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hough the US has beenthe pioneer in the field ofMBA education and hasbeen producing MBAsfor over a century,

European countries have onlystarted teaching them since the1980s. Britain was the first countryin Europe to start with MBAprograms at London BusinessSchool in the early 1980s. Butwhen Europe started the programit did not import the Americanmodel.

The US relied exclusively onprivate enterprise and support for

the success of the program but inEurope, there was more statesupport and involvement. Theresult according to prominentprofessors was “more diverse, lessstandardised and lessinstitutionalised” MBA programs[in Europe]. And though EuropeanMBAs took longer to becomepopular and recognized, they havefitted very well into their owncountries’ systems. For example,the French cultural influence on itsbusiness education is especiallymarked. Part-time MBAs – oftencalled Executive MBAs, because

students are oftenalready employed inhigh-powered jobs andstudying in their sparetime – were pioneeredin Europe, and are stillmore common therethan they are in the US.

In Britain, it takesone year of full-timestudy to get an MBA,except at London

Business School where it takes twoyears. In the US, however a two-year full-time course is standard.But this does not mean that anAmerican MBA is twice as good,or even that it is any better at all,say experts.

The differences between two-year and one-year MBA programsreflect the traditional time takenfor a master’s degree in variousregions (two years in NorthAmerica, one year in Europe).According to professors, schoolswith a one-year program (and notethat “one year” can mean anythingfrom 10 to 16 months) argue thatthere is little difference in terms ofareas covered and time spent inclass compared with a two-yearprogram. Certainly while the firstyear of a two-year program is avery intensive experience, thesecond - which is given over toelective courses and job hunting -is much less so.

The main advantage of a two-year program is the internship (jobexperience within a company)during the two years. This isparticularly important if one isusing an MBA to change career. Aninternship, which is a vital firststep to a full-time job, allowsexperience in the area one wantsto move to. A two-year program isalso considered more worthwhilein terms of educational andpersonal development experiencesince it allows more time forreflection.

But if one is not planning asignificant career change and hasconsiderable work experience, aone-year program might be more

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While taking up an MBA course abroad, one often wonders whether anAmerican MBA is better or a European one. Although traditionally theMBA has a “Made In The US of A” stamp on it as it has been home to theprogram, MBAs in Britain and other parts of Europe also have a distinctivecharacter and boast of a reputation for excellence worldwide.

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appropriate. Hence, a one-yearprogram is ideal for a quick careerboost but a two-year programallows better opportunities for

career change.However, students are usually

worried about the ‘language’ factorwhile choosing an MBA programin any European country exceptBritain. It should be rememberedthat offering an MBA Program isan opportunity to developinternational recognition andtoday, most important businessschools in Europe offer diplomasin both English and the local

language in an attempt to competewith the most famous Americanuniversities. MBA programs inFrance are not always taught inFrench, and if an institution wantsto recruit the best students andteachers, it is compulsory forprograms to be conducted inEnglish. Most of these institutionsrequire students to have a goodTOEFL or GMAT score to apply.

The INSEAD in Fontainebleau,France is the European MBACollege equivalent, and a 1996survey in the ‘Time’ placed thisinstitution first in the world,beating institutions such asWharton and Harvard.

In conclusion, though MBAs areAmerican diplomas due to theirhistory and conception, but givenschools with similar reputations oneither side of the Atlantic there isnot much difference in terms of

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This article appeared in TheGlobal Educator, the PerfectGuide for InternationalEducation. To subscribe use thesubscription form in thejournal or visitwww. theglobaleducator. com

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Answer to the Cros-sword

what one learns and the quality ofthe experience. It all comes downto personal circumstances andchoice.