Getting a Masters in BA

[LAtoBA]

For a good American student (ivy league) seeking a masters in something related to business that will be taken seriously, is there any school other than UBA to look at?

The first question you should be asking is where do you want to work after the master's program?? If you want to work in Argentina or South America then maybe you should go for an MBA in Argentina. The reality is the wealthiest and most competitive MBA students in Latin America go to business schools in the US or the top programs in Europe (IE, IESD etc), not Argentina. While and MBA in Argentina might be cool if you plan on working in Argentina long-term I don't recommend it if you want to return to the states in the next 5 years.

The reality is everyone is going back to school now, especially in the US. A recruiter faced with a stack of resumes is going to immediately be drawn to an MBA from Chicago, Stanford, Wharton, etc. While it's great you'll be learning Spanish and might be fluent after the program ends, there are no shortage of people, at least in the US, who are bilingual in Spanish and have an MBA. And when it comes down to it a recruiter will put more weight into a graduate of Wharton than a bilingual applicant, especially in Spanish. Brazilian Portuguese & especially Chinese are more in demand only because fewer people speak it.

Not trying to knock your aspirations but I was looking at doing an MBA in Argentina and ultimately realized that while a bit cheaper, it's relatively worthless outside of Argentina and the surrounding area. As I said earlier if you're looking to live in Argentina long-term then getting an MBA in Argentina is not a bad idea. But my recommendation is that you look at programs in Spain if you're set on getting and MBA, getting international experience and learning Spanish. Two of the top business schools in Europe are in Spain (Madrid & Barcelona).

Good luck.

 

[jb5]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I'm posting for ideas for my daughter, who would like to do business in LAM but not for a corporation, her aspirations are entrepreneurial. In all likelihood she will shoot for a top US MBA in a few years, so doesn't want an MBA here.

She's thinking of really solidifying her language skills to be at a native level for doing business in LAM. She's conversationally fluent, but needs language depth. The degree here doesn't need to be internationally top, but respected in LAM would be nice.

So think the 4 years before US B school for a top student.

 

[LAtoBA]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I'm posting for ideas for my daughter, who would like to do business in LAM but not for a corporation, her aspirations are entrepreneurial. In all likelihood she will shoot for a top US MBA in a few years, so doesn't want an MBA here.

She's thinking of really solidifying her language skills to be at a native level for doing business in LAM. She's conversationally fluent, but needs language depth. The degree here doesn't need to be internationally top, but respected in LAM would be nice.

So think the 4 years before US B school for a top student.

Peace corps, Fulbright Scholar program......these programs will make her extremely attractive to top US business schools, help solidify her language skills and make good contacts depending on the program. Both programs are very well respected. Have her take a look. If she's really serious about getting better at Spanish she doesn't need to take classes or enter into a program.

I started off learning spanish in school but self-taught myself much more, including Brazilian Portuguese. For business vocabulary have her try the IMF website (www.imf.org) and the World Bank (www.worldbank.org). Most economic/biz reports are in Spanish since it is a working language for each organization. If she wants to learn, have her print out a few reports, read them, highlight every word she doesn't know and learn them.

If she already lives in Argentina she can also read the economic section of La Clarin / La Nacion etc. That's really the only real way to learn business Spanish or on the job in a consulting firm in Latin America.

 

[jb5]

Great thoughts, Fulbright is on the list.

She grew up in a business driven family so that's where her head goes. She's also very competitive for a top MBA-- good grades, good college, good jobs/internships, strong scores, leadership at college and legacy at 2 top US B Schools.

So the real idea here is, in BA, what would be fun and worthwhile for someone who wants to continue to learn about LAM culture and gain real insights into doing business here.

I agree the language can be learned through self study, but I m considering being willing to finance a masters that can achieve key goals.

 

[LAtoBA]

Great thoughts, Fulbright is on the list.

She grew up in a business driven family so that's where her head goes. She's also very competitive for a top MBA-- good grades, good college, good jobs/internships, strong scores, leadership at college and legacy at 2 top US B Schools.

So the real idea here is, in BA, what would be fun and worthwhile for someone who wants to continue to learn about LAM culture and gain real insights into doing business here.

I agree the language can be learned through self study, but I m considering being willing to finance a masters that can achieve key goals.

Anymore questions just ask. I regret jumping into a Master's program just one year after undergrad so already your daughter is on the right track. It will help her figure out what she really wants to do. If I could do it all over again I would've done Fulbright...the thing is I just didn't know about it in undergrad. Shame.

 

[LAtoBA]

Almost forgot:

Have her check out this program sponsored by Spain:

http://www.mec.es/sgci/usa/en/programs/us_assistants/default.shtml

They are called Language/Culture assistants. They basically place Americans in different parts of Spain to teach English.....except the stipend is pretty generous for teaching English--approximately 1,000 US a month. Yes Spain is more expensive to live but you won't find that kind of salary for teaching english in any other Spanish speaking country, and lodging and transportation is free. Oh yeah and so is medical insurance. It's a great program that I almost did and a fairly well kept secret. The other bonus is that they typically place you in smaller cities, ie fewer English speakers, so she will really be forced to learn the language.

Again this will look good on an MBA application.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

 

[citygirl]

Wait - I'm confused, she wants to study before going back to school in the US to study for her MBA?

My recommendation (which is worth what you paid for it! is if she wants to learn about doing doing biz in LATAM markets and intends to go back to school in the US - have her spend 1-2 years as an intern at a company. Best way to learn is by doing. At the same time, she can enroll in a language program or probably best to work with a private tutor who works with biz people - someone who specializes in professional vocab/concepts, etc.

The LATAM market is so diverse as you know, but I would be hard-pressed to say her best experience as an intern would be here in Argentina. It's such a unique market here. I would look to Chile, to Uruguay (lots of int'l companies setting up shop in the zona franca there) or Colombia.

As xtrasback said, San Andres is probably the best for MBA but I doubt it would have a name recognition factor outside of Arg.

 

[cityofforkingpaths]

UADE is the best business school in Argentina. This is where future corporate leaders go. UBA is the best, but very marxist, so obviously not inclined toward business. The other small private institutions are ok, but seen as places where mommy and daddy can buy a degree for their hijo, and the academics are a joke.

 

[Ashley]

I have studied at both San Andres and La UBA (and have also guest lectured at a private here).
The level at La UBA is, without a doubt, far superior than that any of the privates...This is generally recognised as true throughout Argentina.
The entry requirements at the private universities are "if you can pay, you're in". At la UBA, I was interviewed by a panel of 6 faculty members before being allowed to study a post-grad (not business related). I don't think that your daughter is going to find somewhere as universally recognised as the top US/European schools here, but I do think that if recognition is an important factor, LA UBA is probably her best shot.
When I lectured at one of the privates recently, I was pretty shocked by the (low) level of its students.
That said, a post-grad at la Uba is tough going and can take up to 5 years just for a Masters. Her Spanish will have to be very good and she must be prepared for a work-load that far outweighs that of top schools in the US and Europe. If she's looking to get a quick 2-year qualification, practice her Spanish etc, she might be better looking into a private uni

 

[kmo]

thanks for all the insight ashley i would be interested in doing a master's in BA, about how much does it cost?

thanks!