The country famous for its fish and chips,
a real life royal family with all its fanfare
and the Big Ben is also home to elite universities
that double up, as centuries old relics.
The United Kingdom – the head state for
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
– is a major hotspot for tourism as well
as education.
There are approximately half a million international
students in the pursuit of higher education
in the UK.
England hosts the most number followed by
Scotland and the rest.
And as usual, China and India top the charts
when it comes to the highest number of student
imports there.
Included among those are some of the brightest
minds in business education at some of the
best business schools in the world.
What makes the UK an excellent choice for
business education?
What are the benefits of getting an MBA from
the UK?
Which are the best business schools to target?
What does it take to get into a top MBA in
the UK?
After searching for the answers to these questions,
if you're feeling knackered or you've got
your knickers in twist, this video's for you.
An MBA from the UK offers several
benefits.
First off, the names Cambridge and Oxford
are synonymous with a history of excellence.
So are the London School of Economics, London
Business School, Manchester University, you
name it.
Over 10% of the top 100 MBA programs in the
world are from the UK
These are not just good business schools but
global brand names respected in both academic
and professional circles.
Each year GMAC, the company that owns GMAT,
surveys the number of score reports by geography
– including how many score reports are sent
to a country.
The popularity of a UK MBA is evident from
the GMAT scores sent to the UK in the recent years.
Despite the instability introduced by the
Brexit vote, the number of scores sent in
the past couple of years haven’t reduced
from about 5 years ago, before Brexit.
In fact, non-European Union score reporting
had an unexpected increase in applications.
From 3.8% in 2016, it went up to 4.4% in 2017.
Clearly, whatever fear Brexit may have induced
among the immigrant population, UK MBA aspirants
were quite unfazed by it.
Global stalwarts like Cambridge and Oxford
have enough might to hold off against the
massive political changes that could possibly
affect future jobs.
But there’s also some good news on the topic
of work permits after MBA, which we’ll cover
a little later.
Here are some of the best business schools
and MBA programs in the UK that regularly
feature in the top 100.
Though the cost of an MBA in UK can be steep,
between $40,000-$75,000, most UK MBA programs
are only a year long.
This provides an added advantage to make good
on the opportunity cost of getting a two year
MBA degree from USA.
UK also has some of the major financial centers
of the world.
London, for instance, provides massive networking
opportunities for cashing in on the MBA ROI.
The typical expenses in the UK depends on
the city housing the university.
Here’s the monthly cost of living in the
UK for some popular cities.
International students are allowed up to 20
hours of part-time on-campus jobs and full-time
jobs during holidays.
This can help in relieving the financing stress,
especially for MBA students with heavy student
debts.
The caveat is to understand how to balance
the MBA workload with a part-time job without
compromising the quality of learning.
This is why students at the top programs with
a rigorous schedule are unable to work while studying.
Let’s talk about life in the UK as an international
student.
One major advantage for internationals is
UK’s highly cosmopolitan nature.
While that gives international students a
cozy home away from home feeling, communicating
in the Queen’s language makes it easy to
transition into the country.
You know, ‘coz the English are known to
speak in…English.
So, no need to squint through Google translate
to order a cup of tea!
Let’s move on to the work visa and permanent
residency after an MBA in the UK.
This is one of the biggest perks of studying
here.
Compared to the one year OPT in the United
States, UK has very recently become quite
generous with the duration of work authorization
permit after graduating from a recognized
UK institution.
The Post-Study work visa or the Graduate route
is open to all international undergrad or
above students at an approved UK Higher Education
Provider.
It will begin with the intake of 2020 - 2021
students.
The visa allows eligible students to work,
or hunt for work, in any career or position
for two years after completing studies, according
to the UK government’s website.
In addition, the UK has also opened up fast-track
visa options for scientists. It is committed
to increasing the cap limit of PhDs entering
the skilled work visa path.
In simpler words, the UK is aiming to become a
STEM hub.
Which in turn means, students of STEM designated
programs, will have better chances of finding
long-term employment, and a position that
can help them get into the skilled work visa
system.
Permanent resident status is automatic after
living and working in the UK for at least 5 years.
Coming to the eligibility requirements, most
UK MBA programs, like anywhere else, follow
the same recipe to judge the MBA readiness
of its applicants.
And they do so by monitoring some or all of
the application criteria, as sampled from
various top B-schools in the UK.
GMAT or GRE Score
These standardized test scores are used to compare
candidates against a baseline. Typical GMAT
scores, even in the top programs are in the
680 – 700 range.
Almost none mention a minimum requirement
but the generally accepted competitive score
is over 650.
As for GRE, a score of over 160 for both Verbal
and Quantitative, is considered competitive.
An English language proficiency test may not
be necessary if the applicant has a degree
where the medium of instruction has been English.
Though this concession really depends on the
program.
Typical proficiency tests accepted include
- TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge CPE, CAE or PTE Academic scores.
When it comes to undergraduate degree, the
usual good academic pedigree is a requirement
no matter where you apply. Though anyone with
a low GPA can also explore as long as their
profile is otherwise strong.
A minimum of two years of work experience
is usually expected. Though the average is
about 6 years.
The details are program dependent but the
quality of previous employment should be able
to demonstrate leadership and applicants should
be able to add to the classroom richness through
their global experiences.
The rest of the application requirements would
include MBA essays, reference or recommendation
letters, CV and interviews.
What about jobs after MBA in the UK?
The UK has been featured as the fifth highest
payer for MBA degree holders, with average
salaries & bonus close to $122,000.
Here’s a list of the average salaries after
an MBA from the top UK b-schools.
Most of the reputed ones have excellent career
services and resources.
For instance, London Business School collaborates
with recruiters to design its MBA curriculum,
fully loaded to train students with the most
relevant skills.
Not surprisingly, over 90% of the MBA graduates manage
to find a lucrative job offer within 3 months
of graduation.
Is an MBA from the UK worth it?
Excellent schools, globally recognized brands,
multinational employers with highly competitive
salaries and responsibilities, significant
networking opportunities, outstanding student
resources, and a much shorter MBA duration.
All this makes UK MBA programs a force to
be reckoned with.
Add to these the chance of establishing a
permanent residentship within the UK and easy
access to the European Union, and you get
a highly worthwhile international business
education opportunity.
At MBA Crystal Ball, we have some of the best
MBA admission consultants for London Business
School, Cambridge Judge, Oxford Said and the
other top MBA programs in the UK.
If you need professional help with your MBA
applications, drop us an email.
Good luck to you!
