MIM-Smurfit of DCU

Omega28

Bit of a dilemma on my hands, hoping you guys may be able to help me.

I got offers from DCU and UCD Smurfit for their Masters in Management programmes, and I am struggling to pick between them.

Some pros to DCU:

It's very close to me (10 mins by bike)
considerably cheaper (4k)
Appears to be a more practical, hands on programme
I did my undergrad there, so I am familiar with the campus and setup
I would know a lot of people there

Cons of DCU:

Would like a new college experience
Ranking of DCU not as high as Smurfit

Some pros to Smurfit:

Triple crown of Accreditation
The Smurfit brand on the CV
New college experience
Chance to meet new people/friends
Change of scenery
Worldwide recognized (planning on going to the US after this, so that could be a huge factor)

Cons:

Commuting, I live in Beaumont, would take approx. 45 mins by bicycle
Cost, 4k more expensive
Seems like an isolated campus

I have visited both campus's and spoke to students/lecturer's from both, still can't decide

I need to make a decision next week on which one to pick, any advice/help would be appreciated.

Sugar Free

Honestly, the Smurfit name in my experience is barely recognised outside of Ireland, maybe a bit in the UK.
I don't see it being of significant benefit to you for the US as:

1) There are tonnes of top class schools there (even well outside of the 'M7') which will have way more recognition than Smurfit.

2) The course in question is not even an MBA.

So I wouldn't consider the reputation as a factor if your plans are definitely US based. Do you have a clear plan for how you will legally live and work there?

If your plans may involve staying in Ireland for a while then the reputation aspect will help depending on your industry/role/experience etc.
The above may only muddy your decision making process further but I thought I would add my piece!

('Source' - myself, as a recent Smurfit graduate).

Omega28

Sugar Free wrote: »

Honestly, the Smurfit name in my experience is barely recognised outside of Ireland, maybe a bit in the UK.
I don't see it being of significant benefit to you for the US as:

1) There are tonnes of top class schools there (even well outside of the 'M7') which will have way more recognition than Smurfit.

2) The course in question is not even an MBA.

So I wouldn't consider the reputation as a factor if your plans are definitely US based. Do you have a clear plan for how you will legally live and work there?

If your plans may involve staying in Ireland for a while then the reputation aspect will help depending on your industry/role/experience etc.
The above may only muddy your decision making process further but I thought I would add my piece!

('Source' - myself, as a recent Smurfit graduate).

Thanks for your input, it actually did help.

What did you do study in Smurfit? How did you find it?

I have no immediate plans to visit the US, I may, or may not go after my masters

Sugar Free

Dylanmc111 wrote: »

Thanks for your input, it actually did help.

What did you do study in Smurfit? How did you find it?

I have no immediate plans to visit the US, I may, or may not go after my masters

I'd prefer not to say exactly but not the MiM.
I studied part-time in the evening so my experience is likely completely different to what yours will be like should you choose Smurfit.

I missed any speakers or workshops that were held as they were generally on in the morning or early afternoon when I was in work. That said, a lot of those talks were from companies looking to recruit graduates so they weren't all that applicable to me anyway.

Essentially, I was just there to go to the lectures, meet with my assigned group and network within my course. There was no immersion in the student life at all due to the nature of evening courses.

From the small amount of student life I was able to observe while I was there, it seems there are a lot of non-EU students which means you potentially get to make some wide ranging and diverse contacts in your time there. The main 'rec' room was always a hive of activity, even into the evening, as was the restaurant.

On the down side, I found at times that the level of written English for students who did not speak it as a first language was not quite high enough, in my opinion, for the demands of the course. I'm basing this off my experience of group work and presentations with a few. Of course this is not necessarily indicative of all non-EU students.

Lecturers were good. Personally the two best ones I had were non-faculty.
The group work can be a pain if you've got some deadwood but your presentation skills, public speaking and general approach to communication with others should improve significantly as a result of it.

The campus itself is very easy to get around and I personally really liked the old style buildings, particularly the old church that was converted into the library (it gets cold though). Plenty of free parking in the evening if you drive but probably not as plentiful if you're arriving in the morning.

In terms of how much the course helped from a professional standpoint; I guess it's very dependent on the person. I moved company in the middle and my new employer mentioned that the course was a deciding factor in me getting the role. I'm now about to move company again and I believe that my masters played a part in obtaining the role (beyond just getting to the first interview). Overall that translates to an 85-90% jump in total compensation between pre and post masters roles.

Also studied in Smurfit, outside of the reputational stuff (I don't know how well it's regarded outside Ireland tbh) I enjoyed my course, I learned a huge amount, and I secured a job in Dublin immediately afterwards. I had a very positive experience overall. I didn't do the MiM though either.

Omega28

Thanks for the input.

I am now leaning more towards DCU. If it was the MBA, I would go with Smurfit, 100%, but considering it's MiM, I think DCUs programme is perfectly fine. For me, I think the pros outweigh the cons

I just hope I can secure a job out of it now!