Re: Can you provide info on European MBA programs?

1. Again, the details here become important. The school's strengths in the area you're trying to go into is also relevant. And the specific program is important. At INSEAD, for example, if you start in January, you still have a summer internship. If you start in September and want an internship, it is sometimes tacked on at the end of the program. While LBS offers a shorter program, my understanding is that most students, especially career changers, use the full 21 months to complete the program. I don't have any firm data on how successful these programs individually are in facilitating career change of both industry and function. I think it will depend on the school, your background, and the demand for employees in the field you are trying to enter.

3. The European programs say they facilitate career changed. Let's face it. No one in the U.S. or in Europe goes to get an MBA with the intention of going back to their old job. On a basic level all MBA's are career changers. The question becomes degree of career change. My sense is that these top one-year programs can facilitate a change of function fairly well. Maybe a change in industry. But they will have a very hard time facilitating a change in both function and industry. That kind of radical change is also not easy for the two-year program, but it is more feasible.

Best,
Linda