UK and Ireland - Top draw for top MBAs

The UK and Ireland - incorporating England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (Eire) - is one of the most popular places in the world to find top business schools and to study for an MBA. In recent years, the UK has come consistently second in the QS World MBA Tour Applicant Survey for the most popular countries to study in (US 1st, Canada 3rd) reflecting the UK's business schools established international reputation for rigorous academic approach and career placement for graduates.

With a long-established reputation for hosting top MBA programs, the UK and Ireland has many of the top 100 business schools in the world including London Business School, Manchester Business School, Cranfield School of Management, Cambridge Judge and Oxford Said all of which perform highly in most international rankings. Trinity in Dublin and Scottish schools such as Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Robert Gordon and Herriot-Watt also perform well in rankings. The top UK business schools in the 2007 QS Global Recruiters' Top 100 Business Schools are as follows:

- Ashridge Business School

- Cambridge, Judge

- City, Cass Business School

- Cranfield School of Management

- Imperial, Tanaka

- Lancaster University

- London Business School

- Manchester Business School

- Oxford, Said

- Warwick Business School

So why study an MBA in the UK?

The biggest clincher for studying an MBA in the UK and Ireland is the immersion into the English language. Learning, using and improving skills in the world's business language is a major draw card for international candidates who are not considering the USA. It is also a big attraction for European students who do not face the same visa issues as they would in other major anglophone nations (USA, Canada, Australia).

Another attraction is the region's proximity to Europe; it's close to home for European candidates for family visits or some much needed time-out. It is true that, nowadays, most business courses are taught in English, including many in Spain, France, Switzerland and Germany; however, having the opportunity to be truly immersed in the world's business language on a daily basis, as well as the cultural aspects of the language, proves very valuable indeed. Alejandro Dominguez, an MBA graduate from Colombia says: "Studying in the UK made my English improve immeasurably and in ways that I couldn't have foreseen. I can now speak it from the perspective of someone in the finance industry yet I'm also able to hold down a conversation about all kinds of things in all kinds of accents and dialects. English is spoken across Ireland, Scotland and Wales too, although there are an increasing number of bi-lingual Gaelic speakers and, in many places in those countries, signs and posters use the traditional language of the Celts.

Strong and close links to business

The UK has strong and close links to MBA-employing businesses too. In fact the UK teaches more MBAs per year than the whole of the rest of Europe put together, according to a 2007 British Council research document. Right in the heart of Europe, increasingly from a cultural as well as a financial perspective, Britain has the fourth largest economy in the world and has vigorously created and cemented its place there. With amazing access to anywhere in Western Europe with the world's busiest airport - Heathrow - and the Channel Tunnel linking the UK to Europe, countless numbers of finance houses, consultancies and banks have offices with employment opportunities for MBA graduates. Likewise Ireland has seen enormous advancements in economy and growth over recent decades, turning it from an economic backwater into the present day "Celtic Tiger." There are financial districts in many of the major cities and a lot of the big financial institutions have moved their HQs away from London, to more affordable places such as Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Dublin. Nobody can dispute that London is one of the major finance and cultural centres in the world, with a colossal amount of banks and finance houses rivalled only by New York. "The City", London's financial district also known as the "square mile", is home to the Bank of England and the high-rise buildings such as the Norman Foster-designed "Gherkin", which host countless financial institutions and consultancies. Both parts of London are steeped in history, making it one of the truly most attractive financial areas to work in anywhere in the world. Alejandro Dominguez, says: "Working in the centre of this city is fantastic. My office is a stone's throw from St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. You can't help but be amazed at the area you're working in. I feel tremendously lucky."

Dominating the south-central area of London, in redeveloped and regenerated historical docklands, Canary Wharf towers over another imposing financial district, an area including the Millennium Dome and a great array of renovated flats, shops and restaurants. Though dominated by London, there are other business hotspots throughout UK and Ireland where MBAs are needed. Dublin and the areas surrounding it have become a Celtic "silicon valley" with Dell, Google and Microsoft all hosting European operations from there. Scotland has a good reputation on the energy field with two specialized MBAs in Oil and Gas Management in the north of the country, providing the best access to the oil platforms of the North Sea. The Midlands of England has a long and prosperous automotive history while the industrial Northwest is home to several long-established manufacturing giants. All of these regions are home to increasing numbers of international MBA students and have business schools that cater for the widest possible range of general and specialized MBA courses. Another issue concerning MBAs is the immigration system. The UK government recently announced a Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP) which uses a points system to provide a fast-tracked immigration process for MBA graduates from 50 selected top business schools all around the world. The ten UK schools that the government have awarded bonus credits to, to allow graduates to remain working within the UK, are in the table below. It is also true that even more bonus points are awarded to graduates who have studied at a UK institution, including the ten below:

- Ashridge Business School 

- Manchester Business School  

- Bradford School of Management   

- University of Cambridge, Judge  

- City, Cass Business School   

- University of Oxford, Said  

- Cranfield School of Management

- University of Strathclyde  

- London Business School 

- Warwick Business School  

For further details take a look at the HSMP website, www.hsmp.uk.com. All in all the UK offers MBA candidates and graduates a huge variety of choice. Take a look at the articles in the regional section of www.topmba.com There are articles from experts at business schools from all over the region - such as Tanaka Business School in London, Manchester Business School, Edinburgh, Dublin Trinity and Cranfield School of Management - who are all very highly regarded business schools in their regions. Each produces a high calibre of managers and leaders owing to an exceptional strength in the teaching of MBAs.