Is an international MBA worth it?

As the 2014-2015 international MBA application cycle chugs along, many potential applicants are wondering, “Is a global MBA for me?” Understandably, the significant investment of funds and time required to complete an MBA abroad are reasons enough to consider alternatives. After all, if you can do an MBA in India for a fraction of the cost with nearly the same return on investment, why would you go abroad? Or you may be wondering if the type of role and exposure you will get post-MBA could have been achieved by simply working an extra few of years (while earning all along).

There are many reasons why a global MBA may be worth it but mostly it depends on your goals. If you want to gain international exposure and experience and the biggest, most prestigious players in your industry are headquartered outside India, a global MBA might be the best way to expand your network in order to gain the type of experience you want. For example, if you are an investment banker working for a India-based firm, the best way to break into bulge bracket firms such as Goldman Sachs I am a science graduate with meritorious results in a bachelor in Chemistry. I wish to pursue a master’s degree in chemical sciences from abroad. Also, I want to inform you that I graduated four years ago and thus I suffer an academic gap. Can you please help me with the relevant information on the process of application for abroad courses. Can you also suggest a country?

or Morgan Stanley would be to attend a top business school in the US or Europe and find a job through on-campus recruiting.

Many people who pursue a global MBA are looking for opportunities to immerse themselves in new cultures for both personal and professional reasons. We had a client who was committed to the consumer products industry. After having gained significant exposure in India, he wanted to study and work abroad in order to understand consumer behaviours and business strategies in other types of markets – both developed and developing. If he had remained in India, his career trajectory would have been good in his firm. However, he would have learned little about how consumers think about and use soaps, detergents and diapers in other markets. His exposure to a wide

- Gaurav Nerurkar The academic gap should not be an issue, depending on what you did in that time. It is not necessary that your studies be continuous. People have many personal and professional reasons for making different choices at different points in their lives . Having said that, however you do need a coherent plan moving forward, which you can articulate to the admissions committee

view on the same set of products enabled him to bring new perspectives back to his company upon his return to India a few years after his MBA.

Finally, as the world becomes increasingly interconnected, studying outside of one’s home country provides access to contacts and opportunities everywhere. Even if your family business is a leader in its space in India, it could probably benefit from partnerships with companies abroad. Or, perhaps a new product line could be developed for international markets, thereby allowing the company to diversify and grow. Last year, we worked with someone whose family owned an auto parts manufacturer in western India. By attending business school in the US Midwest, where manufacturing is the major industry, he was planning to establish in your statement of purpose. The country which will best suit you depends on your goals -- do you aspire to work with a particular professor in a lab on a specific research project? If so, you need to locate that faculty member to pursue the opportunity where ever it may be. Or is your goal to get postdegree work experience? Then you should look at immigrant friendly countries like Canada or Australia.

partnerships with suppliers and vendors as well as explore the viability of selling his company’s products to US automakers. By attending an MBA programme with an emphasis on operations and manufacturing and that had faculty and students from around the world, this student is strengthening his understanding of best practices and deepening his industry-specific network, all of which will benefit his family’s company for years to come.

If you are able to look beyond the investment of funds and time, there are plenty of good reasons to study outside India for your MBA.

The author is a study abroad advisor and co-founder of The Red Pen Email your queries to htspecialprojects @hindustantimes.com