Hey !!!

I have an admit from both manchester business school (with scholarship) and HKU LBS track for the session starting in fall 2016
My back ground is technical (2 years) with a transition to project people and finance management (3 years) in a family business environment in the Indian infrastructure segment.
I want a holistic mba experience with a special focus on finance.(gap area) Ideally would want to work at some renowned Organization before i head back !!!

My first preference would be a finance role after mba as thats an area which am really interested to expand on. Having said that do international firms hire right out of bchools for finance roles??. Also ...does NOT having a a big finance brand in your CV makes it impossible to land a finance job (irrespective of how you perform in school) in HK and UK ..???
I am aware my profile is more suited to a consulting job, so the next answer i seek is -- How is the consulting market in HK and UK for expats (esp indians)??? Does knowing mandrin in HK a prerequisite for a consulting role
both these schools seem close in terms of quality,faculty and rankings
other points that are baffling me in regards to this decision are:-


MBS:
Pros:-
1.Strong consultancy driven practical program with significant internship possibilities.
2. More group assignments and consulting projects and learning out side the class room which i prefer.
3. Slightly economical because of the scholarship.
4. Better brand recognition (maybe?)
5. Spaced out program with internshpi which lets you sink your teeth into the subject matters.

cons:-
1. UK visa situation for expats (esp indians) is pretty tight. Nearly rules out the possibility of landing a job in UK or converting an internship (finance or consulting)
2. Longer duration at 18 months.
3. Relatively weak in finance

HKU
pros:-
1. Very strong finance base. good job and stay back opportunities. (my applicability for the finance domain remains a question)
2. More expat friendly with regulations.
3.Tighter program so it finishes earlier.
4. Chance to spend 3 months in london LBS and network (don't know whether this a significant aspect or just eye wash)

cons:-
1. Incase the finance roles are difficult to convert owing to my background. Very limited other opportunities.
2. Mandarin and local language dependence in marketing and consulting roles.
3. Younger program so not much brand value outside HK and a slimmer alum directory.

Any suggestion/help/tips/correction/guidance or additional info that helps me narrow down the choice will help greatly.


thanks :)

in UK , visa rules are pretty strict so might be tough to land a job. Not sure about HK though. Why not check some programs in Torronto such as Rotman. It will be much easier to crack in financial sector with that school. Canada will also give you option to stay back. It might need a strong GMAT though, assuming you are Indian. Just two cents.

in UK , visa rules are pretty strict so might be tough to land a job. Not sure about HK though. Why not check some programs in Torronto such as Rotman. It will be much easier to crack in financial sector with that school. Canada will also give you option to stay back. It might need a strong GMAT though, assuming you are Indian. Just two cents.

In what aspect did they give out a scholarship to you and how much did they grant you mate? I also think Canada's Rotman might be of a better choice.

if student graduate from Judge business school , then Visa Issues remain same like graduates from other universities of UK ?
how many difficulty face by Asian students to find job in UK after graduation?

In what aspect did they give out a scholarship to you and how much did they grant you mate? I also think Canada's Rotman might be of a better choice.

Michaelangelo,

Sorry for speaking out of turn. As per my experience in USA, career switching is very difficult. Younger candidates with lesser or no work experience still find entry way into industry on the basis of their MBA. I assume same would be true in UK and Hong Kong, more difficult actually in UK & HK due to Visa and Language limitations respectively. (However it is just my assumption, your best bet will be to talk with current students, recent grads from those 2 schools)

Finding desired career in Finance also proved difficult for Asian students in my cohort. All Chinese students had prior experience in Finance, many in Big 4 in China,Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand. They were unable to land a job in US even after doing internship from US. The reason often given is their "lack" of communication skill. We had an Indian student who is CFA level 3, he too is struggling even after 7 months after graduation. Another student from Pakistan had good experience in Banking but had to return because couldn't find a job in US. Both the Indian and Pakistani student had good communication skills.

Chinese & Thai students who went back, found good jobs mostly in Shanghai & Bangkok respectively. My friend from HK says that Chinese is often required in most of the jobs.

Ask yourself "Why would a company in UK or HK hire you over an equally qualified student?" What unique skill set or industry expertise are you bringing to the table?

Moral of the story is that, career switching is difficult - even more so in Finance. There might be some entry level jobs available, but then they tend to face fierce competition from undergraduates in Finance students. If Finance is what you want to do, regardless of the MBA program you chose, please explore CFA or CPA certification to add credibility.

Both of these schools will have little brand value outside their country. Ask the admissions teams of both schools to connect you with current students / recent grads to know their story. (or use LinkedIn).

Apologies for not giving a black or white answer, perhaps there is none. No one can predict the future, but we can try to account for risk and depending upon our risk appetite and other constraints make an informed decision.

Good Luck!
Ayon De
W&M MBA 2015

In what aspect did they give out a scholarship to you and how much did they grant you mate? I also think Canada's Rotman might be of a better choice.

15K merit based scholarship...not considering canada due to cost and distance !!!

[Edited by yipkc on Jan 03, 2016]

Considering your goal and background I think HKU is a safer bet than MBS. It is one of the top 30 business schools in the world, according to the FT region, and one of the three work-class schools in greater China. Considering the strong position of English banks there in HK, a lack of Cantonese is no obstacle. If it was, schools in HK would teach Cantonese in the way that the grandes ecoles teach French or the top German schools teack German.

Michaelangelo,

Sorry for speaking out of turn. As per my experience in USA, career switching is very difficult. Younger candidates with lesser or no work experience still find entry way into industry on the basis of their MBA. I assume same would be true in UK and Hong Kong, more difficult actually in UK & HK due to Visa and Language limitations respectively. (However it is just my assumption, your best bet will be to talk with current students, recent grads from those 2 schools)

Finding desired career in Finance also proved difficult for Asian students in my cohort. All Chinese students had prior experience in Finance, many in Big 4 in China,Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand. They were unable to land a job in US even after doing internship from US. The reason often given is their "lack" of communication skill. We had an Indian student who is CFA level 3, he too is struggling even after 7 months after graduation. Another student from Pakistan had good experience in Banking but had to return because couldn't find a job in US. Both the Indian and Pakistani student had good communication skills.

Chinese & Thai students who went back, found good jobs mostly in Shanghai & Bangkok respectively. My friend from HK says that Chinese is often required in most of the jobs.

Ask yourself "Why would a company in UK or HK hire you over an equally qualified student?" What unique skill set or industry expertise are you bringing to the table?

Moral of the story is that, career switching is difficult - even more so in Finance. There might be some entry level jobs available, but then they tend to face fierce competition from undergraduates in Finance students. If Finance is what you want to do, regardless of the MBA program you chose, please explore CFA or CPA certification to add credibility.

Both of these schools will have little brand value outside their country. Ask the admissions teams of both schools to connect you with current students / recent grads to know their story. (or use LinkedIn).

Apologies for not giving a black or white answer, perhaps there is none. No one can predict the future, but we can try to account for risk and depending upon our risk appetite and other constraints make an informed decision.

Good Luck!
Ayon De
W&M MBA 2015

In what aspect did they give out a scholarship to you and how much did they grant you mate? I also think Canada's Rotman might be of a better choice.

15K merit based scholarship...not considering canada due to cost and distance !!!

I guess you must have scored a equivalent to UK's first class honours degree or high GMAT score?

Anyway, I am from HK and obviously HKU is one of the top 3 universities in HK. It is the most popular institution in the eyes of HK locals and among those who are looking to do their undergraduate there. However, for postgraduate education whether MBA, MSc or MPhil, they seems to take in huge number of students from People's Republic of China, which I am just skeptical about how well the students in the MBA course will interact among each other in English. Of course, the students they take in must be from some of the top PRC university and have scored very well for both their undergraduate and GMAT with substantial work experience in some of the renowned organisations BUT like what Ayon mentioned, Chinese, especially Cantonese (not Mandarin. The locals even have a hard time mastering this language) is the mother tongue in HK. Unless the local has been educated in some gifted or top notch schools in HK, they do not possess the fluency in articulating both Mandarin and English. Staying there in a long term might take you some time to adjust.

To me, the fee (HK$500,000+) is unjustifiable given the limited influence of HKU's reputation globally and how well the class will interact in the medium of English as well as the time needed in adjusting life in HK. MBS might be a better choice as it is more influential on a wider scale and in a long run.

Good luck with your decision. :)

Considering your goal and background I think HKU is a safer bet than MBS. It is one of the top 30 business schools in the world, according to the FT region, and one of the three work-class schools in greater China. Considering the strong position of English banks there in HK, a lack of Cantonese is no obstacle. If it was, schools in HK would teach Cantonese in the way that the grandes ecoles teach French or the top German schools teack German.

Hi everyone !!!

So there is a development regarding my admit.
After deciding UK was my preferred destination, i applied further to few schools in the uk.

So the current situation is like this:
1. Admit from Manchester business school -(full time) with scholarship.
2. Admit from warwick business school-with scholarship.
3. Admit from imperial business school -NO scholarship.

Based on scholarship tution cost at manchester and Warwick is about the same imperial is about 50 % more.
Mostly the curriculum is about the same however manchester has a more spread out program so gives a slightly more time for live projects and internships.

Now based on my research all three of these schools have distinct advantages and disadvantages going for it.


1. Manchester: being a 18 month course its well spaced out and has ample opportunities for dedicated (3month) internship and 3 live consultancy projects. major con would be that placement isnt great and manchester is not london.

2. Warwick: I have heard is slightly better rated and has a slightly stronger placement opportunities especially in finance. The campus though is in the middle of nowhere between coventry and lemington unlike city universities like manchester or London. So campus experience might be limiting.

3. Imperial: supposedly the best ranked and with london location advantage. However its a relatively new program (fewer alums) more expensive as no scholarship was extended.

what i essentially wanted to know is how are these universities rated. Is there a major difference in perception/job oppertunities
Is london as a location really that important, worth paying extra for.
Also owing to the UK immigration policy ,most likely a job in UK is unlikely so which of these universities has a better global recognition.

Any suggestion/help/tips/correction/guidance or additional info that helps me narrow down the choice will help greatly.

The difference in rankings between these schools is not significant: they all have strong perception. Alliance MBS gets higher salaries and bigger salary increases, but is a higher-risk choice patly because it's used more by people to are changing role, industry, country or all three. The course is longer and students take more time to kind work so you need to budget for that. Warwick is a lower-risk school because it's used less to change all three variables.

I suggest you look at where their networks are and how eack city and schools fits your needs. England is tiny and the locations don't really matter.

The difference in rankings between these schools is not significant: they all have strong perception. Alliance MBS gets higher salaries and bigger salary increases, but is a higher-risk choice patly because it's used more by people to are changing role, industry, country or all three. The course is longer and students take more time to kind work so you need to budget for that. Warwick is a lower-risk school because it's used less to change all three variables.

I suggest you look at where their networks are and how eack city and schools fits your needs. England is tiny and the locations don't really matter.

As I say, it depends on the amount of change you are attempting. Coventry is an hour from London, as are Oxford and Cambridge. I don't think the location is the key difference.

As I say, it depends on the amount of change you are attempting. Coventry is an hour from London, as are Oxford and Cambridge. I don't think the location is the key difference.

That's not the case at all. The Manchester programme is much more extensive and that explains the greater salary increase for its students. And the longer degree allows project work that allows students to build up their network in the UK and their familiarity with the UK business culture, as well as giving more time for job hunting and networking.

I am kind of confused with the association between a business school and its parent university. For example, Imperial College Business School, Said Business School and Judge Business School are all well ranked since they have their globally renowned parent universities to back them up. However, Durham University Business School is just so-so with Durham University. They are all ranked the top 5 in the UK. Why is that so?

The ranking is driven by outcomes not the parents status.