Hi all,



I am a 36yo engineer working in research in a non-profit institution in Spain. I would like to do an MBA to enable me move into more strategy-oriented roles, but still closely related to research. I will stay put in Spain for the time being, but in a few years' time I would probably like to relocate ideally to an English speaking country.



I work full time and have a family, so online and blended programs are the best fit. My budget is around 20k€ (my company sponsoring another 12k€ on top). I am trying to weight my options here...



There are a few very good business schools in Spain. IE offers an online global MBA, which after scholarship and my company's contribution will still require 24k€ out of pocket; however, I get the impression that this program is oriented at younger professionals. IESE's and ESADE's programs are unaffordable. Then we have EADA's MBA which would cost around 12k€ after my company's contribution - but its prestige is much lower than that of IE.



I have also been checking out online MBAs from good universities within my budget. Boston, Bradford, Illinois, Open University, all seem to offer well-rounded degrees, some of them with sporadic in-person sessions (which would be nice to attend!). I have also seen that the Open University offers an MBA in technology management, which sounds very interesting for my profile.



So the way I am looking at it is that one of these US/UK MBAs will give me a solid teaching quality, and a good name brand on my CV at a fraction of the cost. I know I would be missing out on the networking. I would like to hear some opinions about this aspect - my job is in a highly specialized industry, so I don't think the "networking" that expensive business schools offer is going to make a big difference in my case. And I think that having a US/UK brand on my CV will add more value to my profile (and more opportunities to relocate) than a less prestigious school such as EADA.



Any thoughts or comments will be highly appreciated!

[Edited by cae86 on Sep 10, 2022]

If you want to move to another country, then the networking you would get from a part-time degree with on-campus time would be really substantial: much more valuable than any difference in fees. Managerial salaries, after tax, are higher in the UK or Ireland than in Spain. Additional investment in a better school would be an excellent investment. 

Why not speak to a career goal about your feelings about budgets? Your choice to not borrow more is an emotional one, rather than a rational business choice, if you are serious about changing country. 

Thanks for your reply, Duncan.

What about online UK courses that have some in-person components? (Bradford and the Open University offer this, for example).

On the other hand, working in research, I have the opportunity to meet up with many people in the sector. We usually attend conferences and work in consortium-based projects. Do you still find the networking I could get from an MBA as something very valuable and worth the investment?

Thanks again for your opinion!

Yes, I think the major factor is whom you want to network with. The OU has unmatched experience in running intensive residentials, and these are famously effective (generationally so, with many start-ups, side hustles, weddings and divorces being triggered by them). At Bradford, I guess on-campus electives will include non-DL students who might be focussed on people they already know. Look at which schools have the best alumni base in the segment you want to target. And, of course, a more powerful cohort will come with a more expensive course. 

But, yes, learning to network *optimally* and building your network into laywrs of useful and powerful people is very important. Just look at the power of Bocconi.    

Thanks for your insights, Duncan! 

I am also curious to know your opinion about the OU's MBA in Technology Management, compared to a traditional MBA. I am a technologist first, and the curriculum of the course seems very interesting. I guess in this case I would be networking with a smaller and more specialised cohort - and I would somehow be compromising on the "quality" of the cohort compared to that of better business schools.

That is correct. I think you have less to learn from other tech people than from the more managerial and corporate cohort of a general management MBA.