Business education in the UK: which course to choose? Dr Dayananda Palihawadana (Dr Pali) Programme Director - MSc International Marketing Management Leeds University Business School

1. Leeds and the Business School Leeds 3rd biggest city in England by metropolitan area. Largest financial centre outside of London Regularly voted Best Student Destination (Independent newspaper) 2 Universities in Leeds Student population of over 70,000 Russell Group University We are in the top 10 for research in the UK. In the top 100 Universities in the world. This slide is to set the scene about which university you come from, where it is etc, we are not allowed to promote the institution any further than this.

2. Why study Business in the UK? 27/03/2017 2. Why study Business in the UK? Three key reasons Tradition Relevance Skills and employability

Tradition Long history of study of business, economics, finance, management and marketing in the UK Seminal thinking in the disciplines Supported by world class research and links with business and industry 14 UK business schools in the top 100 MBA rankings in the world (FT global MBA rankings 2012) and 12 in the Masters in Management Ranking (FT Masters in Management rankings 2012) ** Pali with regards to seminal thinking in disciplines you could maybe talk about some famous academics in marketing theory. -Links with industry-here you can talk about some examples of the kind of industries/companies some of our graduates have gone into after graduating, you could talk about some of the students that you have taught.

Relevance Business is fast paced, therefore need to keep up to date to be relevant. Essential to a country’s economy. Business Schools contribute to and shape the world of business through consultancy and research. Work with large businesses, small and medium enterprises and the public sector. Local, national and international links Relevance-Pali you could talk further here about how marketing needs to keep up to date, social media etc etc so you could use examples from your programme/work. -Developing countries-could talk about how fast some countries are developing particularly with the insurgence of the internet, mobile technology etc. -Give some examples of how some of your work or your divisions work has contributed to consultancy and research. -Talk about links with overseas universities as well.

Skills and employability Communication skills Critical thinking/analytical skills Research skills Team work Commercial awareness Talk here about the tangible skills that students learn whilst studying an undergraduate degree, masters etc-talk about how you get groups to work with one another on your programme and the kind of group work that they do.

Levels of study Undergraduate Postgraduate (Taught) MBA PhD

Subject areas Accounting and Finance Business Economics Human Resource Management International Business Management Marketing Corporate communications

3. UK Higher Education Institutions Russell Group 1994 group Million+ Group UKADIA Group University Alliance Group UK degrees more focused on one or two subjects of study rather than the major/minor model in the US Cheaper to study in the UK than in the US Talk about the different groups that there are and that these are groups and alliances to help promote research etc.

4.1. Undergraduate courses Most institutions in the UK will offer various undergraduate courses in a business related area. 3 or 4 year degree programmes (4 year programmes include year abroad or year in industry) One of the most popular subjects to study at undergraduate level Rising number of international students coming to the UK to study at Undergraduate level. Most Thai students will require a foundation year prior to undergraduate study unless they have undertaken A-Levels or the International Baccalaureate

Undergraduate courses Benefit from professionally accredited courses i.e ACCA exemptions for accountancy students, CIM for marketing students and CIPD for human resources students 1 year work placement year: Universities offer exceptional support in finding work placement Enhances employment opportunities upon graduation Develop valuable skills and experience Improved final year grades 1 year study abroad year: Universities offer support in application process for year abroad International experience to your studies Enhances your cultural awareness Skills learnt on year abroad are highly sought after by international labour market

4.2 Postgraduate courses Most UK institutions will have an extensive range of PG programmes Majority of courses will be one full year. Generally September to September Flexibility - ability to use PG courses as a conversion course i.e human resources, management and marketing courses -Areas including-Accounting, Finance, Economics, Management, Marketing, Enterprise, Human Resource Management

Postgraduate courses Dissertation or consultancy project Some programmes offer an international experience Enhances career prospects Essential for a career in academia Professional qualifications – some courses offer exemptions from CIMA, CIPD and the CIM Dissertation or project – you can talk here about an example of a project that one of your students has done, what is involved in the project etc -International experience-i.e ability to study at an other institution for part of the masters programme. -a masters programme is also a pre-requisite of entering onto a Phd. -Talk further about the importance of professional qualifications

Postgraduate courses Thai students will require a bachelors degree, grade varies dependent upon university English language requirements Pre-sesional English GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) Some institutions will require a GMAT test for their masters programmes. English-stress the importance of English and also taking an English test before application as this gives students an indication about how much pre-sessional English they will need before joining there course. Students who so pre-sessional programmes often perform better.

5. MBA Widen horizons of business professionals introducing students to various areas of business including accounting, finance, human resources and operational management. Flexible ways of studying i.e 2 years full time, an accelerated 1 year or distance learning. Enhances employability Skills for those who own their own businesses Platform for networking Sharing of ideas and knowledge Students can also choose optional modules in an area that they would like to specialise in often know as pathways -those in Mid-level management looking to move up to senior management or those who own their own business and are looking for general overall management skills to help improve/move their business forward.

MBA What to look for when choosing an MBA Rankings (FT and Economist) Accreditations AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS Aimed at middle managers with significant work experience often including a number of years at management level (AMBA – Association of MBA), AACSB Association to advance collegiate schools of business, ACBSP accreditation council for Business Schools and Programs European quality improvement systems

6. Careers Managers Accountants Policy advisors Economists Stock brokers Actuaries Account mangers Communications managers Brand managers Risk managers HR Managers Occupational psychologist

7. How to make a good application Firstly Think about your course choice. Which university do you want to study at? Academic and English Entry requirements and application deadlines? Scholarship deadlines? Application Apply early Try to submit evidence of your language ability with the application Try to complete the application as fully as you can These are important to think about-particularly which course to study and which university especially as you are planning on travelling overseas for the course, use your time at the fairs to talk to representatives about the courses and what is involved. Also important to think about the entry requirements, talk to the university and ask what kind or grades they are looking for or which degree subjects they are looking for for some courses-for instance some Finance programmes require that you have a background in that specific area. Is it worth applying for somewhere that you won’t get into. Deadlines, it is always important to think about when the deadline is, and don’t leave it till the last minute, it can take some time to fully complete each application, for the university to process the application and then to receive all the documentation that you need to apply for your visa. You may also need a pre-sessional English course, if you apply early this will give you enough time to study additional language courses to ensure you meet the grade that is needed for the programme. Scholarship deadlines are often quite early, therefore to give you more chance of receiving a scholarship it is better to look early. Try to submit a language score with your application, this will help admissions officers determine your language ability for the course and if you will need a pre-sessional. You could miss out on your course start if you don’t meet the English language requirements Try to complete the application as fully as you can, this will ensure that your application is processed more quickly and efficiently, it will also look good in the eyes of the admissions officer as they will see that you are an organised individual.

Personal Statement Relate to the subject that you are interested in How the course can help your future career Evidence – such as relevant work experience Extra curricular activities Tailor the personal statement to the university you are applying to Why goals you have in attending the course/university. For Undergraduate applications you will always be required to complete a personal statement, some applications for postgraduate study may also require a personal statement. This is your time to market yourself Concise-ensure that you personal statement is concise, try to ensure that the personal statement isn’t too long, remember admissions officers have to read a lot of personal statements each day. Talk about the course that you have identified, why do you want to study the course-how does your previous course/degree realte to the subject that you want to study. Think about what career you want to pursue talk about how the course will help you in furthering your career, if you have work experience related to the course talk about this as well. Read up on certain modules and how they may help you for your career. Evidence – give examples of experiences that you have had and how they apply to the course-don’t just list the examples show how they are relevant Extra curricular – talk about yourself, admissions officers are keen to see that you have something extra to bring to the subject, talk about societies you have joined, sports or any volunteering that you do. Don’t just use one personal statement for all of the universities that you apply for, admissions officers will be able to tell if you have copied and pasted a personal statement

Every university is different! Remember Every university is different! Remember that every university is different, at PG level they will all have different deadlines, some may have a set number of students for each course, different application forms, some charge for applications, some charge deposits. It is therefore important that you read fully about the application process for the university that you are applying for.

Any Questions? www.business.leeds.ac.uk