Dear Gents

After being accepted at Warwick business schools for my DL MBA course and studying for around 3 months and as i hold a Syrian Passport my visa got rejected three times due to the recent events that are happening in Syria. The UK government has restrictions on letting Syrians in for any reason what so ever. Therefore i could not attend my face 2 face modules which is required from us at the Warwick week.

I am looking for an alternative university, can you kindly advise what would be a good alternative?

I have visited Manchester since they have offices in the middle east in Dubai. A friend of mine also recommended IE business schools.

My three months DL experience at Warwick was an amazing experience, the interaction between students was energetic and the WBS portal was really practical. Do other universities have the same structure?

Can i please have your personal experience and what university i should approach?

Thank you

That's too bad. I hope that Warick at least gave you your money back.

The IE program is great, ranked at the top of the FT rankings, and is probably a good substitute for the Warwick program. Graduates from that MBA make more money, on average, than Warwick grads.

Durham also has a well-regarded program. There are residencies, but I believe they are optional and at the very least can be pursued in Frankfurt rather than Durham itself.

Hello @Maury

Thanks for the reply, i heard that IE is pretty good, however i have a few concerns about their program.
1- its a 15 months program.
2- Very tense
3- 50% more expensive.
4- Attendance will also be in Spain, again im not sure that they would grant a visa after the terrorist attacks that happened in Paris and Brussels

On the other hand Manchester has offices in Dubai, all face modules will take place in Dubai, and the graduation as well.

So i need to know more about Manchester if possible and the pros and cons of that uni.

Warwick's position is astonishing. Speak with the student union at Warwick. The business school should allow you to attend on-campus courses at a partner school, or give you a refund, given these exceptional circumstances.

[Edited by Duncan on Mar 30, 2016]

Hello Duncan
Since i have already applied three times for the visa and got refused three times, so they were understanding and they will give me a full refund.

However that's not my concern right now. I have already wasted three months of time, yet i really met new friends and the things i have already read were really valuable information.
Now it's time to move on, so my concern is choosing another university that is equivalent to Warwick or better in every aspect. Again me as a Syrian, its hard to have access to Europe as we are not welcomed anymore. So i try to avoid any university located overseas.

I suggest you read the board more for information about the manchester option. Search for Manchester Dubai. I think it's a better option thatn most distance learning MBAs because of the ability to travel.

Is Beruit an option for you? The ESA-ESCP double MBA is very interesting; https://www.esa.edu.lb/en/Executive-MBA

But what are students opinion about Manchester?

You can read those yourself. Generally: they like the programme; they dislike the Dubai administration; they find the cohort more junior than an EMBA cohort; they value the network.