Hi All,

Thank you for reading through this post and helping me with my question(s). If you can only answer one ? please do ? I don?t expect to get an answer on every single question? Thanks for helping me getting started.

So I just finished a Bachelor in Information Technology and Electronics in Belgium, but I realized midway that I should of done Management instead. So now, I am looking into studying a Master of Science in Management at the VUB in Brussels, Belgium in addition to my Bachelor in IT.

And since I am planning on getting an MBA (One-year) in the US after completion, I wanted to make sure that the diploma of the MSc meets the requirements for acceptance to an American College before making any decisions.

Anyway, the VUB was unable to answer me that question. Would any of you be able to tell me if American colleges typically require an EQUIS, AMBA or AACSB accreditation?
Or will the diploma translate itself to the equivalent of an American MSc?

Please see http://www.vub.ac.be/english/infoabout/education/bama/of-ma-management.html (English) for the Master of Science in Management details (if needed).

Second part of my questions:

I took a look at the following MBA programs in New York area:
Cornell: http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/Academic-Programs/Full-Time-MBA/Accelerated-MBA.aspx
MCNY: http://www.mcny.edu/business/mba_general.php
MIM: http://www.mimusa.org/the-community/programs-requiring-bachelors-degree/international-mba

Any pro/cons on the programs listed?
Any other programs you could suggest? (preferably One-year in International/General management ? New York area )

If you have any questions for me ? please do ask!

Thank you so much,

Lennart

The VUB is a well respected university. It will be fine. However, there are very few one-year MBAs in the US. Take a look at the listing: http://www.find-mba.com/new-york

Hi Duncan - thank you for your quick reply. The reason why I am aiming towards a one-year program is solely because of financial reasons. A two year program would be too expensive for me.

Glad to hear that I don't have to worry too much about the accreditation. But when is something like that of importance though? When you are aiming to get into a more respected college?

I will take a deeper look into the other boards and all the different programs listed. New York was my first choice but I have nothing that's holding me back from going somewhere else.

Well, you need to think of an MBA as an investment and not a cost. For example, a one year MBA at MIM is $25,000 and a two year MBA at Columbia might be $80,000. But if the Columbia programme means you earn half a million or a million dollars more over the course of your life (which it will, for most students) then the one year programme is very expensive, because the cost is $25,000 plus $500,000 in lost earnings.

PS VUB is a totally respectable university by Belgian standards. Of course it doesn't have the "wow" impact of Harvard or Oxford, but admissions manager will not doubt it, as they might do an Indian college, or be unsure about the rigour, as they might with (say) the HUB in Brussels. The fact that BU and VC are on the VUB campus also helps.

But, seriously, compare the average salaries from MBA programmes. Get into the best MBA you can do.

Thanks again Duncan.
Even though I've been researching what I can do with management after my BA, it is still somewhat overwhelming to see and hear all the different options out there - and price tags that come along with.

But it's a good thing that I am able to start at the beginning with the MSc in Management at the VUB next fall. During the two-year span it will take me to finish, I can continue to research my options more and find my strengths (and save money..).
I'm sure that being in that 'business environment' will also help me to choose/define my future choices even more so.

Also, thank you for clarifying that the VUB is in fact a respected university in the 'world' of American colleges. The person I am in contact with at the VUB wasn't very conclusive so I am glad to hear from you that they are, even for the higher respectable colleges in the US.

Anyway - it's now up to me to start proving myself and build a nice 'resume' for my future MBA application(s).

Regards,

Lennart M.

Obviously most people in the US, even most academics, will not have heard of the VUB. But admissions managers use a central database which rates degrees and colleges. VUB will totally meet the minimum standard.

If you are finishing your BA now, however, you should consider that the best MBAs will expect three years of full-time, most degree work experience. Also, if you can get into a ranked MSc (http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/masters-in-management-2011) then that will be better.

Are you in the English-language programme which the ULB and VUB run together? If so, lead with the Solvay brand if you can when you apply for your MBA.

That makes sense. I wasn't thinking it all the way through..

But yes, as a matter of fact, I am finishing my BA this summer.
I am aware of the fact that most MBA programs require work experience, but until this moment I was hoping I would get away with doing an MBA straight after the MSc.
That brings me to another question - and I assume that you have might be able to form a good answer too - which path would you suggest or take yourself? Work first or try to do an MBA straight after the master?

I will have to take a 'preparatory program' next year anyway, because I don't hold a university degree or BA in economics. I will check if I can go either way - whether it's the ULB/VUB MSc program way or the VUB MSc I mentioned in my first post. I see why you would prefer that one over the other one - thanks!

I know a Vlerick or Solvay Master would be a better fit - but again, and I don't want to sound cheap - they are private and thus a bit too expensive for me.

You won't be able to get into a good MBA without experience. Work for a few years, then do your MBA.

Neither Solvay nor Vlerick are private. Solvay is part of the ULB; Vlerick is jointly owned by UGent and KUL. Compare the fees in the ranking I linked to above (click on Add more information). There are numerous inexpensive, but higher quality, MSc programmes. Solvay is 1406; Louvain is 2340; Maastricht is 2171 and Rotterdam is 2543 per year.

PS Maastricht doesn't require a prior programme in business, but the other three do.

I took a more direct approach by calling the VUB about the preparatory programme and ask if it would also give me access to the ULB/VUB programme. The person on the phone told me that they stopped cooperating with ULB since there were too many overlapping classes.

But more bad news is that without a background in Economics, I cannot be admitted to either one the programmes.
And I quote: "Unconditional access for holders of a Belgian University Bachelor degree in Business Engineering or Economics or the same master degree with a different "finalité";"

So for now, that (still) leaves me with the possibility of doing the preparatory programme and then the MSc in Management.

I will e-mail Solvay tomorrow and ask what my possibilities are with them, but I think my chances are pretty slim.

Anyway, this is not a matter of finding an MBA anymore - so all of this is somewhat off topic..

The joint MSc is still on the Solvay website: http://www.solvay.edu/business-technology

So this time I called the number on the Solvay website from the link in your previous post. Instead of getting someone at ULB, my call gets forwarded to the same person of the VUB I just spoke to earlier, reassuring me that it is the last year the program exists and that she is taking calls for both the VUB and ULB while they hash out the details..

Guide me please.
I want to do an MBA with specialization in project management.
40 years
9year work experience
BA in English
I want a good school with affordable tuition
Full time , one year MBA
Someone talk to me pls

There are four of those in the USA:

University of San Francisco - Masagung Graduate School of Management

Saint Louis University - John Cook School of Business
St. Louis, Missouri

Wright State University - Raj Soin College of Business
Dayton, Ohio

Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Many thanks, Duncan. I forgot to mention am from Africa. Any idea whether these schools accept international students. Tuition ?

I don't think there are any business schools anywhere in the world that don't accept foreign students. The tuition will be on the websites. I guess that for a US degree the tuition is typically $30,000, but this can rise to $60,000 a year or more in private schools.

,many thanks, Ducan. You have been very helpful. I will make a choice from the list. Saxon tuition is ok. I hope the MBA program is good.

These are good but not excellent: for excellent, you would need a two-year program.

Of the four schools available, St Louis and San Francisco are the more respectable: these are private universities with better staff-student ratios. St Louis is the best choice of these four choices, since its MBA is designed for one year and it has a area of emphasis in project management. USF can be completed fast, but it's typically taken over two years so you will be carrying a burden. They will have project management in the framework of organizational development, operations management or IT rather than an integrated path.

If your budget is limited, I think I would look at Western Carolina and Wright State very seriously. WCU is a three semester program with a formal "Certificate in Project Management". Wright State is probably the public school that best fits your needs, since it has a formal concentration in project management and can be completed in 12 months because of its summer semester.