Work experience gives real-life edge to course
MOST MBA COURSES set a minimum entry requirement for work experience - normally of three to five years.
But as the MBA becomes increasingly seen as a standard qualification to get ahead in business, ambitious university graduates are keen to get theirs as soon as possible - and three years seems a long time to wait.
So, what is the value in accruing a few years' experience before doing an MBA?
Most MBA experts say a practical understanding of real-life business situations enables students to relate more effectively to the course material.
Macquarie Graduate School of Management professor of management Peter Steane said: 'Work experience is important for MBA students because [our] classes are highly interactive. Without the required work experience, students would not be able to participate in discussion at a sufficiently important level.'
world.com): 'To obtain the most from an MBA, we believe some work experience is required. Accredited programmes demand a minimum of three years' work experience.'
The association suggested an MBA could even be a hindrance for inexperienced graduates.
'In a worst-case scenario employers might consider a 22-year-old MBA overqualified for the graduate trainee scheme, yet underqualified for the senior positions earmarked for MBA recruits,' the website warned.
But some business schools are developing special courses to meet growing demand for MBAs - or the equivalent - among professionals still early in their careers. 'Business schools have developed useful alternative master's programmes for those without previous work experience.
'A more practical option for young graduates would be a generalist master's degree in business and management,' the website said.
It said some of these courses followed a curriculum that was almost the same as an MBA.
'They differ in that they do not require expert input from a well-qualified and experienced student body. This may be called a Young Manager's Programme, Master in Business & Management or Master in Business Science, depending on where you study,' the website said.
The Graduate School of Business at the University of Technology Sydney offers a special MBA course aimed at students with limited professional experience.
Designed to give students a head start in their career, the programme includes modules designed to make up for their lack of on-the-job know-how. At the end of the course, which can be taken either full time or part time, students receive the same certificate as those who did the school's standard MBA.
Too much experience can bring a complication of a different kind. Professionals returning to the classroom for the first time in more than 10 years can have difficulty adapting to the academic environment. They can often get frustrated if the course is not being taught in a practical manner.
To accommodate these students, business schools have developed the executive MBA. Requiring a minimum of seven years' experience, these are aimed at upper-level professionals and virtually dispense with the theoretical element of the course in favour of a practical approach.
