The Manchester Global MBA is an opportunity to fit an international MBA around your career, studying on campus three time a year at intensive workshops where you learn in small mutinational groups. At the latest workshops in Manchester, we caught up with some students to find out more about their experiences ten months into the programme.
“I was in a panic when I first arrived, it was a hard introduction to the subject but I already knew it was going to be good working with people from different backgrounds.
Starting the Global MBA is a daunting experience and you are really thrown straight in at the deep end. Coming from a background in chemical engineering, my knowledge of accountancy and banking was limited and I really didn’t think that the MBA was going to be for me. But by day three everything had changed and I felt very at ease; I had picked up elements of business that I never knew before. Even though my strengths don’t lie with banking or accountancy, I had knowledge in areas that other students didn’t; this made working in teams for presentations exciting and interesting.
I am now ten months into the programme and using skills that I have learnt so far on the programme in my day-to-day work. I participate in discussions that I would have never joined before as my knowledge has expanded vastly.
The second set of workshops that took place in April was the best experience of my life. They taught me the real meaning of team work and how it is challenging but essential for your career. The global MBA is a different way of approaching academia and a whole new challenge.
We were told before we arrived on the programme that the Global MBA is 'truly global' and I never fully understood why, but after meeting all the students I understand. It is so easy to form groups and work together on the programme, knowing you have an insight from a variety of professions and cultures.”
Giselle Donoghue, Senior Global R&D Manager, Unilever (UK)
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“The workshops are what make the MBA special to me. They give you valuable time to interact with your cohort and lecturers face-to-face, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the topics studied. Once you have participated in the workshops everything you are reading starts to fall into place.
Studying alone can be difficult sometimes but having intense workshops alongside this creates a good counterbalance. The programme has helped me in every aspect of my job. Being part of the senior management team I am involved with procedures and processes and the MBA has really enriched my ability to contribute and develop the company further. I have found the Simulation Project as well as Business, Accounting and Finance help me particularly. Working in teams is part of my day-to-day job and I am glad I can apply the experience gained on the MBA immediately at work.
The Global MBA is truly global and it is inspiring to work with people with completely different backgrounds from your own.'
Gesine Michold-Brehm, Supply Chain Manager, Deutsche Windtechnik Inc.
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“Attending workshops in Manchester has been an enriching experience that has helped solidify a feeling of belonging and community wrapped up in the Manchester Method of learning by doing.
The energy afforded by Alliance Manchester Business School’s world class research and innovation is uniquely captured throughout each experience, whether you are walking past Whitworth Hall along Oxford Road or jumping into a breakout session at the business school.
Workshops are led by academics and professionals who are thought leaders in their fields, providing intense, content-rich lectures and hands-on activities that elevate pre-workshop materials to practical applications. It is both a powerful and humbling experience to undergo a pressure test of exercises with a cohort of diverse professionals from around the world, finding commonalities and embracing differences to put forth consultancy-level deliverables.
Workshops challenge you to investigate business methodologies from every angle, answering not simply basic knowledge but the who, what, where, when, why, and how. As a student and professional you walk away with a cross-cultural, global mindset that weighs ethics and human rights with the same fervency as profits and shareholder value. You are well-rounded and ready to continue your successes.
As an executive-level professional, I can say with confidence that workshops are beneficial on professional and personal levels. In the former, you gain world class consultancy experience; in the latter, you learn to be a better person while doing so. UofM teaches with the explicit purpose of application, and through these workshops you will not only learn the intricacies of solving real-world business problems—you will also network and make lifelong friendships with professionals from around the globe. “
Ian Brake, Franchise Consultant, Driven Brands
