How to do MBA from Abroad?

The boom in businesses and the emergence of new start-ups have led to a rise in the demand for professional business managers. Top recruiters around the world are on an expedition to look for the best talent in the market. A business professional who is adaptable, dedicated and skilled, is what every company searches for. But besides these managerial skills, if you have a degree from a reputed business school, you will be given a preference for the job. An MBA is a professional degree in business that teaches you all the required knowledge and ethics to run a business and progress in it. In the fast-changing environment, the trends in business are changing. The top business schools in the world have curated their curriculum to meet the challenges in the field of business management. If you want to study for a professional degree like an MBA, you might consider choosing reputed institutions in the world to pursue your dream. In this blog, we will attempt to address the question of how to do an MBA from abroad.

Also Read: Best Countries for MBA

Why MBA Abroad?

An MBA degree can be your ticket to a luxurious career in the growing world of business. A lucrative salary package along with the corporate work environment it offers makes it one of the most studied courses in the world. If you’re planning to study abroad, then pursuing an MBA can give you an opportunity to interact with scholars from different cultures around the world. This would not just add to your experiences of learning but actually help you build professional contacts. The business schools outside have direct links with the top recruiters in the market allowing students to browse through an array of available options for internships and extensive training programs.

Moreover, the universities and colleges abroad have a robust curriculum besides the humongous amount of resources that encourage deep learning and research in the management field. Your study experiences in a foreign nation are unmatchable and the scope of the MBA it offers during the course is something you should be looking for. With the enormous growth in the business industry internationally, it is highly beneficial to know how to do MBA from abroad.

Also Read: MBA Abroad for Indian Students

How to do MBA from Abroad – Eligibility

Getting admission to one of the top MBA colleges around the globe is like a dream come true for most business graduates. But few students, fail to secure admission to an MBA degree program. So, here’s a comprehensive guide to understanding a stepwise procedure to help you understand how to do MBA from abroad.

Since the admission procedure varies for countries, you should first go through the eligibility criteria set by the university. Prior to that, you need to check the program you wish to study on the university’s official website. Once done with that, ensure that you meet the required eligibility measures. Almost every university would require you to have finished the bachelor’s program from any recognized university with a minimum required grade or percentile.

The primary evidence to prove your educational credentials are your academic transcripts and semester-wise mark sheets.

Also, Read:

• Consolidated Marksheet
• Provisional Degree Certificate
• Bonafide Certificate
• Gap Certificate
• Backlog Certificate

Language Proficiency Tests

If you have met the primary eligibility criteria, the next milestone in the admission process is to prove your language efficiency when planning to study abroad. You will have to qualify for any of the language tests like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge English or all of these to demonstrate your efficiency in the English language. 

Also Read: Exams to Study Abroad

There are some universities and colleges that have an option for an ELS (English as a Second Language) program for students who are unable to meet the required minimum IELTS score. Another alternative can be a certificate issued by your last institution proving English to be the MOI (Medium of Instruction) for the course.

Also Read: English for Competitive Exams

Business Management Aptitude Tests

When it comes to offering admissions, business schools abroad are selective. To ensure that they are enrolling the best students, they conduct aptitude tests like GMAT, GRE or CAT. Traditionally, GRE was more specific for MS applications while the GMAT score was an important factor to pursue MBA courses. However, many business institutions have now started accepting GRE scores.

Also, Read:

• CAT vs GMAT
• GRE vs GMAT

Admission Process

There are various universities and business schools to help you further in your research on how to do MBA from Abroad.

• Clearing the above three milestones makes you ready for applying for an MBA program on the university’s ‘admission page’.
• Fill in the general information that is asked of you on the university page correctly. This will include your qualifications, score and other activities.
• Some applications may ask you for your CGP, GPA or percentile of your academic grades.

Also, Read:

• GPA to Percentage
• Convert CGPA to Percentage
• Difference Between GPA and CGPA
• How to Convert SGPA to CGPA

Documents Required

Here are the documents required to secure admission in MBA Abroad explained in detail:

MBA Essays

This part of the application process might not seem that important to you but the admission committee at the concerned universities evaluates your application by the quality of your essay. Make sure that you take your time to make the essay rich, succinct and engaging. Your knowledge of the subject and clear writing style should reflect in your MBA essay.

These essays include several questions focusing on what you’ve done so far in your career, why are you planning to pursue an MBA at this stage, your post-MBA career goals, your strengths – weaknesses and other questions to see you as a real person and not a bunch of statistics. 

There may be a word limit for questions (usually, 200-500 words) or it may be open-ended. Every business school has its own recommendation format, thus it is important to refer to the official website of the b-school.

SOP

A Statement of Purpose or SOP is a personal description written by an MBA applicant, which allows the admission committee at the concerned university to get a clear perspective of the applicant’s personal interests, goals and motivation and academic progress. 

Also Read: How to write SOP for MBA

LOR

A Letter of Recommendation forms an essential part of the admission process. The universities require you to have a LOR to gain a comprehensive insight into your suitable candidature for admission in an MBA program. The aim is to get a favourable picture of your past experience, qualifications, achievements, contribution and skills communicated by the recommender.  LOR is generally of two types namely Academic LOR and Professional LOR.

Also Read: LOR Samples

Work Experience

There are a lot of universities and business schools abroad, offering MBA courses that have a pre-defined work experience requirement. Applicants are required to submit a professional LOR along with an updated resume or CV. A management course requires students to have managerial skills along with technical expertise in the business world. While addressing the question of how to do an MBA from abroad, you should start building a strong portfolio to increase your chances of getting admission.

Also Read: Career Objective for MBA Graduates

Some institutions may also look at exceptional applicants willing to pursue an MBA degree who do not have work experience.

Also, Read:

• MBA in the UK Without Work Experience
• MBA Without Work Experience in Canada

MBA from Abroad vs MBA from India

Even though India has several highly regarded universities, many still prefer to study for their Master of Business Administration (MBA) overseas. Indian students often choose to study abroad for a variety of reasons. More than 2 lakh students took the CAT exam in India in 2017. Contrast that with the little over 4,000 seats in IIMs. Therefore, it is not just the fierce competition but also the variety of chances that students have access to through international education. In addition, the curriculum at Tier 2/3 MBA colleges in India is out of date and does not reflect the demands of the modern economy. Foreign institutions have an advantage in this situation. An international MBA is more collaborative and practice-focused. Nearly all business schools are willing to share the variety of their student body. One can learn about and experience many cultures by attending an international educational institution.

MBA Exams Abroad

Candidates seeking admission to an MBA programme must take language competence exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE, as well as standardised exams such as the GMAT and GRE. Because the tests differ depending on the course and university, candidates need to know which exam to take for which course in order to study abroad.

MBA Specializations

As there are more industries, the necessity for certain skill sets to comprehend the issues of that area grows. Also, because this is a significant career decision for you, you should exercise caution when selecting an MBA specialisation.

Typically, the first year of an MBA programme is devoted to core courses in order to lay a solid basis for all topics. In the second year, students might opt to specialise in a specific topic.

• Marketing
• Human Resources
• Finance
• Information Systems
• Consulting
• Entrepreneurship
• Operations Management

Top Universities and Their Fees

Every Business Administration student wishes to attend the best business schools and universities in the world. An MBA is one of the most sought-after courses, and it is offered by a number of prestigious universities throughout the world.

Global MBA Rank	Institution	Country	Annual tuition fee
1	Stanford Graduate School of Business	US	$76,950
=2	Harvard Business School	US	$73,440
=2	Penn (Wharton)	US	$84,874
4	HEC Paris	France	$79,267
5	MIT (Sloan)	US	$80,400
6	London Business School	UK	$117,353
=7	IE Business School	Spain	$79,570
=7	INSEAD	Paris/Singapore/France	$94,091
9	Columbia Business School	US	$80,472
10	IESE Business School	Spain	$101,115

Also Read: MBA Without Work Experience

Scholarships for MBA Abroad

Several scholarships are offered to enable students to have a financially smooth sailing during their stay in these countries. Some of the most well-known are:

• Australia: Australia Awards Scholarships
• Canada: Quebec Provincial Government Scholarship,
• New Zealand: New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships, Palmerston North City Mayor’s Goodwill Ambassador Scholarship, New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA)
• Ireland: The Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship. NUI Galway International Student Scholarships (Max Arthur McAuliffe Special, Merit   Scholarship, Sir Peter Freyer Special Merit Scholarship) 
• The UK: The Chevening Scholarships, The Commonwealth Scholarships, and Charles Wallace Scholarships.
• The US: Foreign Fulbright Student Program, Humphrey Fellowship Program.

MBA Abroad Jobs

MBA in Abroad for students is a highly advantageous feature, and it finally proves to be a point in increasing the students’ abilities and knowledge, and MBA Abroad also enhances the students’ degree of specialisation. It is also believed that an MBA from a foreign country is far less expensive than a degree from an Indian university. As a result, students might consider pursuing MBA abroad.

The following positions are available to students who pursue an MBA in another country:

• Project Manager
• Business Development Manager
• Product Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Analytics Manager
• System Manager
• Data Processing Manager
• Business Analyst.

MBA Abroad Without Work Experience

Similarly, if you’re concerned that you don’t have adequate work experience, the following institutions accept applications from applicants with little to no work experience. The tuition fees for each are listed in the table below.

• Work experience is not required to apply to the Stanford Graduate School of Business since the school is more interested in candidates’ effect in the workplace.
• Although the average student has five or six years of professional experience before coming to The Wharton School, the MBA programme accepts early career candidates with little or no experience who demonstrate great managerial and professional aptitude. The admissions committee considers an individual’s job experience not in terms of years, but of the depth and breadth of his or her position, contributions to the work environment, and level of responsibility and growth.
• While the London Business School typically attracts candidates with at least five years of work experience, candidates with less than three years of work experience may be admitted if they can demonstrate superior academic credentials and truly outstanding evidence of leadership through professional and personal experiences.

FAQs

A management degree opens the door to endless possibilities and lucrative career options. Offering a great variety of subjects and a multicultural environment, an MBA degree abroad is all you need. For assistance on how to do MBA from abroad, you can reach out to our career experts at Leverage Edu, with an impeccable record of successful admissions in the top universities abroad.