Hi everyone,

I have a bit of dilemma to make my final decision about my MBA. I understood from all posts I've read on this forum that you have to do your MBA where you plan to work post-MBA.

I see myself working internationally and change country every five years (for example Japan, South Africa, Argentina, USA, etc.). That's one the reasons why I think an MBA such as the one offered at INSEAD would be a great fit for me.

However, I have always dreamed to study in the US, but as I can see on the statistics of most schools, the percentage of people working internationally is very low. Ideally, I wanted to stay in the US during my two-year MBA, and then work one year in the US thanks to the one-year visa they offer at the end of the program, and finally leave for another country. I have not intention to stay longer - except if I get a great job offer.

Nevertheless, I've been told by many people that UCLA is not so well known internationally, and that I would have better chances to change countries often by leveraging the large INSEAD's network.

Therefore, I'd like to get your opinion: should I be reasonable and go to INSEAD to leverage their network, especially in Asia, or do you think I should not give up my 'dream' to study in the US, because a diploma from UCLA would open up as many doors internationally as INSEAD?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Hi Molly,

Have you thought about the option of a "double degree"? That would be a good way of obtaining a degree from a European and an American school, plus you would be holding a degree from both. HS Pforzheim offers a double-degree MBA with the University of Wyoming. That means you would study in Germany for a year and your second year would be spent in the US (during your second year, you would still only have to pay for Pforzheim). HS Pforzheim is AACSB-accredited, the degree therefore is internationally recognized.

Hope that helps!

[Edited by Mein_MBA on Dec 05, 2016]

Thank you very much for your reply. Actually, I have already made up my mind on the schools: INSEAD for the European school, and UCLA for the US one (as I am not a right fit for top 5 US schools). My concern is that UCLA is not as well ranked as INSEAD - but living in Los Angeles for at least two years would be a great life experience...

That's why I try to make my decision based on what would be best on the long-term. If I want to work anywhere in the world, is it better to have US or a European MBA?

Many Europeans and Asians told me they heard about INSEAD but did not know about UCLA. But obviously, that makes sense since INSEAD is established in Europe and Asia. However, I think that once you say the whole name 'University of California Los Angeles', it should ring a bell as everyone knows Los Angeles.

But perhaps my reasoning is incorrect...

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Molly,

Changing countries every 5 years might not be realistic. More than the brand awareness or alumni reach of your MBA program, you'll need to investigate issues of work permit in each of your target country and pick up language skills.

Your job immediately after graduation may dependent more on the brand value of MBA, but as you gain experience post MBA, that experience weighs more than the brand value or awareness.

Regardless, a truly internationally recognized program would be London Business School in my opinion.

As a UCLA and LBS alum, I think it's unlikely you would be admitted at both Insead and UCLA. Insead or LBS would be much better for your goal.v

I am guessing you are not a US citizen, in which case your job opportunities will be limited since you only get 1 year of work authorization after a MBA program. If you do decide to stay in US, you will have to get H1-B work visa (there were 240K applicants for 85K visas in 2016)
Insead, LBS are safer chocies or you can look at something like the dual MBA/Masters offered by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.nanyangmba.ntu.edu.sg/double-masters/

[Edited by mba_13 on Dec 07, 2016]

Thank you all for your input.

@Ayon
I understand your remark concerning the work permit issue, but I have worked internationally for the last eight years, and it has never been a problem - but perhaps I've been very lucky! Regarding the language skills, it should be okay too - except for Japan. Your suggestion about LBS was truly interesting, but I don't see myself staying in London for two years...

@mba_13
You're right, I am a EU citizen. I don't really mind about the US work visa issue, because staying in the US for 3 years (2 years MBA + 1 year work permit) would already sound great to me. I don't intend to live in the US forever; I just want to experience the 'American way of life' for a couple of years. However, I don't want to leave the US with a diploma from a school that is not really well-known around the world.

I seriously considered Nanyang MBA, especially because they deliver a dual degree offered in collaboration with Waseda university (Japan), but I thought I would not be a right fit in their student body, and I was not so fond of their curriculum.

@Duncan
Yes, I guess that for me, INSEAD would be the reasonable choice. Actually, I recently got invited for another interview in the US, so for now, I'll keep my options open - while keeping in mind that going to INSEAD would be wiser.