Choosing an MBA Program in Russia:
Major issues to considerMore and more MBA programs are being offered in Russia. Many are taught all in Russian, and some are delivered in a partnership format with an overseas (usually American or European) university, and often at least partly in English. Some programs are full-time, some are part time; evening and distance courses are also offered. In short, they are being designed to meet the needs of Russia's brightest entrepreneurs, who are also very busy people. Why would you want to do your MBA in Russia? It wasn't so long ago that the mere mention of "business" and "Russia" in the same breath was almost laughable. A former command economy offering real MBA programs? Well, the fact of the matter is that not only are these courses being offered in Russia, they are already at a very respectable level. In terms of material covered, many do not differ significantly from programs in the west and yes, they too are using Harvard case studies. To understand why you might want to consider doing your MBA in Russia, you need to look at one of the real values of any MBA program, which is the contacts you will make. In most cases, this is really what differentiates the various tiers of business schools in the west. Keeping that in mind, we offer the following suggestions: If you plan to work only in western markets - e.g. in the US - then you will not really gain much from an MBA in Russia. The exception to the above statement is in cases where you can get a dual MBA - meaning that you simultaneously obtain the same degree from a US or European university. In this case, there may be considerable financial savings on tuition in Russia. If you plan to work in Russia, an MBA in Russia can quickly gain you high level contacts. If you plan to work between cultures - maybe in Russia, maybe not, then a Russian MBA may be invaluable, but your selection of a university may be influenced by your desired company, job, sector and/or other factors. Talk with others in your desired field or write to an SRAS consultant.
Keep in mind these are only very general, rough guidelines. Selecting an MBA program is very much tied to the realities of your career objectives. Some of the most basic factors in selecting which MBA program in Russia to choose are considered below: There are many MBA programs in out-of-the-way places in Russia and/or Russian websites which offer MBAs at fabulously low prices. You pay for what you get. In Russia, you should select a school which has been licenced by the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure quality of education and the recognition of your degree. The Ministry has only awarded several dozen licences, mostly to universities in Moscow. Universities which hold these licences will have a faculty with at least 60% PhDs and MBAs teaching. Programs will run at least one year and a half, and will require at least 1000 hours of classroom time. If you wish to work outside of Russia, internationally, or for an international company, you should attend a school with international accreditation from the Association of MBAs. Only three schools in Russia currently hold this accreditation. They are listed below.
Internationally accredited MBA programs: Plekhanov Academy http://www.plekhanov.ru/ (site and all courses in Russian)
Other well-known MBA programs* in Russia. Moscow - American Institute of Business and Economics (AIBEc) - http://www.aibec.org/
- Business School of the International University - http://www.interun.ru/
- Classical Business School - http://www.cbs-mba.ru/
- Graduate School of Corporate Management - http://www.emba.ru/
- Graduate School of International Business - http://www.gsib.ru/
- Higher Commercial Management School - http://www.hcms.ru/
- Moscow International Higher School of Business - http://www.mirbis.ru
- Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Information Technology
St. Petersburg - Higher Economic School - http://www.hes.spb.ru/
- Institute of International Business and Communication - http://www.ibci.ru/
- International School of Management - http://lovanium.eltech.ru/
- International Graduate School of Management - http://www.igms.spbstu.ru/
- International Management Institute of St. Petersburg - http://www.imisp.ru/
- Northwestern Office of the International University in St. Petersburg - http://www.interun.spb.ru/
- The Open Business School in St. Petersburg - http://www.obs.ru/
- School of Management, St. Petersburg State University, Department of Management- http://www.som.pu.ru/
- Stockholm School of Economics in St. Petersburg - http://www.sseru.org/indexall.htm
* This list is not complete and we will be updating it in the near future. |
