Hi

I am an Indian national based in Norway, Scandinavia for many years, but having Indian passport.

Need advice on 2 questions:

1) which one among Aston online/DL Vs Durham DL/Online vs Manchester DL is better?...all have 1 to 2 modules done in UK. Manchester DL is very rampant now. My plan is to be based in Europe only, considering that which is better Aston or Durham ?...all this because Executive MBA part-time 2 year visa is not there

2) I also have Executive MBA admissions in Ashridge & Durham for 2013, but UKBA rules are not clear even for University ....how to get visas for 2 years(most part, as sessions are evently distributed) to visit UK, since it's a part-time study(unlike full time MBA on Gen tier 4 student visa) ?...as a "student visitor" visa is valid for 6 months only. Not sure how Executive MBA travel could de done or how universities go about it..

Any advice on these 2 are most welcome.
Many thanks

Ehi... what do you need Visa for an executive mba? You ll spend a week per month (more or less) and you don't need visa for this...

For citizens of India a visa is needed, without that how can you enter UK for studies, with a general visitor visa you cant study.....also a student visitor visa is valid for 6 months only. As I said, EMBA being part-time Tier 4 general student visa is not applicable

I think you should ask Durham and Ashridge about the visa. Assuming that you will live in Norway and commute to modules, then I think you'll be fine. If you have a valid visa in the EEA then travel to the EMBA should be simple. On the LBS EMBA, for example, we have people flying in from the Gulf, Russia, Brazil, etc without major issues. However, you will not be able to live in the UK.

"Rampant" has a pretty negative connotation. What are you suggesting about Manchester?

Hi Duncan
Thank you for the reply. Durham said, there's no UK visa for Indian national for studying a 2 year part-time EMBA, since a) general tier 4 student visa applicable only for full-time study(no CAS issued by university) and b) 6 month student visitor visa for a course can't be renewed!!
However I really hope the 6-month student visitor visa can be applied again, as you said --> Else no "visa national" can study(attend school) while on a UK general/family visitor visa. As you said, not living in the UK or making use any funds, just being there 30 - 35 days per year, for 2 years. Hope someone could confirm this please....thanks

Rampant....I meant, thousands of Manchester Global MBAs will soon graduate and degree could lose its charm. Where as I think Aston/Durham DL MBAs have limited intakes.

Also just want to add, I can travel to all Schengen countries, ie except UK, with my Permanent residency here. UK is a different visa altogether....since I have Indian passport

Ashridge will much more experience of this than Durham, and I suggest you ask them. Durham is mainly a pre-experience and full-time school, while Ashridge is flying non-Europeans in and out all the time.

PS If scale is a factor in selecting an MBA then, as a rule of thumb, a larger programme is a *better* than a smaller one. For example, a larger programme is able to spread overheads, allowing it to allocate more resources to student support, career services and alumni networking. Often the school network in itself is bigger, and that means more possibilities. When you look at the biggest business school alumni networks, they generally belong to strong schools: Chicago, Columbia, FGV, Harvard, NYU, Penn -- no-one complains seriously that these MBAs are less valuable in the market because there are too many of them. This is only a general rule of thumb, but a specific one is to look at the price. Other things being equal, prices and rankings reflect value. Manchester Business School is more costly and more highly ranked than Aston or Durham. Personally, I think the Manchester Global MBA is not one to easily dismiss.

Also just want to add, I can travel to all Schengen countries, ie except UK, with my Permanent residency here. UK is a different visa altogether....since I have Indian passport

Many thanks again to both of you.

You mean Manchester Global MBA is good or?...now I could receive an admission from Ashridge as well. Ashridge good or ? -- Please advise. I heard a top school in UK.

German schools for mBA -- which are better ones ?----Please advise

The Manchester Global MBA is good. I think the Ashridge EMBA is better for most people. Ashridge students are more senior, and there's more of an emphasis on leadership and soft skills. However, Manchester is strong for the basic management toolkit.

Use the rankings to find top German schools. However, the comment above about cheap or free degrees in German does not really apply to part-time MBAs.

Many thanks again to both of you.

You mean Manchester Global MBA is good or?...now I have an received admission from Ashridge EMBA as well. Ashridge EMBA good or ? -- Please advise. I heard a top school in UK.

German schools for mBA -- which are better ones ?----Please advise

You're thinking of the TUM-HHL executive MBA? yes, that's a good programme but without wide recognition.

Thanks again. I saw WHU is famous, also Mannheim, both having residency in USA etc, also fees are quite high..

Hi Sosa,
Aston, Ashridge and few others have a booth in the economist mba fair which is taking place in these days.
Regards

Hi

Please let know, how and where I can find the booth....
Many thanks

http://mbaevent.whichmba.com/

However, the comment above about cheap or free degrees in German does not really apply to part-time MBAs.

Thanks you Ezra. I reviewed options in Scandinavia(SSE Stockholm, Gothenburg, Copenhagen school of Business, Aalto Finland), also in Germany(noted in this forum), Holland(Tias Nimbas, Nyenrode, Rotterdam etc) Spain(IE etc), & France(ESSEC, HEC...etc), English is my preferred langage & I already have a Masters in Industrial Eng from USA, more than a decade ago. Given that I am Indian national, If I want to leverage with an EMBA/MBA...a UK one would be best I feel.Master a new language is not easy.....
Having said that, would like to know opinion/take on Ashridge, Durham(more traditional MBA and great University ranking), as they are valued highly in Commonwealth countries, UK, Middle-east etc. I know Duncan studied there....in Ashridge.
Thank you once again

There's a lot of comment already on Durham and Ashridge in this site. Do you have specific questions?

I went through quite a bit in this site. My final question pertains to Alumni Network & integrative themes(four nos) of Ashridge, may be employability factor too, as compared to rest, also Oxford, Cambridge, LBS, Warwick, Henley.
Thanks