MBA FAQ
Do you have a question about our MBA? Here we answer some frequently asked questions. If your question is still unanswered, please contact the Glasgow MBA team.
Entry requirements
I have 3 years work experience, can I apply for the Glasgow MBA?
Our MBA is AMBA accredited. This means it is an exclusive programme designed for those with work and supervisory experience; it makes assumptions about participants’ background knowledge on the programme.
An MBA programme cannot get accredited with AMBA unless the University only accepts candidates who have the minimum 3 years’ significant work experience (with managerial experience expected).
What type of applicant are you looking for?
We welcome talented and ambitious applicants from all industries and disciplines. This is what makes an MBA unique – you will learn from each other’s experiences and techniques to widen your own knowledge and skillset.
Whether you are an engineer, vet or accountant, artist or nurse, and looking to gain a wider understanding of business and management, we would like to hear from you. Also if you have a business education background it is an opportunity to be enriched by the experience of others.
What is meant by ‘managerial experience’?
We are looking for applicants who have at least 3 years experience of:
- planning the aims, objectives and priorities of your area of work,
- communicating this to your team and colleagues,
- managing people, with at least a team of three people reporting to you.
Application process
Does the application require a personal/motivation statement?
Yes, the application requires you to write a personal/motivation statement. In this you should include why you want to study an MBA and why in Glasgow, and how both your professional and academic experience will assist you on the programme.
What is the interview about?
The interview is an opportunity for us to get to know you, and you to get to know us. We will have a panel of interviewers who will ask you questions about yourself, your experience, your plans and/or may address any issues mentioned in your CV or essay that they would like to clarify.
You will be invited to ask questions that will help you to make a decision about joining the MBA. It is a conversation that lasts between 30 and 40 minutes.
Do I need to do a GMAT?
Although the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is not currently a standard requirement of our admissions process, strong verbal reasoning and numerical abilities are critical for the MBA and we may ask you to undertake such a test.
If the recommendation letter is sent directly from the referrer’s email, does it still need a headed paper?
We can accept a reference by email provided the email is from your referee’s professional email account and contains their full employee name and address.
Glasgow MBA Related
Why should I study the MBA at the Adam Smith Business School?
We have been teaching the MBA for more than 40 years, making the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School an excellent choice for studying the MBA in the UK.
We have decided to keep the MBA class for every year relatively small and very diverse in terms of nationalities to enhance your learning experience.
Our MBA is AMBA accredited and has been for nearly 30 years. AMBA accreditation signifies our degree is taught to the highest standard.
Here are some of the main highlights you can expect from your year of study with us:
- You will enjoy a personal touch from our staff to help you fine-tune your experience and find a professional career path that better suits your interests and goals.
- You will have networking opportunities with students from Edinburgh University and the University of Strathclyde to meet employers and listen to bespoke MBA consultancy talks.
- You will have the opportunity to attend practitioner seminars at the Business School.
- You will take part in a team consultancy project.
- You can take part in the Graduate Award, an initiative which can help you develop employability skills and which formally recognises extracurricular activities. If you are looking to gain more economics/finance skills, you can also receive training on our Bloomberg terminals through this Award.
- At the start of the semester, you will spend time getting to know your classmates. We provide team bonding activities/away days and host a welcome BBQ (whatever the weather). We also have an MBA Christmas lunch and a formal end of year dinner to help make your experience as enjoyable as possible!
- You will get priority access to all Adam Smith Business School postgraduate social events such as balls and ceilidhs.
Tell me more about how the Glasgow MBA is diverse.
For more than 40 years, we have been welcoming MBA students from every continent such as:
- Asia: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand
- Africa: Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt
- North America: Canada, USA
- South America: Colombia, Mexico, Brazil
- Europe: Albania, Cyprus, Spain, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, UK
- Australasia: Australia
We have also welcomed students from a wide range of disciplines and industries such as: Finance, FMCG, engineering, construction, pharmaceutical, hospitality, marketing, medicine, manufacturing, economics, public health and IT.
Can I see the timetable?
We usually make the timetable available late August/beginning of September. It is a 12 month degree programme and classes run Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.
Am I able to work part time?
We do not recommend MBA students work part time as the programme is very demanding and requires your full input.
Is a part time Glasgow MBA available?
At present we do not offer a part time MBA. However, this is something we are considering and we may introduce it at some point in the future.
What’s the difference between an MSc and an MBA?
An MSc is typically aimed at recent graduates who have little or no work experience. They tend to be specific, for example MSc in Management or Quantitative Finance.
An MBA, however, is aimed at professionals (from any background and discipline) who have at least 3 years significant work experience and are looking to change management functions, grow as a leader or change careers. You will learn, in depth, about the core management functions and benefit from your classmates’ experience and professions. For some, the MBA is also the time to put your entrepreneurial ideas in motion or strengthen a family business.
Funding
What is included in my tuition fees?
On top of tuition, fees cover exams, all administrative costs and class trips. We also provide you with all of your core textbooks (which are valued at around £500) and you get £100 towards additional textbooks for your elective courses.
Our MBA students have shared access to their own kitchen so you can make refreshments whenever you please to help with your studies.
The cost of living in Glasgow is relatively low, much lower than places like London.
Are there scholarships available?
The Glasgow MBA scholarship is a new scholarship which aims to attract exceptional candidates with strong qualifications, work experience and/or strong leadership skills, and may also take into consideration applicants on a needs by needs basis. It is awarded as a value of up to £10K and will be used towards tuition fees. It is offered on a competitive basis.
Employability
What can I expect to earn once I graduate from the Glasgow MBA?
Our MBA graduates join the ranks of successful and influential professionals around the world. Our graduates tend to go into very diverse areas, reflecting their pre-MBA backgrounds. Typically this includes, but is not limited to, financial services, consulting and technology. Our most recent graduating cohort had an average salary of around £43,000 (non-adjusted) at 3 months after graduation, which represented an average salary uplift of 19%.
Is there an internship opportunity during summer break?
Our MBA is a 12-month programme which does not have a traditional summer break. The months of June to August are to be used for working on your dissertation.
Will the Adam Smith Business School help me find a job?
Our MBA aims to enhance your professional development and ultimately your employability. Throughout the MBA, you will benefit from the programme’s strong emphasis on real world business issues and sustainable futures.
All of our MBA students take part in a timetabled, high quality professional development and employability (PDE) programme. This is recognised with an Award that appears on your transcript.
We provide dedicated and on-going careers support to our students and alumni. Our MBA Careers Manager works with each student individually to help you plan your post-MBA career and to equip you with the tools and strategies to compete effectively within the global MBA job market. This can include connecting you a senior MBA alumnus as a mentor during the latter part of the MBA programme.
Specialist resources are available to ensure that MBA students and alumni have the tools necessary for a global job search. We currently subscribe to a range of MBA-specific resources that advertise thousands of MBA-level jobs throughout the world each year.
Our students also benefit from access to all the services offered centrally by the University’s Careers Service in addition to services offered by the College of Social Sciences Employability Officer. The University hosts a wide variety of events every year including many employer presentations and careers fairs on campus.
For our MBA, we collaborate each year with other top Business Schools in Scotland (Strathclyde Business School and the University of Edinburgh Business School) to run two shared careers activities, including an Employability Conference which provides an opportunity to network with a large number of employers.