I understand your reasoning, but I have no a specific one. I mean, I'm at the 2nd sector change, and probably I will have a third one. What is in my mind now is to develope stronger business skills in a prestigious institute, where both education quality, connections possibilities, and brand name, can help me to reach a carrier rise. So I have no a precise industry where I want to work into, because I think today very few people have the luxury to choose a well paid job exactly where they live and exactly in the sector they aspired. I don't account on so big luck, so I want to earn an MBA well spendable not depending on sector and Country. I noted that Manchester has a great network, where IE has not only this but a better ranking too even if it seems more Spain and LAC centric, and Imperial is a world leading institute in technology and medicine so I expect their business school will reach the same level in a few years, it is in London with professors from both LSE and LBS and exceptional guests, but is still a young program with no alumni. Not easy in my conditions to choose. I read in another your post: "go in the best business school you can", and we agree that the best doesn't mean the best FT ranked (even if it helps). Here the reason why I ask you, considering your knowledge about this programs and business schools, considering those three, where you would apply, and, most important, why?

Thanks!

[Edited by Global MBA on May 07, 2015]

No, honestly if I was in your position I would not accept that starting point or those choices. For example, you could take a career aptitude test (I recommend CareerLeader, the system developed at Harvard Business School) and see where you will be most effective, because that is where you will be most appealing to employers and a more successful. Then I would take an assessment of my language skills, personal network and the macroeconomic context to see where to be. And then I would pick the best schools for that role in that context.

IE and MBS are both excellent schools. I think the MBA Global MBA has a very special factor in that there is a lot of face-to-face time and project work which makes it as close as possible to the full-time experience. The MBS programme is longer and has much more content. I think IE will have a higher quality cohort. But I don't think one should abstractly say that any of them is right for you, from first principles.

Got it. I will open a new thread to search for actual Imperial GMBA student's opinions about this program. Thank you.

Good luck. Because this site is aimed at applicants, it's likely that you won't find students there. Drop a line to Hamza Siddiq or David Lefevre at Imperial and ask them to connect you with students.

PS, I doubt that the material will be totally different from their old Distance MBA. I mean, why would they throw all of that away? So, DL MBA alumni might also be helpful

[Edited by Duncan on May 07, 2015]

Hamza Siddiq said that everything is completely new in this program, also the material. Then I think that if they projected a new program, it means that they felt the need to have a real new program, so sure it make a sense to think about new materials/technology too. I hope to have the luck you wish me, as I don't see other possibilities (Linkedin seems useless for the case, or maybe not being a premium member I am just limited). Thank you Duncan

[Edited by Global MBA on May 07, 2015]

That does not make sense at all. They made a huge investment in the DL MBA, and did not run it for very long. Surely the content would be very similar, even if the platform is different. Imperial still has a college-wide commitment to Blackboard (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/ict/self-service/teaching-learning/elearning-services/) so I would be amazed if the Business School operated for a different platform, given that the university already has one set up for an MBA.

I would honestly ask: are you not using Blackboard, as you did for the DL MBA? And are you really not reusing any of the materials from the DL MBA?

I see that all of the DL MBA courses are still on the Imperial server. Honestly... if this was your business, and you knew most of the competitors used BlackBoard, including Manchester, Henley, Bradford, Warwick and Leicester MBAs, would you move to another platform? https://vle.imperial.ac.uk/webct/expandPublicCourse.dowebct?courseId=1857554849021

I would use Elluminate..because who has better ranking in distance learning mode (IE) than all BS you mentioned, uses it..so in my business I would look at better competitors technology in order to follow their success, if they had, because I'm going to join something that was succesfully tested by somebody else who payed for the risk of unsuccess. Blackboard is an old technology, I can understand those schools who didn't project a new program using it, but it is a non sense projecting a 2015 program using an old technology, especially when they declare that the reason of this new project is just a technology physiological update.

Good questions yours...better to ask them so without reservations

I know that the old program was not tought by them but was some kind of outsource...this seems theirs, as they said that they invested a lot of money and work on this new program. Now I know that Blackboard acquired Elluminate, so it's not impossible that Blackboard users will have the possibility of an update whithin the same technology provider

I found this: http://gmatclub.com/forum/manchester-vs-ie-distance-learning-mba-194456.html

Here Warrak underlines how Imperial new program technology is different from that used by Manchester etc..what do you think about?

And Duncan, what do you think about the teaching quality of Imperial BS in general, not depending from technology (I mean professors quality, lessons/contents, etc..)? We said that technology is not all, so I would like to understand the quality of the education comparing to others we mentioned

[Edited by Global MBA on May 08, 2015]

I've taken classes at the Imperial business school. The teachers are the same as any other top British school. It's the quality of the students that matters.

Hi Duncan, sincerely I didn't come out with a final decision still, but now I need to do it. Imperial Global MBA seemed the most appropriate for me at a first istance, but lastly I didn't appreciate their behaviour in the way they threat their candidates (they changed me advisor, then the program manager promiced to offer me an hub demo and after one month spent with no answers the new advisor were so kind telling me that I would have it only after the application completion..considering its price, my preference for this school over other business schools, my confidence of being a strong candidate, I expected much more respect and help...). So I'm starting to evaluate again the IE program, more organised and which doesn't make me to feel as I'm receiving a favour being accepted, like Imperial is doing right now. I would like a suggest, considering that I would like to work in Italy, my Country (but ready to move abroad if the position offered is interesting) considering also that the SDA Bocconi, which could be the best solution, doesn't offer a blended program, and that Polytechnic of Milan is not comparable to Imperial nor to the IE, which one will be the most suitable reguarding the education and the salary outcome, the contacts, the quality of students, and the brand recognition, between Imperial, IE and Manchester blended programs?

My idea reguarding the Imperial is that location, brand of mother university, the possible next rise of its business school 'till the same level of its other courses, are great pros, while it is a small program, it doesn't seems well organised still and lacks on valuable informations the candidate needs (or at least it was like that for me).

Reguarding the IE I think it is among the best business schools in all rankings, but it has no a strong mother university and it is located in Spain, which are cons (in my opinion too).

Reguarding Manchester, I think it has a very good brand as business school and even as mother university with int. recognition and a solid MBA program. Location is a pro as it is in UK, but the duration and especially the delivery method and the general rankings don't convince me at all.

Before I will be asked about..my carrier expectation? I have no idea, I want to invest in an MBA just to start/accelerate a carrier, no problem if it is as a project manager in the automotive industry or as a marketing manager in the pharmaceutical industry as I have management solid bases due to my bachelor and working experience. I'm almost sure it won't be in finance as it is not my favourite discipline. In one word, I'm a career changer with solid bases in economics and in general management. Linkedin and the financial times don't help at all as the Imperial Global MBA is new and no informations nor rankings are available still.

Your opinion is much appreciated.
Thank you

[Edited by Global MBA on Jul 01, 2015]

Your first paragraph ends in a question mark, but I can't work out the question. Can you restate it, maybe in shorter sentences?

I still don't understand how an DL MBA from outside Italy will help you meet your career goals in Italy. Please spend 1% of the cost of an MBA on a career strategy coach. Clarify your goals before you make this investment.

Also consider non-MBA options. How about the EMMS at Bocconi, which is blended, or the GMP in Turin: http://www.escpeurope.eu/exec-ed-executive-education-training-programmes-managers-and-executives-corporate-relations-escp-europe/open-programmes-executive-education-escp-europe/gmp-general-management-programme-escp-europe/overview/overview/

I wrote a very long comment on your answer but not feeling it could be useful to the community I deleted it. I can say only that here, in my country, you don't need career coaching, but only 3 alternatives: 1) a stellar curriculum (only few people); 2) a prestigious degree (you make some difference in a huge amount of unemployed master graduates, wich in Italy are the most); 3) contacts (the most important thing to obtain a job). Now, as you can imagine, in a country where anybody who own a degree it is a master level one, but where only a few percentage of them are really able to misure themselves with an abroad master level degree at a prestigious business schhool (good profile, 7.0 band score in the Ielts, essays, double reference letters in english, interviews, Gmat, big investments, etc.) the idea to do it to make some difference has a logic. Now, if you consider that the course from Bocconi you linked to me costs 35.500 euros, it has 1 week of residence every 3 months, and it is not an MBA level degree (seems more a master science on marketing and sales, without being recognised as a master science level degree in Italy) in my opinion it looses sense, as it has the same cost and it is less flexible than a more prestigious MBA in IE or Imperial, which is also a terminal degree if you don't consider Dba or Phd levels.

So now I'm interested to know what did guide you through the fact that it is necessary to graduate in the country where you want to work. Is it fundamental even if it means loosing prestige on your own education? Do you really think that an EEMS in Bocconi can help more than an IE or an Imperial MBA, to work in Italy, and if it's so, why? I have read in many posts where you suggest to pursue a degree in the country where you want to work. Thank you for your time.

[Edited by Global MBA on Jul 02, 2015]

I'm also of the opinion that you should study where you want to work. It's pretty obvious, really: you're closer to the jobs you want, and can more effectively network with the people who matter.

Also, virtually wherever you are, it's who you know that matters, and having great career support (which a good business school will be able to provide), will help quite a bit.

But, perhaps you're right, in Italy the job market might be fundamentally different than it is pretty much everywhere else. What I would do if I were you is look at the people who are in jobs that you'll want to get eventually, and check out their educational background. See what kinds of degrees they have and where they did them. That will give you more insight into the job market.

Thank you Ezra. Well, for those things you mentioned, in Italy, it is Bocconi to play the big role, but it is quite expensive for it's value, elitist, and more of all, it hasn't a blended MBA. Differently, my problem could find an easier solution. I sincerely would like to work into consulting, for which I know IE is pretty much preferrable to Imperial. On another hand, Imperial is rising quite quickly the rankings probably due to its excellence in medicine and engineering so they want to reach the same in the business field. It is pretty useless to ask to the school to get a contact with some student, they will be school's ambassadors who received the scholarships and ther opinion won't be objective.

It's the same with Oxbridge, even while not so well ranked as business schools, would somebody think not to accept their offers? Their brands are very resonable even while their business schools are not the best. Can Imperial be a similar example? And then, who will guarantee that I will work into consulting? If I will not I need to consider that in Italy many companies are small-medium size, and they can look at an important name as Imperial more than to an important business school as IE. On another hand, IE business school is the third in europe, and its Global MBA is the first in the wolrd. Not easy choice for me because, even if it obvious that I wonder what's my target, it isn't guarantee that the target is realistic in my country. Mine, is a really strange one, you have guarantees only if you are absolutely excellent or if your father travels in a blue car, and doesn't drive it personally.

Reguarding contacts, would 2 weeks on campus have the same value of 1-2 years spent in London or in Madrid? I'm "condamned" to choose an online/blended format program, so what kind of contacts can I expect from this kind of studying mode? I'm realistic, but also need your help to avoid mistakes being an investment for life. Do you perhaps think that an onine MBA is a waste of time and money representing only a nice to have degree? We read every day about people who did their prestigious on campus MBA and obtaining job only due to their prior working experience, so I'm starting to worry about the blended ones..they aren't much cheaper than their on campus counterparts!

In the end, I would choose the IE as I have all elements to consider it the best solutions, but than I'm thinking to Imperial brand, it's recognition, a reprojected program, and the London location. Finally, a master in Bocconi can be a smart solution, but it is not an MBA, so I don't know how much it would be spendable in Italy and abroad especially...while I haven't enough money to make mistakes.

[Edited by Global MBA on Jul 03, 2015]

I'm not saying at EMMS is better than the Imperial MBA under all circumstances. I am saying that for progression in Italy, it could be better. You need to understand what is it you lack which is preventing you from moving forward. If it's not network and prestige, why Imperial and not Bradford?

Prestige for me is very important, differently Bradford could be the best solution possible. Not only a prestigious schooi is a guarantee of quality, but it is also generally more targeted by employers and/or more appreciated in a cv screening. This is the core of my problem:

Imperial has a more prestigious brand whith an exceptional location, a reprojected program but still not ranked, and small. We know perhaps it's business schools is rising quite well in a few time. In London and in UK seems to be a targeted school.

IE is a much more prestigious business school and it's program is a guarantee. But it's location is a minus, have no a strong brand name as university, and seems more Spain and LAC centric. This seems to be well targeted overall: while some companies target LBS and Insead only, after these it is possible that the following are IE or IMD, or both.

Please correct me if I am in wrong.

We don't know if the new Imperial program will impress or will stay what it was (Oxbridge are examples of impressive bran names while never becoming impressive business schools). As we don't know if the success of the IE will last through the years (while Imperial is a quite known brand which will probably last). Not being able to judge their relative quality, what rest is only rankings and opinions, which I'm searching for.

Of course, a blended program from Bocconi, for the connections within my country, or from London Business school, for the undoubtful prestige, quality and location (maybe after selling my house to finance it) could be both perfect solutions. Unfortunately they don't exist.

[Edited by Global MBA on Jul 03, 2015]

Yes, I think you are mistaken. Every business schools is used by someone. The question is: where do te firms you want to work for hire from? Since you want to work in Italy, the answer is not Imperial. See: How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

I still don't understand why you have to take a blended programme. If you are not mobile enough to travel, how will you find managerial work in Italy which has several major cities?

thank you Duncan. Yes, checking Linkedin IE seems much better than Imperial for working in Italy.

Reguarding mobility, one think is to do it through all Italy (and abroad) for working reasons, so payed for doing it, another is to transfer for 1 or more years in a city quitting my actual job. I have a family, so I can't go in another city like Milan for example, to study for an on campus program because my job is far away from there! For working reasons I wouldn't have problems to travel intercontinentally too if necessary.

I think right now I should update my linkedin subscription to the professional version and make a much deeper research on companies and sectors I'm interested to. Until now I couldn't check this details. I have an economics and management background, and experiences as business development manager, and entrepreneur. My prefered sector is consulting and my prefered field is strategy. Would IE be a good choice for these? I just woke up and witout brain in full working conditions still, simply IE seems to be the best school I can choose which offers a blended program.

Duncan, just a question: sometimes you said "search for the most adequate school for your targets" while some other "go to the best business school you can". Not being possible to choose the best business school for my targets being the most prestigious at the same time, which one of those ideas would fit the best, in general? A much more prestigious business school, or a national good one? So, in your opinion, better an MBA in IE, a master as EEMS (not MBA) in Bocconi, or still an Executive MBA in MIP?

[Edited by Global MBA on Jul 04, 2015]

I don't think I would say adequate in that context. 'Best' is clearly a relative term: if there was one best business school, then I would say got to school x. Best means the best school available to you from the set of schools that support your career choices. The MBA at IE is clearly better than the EMMS abstractly for most students, but for someone looking to enter or advance in the Italian market, or strategy consulting generally, I don't think a distance learning MBA at IE or Imperial is better than at part-time programme at a first or second tier Italian business school. For McKinsey or BCG in Italy, for example, there's no point looking anywhere other than Bocconi, Politecnico di Milano or Insead. The other credible options like Sapienza or Sacro Cuore are just too marginal.

I don't know your family situation. but many people with families do take full- or part-time degrees.