I'm looking at design oriented MBA programs, and am becoming serious about two main choices, either Johns Hopkins or California College of the Arts. Can somebody help me please decide between these?

JHU Carey: MBA/MA in Design Leadership.
Pros:
- 2 degrees in 2 years (although I don't know what value the MA would add if I'm already getting an MBA...)
- Well known school.
Cons:
- the MBA is relatively new.

CCA: MBA in Design Strategy
Pros:
- curriculum looks really interesting and different.
- in San Francisco.
Cons:
- I don't know about the curriculum structure, although they say it is a full time program there are only classes on weekends.
- relatively unknown school.

Or are there other programs that I should look at? My goals are to spend some time in the US starting in 2016 and then come back to the UK. I'm a serial entrepreneur and am looking for creative ways to hone my business strategy and development toolkits as well as build my network in the country. I am not interested in going anywhere else besides the US, and I don't really need any career support. Cost is not a factor.

The MICA/Marey double degree is obvious choice. CCA gives you four days a month on campus, while MICA and Carey offer better educational experience with an AACSB-accredited MBA. As you say, the CCA course is a @full-time' course in the sense that they will sponsor visa, but I double that most people will be working mainly on the course.

I'm not sure if you have picked up on MICA's involvement, but that is a leading design school. That l will give you better design insight than CCA will give you an MBA experience.

I also think it's a benefit that with MICA and Carey you study each program side by side, basically being in the part-time MBA at Carey while taking MICA classes. That gives you two experienced cohorts at Carey and MICA (better for networking).

Thanks so much for this information! Is Carey AACSB accredited though? That would make my choice a lot easier because both schools' lack of international accreditation was a bit worrisome for me.

Carey is too young to have gained full accreditation, but it is a member of AACSB and is actively in the accreditation process. Considering JHU and Carey's standing and huge resources, there is little chance that it will not be accredited soon. CCA, on the other hand, is not an AACSB member and is thus not in that process.

That is good to know. Thanks again.