# MBA in Dubai or Abu Dhabi



## Hockeychick18 (Apr 9, 2014)

Hello, 

I was just wondering I am currently a Junior in a top university within the NE of the U.S. I am a Business Management Major with an International concentration. I have been thinking about getting my MBA abroad. Since I am international concentration my adviser and dean say I really need to get abroad and study, but I don't really have time right now to do it before I graduate with my 4 year. The school I currently go to has a great MBA program, so I really would only like to go if I'm going to be getting a good program. So my questions to start are, How are the schools in these locations? Are they good for U.S students? Would this help set me apart from all those I shall be competing with for jobs? Would I even be able to get a job in one of these cities after I graduate? Would you suggest this option? would it be a good choice or would another country be better, or would nothing compare to the education I'll get if I just stay in the U.S?


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## INFAMOUS (Apr 19, 2011)

I would stay in the USA. But you could look at HULT as they have a few options that you study your MBA between 3 of their campuses (globally) I think this option may give you a great foreign/diverse experience... Just do your research on accreditation in the USA to ensure that when you get the piece of paper that the US will recognize it. I know that Hult has campuses in both Boston and San Fran.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

You know what they say about MBAs...

Master's of B******t Administration.

What is this so-called _top_ university? If it's one of the Ivy League schools the dean/advisor should be saying you need a few years of proper work experience before even tackling an MBA. And the best MBA courses won't take you unless you've done a few years work post-graduation. 

If you're just looking for a study abroad option with a business focus, that's a completely different thing from the traditional two year MBA course. 

There's no point coming to the UAE to enter a third rate MBA course that no one respects and certainly wouldn't help you back in the United States. The people who enter a MBA course here are people working on the degree part time while working, or are local Arabs who don't have the means or resources to go to the West for a proper MBA course. 



Hockeychick18 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I was just wondering I am currently a Junior in a top university within the NE of the U.S. I am a Business Management Major with an International concentration. I have been thinking about getting my MBA abroad. Since I am international concentration my adviser and dean say I really need to get abroad and study, but I don't really have time right now to do it before I graduate with my 4 year. The school I currently go to has a great MBA program, so I really would only like to go if I'm going to be getting a good program. So my questions to start are, How are the schools in these locations? Are they good for U.S students? Would this help set me apart from all those I shall be competing with for jobs? Would I even be able to get a job in one of these cities after I graduate? Would you suggest this option? would it be a good choice or would another country be better, or would nothing compare to the education I'll get if I just stay in the U.S?


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## roosterbooster20132013 (May 13, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> You know what they say about MBAs...
> 
> Master's of B******t Administration.
> 
> ...


Love Tallyho.
Nailed it!
Surely 3rd rate programs here or rather extension of good programs delivered here to make money nothing else.
i see people saying i have an australian degree.
duh!:hippie::hippie::hippie::hippie:

I am also suspicious abt the salary one can get here post MBA ..lets say in the US a 3-4 yr exp + mba will get 90K USD. whta about here? 60K USD?


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## JBY (May 17, 2011)

My advice is to avoid doing an MBA in the UAE at all costs. All universities here are poor versions of good universities in the states, Australia and the UK. And they'll charge you pretty much the same fees you'll pay if you study outside, they are purely commercial with no real interest in research or internship training.

Also employers here don't respect UAE based graduates, even if its a branch of a reputable uni (e.g Wollongong). They're looked down upon.

Lot of ego filled AUD graduates (no offense)  soon find out that their degrees arent worth much. Even there is no overseas recognition 

The only reason you'd do it here is if you really had no choice but even then I'd think multiple times. A lot of US uni for example now offer distance education, much cheaper too.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> You know what they say about MBAs...
> 
> Master's of B******t Administration..


Or as they are known in an earlier company I worked for 'Means B*gger All' 

They wouldn't sponsor you unless you had at least 10 years of work experience before doing an MBA.

You had a better chance of getting a job if you didn't have one and were 'just an engineer'.


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## rahzaa (May 2, 2012)

What an absolute rubbish piece of advice from the posters above. It all depends on your post-graduation goals!!! Do you want to stay in Middle East or go to USA? What industry do you want to work for? Why are you looking to get an MBA? and many more questions. 

I did my engineering from a top 10 engineering university from USA and now I'm doing my MBA from a local business school in Dubai . I also worked for a Fortune 500 company in USA. I could have gotten my MBA from any business school in USA but I chose UAE because:

- I am not interested in Investment Banking or Big4 Management Consulting. The 2 main reasons students are willing to spend $150,000 USD to get an interview with these companies. If you are looking to get into such companies, you would be better of getting into a top business school in USA or UK. McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Bain etc etc
- I got scholarship and I'm spending 1/6th of what I would have in USA. No debt MBA, compared to the statistics of $86,000 USD average student debt of MBA students in USA.
- I get time during my MBA to network locally as I want to stay here in UAE. Networking is the key to Jobs in UAE rather than just "applying online"
- Of course, then there are personal reasons as well. Where is your family located? What time of cities you like? Where do you want to work post graduation etc etc?

In conclusion, it all depends on your goals, preferences and priorities. I hope this was helpful. PM me if you need more info.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

So...

Why are you doing an MBA?

You already have an engineering diploma, no? And work experience, no?

"I could have gotten my MBA from any business school in USA." 

Oh. Even Harvard or Stanford or Wharton? My, my, my. I'm impressed. 

"Networking is the key to Jobs in UAE rather than just "applying online"

And once again, why the MBA? Can't you network based on your current work experience and connections?

MBA is a vanity degree more than anything else. It *can* help as a foot in the door but *only* if you already have demonstrated proper work experience.

Someone with just a BA and a MBA with no work experience isn't going to be hired over someone with a BA + a couple years relevant work experience. This lovely girl in the original post implied she's going straight from a BA to a MBA, which in my view is pointless and a waste of money. If she's American and wants to work in America, there's no value in doing an MBA in the UAE. 



rahzaa said:


> What an absolute rubbish piece of advice from the posters above. It all depends on your post-graduation goals!!! Do you want to stay in Middle East or go to USA? What industry do you want to work for? Why are you looking to get an MBA? and many more questions.
> 
> I did my engineering from a top 10 engineering university from USA and now I'm doing my MBA from a local business school in Dubai . I also worked for a Fortune 500 company in USA. I could have gotten my MBA from any business school in USA but I chose UAE because:
> 
> ...


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## rahzaa (May 2, 2012)

TallyHo said:


> So...
> 
> Why are you doing an MBA?
> 
> ...


My dear friend,

An engineer does not NEED an MBA....but if you get one, its easier to move into business functions of a company. I am sure you are not an engineer, or else this would have been already understood by you. 

Business functions such as business development, marketing, sales, procurement, project management etc etc appreciate engineer with MBAs. 

I agree, no point doing MBA without work experience. Everything else depends on your goals. 

Regards.


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

TallyHo said:


> And once again, why the MBA? Can't you network based on your current work experience and connections?
> 
> MBA is a vanity degree more than anything else. It *can* help as a foot in the door but *only* if you already have demonstrated proper work experience.


For a job in investment banking and consulting there is probably a 8:2 kind of ratio for MBAs versus non MBAs for non entry level jobs. Amongst non MBAs you would find a number of people with graduate (esp. law) degrees.
For other jobs, MBAs is probably a good to have but it does get you a headstart. MBAs without relevant work experience do get into consulting and inv. banking.

Anyways, this is not a discussion about the merits or demerits of an MBA. IMHO the OP should be doing an MBA here only if they really want to work in the Middle East and can't think of any other way to get here.Its an expensive way to get an unsure foot into the door.

PS: MBB (McK, BCG, Bain) is the consulting gold standard - not the big 4


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I'm well aware of the MBA world and the recruitment process in investment banking and consulting.

The recruits are generally straight out of undergraduate (sometimes certain master's programmes too, and even JDs) and work for a few years before getting an MBA, which is a fairly standard path to leveraging up to the next level in the hierarchy. But in this world having just a BA+MBA with no other background experience, and especially from lesser schools, doesn't help you over someone who already has the few years' requisite experience. And depending on the firm or company, having an MBA for an entry level role is frowned upon and can hurt you. 

Anyway, my particular issue with the original poster is that she gave no real indication of why she wanted to do the MBA (or go straight into an MBA from undergraduate). Or what she wanted to do with the MBA. She talked about coming to the UAE to satisfy her international requirements, which normally means a bunch of bullish*t. There's too many people pursing marginal MBA courses because it's a buzzword and they don't know what else to do. They could easily save the money and just face the cold, hard reality of the corporate world for a few years before taking a two year holiday. At least the actual work experience can help them decide on a certain career track or focus. 

MBAs can be helpful and useful if you know exactly what you want out of the degree and how you intend to use it. So far, there's nothing from the OP that indicates she falls into this camp and for someone in her position the MBA may very well turn out to be a complete waste of money. 




rsinner said:


> For a job in investment banking and consulting there is probably a 8:2 kind of ratio for MBAs versus non MBAs for non entry level jobs. Amongst non MBAs you would find a number of people with graduate (esp. law) degrees.
> For other jobs, MBAs is probably a good to have but it does get you a headstart. MBAs without relevant work experience do get into consulting and inv. banking.
> 
> Anyways, this is not a discussion about the merits or demerits of an MBA. IMHO the OP should be doing an MBA here only if they really want to work in the Middle East and can't think of any other way to get here.Its an expensive way to get an unsure foot into the door.
> ...


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Hello Hockeychick18,

Interesting post of yours, but you should really think about what you want to extract from an MBA program and not only rely on what your advisor recommends you. what is that you want ? gotta need to figure that out for your next move.

Please ignore posters that are here to put you down. Doing an MBA is a great thing! Do it! You meet great folks, talk and learn about businesses and you will find yourself later on being very business driven. People have different reasons to attend an MBA, tell you what; you may go for a reason but trust me as your knowledge and use of cases progresses you will have a different mindset; that is; you probably will end up doing something different.

the Harvard method for doing cases is simply fantastic and having folks from different backgrounds just adds to the discussion.

Let's go to the facts:

1) I understand you are finishing your studies, but do remember that you can gain more out of the program if you have some years of work experience under your belt. I would recommend spending 1/2 years in the US and try your luck overseas and only then target an MBA.

2) An international interest demands knowledge of foreign languages. Got any ? nope? Gotta work on that.

2) Given your interest in international business I can see why your advisor recommended attending an MBA overseas. Makes sense. An international MBA setting can garner students from different parts of the globe and that will reveal you how certain folks conduct businesses in different cultural context and/or how engage to business. It will also reveal different ways of executing the harvard method 

3) If you are ready to go for an MBA overseas, you are looking for quality. Learn more about the accreditation for MBA programs (see MBA.com)

4) If you pursue in the US, you could check on MBA programs that have arrangements with other global MBAs. For example, certain US MBA schools allow students to attend classes in a different MBA school overseas to build up this "internationalization"

Good luck.


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## earthworm88 (Jun 14, 2013)

Hockeychick18 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I was just wondering I am currently a Junior in a top university within the NE of the U.S. I am a Business Management Major with an International concentration. I have been thinking about getting my MBA abroad. Since I am international concentration my adviser and dean say I really need to get abroad and study, but I don't really have time right now to do it before I graduate with my 4 year. The school I currently go to has a great MBA program, so I really would only like to go if I'm going to be getting a good program. So my questions to start are, How are the schools in these locations? Are they good for U.S students? Would this help set me apart from all those I shall be competing with for jobs? Would I even be able to get a job in one of these cities after I graduate? Would you suggest this option? would it be a good choice or would another country be better, or would nothing compare to the education I'll get if I just stay in the U.S?


Speaking from our own experience and what we know about the world of the MBAs, I am sorry to say that your advisor and dean had not given you sound advise in your case. From your post, I presumed you are an American with your choice of MBA grad schools to choose from in the entire country (perhaps getting into the top 3 is a different topic). Just because you have an international concentration in your undergrad, it doesn't mean you have to be in a foreign land to read the same MBA text books (which I doubt too) will make you stand out. If you have the brain and drive for it, I think you would be better off staying in the States to get your MBA degree. However, I would strongly suggest that you study abroad next year in your senior year to start your "international experience". One poster did raise some valid points about your goals and priorities. But hey, most of us probably only had a vague idea of our goals when we were young, and definitely nothing specific until we have more time to explore and experience. For now, it's fair to sum up your question into a sentence: "Should I get my MBA degree from the UAE because I have a BA/BS in BA with international concentration?" And my simple answer to that is "No." 

In case you are not aware, the top 3 MBA schools in the States will not accept any applicants with no work experience as a general rule, unless the person has wasta and/or a complete genius. Hence, most MBA grads you meet (I am talking top schools, not community schools) are generally older with a few years of work experience under their belt. Also, because of the few years of work prior to grad school, they usually have saved enough for the MBA programs (the sensible long sighted ones that is) and so debt is generally not an issue. Furthermore, during your program, not only do you network with your peers and professors, you will also be vying for a summer internship at a company you want. This is where you get to network, learn, experience and sell your talent to your potential employer. Frankly, you won't have that upper hand if you are studying in the UAE. The Who is Who of the UAE send all their sons and daughters to UK/US to study, so not sure why you want to come this way when you have perfectly good opportunities there. 

To give you an example, someone I know dearly graduated with double majors from one of the top 3 Ivy leagues, got perfect GMAT score, and still was rejected by the top 3 MBA schools. Reason: no/not enough work experience. Only after 4 years, he was accepted to the #1 MBA school in the country (haha..I guess this would depend on whom you speak to). To date, he is still part of the admission board panel to help with recruitment etc., the acceptance criteria remain pretty much the same, they are looking for well rounded interesting individuals from top undergrads (international schools, not just US) with work experience, of course there are always exceptions but extremely rare. JM2C 

So good luck with your undergrad and enjoy! 

Cheers!


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

yeah - 3 fake IDs to discuss a college.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

rsinner said:


> yeah - 3 fake IDs to discuss a college.


4 actually - all now banned!
Well spotted!


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## Navaron (Oct 13, 2014)

it has become evidently clear to me that Dubai is magnet for people from all countries. I was recruiting for three software developers last year and it took me over 150 CVs to wade out the poor, and just plain deceitful candidates, 83 telephone interviews to get the good candidates is ridiculous. There is a culture to LIE on your CV to try and get jobs here... not everyone I must admit but from what i have seen and experienced the general quality of candidate is poor/low..... sad but true


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