The benefits of hiring individuals with management qualifications are much more widely recognized and appreciated by employers than ever before. Needless to say, the options available to you when choosing an EMBA vary in philosophy, objectives, styles, curricula, and ultimately quality.
The AUS EMBA is only real American MBA in the UAE!
Here are some questions to ask when you are comparing our program to others in the Gulf. If you meet the requirements for entry into our EMBA, we believe in every category, AUS will stand out as being the best value. There is no other option.
Why is that important to you?
A quality, American style MBA is recognized world wide as the benchmark for measurement of MBA’s from other countries. For example, British MBA’s generally take one year of full-time study while an American one can take up to two years. As a student, you may prefer the shorter format but an employer looking for a quality degree will consider the American graduate first.
We have managed to offer you the best of both in our Executive MBA. The compressed format and cohort approach allows you to complete in as little as 11 months and a maximum of 18 months. The schedule is designed to allow you to accomplish this while maintaining your position at work and leaves time for your personal life.
How do you choose the MBA or EMBA that is right for you?
There are many things to consider but ultimately, they all relate to your personal circumstances.
1. Why do you want an MBA? Career advancement, personal growth, work in other countries etc.
2. What can you afford? The cost of MBA’s vary. Unfortunately, the higher cost is usually related to better faculty, facilities, resources and curriculum.
3. Your management experience? Most quality programs require at least two years of management experience; our EMBA requires eight years of experience with at least 3 years in a mid to upper management position..
The Program
What are the entrance criteria?
So much of what makes an MBA qualification valuable is the interaction between participants. Clearly, if basic business skills and qualifications are absent in some or all of the participants, then the quality of the program will suffer. Generally, the more restrictive the experience criteria, the higher the quality of graduate.
The quality of applicants also plays an important role in the network you will develop over the cours of the program.
What is the delivery format?
Many courses and even full degree programs can maintain quality in a distance format. This is not the case for an MBA. The need to network, share experiences, improve communication skills, review case studies are all reasons why employers consider a distance MBA less valuable. A quality EMBA should provide you with access to technology and integrate the use technology into the program but should not be dependent on technology as the only vehicle for delivery.
The University
Who is the school affiliated with and how is that affiliated school rated in the US or Europe?
Most schools in the UAE have an affiliation or affiliations with educational institutions in the West. Don’t assume this has any value to you as a graduate of one of their programs. Just as the quality of organizations and accreditation bodies in the Middle East can vary, so do those in other parts of the world. Some accrediting bodies and universities are simply commercial ventures and they will form an affiliation with any organization prepared to pay their fees.
The future reputation of your university can be more important than the present since affiliation and accreditation can be removed at the whim of the accrediting institution. Make sure the university is not just a commercial venture that will close their Gulf location as soon as they stop making money.
The Faculty
How many full time faculty does the university employ in the UAE?
Full time faculty dedicated to educating students are critical to a strong MBA program. Part time faculty, particularly here in the Gulf, have too many other commitments to be effective as professors for an intense MBA program. Faculty flown in from universities in Europe or elsewhere have no understanding of the culture or issues that affect business in the Gulf.
Does the faculty have experience working and consulting for real businesses?
While full time faculty are a must for a quality MBA program, they must also have direct experience outside of the academic setting; preferably including international experience.
What are the credentials of the faculty?
A good portion of an MBA faculty should have PhD’s. Without this level of expertise, it is unlikely the EMBA will meet the accreditation requirements of the more prestigious accrediting bodies.
You should also consider where the individual faculty attained their degrees. Just as various university in the Gulf have different reputations in different majors, so do western Universities.
Get the complete EMBA Application Forms in Adobe PDF format here.
To request admissions or other information, contact:
Continuing Education Center
American University of Sharjah
P.O. Box 26666
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Tel: 00971 (6) 5055023
Fax: 00971 (6) 5055020
E-mail: edu_center@aus.ac.ae
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