Hi All,

I am currently 3 years into IT industry at an MNC in India, I want to move into an HR role in UK/Ireland/Scotland/USA/Netherlands.
I want to gain a solid expertise in HR and would love to work in that country post MBA/MSc in HR as an HR generalist or HR consultant, preferably or any other HR role,as required.
Now budget is a concern for me. I can afford upto $30000 (18-20,000 GBP for UK/Scotland) at max.
Considering a 680 in GMAT(which I can try hard and better if needed), which is the country that I should target for the best job prospect as an Indian?
I do not find much time to learn a new language while working, so I would prefer English speaking or predominantly English speaking countries, unless you suggest that learning a new language really is a game-changer.
I also have to consider the international brand value of the degree as in the worst case I might have to return to India and work using that degree only.
So please suggest the best country to choose considering the constraints and the best B-schools/universities suited for that purpose.
I have shortlisted a few universities as mentioned below. Please add to the list if necessary.
(A one-liner comment for each of the schools would really help)

ESCP Europe (not sure if this GMAT score being an Indian IT engineer male would suffice)
RSM (not sure if this GMAT score being an Indian IT engineer male would suffice)
Lancaster -MSc in HR&Consulting (this consulting part seems interesting and helpful for consultant roles..is it?? pls suggest)
Warwick (Pricey..26000Pound...Am I eligible for a scholarship with GMAT680?How good is the placement prospect?)
.Bradford(THE rank: 92, sounds good,scholarships available. But how good is it for HR?)
University Of Edinburgh(A reputed one, how good is the job prospect from Edinburgh?)
Aston B School (BPS-A,BPS-B teting learning opportunity, curriculum looks good but not sure about the international reputation and the possibility of getting placed, which the most vital point)
Strathclyde (they mentioned about a management research report included in the course..not able to get what exactly that is)
University of Glasgow.(Times higher education Ranking 94..seems good..is it?)
Brunel university (curriculum seems good,location: London, chance for better networking but THE rank 226-250)
IE - MBA in HR.
Bath(not sure if it's a good school,bit low on reputation)
Manchester (very pricey at 40000GBP, out of range)
University of Sheffield (haven't heard much, how is it?)
UCD, Dublin.( Ireland courses are not CIPD accredited, so how is the placement for MSc in HR courses at UCD, is it better than the UK B-Schools with CIPD accreditation?
UC3M (very good budget school,not sure about the international acclaim)
USA
Michigan State Broad (US)- [is it better than the UK schools??]
Temple Fox(US) - (is it a good option?)
Are there any better schools with HR specialization that would provide brilliant placements in HR roles, with my mentioned profile?

Now which country would be the best choice to have the maximum possibility of placement? UK/USA/Ireland/Scotland/Netherlands?
Also suggest the best B school with maximum international mobility or the B school providing the maximum prospect of getting placed. Please add if I have missed any B-school which should have been added keeping in mind the requirements.

Regards,
Suvoram

[Edited by suvoram on Aug 10, 2015]

I don't see how the Netherlands can be realistic if you don't speak Dutch. In the UK, I don't think many MBAs are hired into HR roles: MBA courses are too light, and don't have CIPD accreditation. I am not aware of there being any CIPD-accredited MBA courses, and the challenge is that MSc programmes could channel you into junior roles. Even so, I'd say the best route into a UK HR role will be a CIPD-accredited MSc. I would focus on top-tier b-schools like Imperial, Lancaster, Manchester, Strathclyde and Warwick. If you can't get in there, then programmes like Aston, Birmingham, Bradford, Brunel, Glasgow, Leeds or the LSE are worth looking at. From a global perspective, the LSE brand seems especially impressive.

[Edited by Duncan on Aug 10, 2015]

Thanks a lot Duncan for your insight on this. It was of great help.
I just have a few queries:
1. If you could tell me about the prospect of HR focused courses from US, do they hold better prospect of getting a job than MSc in HR from UK/Ireland?
2. Where do you place UCD(Ireland) against the good colleges from UK?Do I stand a good chance of landing up with a job pursuing MSc (HR) from UCD, keeping in mind that it is possibly the only triple accredited college offering MSc in HR course in Ireland?
3. Barring LSE (the winner from the global perspective) you have mentioned 2 sets, one having the likes of Imperial..Lancaster..Manchester..et al and the other having Aston, Birmingham...Warwick..Strathclyde..etc.
So how much difference does the two sets have as far as placement of international students are concerned?Is it very marginal or a game changing one?

Please if you could advise me on the above pointers.
Warm Regards,
Suvoram.

1. I think it's easier to get a work permit in the UK than in the US.
2. UCD is a great school, and it's ranked fairly. Ask them about placement for international students, but the placement overall from their MSc is not great.
3. I think the FT ranking at http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/masters-in-management-2014 is useful for MSc programmes. Add in the column for International Mobility. and you will see that outcomes are quite different.

Thanks Duncan for your continuous support. I will surely follow your advice and update.

Just wanted to know, does UCD MSc have better placement than the MSc from tier-1 UK B-schools like Imperial, Lancaster,Manchester,Starthclyde,Warwick,etc on an average? If not better than Tier-1, is UCD MSc better than the tier 2 B Schools(Aston,Birmingham,Bradford,Brunel,etc)?

What is your take on UEBS(Edinburgh), is it a tier 1 or Tier 2 B school? How is the prospect of jobs from MSc in HR from Edinburgh? Is Strathclyde better?

[Edited by suvoram on Aug 10, 2015]

Look at the link in my point 3 above. Add in the column for International Mobility. and you will see that outcomes are quite different.

Strathclyde will be a better choice for you than Edinburgh.

Thanks Duncan,
Will update with the advancements,if any.

@Duncan: Where do you place UCD for MSc in HR? International mobility scores show it at number 21 worldwide but that does not specifically take the MSc courses in the calculation,same goes for others too.
What is the placement scenario in Ireland? is it better than UK? Please if you could throw some light.
Based on International mobility scores,though those scores are not specifically for MSc courses, I have made a rank list as follows:
From the perspective of placement of International students from MSc in HR as well as international acclaim, does this rank list hold true (in decreasing order of ranks,that is the best school first)??

LSE>RSM>ESCP>Imperial>Strathclyde>UCD> IE,Spain(MBA in HR)> Warwick>Bradford>Aston>Birmingham>Brunel>Glasgow>Durham>Leeds>Edinburgh

Is the list ranked correctly? Please correct me if am wrong.

(Lancaster and Manchester not in the list as Lancaster is not CIPD accredited and Manchester is not known for placement of international students in MSc and it is very expensive too.)

[Edited by suvoram on Aug 11, 2015]

These are more detailed questions than I have time to answer right now. You need to look at the mobility score alongside the low employment score at UCD. use the international mobility scores for MSc, not for MBAs.

The ranking is very hard to do outside of the national/linguistic context. ESCP and IE are great options if you speak the local languages. Use LinkedIn to compare the programmes.

PS Looking broadly at your list, I would say that **for a student who spoke the working languages of the countries involved** a rough tiering would be very hard. A colleague of mine worked on a similar project, and gave this recommendation:-

1. Copenhagen, ESCP, LSE, Manchester, Rotterdam, Warwick
2. BI, ESSEC, Glasgow, Imperial, Strathclyde, UCD.
3. Aston, Birmingham, Bradford, Brunel, Lancaster, Leeds.

This is obviously not a comprehensive list and it was made for a different candidate, but it gives a very good direction.

[Edited by Duncan on Aug 11, 2015]

Thanks Duncan for your time and invaluable suggestion.
It really gave a good direction.

Thanks again.
Warm Regards,
Suvoram.