If you don’t completely qualify for an MBA program, you can be considered in most MBA colleges in Europe. Some offer MBA without gmat or work experience, find out which schools and how affordable they are.
The number of business schools and international applicants in Europe is rising by the year. In reference to a current report, from year 2016 till date, there has been a whopping 90% increase in international MBA applicants to schools in Europe.
This shows that MBA in Europe is increasingly popular among international students. MBA in Europe can take up to 12 to 24 months to finish or complete.
Why you should study your MBA in Europe
- It is very affordable compared to north America or Australia
- The European business schools offer specialized programs
- It saves a lot of time as European business schools offer short duration programs
Affordable MBA in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience – How to apply
You need at least a year and 3 months to prepare before intake period. You will need dedication and focus while applying for an MBA admission.
Secure required documents, take English exams where applicable. You will need work experience of 3 to 5 years for schools that will accept you without GMAT.
Business schools that waive work experience will definitely require GMAT exam; you can’t roll-off both stones at the same time, lol. You must qualify for one. You will need to write your application essay yourself or hire an agency to write for you. You will need at least two letters of recommendations from your lecturers or employers as the case may be. After you have put everything in place, you can then apply to your school of choice.
Note; the last step is an interview invitation by the school or it alumni organization. It can be done online.
Application fees of 100 Euros may apply depending on the school; check if your school of choice offers scholarships and aids to international students if you need any.
Affordable MBA in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience – Cost of Living and Studying in MBA in Europe
This tuition fee depends largely on the school of choice and location. I advice you go for a public school as it is usually more affordable. In some schools you can pay as low as 5,000 Euros per year while in some it can be up to 30,000 Euros per year.
Generally, cost of living in Europe ranges from 300 to 1,500 Euros per month depending on your lifestyle, the country and city. You will have lower cost of living if you study in Germany, Holland, Hungary, Latvia, Serbia, Georgia etc; while France, Poland, Finland and Switzerland can be a little expensive to live and study.
List of Top Affordable MBA Schools in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience Requirements
- Technical University of Munich
- Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich
- University of Kiel
- RWTH Aachen University
- Vlerick Business School
- University of Tubingen
- University of Stuttgart
- University of Ulm
- Dresden University of Technology
- University of Bremen
- Johannes Gutenberg University
- Copenhagen Business School
- Aalto University Business School
- UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School
- SDA Bocconi School of Management
- Maastritcht University School of Management
- Catholica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics
Affordable MBA in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience – Accreditation
Accreditation is always very important to look out for when making the choice of a business school to attend. The following accreditation bodies are most renowned;
- AACSB – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business which is based in Tampa, Florida, and an Asia office in Singapore
- EQUIS – European Quality Improvement System which is based in Brussels
- AMBA – The Association of MBAs which is based in London
Each of these will provide a mark of quality to programs. Only 59 institutions worldwide, three-quarters of them in Europe, have a triple-accreditation status so you can be sure that these are top-quality, although others with fewer accreditations or none, that feature high in the rankings are not to be ignored. The European triple accredited business schools, are in:
- Belgium (one school): Vlerick Business School.
- Denmark (one school): Copenhagen Business School.
- Finland (one school): Aalto University Business School.
- France (10 schools).
- Germany (two schools).
- Ireland (one school): UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
- Italy (two schools): ESCP Europe in Turin and SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan.
- The Netherlands (two schools): Maastricht University School of Management and Erasmus Rotterdam University .
- Poland (one school): Kozminski University Business School.
- Portugal (two schools): Catolica-Lisbon, School of Business & Economics and Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon.
- Spain (four schools).
- Switzerland (one school): IMD Lausanne.
UK (16 schools).
Affordable MBA in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience – Careers and employment
Being a professional qualification, MBA programs provide a high employability rate for their graduates and job opportunities are available in many international and national companies, throughout Europe and beyond, especially in emerging economies keen to engage with partners in European countries.
Other things to keep in mind when choosing an MBA program or school;
- Local employment market, including recent trends in new (international) business settlement: this is important if you want to stay in the country or are looking long-term for a career in a global company;
- Guest lectures from private sector experts;
- On-campus recruitment from private sector firms;
- Graduate employability rates and destinations (national and international);
- Size of alumni network (networking is, after all, an important factor in the business world); and
- Career services available.
Joint-MBAs and EuroMBA
There are opportunities to study your MBA in Europe in more than one country or institution, see how it is being made possible below;
- Get a joint-MBA between two or more European institutions which have partnered up such as the University of Bradford and the University of Perugia or Euromba.
- Study a so-called European MBA which is delivered by a US institution in conjunction with a European partner, for example at the Tippie Business School in Iowa.
- Study at a European institution which has a branch campus(es) abroad such as INSEAD (France/Singapore) or ESCP Europe (France/UK/Germany/Spain/Italy)
MBA Structure
The traditional MBA can be 12-24 months full-time, although there are part-time and distance learning options as well as an executive option. The start date of many MBA programs is normally September, but some may vary their intake periods depending on the school or program.
MBA programs are meant to be unique but they still share a lot in common due to cod shared courses that has to be offered in order to suffice that it was an MBA after all.
Some business schools bring non traditional offers to the table too, these include;
- Business competitions with awards for the winners
- Thesis or dissertation may be introduced
- Business consultancy
- Industrial experience
- You can be sent to partner institutions abroad for international experience as well
Affordable MBA in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience – Admission requirements
Academic
If you have at least 3.0 over 4.0 in CGPA as an international student, you may be considered for admission all things being equal. You will be expected to score at least between 500 to 600 in GMAT, a higher score would be an advantage.
Language
If your first language is not English, you have to take a language course like TOEFL or IELTS, or proof that you were taught previously in the language.
Other admission requirements
- If you have about 2-3 years relevant job experience, few
- Reference letters
- Statement of Purpose
- CV
- Interview after being shortlisted
Affordable MBA in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience – Tuition Fees
Cost of studying any MBA program is usually higher than that of non-specialised programs, thank God there is affordable education in Europe, you can expect to pay tuition fee of 11,000 to 50,000 Euros depending on the school of choice.
Affordable MBA in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience – Application fees
Like I mentioned earlier, the likely charged application fee will be 100 euros or less, although there are universities that do not charge application fee in Europe. After gaining admission you must pay a refundable amount of money to secure your place which is usually redeemed when you pay your tuition fee.
Other fees and costs
Any school will always have what to use and a student’s money, so get ready to pay other dues too like semester charges, health insurance, accommodation fees etc.
Affordable MBA in Europe without GMAT or Work Experience – Scholarships
If your employer refuses to pay for your MBA, you can apply for scholarship. There are fully-funded scholarships to study in any country you choose. Student loans are also available depending on the country.
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