MBA @ DCU advice!

000sparks000

Evening all, hope yee can help!

Right here it goes. I have been following a few threads on here now for a while trying to get an idea of opinion etc, to help me choose between an MBA and an MSc!

Here’s the background, age 33, been in the workplace now for 16 years, failed my Leaving (didn’t have the commitment), bummed off to London, ended up working for Ryanair and left there after 5 years, last 2 being at managerial level running their pilot training school (no, I cant fly planes, but put the lads through their paces), came back to Ireland, got a job as an estate agent, left that company after 5 years, last 2 being a branch manager, did a honours degree part-time for 4 years while working as an estate agent and finished that last year, got a 2:1 (had the commitment!!!), now I work for a strategic property/property asset management company for the past 2 years, not at managerial level, but was the right choice to make in a strategic way for my career!

Now, the company I am with support part-time education, so much so, they will pay for me to do an MSc or MBA, but which do I do??

I had a frank talk with the MD here and he feels that I should do a basic business managerial course to get the fundamentals right, but I don’t want to waste time!! My wife thinks I should do an MBA as it is highly recognised! Plus, if I decide to move on, I can do so sooner!

I am looking for something broad, as I may move away from property - what are my options here?

I had good exposure to piers over the past 2 years and I hear them say that they became CEO of this company, CEO of that company, moved here, moved there……… but if you hear the company names (what their core business is), you realise that they are in completely different fields of work!! I have been told that the managers/MD’s/CEO’s of the future are generalists, big problem solvers who can put their hand to anything. I have a varied background and I want to capitalise on that! But to be honest my business mind has only started to develop since I joined here (current job), as my two jobs previous to that (mentioned above) were very repetitious. My role now is at a consultancy level, but property is not floating my boat any more, I need a different playing field, but not to start at the bottom again, I shouldn’t have to!

So, do I do the MBA in DCU ? Do I do an MSc in Management, Strategic Management & Planning, Management Consultancy – UCD or MSc in Strategic Management in Angier DIT??

Any advice, help would be appreciated.

I find it very, very hard to see where I fit in job opportunities or where I want to be!!

Sorry if I have ranted, screaming baby in the background!!

Have a good weekend!

douglashyde

POST EDIT:

My orginal post was completly wrong.

As pointed out below, DCU is listed as offering MBA's, a completely new fact to me.

It would seem to me that a masters is the way forward; MBA's are quite expensive and you normally need a large amount of experience to get into them.

snowcrazie

@douglashyde
Are you sure DCU don't have an MBA program?

http://www.mbaassociation.ie/pages/viewsection.asp?idSection=20

http://www.dcu.ie/prospective/deginfo.php?classname=MBAC&originating_school=

http://www.find-mba.com/university/1378/dublin-city-university-business-school#part-time

Also he's already done an undergrad degree, and graduated with a 2.1 so thats the entry req to most masters courses.

Of course you have a valid point that you need a lot of experience in the work place before you apply for an MBA program. You also need to have the backing of your employer and be extremely focused on where you want to go. To know exactly why you are doing an MBA and where you want it to take you.

An MBA course is a huge committment, it's not like a regular masters program at all.

000sparks000

douglashyde wrote: »

POST EDIT:

My orginal post was completly wrong.

As pointed out below, DCU is listed as offering MBA's, a completely new fact to me.

It would seem to me that a masters is the way forward; MBA's are quite expensive and you normally need a large amount of experience to get into them.

I was wondering!!:) I read your post on my blackberry this morning and I was like "am I not an undergraduate"!

Yeah, I am leaning towards the Masters in Management (UCD), they are having an opening evening tonight in the city centre ..... or ...... a Higher Diploma in Business/International Business from the Communications Management Institute!

maltaguy

Hi,

The best course of action would be to contact the Centre for Executive Programmes at DCU (cep@dcu.ie or tel: (01) 7008915) directly since they run the MBA programmes. They will talk you through your options and whether an MBA is the best course of study for you.

theolynn

DCU do indeed offer an MBA but part-time only. The MBS programmes and MSc programmes (in E-commerce and Business Management) offer functionally specific options whereas the MBA is very general. You would probably qualify for either.

notnem

I'm doing the MBA in DCU and would highly recommend it. Send me a PM if you want to ask me more detailed questions.

Obviously the work load is pretty massive, but it is a challenging course and provides you with the fundamentals in 16 subjects. I'd also highly recommend the DCU MBA as it is well managed and run.

gazw

Hi notnem,
Am seriously considering doing the DCU MBA starting in September. Went for an informal visit to the CEP Yesterday and it seems to be well run and pretty informal etc.

You seem to be enjoying it, how massive is the workload! Do they tend to give you a good steer as to what comes up in exams etc.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

notnem

Hey,

The workload towards the end of term and before exams is intense - but to a certain extent I think it depends on how you work. There are people on the class who are able to sit down and bang out a good assignment very quickly, and there are people (like me) who spin my wheels a bit before figuring out what exactly I'm trying to achive and it takes longer. There is nothing like the pressure of a deadline to focus the mind.

On the other hand it is an MBA, and it if was easy everybody would have one, but it is very doable.

As regards exams - they do give you a good steer in almost all cases, and the exams are fair. Obviously it is an MBA so don't be expecting easy exams, but if you have covered the material and put in the work you shouldn't fail.

If you do deside to do it - let me know and I'll send you on a link of a couple of books I found helpful before / during the course. I hadn't studied in 9 years, so it take a bit of time to get back into it.

Also - I am really enjoying it. It is very challenging and it really changes the way you think and work - but everybody enjoys it.

Ronan