to be a senior manager, what you need to get there, your experiences, resources and motivations. Other things being equal, a full-time MBA will also give you better acceleration and a wider developmental experience for leadership and soft skills.