The consulting sector has long been alluring to graduates of MBA programs who are attracted by the high salaries and dynamism, with consultants usually working on a wide range of fascinating corporate challenges, using the knowledge acquired on the MBA. In terms of post-MBA salaries, management consulting jobs are some of the highest paid, and many promising candidates are often awarded signing bonuses upon being hired.
After an Online MBA program, graduates may aim to work at some of the most prestigious management consulting firms including the “big three” firms: Bain, McKinsey, and the Boston Consulting Group, alongside other companies such as Accenture, Deloitte or AT Kearney. The big three firms are seen as a passport to senior executive roles in the corporate world because of the prestige and connections that employees gain.
Online MBA students are not treated any differently to full-time students at these elite firms, which are eager to hire top talent. Many Online MBAs offer students the chance to customize the program and take courses that prepare them for a career in the consulting world. Known as “concentrations” or “specializations”, these sets of courses teach skills such as effective communication, problem-solving and corporate strategy.
The business schools with the best Online MBAs for Consulting jobs often include robust career services teams, which offer one-on-one coaching sessions to prepare students for the case interviews, a part of the application process that is unique to consulting firms. Job candidates are asked to solve a business problem, mirroring client engagements.
The MBA cohort is another store of guidance, with many students forming consulting clubs that put on networking sessions and guest lectures from alumni working in the consulting sector.
At Rice Jones, Online MBA students who wish to pursue a career in consulting have a wide array of career services to support their job application. This includes access to a team of careers advisors and experts in case interviewing who provide individual coaching sessions. The Rice Business Consulting Association, a student-led club, also helps students with their interview preparation.
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Online MBA students at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School can specialize in Strategy and Consulting, taking courses to develop important capabilities for consulting, such as leadership, team collaboration and problem-solving. They can also attend alumni panels and employer networking events, where industry insiders share tips on how to succeed as a management consultant. There are also careers coaches at UNC who provide mock case interviews.
View School ProfileThe Online MBA program at American University’s Kogod School of Business includes six focus areas of study, including one in Consulting. Students prepare for careers in the sector by learning about problem-solving, research and analysis. The focus area also combines analytics and management courses, offering additional tuition in business intelligence and integrated marketing communication, to produce well-rounded graduates.
View School ProfileOnline MBA students at Temple University’s Fox School of Business can pursue a “concentration” in strategic management, which is an important component of management consulting, in addition to a core course called Enterprise Management Consulting Practicum, in which students apply their knowledge in practice through a strategic consulting assignment for a real firm. This mirrors the work of a management consulting in that students diagnose a corporate challenge and present solutions.
View School ProfilePenn State offers the Graduate Certificate in Management Consulting, a short online course that provides students with the skills required to succeed in the sector. This includes research methods for analysis and solution generation as well as communication techniques to convey the recommendations to clients. Students who earn this certificate can pair it with the school’s Online MBA, or take it as a stand-alone credential.
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Online MBA students at Warwick Business School have the chance to compete in case competitions against other leading business schools across the world. This increases exposure to leading companies and reflects the work of management consultants. The Online MBA program at Warwick is ranked as the best in the world by the Financial Times. The business school also has the Warwick Strategy and Consulting professional network to support students and alumni who want to work in the sector through networking events and career programming.
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Online MBA students from Imperial College Business School can join a summer school focused on business strategy and consulting. For three weeks between July and August, students come together in London or online to learn how to diagnose and change organizational challenges. They also learn strategic approaches for managing consulting projects and clients, as well as analytical frameworks. Online MBA students also have full access to Imperial’s careers service.
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IE Business School’s Online MBA was ranked best worldwide for employability by QS. Some 90 percent of students find a job within three months of graduation, many of them in the consulting sector. IE attracts more than 3,500 global recruiters, including prestigious consulting firms such as Boston Consulting Group. The school also has a student-led consulting club that hosts virtual networking events with leading consulting firms. The club also organizes consulting “bootcamps” where students prepare for case interviews.
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Students taking the Online MBA at the Kelley School can major in strategic management, which is an important component of consulting. They can also customize the MBA with electives, which make up 50 percent of the curriculum. Moreover, on an experiential project, students will consult with a small business in an emerging economy in another country as well as Fortune 500 executives in a major US market. Students also benefit from personalized career coaching and networking events with major consulting firms.
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Students at the Warrington College can take part in a consulting project where they put their skills to the test and mirror the work of a real consultancy firm. Each year the students go to a different global location such as Chile, working with local companies to develop unique solutions to their challenges. It’s part of a week-long study tour that seeks to give students practical experiences to make them more knowledgeable and employable.
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