Sophie Carey
Senior Manager, MBA Programmes
WHY DO AN MBA People tend to do an MBA for one of two reasons: to change career or accelerate their career within their current organisation, and we know that an MBA will allow you to do this. An MBA provides you with a toolkit for management and maximises your potential as a leader so that you have the confidence and skills to make the changes in your career direction that you aspire to. The curriculum covers core subjects such as Strategy, Finance, HR and Marketing, along with a wide range of option modules, while simultaneously our Leadership Development Programme is integrated throughout the MBA to develop the skills required for effective leadership in three key areas: self, team and organisation.
So, if you are an expert in one field (we have engineers, doctors, entrepreneurs and many other professionals on our MBA programmes) but wish to develop a broader range of management skills, or perhaps you wish to consolidate your knowledge, the MBA may be for you. The MBA has three modes of delivery: a full-time one-year programme and two part-time options – the midweek Executive MBA consisting of two evenings per week, and the weekend Executive MBA, consisting of a half-day Friday and Saturday.
WHY THE UCD MICHAEL SMURFIT GRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL Smurfit was one of the first business schools in Europe to offer an MBA qualification, and we have more than 50 years’ experience doing just that. We also hold the coveted triple crown of accreditation from AACSB (US), EQUIS (Europe) and AMBA (UK) and we are the only MBA in Ireland consistently ranked in the global top 100 by the prestigious Financial Times. However, for me, what really makes our MBA special is our wide alumni network (more than 4,000 MBA alumni and over 80,000 business school alumni) – it’s phenomenal. We have alumni all over the world and as an MBA student, you can reach out to any of our MBA graduates and share a special connection and free advice from likeminded people who want to see you succeed in your career. The power of this network can’t be underestimated.
KEY FEATURES OF THE SMURFIT MBA
One important feature is the make-up of our classes. We have very strict admissions procedures to ensure we maximise the quality and diversity (in terms of gender, nationality and work experience) of the classroom. This ensures that our students get the best experience working with people from many different countries and life/work experiences. And it means team projects are challenging for many reasons, but especially due to the diverse nature of the groups you’ll be working in – and this is what we want to achieve!
Another important feature is our global focus. Smurfit is the only Irish member of the prestigious GNAM (Global Network for Advanced Management) network of 30 top global business schools, and through this network, our students can participate in “immersion” weeks in any of our network schools, such as Yale, Haas, IE, HEC and Fudan, amongst others. Here, they engage in an intense week of learning with students from across the network. Students also represent us in international case competitions, such as at Yale in the US and Molson in Canada. This year, as part of the module “Doing Business in International Markets”, we have almost 70 students travelling to Chile and Argentina, as well as Vietnam and Singapore, where they will gain first-hand experience of how people lead and manage in different geographies. Later in the year, our students will travel to Lisbon, where they will participate in our International Consulting Project, requiring them to work in teams to solve real-life business problems for real firms. Another key feature is the Smurfit Leadership Development Programme (LDP), designed to develop global leaders, and this is integrated throughout the MBA, complementing the academic curriculum. We have a dedicated LDP manager, who ensures everything runs smoothly. Through a series of self-reflection assignments, interactive workshops, 360-degree peer review and one-to-one executive business coaching, students gain insight into their motivations, behaviour, interaction and communication with others.
“An MBA provides you with a toolkit for management and maximises your potential as a leader so that you have the confidence and skills to change your career.”