Hello everyone,

I?m a Law graduate from Peru and I?m specializing in energy (especially electricity and renewables), so that?s a sector in which I?d like to stay. I currently work as an associate in a consulting firm, which is great and allows me to learn a lot about the energy business, but I?ve come to the conclusion that I?d like to take my career towards a more managerial area in the next few years, maybe even become an entrepreneur. I mean, I feel good as a consultant, but I?d prefer to be more on the ?business driver? side of things. Fortunately, the Law school I went to is very focused in business, so we get to take courses in management, economics, accounting and finance, and therefore my business basis at the moment could be considered fairly decent.

Ok so my question is basically this: should I go for a Master in Management starting around 2 years from now (I?ll be 26 years old by then) or should I wait 1 or 2 years more and aim towards an MBA?

Regarding the Master in Management, I?m really considering the MscBA from Erasmus University at Rotterdam for a few reasons:
(i) The program looks very good. For example, it includes a consultancy project like many prestigious MBAs.
(ii) Second, it?s aimed towards professionals with previous experience in fields different from business, so that means that the people should be closer to the MBA profile than to the typical just-graduated-from-bachelor MiM student.
(iii) Since I happen to have a second European nationality, it?s very affordable. The tuition fees for the program would be around 2,000 Euro.
(iv) I already spent a semester in a Dutch university as an exchange student some time ago and I really enjoyed my time there. More so, it was super easy to cope in the Dutch society because nearly everyone speaks good English (though after graduation I?d prefer to move back to Latin America or Spain, or just spend a couple years more in the Netherlands).
(v) FT ranks this program 5th among the masters in management, and the weighted salary ($68,452) and employment rate (89% within 3 months) look pretty good.

The problem? It?s still a Master in Management, so I fear that the title won?t be as useful as an MBA, especially in the long run!

If I was not to take this MscBA, then I?d probably wait one or two more years and apply to an MBA that is well considered and not sooo expensive, such as ESMT Berlin, or perhaps one of the top rated Latin American programs like INCAE. Honestly, I don?t think it?s worth it to take so much debt for a very high-profile MBA in a place like the USA if I don?t plan to stay there (though in my case the exception could be aiming to a good MBA in Spain, such as IE or ESADE).

I would like to hear some opinions on this issue, and especially comments about Rotterdam?s MscBA or suggestions about other MiM or MBA programs that could suit my interests.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

Best regards,

My first thought is: why choose? You also have the option to do the MSc now, and then take an MBA when you're around 30 or an executive MBA when you're 35.

Although I am highly skeptical of the suggestion that the RSM MSc student body is closer to an MBA cohort than a typical MSc class, it will advance your career and give you access to a valuable international career network. RSM's presence in the OneMBA project means that many of the best connected FGV and EGADE alumni are also RSM certificate holders, giving you some leverage in Latin America. As you say, the price-performance is exceptional.

I was in a similar position to you in 2000; I applied to RSM and, after I was offered a place, I made my self a deal: either I'd get much better job before I started at RSM, and then take an executive MBA later; or I would quit my job and do a masters at RSM. Perhaps a similar perspective might work for you.

One final point: when I visited RSM I was disappointed by how little effort students put into learning Dutch. The guy I was buddied with could not buy coffee in the university cafe without using English, and that clearly did not delight the 50-something canteen lady. That is passable if you don't want to get employed in the Benelux, but reduces your positive experience of the region substantially and limits your professional opportunities. See: Do you need to speak the local language? www.find-mba.com/board/34713

Dear Duncan,

Thanks for your thoughts on the issue. I've also considered what you say. I could go for the MscBA on 2016, therefore getting a formal pathway into a management position more quickly, and years later do an executive MBA according to my career progression.

Actually, I think the future is going to open many more opportunities for energy/technology startups, so if I ended up venturing into having my own company, then the most important thing would be to have a solid management foundation, which the MscBA could provide for a much lower cost.

However, if I stayed in the corporate world, then a solid MBA title nearly from the get-go (that is, after 3 or 4 years of professional experience) would probably provide me with better grounds to escalate to the top positions...

So beyond those thoughts, I have a couple more questions. First, how do you think the master in management title (Rotterdam in particular) is viewed by Spanish and Latin American companies?

And second, could you recommend some MiM or MBA programs that provide good options to gain an edge on technology and/or energy (like I said before, more related to electricity and renewable or clean energies, rather than oil & gas which I believe is a concentration that isn't so hard to find nowadays)? In the end, either as an employee or as an entrepreneur, that's basically the area that most interests me.

Best regards!

Honestly, I would have to take some time to answer those questons. I don't think RSM is well known in the Americas. There is an MBA specialisation page on this website, which is very helpful. However, the top executives in every industry have general management mBAs, not specialist MBAs. Also see: How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

Thanks for the info, I found the MBA by specialization page very useful. I didn't know Berkeley's program was such a good starting point for a career in renewable energy companies, so I'll start considering that one a lot (though it's a different thing from what I had been thinking of).

And what about Cranfield? I've heard it's a very good school, plus the MBA only takes a year and isn't so expensive, but is it well positioned outside of the UK? How would it compare to Cambridge Judge's MBA? This last one also takes a year, has a concentration in energy, and is somewhat more expensive.

Do you have a more specific question? Take a look at: How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

I didn't know Berkeley's program was such a good starting point for a career in renewable energy companies, so I'll start considering that one a lot (though it's a different thing from what I had been thinking of).

And what about Cranfield? I've heard it's a very good school, plus the MBA only takes a year and isn't so expensive, but is it well positioned outside of the UK? How would it compare to Cambridge Judge's MBA? This last one also takes a year, has a concentration in energy, and is somewhat more expensive.