Hi Everyone,
Profile:
3+ years work experience in Upstream Oil Gas Industry as Drilling Engineer
IELTS 8
GMAT 620
Admission offered:
University of Alberta
University of Calgary
Birmingham
Durham
Edinburgh

Admission Rejected:
Mannheim
BYU

Intend to work in same country post graduation.
Target Industries: Energy, Consultancy

Need advice on finalizing the program from the aforementioned universities.

Assuming that it's consultancy around energy, then it's really Alberta that stands out on that list, especially given Canada's easier routes into residency (I assume that you are not a resident of any of the countries in questions, and don't speak a second European language at the business level).

Also see:-
GMAT Tiers - strong schools for your GMAT www.find-mba.com/board/27082
and
How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

Hi Duncan,

Yes, I do not speak a secondary European language neither do I hold a permanent residency to any of the countries that these universities are in.
I do like the Alberta program too, however I was a bit surprised to find out that it did not make the FT list this time around. Generally the Alumni are well placed as per my finding through Linkedin.

Well, perhaps that is about the response rate. For energy it stands out.

Hi talal007,

I agree with Duncan. From the list you provided University of Alberta is the strongest school considering you want to be in Energy sector. I was in touch with few students who graduated from Schulich - York University in 2010/11, they told me that several international students found employment in that region. As per their assessment usually Canadians prefer cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver. Assuming that this assessment is accurate, it would make sense to be close to the demand.

Just make sure that you want to work in Calgary / Alberta. For example if you dream of joining a big consulting form based in GTA then It may be difficult to find employment considering you will be competing with graduates from Ivey, Queens, Rotman, Schulich etc.

Good luck!

Yes, Alberta—and, to a fairly equivalent degree, Calgary—these are the top schools for energy in Canada.

However, Edinburgh is not a bad choice, either, given your career goals. Maybe post-MBA visas might be more complicated but if your post-MBA career goals included working in energy in Scotland/the rest of the UK, then it's hard to beat.

Thank you for writing back everyone. Alberta does seem to be the better choice and I have generally heard good indicators about the program. I am accepting the offer and will get done with the formalities in days time.

On the other end, the Edinburgh 16 month MBA seems attractive as well particularity due to the exchange program offered in some highly reputed partner universities during the final semester.

Try this post: How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

Edinburgh is certainly a great university (I am taking my PhD here) and the exchange programme is certainly a strong element of its MBA. However, I don't think many exchange schools will give you access to recruitment services. The Alberta MBA also has a 16 month option, and I suggest you work out which school is most likely to get you an internships in your target industry. Alberta's concentration in energy is a big advantage, and Alberta's MBA is the same price as Edinburgh's.

PS It has even better international options, including the option of a semester or dual degree in Europe or Asia. But I think being in the belly of the oil industry is a bigger advantage (although IPF, the French institute for Petroleum Economics, is an amazing exchange opportunity - http://www.ifp-school.com/jcms/cle_6279/en/petroleum-economics-and-management ).

[Edited by Duncan on Feb 19, 2016]