MBA courses can vastly improve the prospects and quality of your career, enabling you to reach your ultimate professional potential. The MBA is an international qualification that is well-respected by employers around the world.

So, you have taken the big decision; you want to get an MBA. You probably have friends of work colleagues who already have one or who are currently studying. It seems increasingly normal for the MBA to be part of a commitment to Lifelong Learning, representing as it does the need to constantly keep your knowledge, skills and competence up-to-date and able to meet the increasingly high demands of modern employers in terms of personal and managerial development.

Without doubt, the MBA is the most internationally recognised degree in existence, and arguably with new delivery methods and distance learning opportunities, the world is now your oyster when considering where and how to study.

The UK is top of many people’s lists. Statistics reveal that Business and Management Studies is the most popular area of study by far of international students and managers coming to the UK. For many, the prospect of a 1 year full-time MBA course (or more specialised Master’s Degree) set in a modern, vibrant economy, and noted as much for its friendly cosmopolitan welcome as its rich traditions an heritage, is a most appealing prospect.

Don’t be afraid to ask for written testimonials from schools on your shortlist of MBA courses, or from former students from your country who have successfully completed their MBA programme and gone on to new and enhanced careers. The alumni network will be an important facet of your eventual selection.

If for whatever reason you can’t or don’t wish to study in the UK itself, then consider the possibility of Distance Learning MBA courses. There are several very well established UK Business Schools who have proved that they can bring their MBA programmes to students in many countries and regions of the world. Such programmes are truly ‘glocal’ - a new word which means global in scope yet locally delivered. Don’t be afraid to ask about the nature of the learning support that will be provided to you and also the completion rate of the course. Distance Learning can be a bit lonely and the local support and interaction of the group network can make all the difference to your eventual success and satisfaction.

The fact that you are reading this article probably means that you have begun to consider the many options available with MBA courses, but where else can you find the best information to help you make the final choice? Firstly, you can contact the Association of Business Schools (ABS) in the UK (contact details are at the end of the article). ABS produces a comprehensive Directory of all major MBA courses in the UK and includes details about the programmes, including costs, entry requirements and also independent quality ratings of both teaching and research. The ABS Directory should also be available at your local British Council office. Just ask for the ABS Postgraduate Directory 1997/8.

At ABS, we find that when potential students have considered all the factors involved in selecting MBA courses and have produced a shortlist they still find it difficult to make the final decision. After all, an MBA is a major investment with or without employer support. ABS receives a large number of calls, faxes and emails seeking help to make the final choice. Because ABS represents 100 business schools, we are not able to say that school A is better than school B. However, we can answer factual questions in an independent way, and students regularly confirm that we are helpful to them in making their own final decision.

Don’t be afraid to ask for written testimonies from schools on your shortlist, or from former students from your country who have successfully completed their MBA programme and gone on to new and enhanced careers.

Author: Jonathan Slack, Chief Executive, Association of Business Schools, London