Making the right MBA choice

FM: What questions should potential students ask themselves before committing to an MBA to determine whether it is the right programme for them and to know which school to choose?

Hamid: The MBA is a demanding programme, with a packed schedule of business-related modules and research in a limited timeframe. Prospective students need to focus on the benefits of the MBA. Global research indicates that it is the only qualification that fast-tracks career trajectories, exponentially and within current business complexities. Students should consider an institution that will provide holistic academic and emotional wellbeing and support. 

FM: What questions do you ask potential students before acceptance to ensure they are making the right choice?

Hamid: Academic requirements aside, personal fortitude and mental agility are the most critical. Discipline, analytical skills, creativity, integrity and innovation should be students’ key strengths before they embark on this journey. 

FM: Are there occasions when it becomes clear someone should not have started an MBA? How do you manage that?

Hamid: Change affects individuals, and a sudden change in a student’s personal or career space affects their academic achievement. At Mancosa we have counselling services and additional support for at-risk students. On occasion the student may need to defer a semester in order to adjust to circumstances.  

FM: How do you prepare students for the rigours of studying for an MBA and for the way those rigours will affect their family and work life?

Hamid: These are all spelt out in the interview process. Registered students are exposed to a rigorous induction programme which details the expectations of students and provides a breakdown of the two-year programme. 

FM: What are the time commitments for your students?

Hamid: At this level, students are expected to work consistently and allocate their time to fit in with their equally busy work schedules. Ideally they should work an hour a day and significantly more hours on a weekend. There are formative and summative assessments that students need to undertake during the semester, and webinars they have to attend on weekends. 

FM: How do you help students prepare for a post-graduation career?

Hamid: Most of our postgraduate students are already employed. Mancosa has an active careers centre and employability office that constantly seeks ways to expose graduates to the changing world of work. 

FM: Average SA MBA fees have risen beyond inflation in recent years. Can this be justified?

Hamid: In the current environment, the top skills organisations seek are strong communication abilities, resilience and flexibility. Internationally almost 70% of talent scouts contend that they prefer business-school graduates due to their strength in these skills. While new rules, technologies, processes and terminologies have transformed society during the Covid pandemic, there has been one constant for improved career trajectories and entrepreneurial enhancement, and this prestige belongs to the MBA. It aligns the technical curriculum with the key social skills required for success in the workplace. MBA graduates confirm that the journey of the MBA is both personal and professional, and a transformational experience. 

FM: How would you define a successful MBA programme?

Hamid: Organisational cultures have transformed towards a human-centric approach. Leadership skills require an ability to handle disaster management while adopting Ubuntu-type principles in approaching the larger organisational community. There has been an increased demand for soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, adaptability, teamwork and creativity in the workplace. They are considered premium skills because they cannot be achieved with automation and robotics. Global statistics support the MBA programme incessantly. More and more, employees are manipulating the job market for portfolios that suit their individual, career and personal needs. An international study recently published shows that companies attempted to poach 69% of MBA graduates within the past year. The curriculum content on its own is not what sets the programme apart. It is a holistic integration of the curriculum, support, adaptability and application of the curriculum. A successful MBA programme is one that can demonstrate transformation of a student’s life and the promotion of value for both student and society.