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Masters in Management - Smurfit Graduate Business School

  • 19-07-2009 5:58pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2


    Hey,

    I am intending to do the Masters in Management course at UCD Smurfit Business School. However after doing a bit of external research and from what I've seen from posts on this site, it seems that the course might not be all it's cracked up to be. From what I've seen, there are very mixed reviews about the course. It's very expensive (11,500Euro), so I want to be 100% sure that it's worth the money. I just want to make sure that the course is well regarded and challenging..... one quote i've already read from this site is that "you can't fail unless your cheque bounces". I already have an honours degree in engineering.

    Thanks very much in advance for the help,
    Kind regards


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,359 ✭✭✭jon1981


    hey,

    I'm like yourself, i have applied to this course but alittle unsure. It is alot of money, but is it regarded? or just another business course. As its a thought masters I don't know what sets it apart from a masters in any other college. Im on the fence!

    i assume your looking at doing it full time...im looking at the part time option which is more expensive.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    Hey,

    I am intending to do the Masters in Management course at UCD Smurfit Business School. However after doing a bit of external research and from what I've seen from posts on this site, it seems that the course might not be all it's cracked up to be. From what I've seen, there are very mixed reviews about the course. It's very expensive (11,500Euro), so I want to be 100% sure that it's worth the money. I just want to make sure that the course is well regarded and challenging..... one quote i've already read from this site is that "you can't fail unless your cheque bounces". I already have an honours degree in engineering.

    Thanks very much in advance for the help,
    Kind regards

    Don't do it, it's not worth the money. My room mate did it last year, he has a BSc in Sports Management and he hated the course, it's awful, Smurfit is awful, it's not worth it and you'll get feck all jobs with it. Better off doing something else, it really is that bad. I don't normally say this about a courses, and to be honest I hate speaking about a course and a place like this, but trust me when I say don't waste your money on it. Challenging is such a vague term, if you mean by lecturers giving you feck all material and marking hard with about 65% of the assignments being as vague as possible then, yes it's pretty challenging that way. You can't fail, that's true, but do you want to just pass course you spent 11 and a half grand on? As a "regarded" course, well it's still kind of new, if you do it you'll be the third contingent going into it, personally I'd find that daunting and coming from an undergrad that was new it's not the way to go, there's always tinkering with the course which can be a pain. It's far too expensive, there's a lot of knobs on the course (trust me on that one if nothing else) and you're not guaranteed employment afterwards which is worse. Sorry if this is less helpful than anticipated, I'm not always this much of a cúnt when it comes to things like this.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 JimJamJom


    Cheers for the help el! yours is the kind of feedback i've been getting about the course in general. I'm going to have look into the course more before I go there............... I don't want to end up doing a course that isn't well regarded by prospective employers/end up doing a course that will be of no use to me!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,548 ✭✭✭siochain


    hey morganilegid, are there other sites for getting good feedback on courses?

    sorry for off topic ; )


  • Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭up them Schteps


    I stumbled upon this a few days ago, but i've heard nothing about it! But it goes to show that other universities are doing similar courses to smurfit!

    http://www.ucc.ie/en/CKL22/


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,359 ✭✭✭jon1981


    more expensive than smurfit too...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,359 ✭✭✭jon1981


    siochain wrote: »
    hey morganilegid, are there other sites for getting good feedback on courses?

    sorry for off topic ; )

    there is postgrad.ie but it doesn't seem to get alot of traffic.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 366 ✭✭Irishrossoblu


    I did the HDBS there a few years back, which was transfirmed into the MiM. I have to say that while it got me into jobs, the course itself was kinda useless. The Smurfit name on your CV (back in 2005) looked very good and opened doors.

    In relation to the standard in Smurfit/UCD, I was shocked. You really couldnt fail. The standard of marking was a joke, and the standard of other students, mainly from Arts in UCD, was laughable. I could not believe that they had got in, until someone pointed out that once you paid, you got in. One of our 'lectures' was a 22 year old PHD student from UCD (who wore trakkie bottoms and texted during lectures). For the guts of 11 grand, you expect more.

    Now that the jobs are few and far between, the Smurfit name doesnt open as many doors as it did in the past. Thus I would tell you to explore other options before picking this.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 320 ✭✭tlev


    Im going to do Finance in Smurfit and now am very apprehensive about the whole thing...:(


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 261 ✭✭blucey


    tlev wrote: »
    Im going to do Finance in Smurfit and now am very apprehensive about the whole thing...:(

    the MBS in finance is linked to an external body - CFA institute- and is only one of two in the country so linked (other being TCD MSc in Finance) so a horse of a totally different colour...


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 335 ✭✭graduate


    Im going to do Finance in Smurfit and now am very apprehensive about the whole thing...

    Even if it the Masters in Management is not the most difficult, and opinions differ on this, it be very unwise to extrapolate the Masters in Management to other Smurfit programmes. As the previous poster said the likes Finance & Quant Finance are far from a joke, and I doubt if anyone ever implied that the likes of the Msc in Business Analytics or the MAcc have easy marking.

    Sadly there is demand for non challenging courses and many people prefer to do them.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,339 ✭✭✭convert


    In relation to the standard in Smurfit/UCD, I was shocked. You really couldnt fail. The standard of marking was a joke, and the standard of other students, mainly from Arts in UCD, was laughable.

    In fairness, there seem to be a lot of college courses that you can't fail nowadays. I don't think it's entirely fair or accurate just to focus on UCD/Smurfit/Arts... It's college and countrywide...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 320 ✭✭tlev


    graduate wrote: »
    Even if it the Masters in Management is not the most difficult, and opinions differ on this, it be very unwise to extrapolate the Masters in Management to other Smurfit programmes. As the previous poster said the likes Finance & Quant Finance are far from a joke, and I doubt if anyone ever implied that the likes of the Msc in Business Analytics or the MAcc have easy marking.

    Sadly there is demand for non challenging courses and many people prefer to do them.

    Well thats okay then. :D I am really looking forward to it though that's why I am hoping it will be good and worth the very expensive tutition!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 921 ✭✭✭mehmeh12


    One of the lecturer's who teaches this course tried to sell this program to my then undergrad year... personally i went to the UCD career advisor and she told me that realistically this would not help me get a job. Add to that the cost and the lack of work placements and well i thought to myself i'd be better off getting some work experience. Yes it does look good on your CV but thats pretty much it..


  • Registered Users Posts: 20 Shellie


    Im in the same boat. I applied, spent ages filling out the question part of the form only to realise that as long as the application fee went through I was in. But a friend of mine did the course, he did the same undergrad as me, and he really enjoyed it. I think there will be a difference between students that came straight from 3 years arts and are doing it as a follow on type course, and those that are out of college a couple years and are going back to actually learn and get a business qualification.

    I logged on online to the past paper section on the UCD website and looked through the exam papers to see what sort of stuff I will be expected to know when I finish and was suprised. A lot of the stuff I was pretty clueless on, and they didnt seem as easy as I was expecting. So maybe look through them will give you a more accurate view on the course.

    Also my friend that did it said the work load was pretty heavy, lots of assignments. First semester was ok - hr management and other lighter subjects, but the second semester with more finance and economics etc was tougher. Then you select your thesis, which is far easier than most undergrad ones asyou can do it with someone else, but it can give you some focus.

    So if you just want the qualification on the cv, I'm sure its easy enough to pass, but equally there are options there to focus your learning. My friend worked with Accenture when he finished, and is now working with an investment managament firm, which wouldnt have been an option for him with a Product Design degree.

    Either way I'm commited to it and hope it's gonna be worth the money :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭scarface22


    Will you have any chance of getting into one of the big consutancy firms i.e. BCG, Bain, Mc Kinsey with a Smurfit Mim?

    I heard anything short of Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial is really difficult


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 447 ✭✭cerebus


    scarface22 wrote: »
    Will you have any chance of getting into one of the big consutancy firms i.e. BCG, Bain, Mc Kinsey with a Smurfit Mim?

    I heard anything short of Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial is really difficult

    I believe Smurfit does highlight some recent graduates who went on to work for McKinsey on their website - they were from the MBA program rather than the MiM though.

    McKinsey having an office in Dublin may be a factor in why they have recruited from Smurfit - I don't believe Bain or BCG have a presence in Ireland.

    Saying that, if you're good enough to work for McKinsey/Bain/BCG you'll probably find a way to get yourself in the door no matter what school you end up going to. It just might take a bit more work on your part.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭scarface22


    cerebus wrote: »
    I believe Smurfit does highlight some recent graduates who went on to work for McKinsey on their website - they were from the MBA program rather than the MiM though.

    McKinsey having an office in Dublin may be a factor in why they have recruited from Smurfit - I don't believe Bain or BCG have a presence in Ireland.

    Saying that, if you're good enough to work for McKinsey/Bain/BCG you'll probably find a way to get yourself in the door no matter what school you end up going to. It just might take a bit more work on your part.


    Is the MiM far too general a masters to pay that kind of money for?

    Will it enable a candidate to make the cut for one of the second tier consultants such as Deloitte, Mercer, Oliver Wyman


    According to this...

    http://www.smurfitschool.ie/specialistmasters/management/masterinmanagement/careers,35030,en.html

    Accenture is the only consultants previous students have got and I certainly dont want to settle for Accenture as Ive heard nothing but bad things about the place. Also Ive heard from good sources that working in the IT consulting sector can easily limit you to a this career path and make it difficult to move into strategic consulting (i.e. McK, BCG, Bain)

    Would you advise some more technical and specific i.e. Economics or do you think its possible to get a decent second tier mgmt consulting job?

    Cheers


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 447 ✭✭cerebus


    scarface22 wrote: »
    Is the MiM far too general a masters to pay that kind of money for?

    Will it enable a candidate to make the cut for one of the second tier consultants such as Deloitte, Mercer, Oliver Wyman


    According to this...

    http://www.smurfitschool.ie/specialistmasters/management/masterinmanagement/careers,35030,en.html

    Accenture is the only consultants previous students have got and I certainly dont want to settle for Accenture as Ive heard nothing but bad things about the place. Also Ive heard from good sources that working in the IT consulting sector can easily limit you to a this career path and make it difficult to move into strategic consulting (i.e. McK, BCG, Bain)

    Would you advise some more technical and specific i.e. Economics or do you think its possible to get a decent second tier mgmt consulting job?

    Cheers

    I'd imagine one way to find out what the recruiting landscape is like might be to contact Smurfit's Career Service Office and see what they can share with you. They could be able to provide you with some MiM alumni currently working in various consulting firms who you could talk to.

    You could also probably find out whether the MiM graduates working for Accenture are in Accenture's Strategy Consulting arm (they have somewhere around 2000 people worldwide providing strategy consulting services if I remember right) or if they are in the larger Accenture IT consulting organization.

    Accenture themselves might be able to give you an idea of the internal mobility in the organization - if you join the company on the IT side there might be an opportunity to move laterally to the strategy consulting group.

    Finally, I wouldn't let the fact that a MiM is a general degree put you off - you can say the same about an MBA, and lots of MBAs get hired by strategy consulting firms.

    As a matter of interest, have you considered the MBA path if you really want to work for the likes of McK/Bain/BCG? Might be worth your while working for a year or two then applying to do an MBA and leveraging that to get yourself into a strategy consulting job.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 366 ✭✭Irishrossoblu


    cerebus wrote: »
    I'd imagine one way to find out what the recruiting landscape is like might be to contact Smurfit's Career Service Office and see what they can share with you.

    A friend of mine is down to do the MBA this year, and in the interviews he was told in no uncertain terms that doing a Smurfit MBA was no guarantee of a job. Smurfit have been suffering from the fact that 50% or more of graduates from their courses last year are unemployed. It was mentioned that the careers office had sent a request to Smurfit Alumni to only hire Smurfit graduates where possible. Thus they are seeing that Smurfit a MA/MBA is no guarantee of a job.

    I thought it quite incredible that they would tell people in the interview that they could not promise a job at the end of the programme. The Strategy Masters class of last year is largely unemployed as far as I know.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 447 ✭✭cerebus


    A friend of mine is down to do the MBA this year, and in the interviews he was told in no uncertain terms that doing a Smurfit MBA was no guarantee of a job. Smurfit have been suffering from the fact that 50% or more of graduates from their courses last year are unemployed. It was mentioned that the careers office had sent a request to Smurfit Alumni to only hire Smurfit graduates where possible. Thus they are seeing that Smurfit a MA/MBA is no guarantee of a job.

    I thought it quite incredible that they would tell people in the interview that they could not promise a job at the end of the programme. The Strategy Masters class of last year is largely unemployed as far as I know.

    I'm not surprised by this - MBA programs at business schools that are much more well-known and respected than Smurfit also tell their students that there are no guarantees of jobs when you come out.

    Anyone who goes into a degree like an MBA expecting that it will magically guarantee them employment once they finish probably needs to adjust their expectations.

    What these schools and programs do provide is access to their alumni networks and recruiting opportunities. It's up to the individual student to leverage these resources to find a job.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 351 ✭✭Slippers


    jon1981 wrote: »
    more expensive than smurfit too...
    No, the one in UCC is €7000 full-time. The MiM is €6750 part-time (€13500 for the two years) or €11500 full-time.
    blucey wrote: »
    the MBS in finance is linked to an external body - CFA institute- and is only one of two in the country so linked (other being TCD MSc in Finance) so a horse of a totally different colour...
    By the way, Smurfit have changed all their MBSs to MScs.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,339 ✭✭✭convert


    In fairness, I think a huge number of last year's graduates, regardless of discipline, are unemployed. To think that doing an MBA or MSc in Smurfit or any other business school is a guarantee of securing a job is extremely naïve, especially given the economic climate. However, having another qualification should positely enhance a candidate's CV for a job application.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,276 ✭✭✭damnyanks


    IT's a conversion course offered to people usually with an Arts background. You are better off picking a more focussed course, its like a general business studies degree rolled into one year. If its the best you can get go for it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14 dblstudent


    I've just graduated from Smurfit and I don't think it was worth the money. Only one person on course found a job afterwards which was essentially the whole point in doing the course to begin with. Although I learned some good presentation skills, none of the course content will be of any use. My friend signed up for Strategic Management & Leadership in a place called the Carlyle Institute for way less of the price of smurfit and the course doesn't look much different.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 921 ✭✭✭mehmeh12


    dblstudent wrote: »
    I've just graduated from Smurfit and I don't think it was worth the money. Only one person on course found a job afterwards which was essentially the whole point in doing the course to begin with. Although I learned some good presentation skills, none of the course content will be of any use. My friend signed up for Strategic Management & Leadership in a place called the Carlyle Institute for way less of the price of smurfit and the course doesn't look much different.

    I take it you did the masters in management in Smurfit yes? When you said the none of the course content will be of any use..what did you mean by this..no use in getting a job..no use in being in a job...why was the course content so irrelevant?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14 dblstudent


    Yes I just finished my MIM this year. In regards to your question, I meant for both really. I'm not going to be hired straight into a management position because I can write you 5,000 on the difference between a manager & a leader. A lot of the course was theory based like this which is both fine and interesting, but how much of it will I ever use in my job... 5% maybe, if that??? And it wont really help you find a job simply because you can't really walk into a management position, you have to earn it. You'll therefore start at the bottom of the ladder with all the other grads! I'm thinking of doing a professisonal management course now just to get the practical skills I missed on the course.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 335 ✭✭graduate


    Most of the people doing this programme are recent grads, so are 21-22 years of age. There are only a limited range of sectors where someone like this with no experience can be expected to to walk into management. This programme used to be the Diploma in Business Studies, it provided you with an opportunity to enter business, you could then become a manager in time. Now they didn't rename the MBS because there was already an MBS, but the expectation should be similar. This is a general conversion course for non business graduates, if you accept what it is and what it provides then you can get a lot of out it. If you are really looking for something else then go and do that.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 921 ✭✭✭mehmeh12


    dblstudent wrote: »
    Yes I just finished my MIM this year. In regards to your question, I meant for both really. I'm not going to be hired straight into a management position because I can write you 5,000 on the difference between a manager & a leader. A lot of the course was theory based like this which is both fine and interesting, but how much of it will I ever use in my job... 5% maybe, if that??? And it wont really help you find a job simply because you can't really walk into a management position, you have to earn it. You'll therefore start at the bottom of the ladder with all the other grads! I'm thinking of doing a professisonal management course now just to get the practical skills I missed on the course.

    The professional management course you mentioned at the end..did you have to do a masters in management to be able to apply for this?

    So in relation the gist of your post is that the course was a waste of time..does not having the course on your cv not help to get a job?

    Im sorry for droning on but one of my old ucd lecturers really tried to sell this course to people in my graduation year.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 10 canco


    I'm looking at these courses now too. Does anyone have info on the the Smurfit MSc in Project Management?

    I'm facing trying to set up my own company or going back to college to try and learn a good deal more.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 388 ✭✭Blut


    A few friends of mine did the MiM this year and last year, from what they've said it seemed worthwhile. The ones now employed have jobs they wouldnt have gotten from their base degrees so it worked for them in that way at least. The unemployed...well, the recession probably isnt helping them too much.

    By all accounts its got a great social life, is moderately interesting and wont kill you with the workload. I think if youre going into it expecting to walk into a job afterwards youre going to be disapointed, no business degree will do that in the current economic climate. If you're going into it to open some more options up to you that wouldnt have been available with your undergrad degree then by all means go for it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 169 ✭✭forfcksake


    canco wrote: »
    I'm looking at these courses now too. Does anyone have info on the the Smurfit MSc in Project Management?
    if anyone has any info on this course it would be greatly appreciated, cheers


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4 Jennifermcc


    Wow this was really informative , I have been excepted to the masters in management and gve just one week left to decide, this has definitely helped me because I'm not sure whether to go for smurfit or ucc for my masters. I thought smurfit would have opened a lot doors for me and been more intensive but it's seems from reading above maybe that's not the case and seeing as it would coat me 11500 plus easily that again in rent and living expensives whereas if I stayed in cork it would cost me 7000 it seems like maybe smurfit isn't the right option. I really thought smurfit gave people the edge but maybe that's an outdated view!! Bit confused now bout what to do !!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,819 ✭✭✭dan_d


    +1.
    I have an application to this course too. I'm an engineer though, and I just don't think this masters will benefit me much. I've got Project Management experience and qualifications aswell, but since I'm unemployed I need to do a Masters that allows me to diversify a bit.
    Is this management masters too much a re-hash of things I've already done, and maybe a more financial one might be better?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4 Jennifermcc


    Ya if you have done some management stuff it might be maybe go onto the website and look at the modules that are involved to see if there all stuff you have already done. I have no experience and I think that's what's part of my problem because I don't know what it's like to be in a business environment so it's a big risk for me but I'm sure that's the direction I want to take and since my degree is not business related I feel this may be my best option! Financing it now on the other hand is a big thing not just the cost of the course but living expenses since I'm not from Dublin will cost a fair bit but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. Someone else said to me though they think I could be too young and that the average age of someone at smurfit is late 20 s and I'm only just 22.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 366 ✭✭Irishrossoblu


    Someone else said to me though they think I could be too young and that the average age of someone at smurfit is late 20 s and I'm only just 22.

    In the MIM the average age is 22/23. Most people are straight out of a 3 year arts degree in UCD.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭crisco10


    Hey,

    Sorry to dredge an old thread.

    Starting this course part time in August. have any boardsies done this course?

    Part of the course is the Friday/Saturday workshops, when do they release the dates of the weekends?
    Kind of need to plan a few things for the autumn but don't want to be double booking myself!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,871 ✭✭✭budhabob


    crisco10 wrote: »
    Hey,

    Sorry to dredge an old thread.

    Starting this course part time in August. have any boardsies done this course?

    Part of the course is the Friday/Saturday workshops, when do they release the dates of the weekends?
    Kind of need to plan a few things for the autumn but don't want to be double booking myself!

    I emailed them at the start of June to ask this question and I was told that the below dates are provisional, but only a slight chance to change. There is a weekend in December and May to be confirmed. They might be more firm on the dates now but its a good indication.

    • 26th and 27th August 2011
    • 23rd and 24th September 2011
    • 21st and 22nd October 2011
    • 18th and 19th November 2011
    • 13th and 14th January 2012
    • 17th and 18th February 2012
    • 23rd and 24th March 2012
    • 20th and 21st April 2012

    Might be worthwhile contacting them just to confirm.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭crisco10


    budhabob wrote: »
    I emailed them at the start of June to ask this question and I was told that the below dates are provisional, but only a slight chance to change. There is a weekend in December and May to be confirmed. They might be more firm on the dates now but its a good indication.

    • 26th and 27th August 2011
    • 23rd and 24th September 2011
    • 21st and 22nd October 2011
    • 18th and 19th November 2011
    • 13th and 14th January 2012
    • 17th and 18th February 2012
    • 23rd and 24th March 2012
    • 20th and 21st April 2012

    Might be worthwhile contacting them just to confirm.

    Thanks, I have emailed them too. Just in my experience boards can be as quick!! (case in point here!)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,871 ✭✭✭budhabob


    crisco10 wrote: »
    Thanks, I have emailed them too. Just in my experience boards can be as quick!! (case in point here!)
    its a great service alright. Let me know if they confirm the same dates if you don't mind.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭crisco10


    budhabob wrote: »
    its a great service alright. Let me know if they confirm the same dates if you don't mind.

    Yeah, they just got back to me there. still not confirmed, but the same dates as you listed.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3 davjhar


    Hi,

    I know this is an old thread - but I was wondering did any of you go ahead and do the Masters in Management in the end and what your thoughts were? Was everything described here (not challenging, no job prospects, not applicable to day to day) true, or is it generally more positive than that?

    Any response is much appreciated - I'm in a similar position the the one a few of you were. Considering it but not sure because of the cost involved and what I've read here?

    Thanks


  • Registered Users Posts: 82 ✭✭ramblingcelt


    My thoughts are that education is too expensive here. I took my MBA abroad and saved thousands and got a great education.

    For finance courses or management have a look at Erasmus Rotterdam University or the VU University of Amsterdam. Have friends who went to both and said they were really tough courses but very well respected. Both had no prob in getting jobs. Fees are less than 2000 a year. Most business / finance courses are in English.

    The times and the economist both rank business courses. Do lots of research before spending a year and thousands of euros. Visit the schools as well. The network of alumni is a valuable asset you are getting access to also.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7 KathrynH


    A lot of these posts here are actually ridiculous. First of all, the content is challenging and you are constantly kept on your toes with numerous group and individual assignments, in term exams and final term exams throughout the year. This course is specifically for people who have not done business subjects in the past and the students are not specifically relegated to those from an ‘arts’ degree. There are plenty of engineers, human sciences etc. In all honesty, it actually doesn’t matter what you did for your undergrad as long as you have a 2.1. For a lot of employers such as Accenture, IBEC, Enterprise Ireland, Diageo, and PwC etc. they require you to have a 2.1 undergrad. Many of these employers really appreciate the fact that you have a more general undergraduate degree with a business masters on top. It shows your ability to think in different ways and your adaptability etc.
    There’s no doubt about it the course is expensive. However, it gives you that competitive edge when applying for jobs and getting through interview processes as it is fully accredited unlike masters offered elsewhere. It’s not going to automatically give you a job; you’d be incredibly naïve for thinking that in today’s competitive market. You getting a job is based only in part on you masters, then it’s based on your undergrad result, your work and life experience, psychometric tests and verbal tests and of course your personality and ability to effectively perform in competency interviews. So when El Siglo says “you’ll get feck all jobs with it”—he can grow up and realise the reality of the situation.
    Smurfit’s campus itself is really beautiful. The lecture halls, library etc. are all very modern and well equipped. There are study rooms, a common room to get coffee in and relax and a large Kylemore restaurant. There will always be a few “knobs” as El Siglo says on any course. But overall, everyone really is lovely. As there are 3 semesters, you are changed each of those 3 times into different class groups. This means by the end of the course, everyone really knows each other very well, which is brilliant.
    I would definitely recommend doing the course; I loved almost every second of it. The lecturers are mostly fantastic too. A lot of graduates have been offered excellent jobs in a variety of organisations as a result of it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17 portroe10


    Thanks KathrynH, I am applying for the MiM today and was getting a little nervous reading some of the above posts but you have given me some hope! I am a mature student returning to college and am planning on using the MiM as a stepping stone to another Masters (not sure which one yet). I'm hoping that the MiM is a good choice as a starting place.

    I'd love to hear some more feedback from people who have taken this course!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,871 ✭✭✭budhabob


    portroe10 wrote: »
    Thanks KathrynH, I am applying for the MiM today and was getting a little nervous reading some of the above posts but you have given me some hope! I am a mature student returning to college and am planning on using the MiM as a stepping stone to another Masters (not sure which one yet). I'm hoping that the MiM is a good choice as a starting place.

    I'd love to hear some more feedback from people who have taken this course!

    I have completed year 1 of the part time programme of this masters. It is a challenging course and I have enjoyed the content to date, but balancing work and the assignments/study etc can be tough. I can only speak for the part time syllabus though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12 bultaco


    Dear All,

    I'm just about to sign up to the MSc Managemant (Part Time)

    Has anyone else on this thread also signed up for the course ?

    I'd like to know just how much work is involved since I have a 1 y/o baby at home and a full time Job.


  • Registered Users Posts: 748 ✭✭✭eamondunphy


    I'm also very interested in this, I'm out of college ten years now, I did I.t back then and never went into a I. T job, I'm in logistics... I work shift work but would love to try management course part time... I'm abit intimidated by the fee and the thought of a thesis


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 21,666 Mod ✭✭✭✭helimachoptor


    bultaco wrote: »
    Dear All,

    I'm just about to sign up to the MSc Managemant (Part Time)

    Has anyone else on this thread also signed up for the course ?

    I'd like to know just how much work is involved since I have a 1 y/o baby at home and a full time Job.

    I'm doing a similar one but in DCU, in that time my 1 yer old is nearly 3 and we now have a 14 month old, we renovated a house aswell..

    In my opinion, the work itself is not complicated, there's just a lot of reading if you want to do well. So the last 2 years my wife has take on a huge amount as normally most weekends i go into the office to study one day and then coming up to assignments im generally in for the full weekend. I always get home to put the kids to bed and then do 2 evenings (2-4 hours) a week too.

    finished in July.. i cant wait but imo its been worth it


  • Registered Users Posts: 748 ✭✭✭eamondunphy


    Hi All

    Has anyone any updates to how they got on in this course?

    I've been offered a place for the part time course in September and am 90% sure i'm going to do it, i'm just wondering of what peoples thoughts are on it and if they recommend it and think it's worthwhile for their career prospects?

    Have no kids but am still worried about the workload and the thesis/dissertation


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