Prospects 2008 MBA Guide

MBA DIARY DAVID SPENCE SHARES HIS MBA EXPERIENCE David is studying a full-time MBA at Durham Business School. He takes us through a typical week on the programme. The basic structure at Durham Business School consists of lectures every day. We take five core modules in term one, which are a mix of lectures and group work. These cover finance, economics, statistics, human resources, strategic management and operations management. The aim is to cover the basics of an MBA and to build upon this knowledge in the second term through electives that we choose ourselves. Teaching methods are as varied as the course topics. Sometimes it’s a matter of absorbing as much information as you can from lecture notes. In other instances, learning is based on challenging assumptions and theories. When it comes to people management and strategic issues, where the answers aren’t simply black or white, so much of the learning and development comes from classroom debate. INSIDE TRACK After the morning sessions I usually eat example of this is a lecture we had on Monday morning on managing in a competitive environment. The objective was to help us understand the environmental pressures at work, how organisations can respond to these influences and the management issues that are involved. A key reason why many of us are taking an MBA is to improve our global understanding and outlook. In Managing in a Global Environment on Tuesday, we looked at the key economic aspects in a global business environment. BUSINESS SPEAK Wednesday afternoon was spent in the on-site café with friends and there’s just enough time to catch up on emails before the afternoon session starts at 2.00pm. Afternoons tend to be a real mix. In CPD or Continuing Personal Development, we are currently covering the softer side of business, which is important in developing leadership skills. This week, the focus was on teambuilding. There is also a very practical component on career development which includes CV writing. Many of the modules give you the inside track into how to succeed in today’s environment. A good 12 PROSPECTS MBA GUIDE improving my language skills. We have to choose a language that is new to us, so I could not take French or German, as I already have a basic understanding. The MBA programme here is incredibly diverse. There are 24 nationalities represented in the cohort which is a great opportunity to understand business and management issues on a global level. I’ve also just applied for a week in China on the international study scheme as part of International Study Week.

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Added Value - The Benefits of an MBA MBA Success at Bath The World MBA Tour The Right Fit - Finding the Best Programme MBA Funding - Money Talks MBA Diary University of Nottingham Business School MBA Brunel Business School MBA University of Leicester School of Management MBA Derbyshire Business School MBA Bournemouth University Business School MBA Loughborough University Business School MBA Search for a MBA to suit you

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