Besides just looking at an MBA which is specializing in certain area or a general MBA, I have come to find that doing it at the right school is the more critical aspect to think about. This is feedback that I have gathered from both employees and employers alike.

Choosing a General MBA from a good school essentially prepares you for everything else regardless of whether you are thinking of specialization or general business administration.

Also usually good programs allow you to choose specific electives towards the end of your studies.
That is a better alternative, as once you have touched the basic stuff during your early and mid part of your studies, you usually would have a better idea on what you want to focus on versus from the start of the program itself.

I have come across many students who regretted specializing from the start as they did not have a good feel of what they were getting themselves into until only midway through the course.

So my opinion would be, to join a General MBA program, but please do ensure you chose the right program/school.

Also when choosing a program, don't just look at the quality of the course alone.
The 'make up' of the students is also essential, as a good MBA program is not just about learning from the tutors, lecturers, theory and books, but more importantly from the wealth of experience and know how of the students of the programs.

Why don't you check out the Strathclyde MBA

These are the official websites of the business school
http://www.strath.ac.uk/business/
http://www.strath.ac.uk/business/internati...s/malaysia/mba/

And this is the site of the Centre carrying out the program here in Malaysia
http://cdc.edu.my/


I have checked out many programs here in Malaysia, and while every program is unique in its own way, I can confidently say nothing can compare to the complete experience of learning the Strathclyde way. Great lecturers from Strathclyde itself, equally talented Local Tutors and well rounded group of participants of the program which provide you a rich learning experience.

Yes I did take the program from CDC, as a working adult, about 4 years ago.
You can't take the program right off from finishing your studies, as they have strict requirements.
You need to be a recognized Degree holder with minimum of 3 years working experience and there is an interview process to determine whether you are eligible to enter for the program.

This is a critical aspect of the program as the school ensures the quality of students joining the program have met the requirements.

If you are interested, I will get the contact person to get in touch with you to share more details.

The Strathclyde MBA is one of the best MBAs being offered right now in Malaysia.

The core subject matter for each module is thought by Lecturers who are flown in from the UK, ie the same guys who are teaching the program over there at the University will be the same ones teaching you here in Malaysia.
The Local Tutors are only there to support you in managing your assignments and additional support on understanding the subject matter.
There is a close tie up between the UK Lecturers and Local Tutors to ensure the consistency of what is being thought and assisted by the respective Lecturers/Tutors.

Another plus point of the program is that they have entree requirements for students to join program, ie students needs to have a recognized Degree and minimum 3 years of working experience. In fact they have an interview process to gauge whether the prospective student is indeed ready to come on board for the program.
This is a critical part of the MBA program, as the learning process is not only from the lecturers and books, but also the rich experience and knowledge of the participants.
Hence having the right set of participants for the program is crucial.

If I am not mistaken they have an open day coming up on the 22nd and 24th of May.
You should drop by, have a look at the facilities and have a first hand discussion with the relevant people on the program. Check out the details at
http://cdc.edu.my/

Obtaining MQA recognition only ensures that certain protocols are met according to the local qualification standards.
It in no way reflects the quality of the program.
There are many programs here in Malaysia which are MQA certified but sadly are poor in the quality of the program offered.

For instance:
- The entry requirements for students into the programs are relaxed.
- Facilities offered are poor and not conducive for lectures.
- Relevance of subject matter versus actual practical applications are non existent.
- Most importantly the quality of lecturers and students (which is the most critical element of the MBA program), is below average.

Compare this with established programs such as Strathclyde and some of these MQA certified programs are far from
the benchmark.

I am not saying that all MQA programs are poor, just that it is pointless to have an MQA certification if they allow sub par programs to be operating here in Malaysia and it is also not a benchmark to reflect of the quality of the program being offered.

Hi I completed the Strathclyde MBA program in 2010 and have been active in the Alumni too.
What would you like to know about the program?

University of Malaya is a well respected local University (one that I personally graduated from).
But being the premier local University does not mean they are good in all programs.
I am not saying that the MBA being offered there is of a poor standard.
But confidently saying that is it better ranked compared to the other Universities that you have mentioned is not true.

The private colleges offering MBA programs in collaboration with partner universities do offer very comprehensive and structured MBA programs.

Again here I not saying they are all good, but the best way of finding this out is by
- Checking 'actual' international rankings on the subject matter which is being referred to.
- Attending the preview of the program and finding out first hand the details of the program.
- Requesting to sit in a preview class so that you have an actual feel of the program.
- Speaking to the current students and alumni on their thoughts about the program.

With that you will be able to assess with certainty which is the better program.

Well honestly that depends on the employer.
Well established ones will pay special importance to where you graduated from.
Whereas some would just be happy that you have an MBA.

Rather than thinking about the employee, I would say, you; the person taking the MBA should be asking yourself for all the time, effort and investment spent, wouldn't you want to get it from a reputable University.

Hi,

I believe you would have read the previous posts in this thread.
My personal opinion is that Strathclyde is the best part time MBA Program;
- triple accreditation
- an established program, running here in Malaysia approx 15 to 20 years already
- good quality students due to the screening process involved
- excellent subject matter coverage, with special focus on strategy
- various real work exposure elements incorporated into the program
- great spread of lecturers flown in from Glasgow and equally experienced and knowledgeable local tutors

Anyway rather than just hearing it from me, someone who has completed the program, I suggest you attend their preview.
That is the best avenue for you to obtain first hand information and you can use the opportunity to check out their facilities.
To be convinced further, request for a class preview.

Please also feel free to message me if you have further questions.

Wow I was away from this thread for a while and am just amazed to find such a debate going on the various programs available now, mainly Strathclyde, Lancaster, INSEAD and few others that have been mentioned.

Many points and information has been thrown around and I am not here to contest any of them. I just feel that in order to make an informed decision, it is always best to attend the preview of the program, where you can have a proper feel of what is being thought, get firsthand feedback on the teaching staff and facilities; and more importantly, where applicable, attend a class as part of the preview.

Also one must remember many MBA programs, some of them being from the Ivy League, have come and gone here in Malaysia. As for the newer programs, they still have a long way to go to establish themselves, both from the perspective of quality of the program and network of students and alumni. Many prospective students gauge on how the parent University is performing in the home country, but they fail to realise the performance of the program here in Malaysia itself is critical to ensure the student obtains a holistic education of the Masters’ program.

This is where I honestly feel Strathclyde stands out compared to the rest, where their presence here in Malaysia stretches to 25 years, with classes in every semester being full. They must be doing something right; otherwise I don’t see why students will still be going to them year in and year out. Also they have an extensive Alumni network, which is actually active. For example just last week there was a dinner at Sime Darby Convention Centre organised by the Malaysian Alumni in collaboration with University of Strathclyde. A lot of Universities here claim to have extensive networks, but honestly you don’t see much growth and development from the Alumni perspective.

Hi I read with interest your reply and was wondering how is Lancester University, Malaysia's Leading MBA?
Also I would like to clarify what are the selection criteria for your students; minimum experience required, educational level requirements and are there any interviews carried out for candidates, etc

Thank you.

Hi Prof Brian,

Thank you for your reply, I still don't see how Lancaster is Malaysia's Leading MBA, unless there is some award or proclamation carried out here in Malaysia itself. By making inference to credentials and accolades attained back at the home country or global rankings is not justified to claim it as Malaysia’s Leading MBA. Please don’t misunderstand me, I just wanted some clarification on this claim.

Second more pertinent question which I had asked on earlier was, how does a student get himself enrolled in the Lancaster program. Do they just write in for application and they are readily accepted OR is there some formal process which involves some screening, i.e. minimum experience requirement or academic background; and do they have to go through an interview; or are there any specific exams they must have sat for before joining the program.

Thank you.

Thank you Prof Brian, it is clear now that indeed just an inference was made based on its Financial Times ranking for 2015 and its perceived value of the elements of the program.
Also thank you for clarifying on the entry requirements.

Can I know how long has this program been run here in Malaysia?