Since neither of these programs have international accreditation with AACSB, AMBA, or EQUIS, they will most likely not lead to any kind of career progression to speak of.

There are a number of good accredited online MBA options, and personally I would start by researching those ranked in the FT online MBA ranking: Warwick, Durham, Northeastern, Kelley, etc.

Also, the UAE is home to several world-class EMBA offerings, many of which only require one weekend or so a month of in-class time: Bradford, London Business School, the American University of Sharjah -- these are good schools to start with.

Bloomingstar: I'm impressed that you are considering an MBA at your age. I'm 38 and I was a bit worried about being too old.

BTW: What do you mean by "purpose of self gratification"?

Agreed on both counts. Perhaps an EMBA would be more appropriate for you? ezra has suggested some great schools in the UAE, and schools like Hult and Cass also offer EMBA programs as well... Not to mention INSEAD's Global Executive MBA, which is offered in Abu Dhabi.

Hi Ezra, Delong and Razors Edge,

Thank you all for your valuable inputs. My aim is to pursue a distance learning / online MBA programme that's not too expensive but well recognized at the same time. Let me put down the programmes which I have short listed below and have got places in all of them:

Roehampton online MBA that's delivered in partnership with Laureate international, the big name in online education now. That laureate association is the big positive on this programme. Plus, the uni is located in London and has scored well on the prospects side of evaluation at various rankings, be it Guardian or FT or CUg.

Anglia Ruskin online MBA which is delivered by RDI. The Rdi delivery model is what is most positive as far as this programme is concerned. However, ARUN is not quite well rated.

Then comes the Uni of Salford's MSc programmes which are delivered through the Robert Kennedy College connection. RKC has a good name in online delivery model of MBA Courses, that's in regard to their consistent 4 years appearance on the FT online MBA programmes listings.

RKC - Uni of Cumbria MBA is also well recognized.

Finally, there's Uni of Essex MBA programme that's delivered in partnership with Kaplan Open Learning. The advantage here is the Kaplan name which is a known name in the business education in the US.

And then, a programme from my home country the Amity University inline MBA, which is well recognized and is gathering further acknowledgement of good quality and recognition world over. Their recent feather in the cap has been one of the only 11 programmes accredited by the EFMD CEL accredititation body, Europe. Amity Uni is also ACBSP accredited MBA ( the full time programme but then the name and it's association does carry weight since it's well recognized by ACBSP ).

So guys, you can see that the competition is tough and that's leaving me absolutely confused which route to take. For you to know, as of now, my mind is bent towards Salford - RKC MSc programme in Financial Services MAnagement ( I head a trade financing business in Dubai and I am already PG Diploma and Export Marketing qualified from IIFT India ), the Uni of Essex MBA ( Essex is well rated uni in league tables when compared to salford, Cumbria, anglia ruskin ) and is associated with Kaplan and finally, the Amity MBA because of the EFMD CEL accreditation and the full time programme name associated with ACBSP accreditation.

Utterly confused! Anyone who can help me decide? Pls shower your opinions pls. Thanks a lot.

Further, Salford business school is AMBA accredited. So that's another reason why I have short listed salford.

Further, pls note the costs:

Roehampton: USD 10,000
RKC - Salford: USD 13,500
RKC - Cumbria: USD 12,000
Essex - USD 13,000
Amity: USD 3,500

Salford and Essex are delivering MSc degrees while all others are MBA.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I think this really depends on your goals. If you just want to learn, then Amity looks like great value. If you want progression, then I study to think that Roehampton or Cumbia, which don't have notable MBA programmes where in Britain, can't offer anything more. Essex and Salford are okay universities. Ezra's advice is certainly the best here.

Thanks, Duncan. But isn't it true that learning leads to knowledge, knowledge leads to enhancement of capability and that should lead to progression?

Would u be able to opine on what all should I consider when choosing between Salford and Essex? Salford is an AMBA accredited institution whereas Essex is better placed in the uni rankings league tables of Guardian, FT, Times and CUG. Salford is offering specialized MSc degree ( global MBA and financial services management ) and Eesex is offering MSc in business and management.

Your opinion will help.

The MBA experience not not only about knowledge, but also about skill and networks. An MBA from a top school is a richer experience, which really transforms abilities and capacities. Salford and Essex are certainly okay universities, but as business schools I don't think either really allows you to unlock the real potential of a business education. You would get more learning, at a fraction of the price, with the LSE's BSc or Diploma for Graduates, in management.

It's really the case that a top school give you brand which stands for the credibility, soft skills, emotional intelligence and network of a top MBA.

This is a great place to start:

http://find-mba.com/mba-rankings/financial-times-online-mba-2014

[quote]Hello members,Opinions are invited pls. I live in the UAE, I am 47 years of age, well placed and wish to pursue this program to earn an MBA degree with a purpose of self gratification and of course, career progression if at all.I have short listed 2 programs: the Roehampton London Online MBA and the Uni of Cumbria Online MBA that's conducted in conjunction with Robert Kennedy College, Switzerland.I find both programs to be costing almost the same and both to be having similar pedagogy. Which parameters do I lay more emphasis and decide which one of the. 2 to go for.Pls guide me. Thanks.[/quote]

I have no idea why you would want to take unaccredited courses. Britain is a small island: those schools cannot even get into the top 80. http://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2014/jun/03/university-guide-2015-league-table-for-business-management-and-marketing

In the UAE you have low-cost executive MBAs like Bradford and online you have accredited programes like the London International MBA and the Open University.

The Roehampton program is $11,000. I realize that this sounds like a great deal, but in reality with these programs, you pay for what you get. Look for something with at least accreditation from AACSB or AMBA. The Open University program is a good choice.

Other UK-based online MBA programs for students on a budget might include the ones from Leicester, Oxford Brookes, or Royal Holloway, University of London, all of which are accredited by AMBA.