Foreign Student Series #22: MBA Programs

I'm Phoebe Zimmermann with the VOA Special English Education
Report.

We continue our Foreign Student Series with a report this week
about M.B.A. programs in the United States. An M.B.A. is a master's
degree in business administration. Students learn to deal with all
kinds of business situations. They develop skills needed by many
different industries.

M.B.A. programs teach about economics. They also teach about the
structure of organizations, and about other subjects including
finance and marketing. Students do more study in areas that interest
them.

It usually takes two years to get an M.B.A. if you attend school
full time. People who have jobs might choose a part-time program
that takes longer. There are also executive M.B.A. programs which
might be completed in as little as eighteen months. Classes
generally meet on weekends.

Business is one of the most popular areas of study for students
who come to the United States. To be admitted to an M.B.A. program,
foreign students must have a bachelor's degree. They must show a
clear understanding of English by doing well on the Test of English
as a Foreign Language. Most students also take the Graduate
Management Admission Test. Most of the one thousand five hundred
M.B.A. programs around the world use these test scores.

The Graduate Management Admission Council has some advice for
foreign students. It says they should investigate in detail what
different schools could do to help them find a job. For example, ask
how many companies that come to the school are willing to hire
international students. Also ask if summer internships are possible.
The council says even the best schools may have a lower average of
job placement for international graduates than for others.

One example of a school that offers a part-time M.B.A. program is
the University of Maryland University College. Students have a
choice. They can do all the work over the Internet. Or they can work
online and also attend traditional classes. The Web site for more
information is umuc.edu.

Information about other M.B.A. programs can be found from the
Graduate Management Admission Council at mba.com. And you can find
all the reports so far in our Foreign Student Series at
WWW.testbig.com.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy
Steinbach. I'm Phoebe Zimmermann.