MBA applications rise as Middle East senior managers seek to enhance/protect career prospects in the face of economic downturn

According to a report from the Graduate Management Admission Council- the association of leading graduate business schools around the world -among full-time MBA programs participating in the 2008 GMAC Application Trends Survey, 77%—the highest level in five years—said they saw application levels increase. Part-time and executive MBA programs also reported rising application levels.

A similar story emerges in the Middle East, according to Manchester Business School.

Applications from Middle East business people for MBA programmes at Manchester Business School Worldwide (with its Middle East centre in Dubai) for the January 2009 intake rose 18 per cent compared to July 2008 (the school has two student intakes per year - January and July).

The Middle East centre accepted over 100 new students on to the school's three blended learning MBA programmes - Construction MBA, Engineering Business Management MBA, and Finance MBA - bringing the total number of MBSW students in the region to more than 500.

The vast majority of the new students are self funded and they range in age from 26 to 52, and from 30 nationalities with the highest number of Egyptian, Lebanese, Indian and UK origin. The new student group includes CEOs, CFOs, VPs, GMs, chartered engineers, middle managers and other
specialists. More than half the new students are resident in the UAE.

"Our MBA students are all experienced middle and senior managers from around the region looking for career development and very often have to use their own initiative to acquire it. The rise in applications for our three blended learning MBAs reflects a general increase in interest in the top business schools in economic downturns; applications to the school are rising at all our international centres around the world, as well as at the Manchester campus."

says Chris Higgins, Regional Director - Middle East, at MBS Worldwide.