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Business Schools Respond To Need For More Practical MBA Programs

Too long on theory and too short on practical experience? It's a thing of the past: Business schools across the world have opened the doors to live cases and more practical courses.

Wed Jun 11 2014

BusinessBecause
For Pierre-Yves Sanséau, demand is high. His business school course in Grenoble, France, can barely keep up with demand from the increasing number of budding twenty-somethings looking to beef up their CVs. He already has dozens of students enrolled in his new practical-based course. Another raft are expected to join next year. 
 
“They move to an internship for one month at different companies around Grenoble,” he said. “Only after that, in November, do they start courses with professors.”
 
Across Europe and North America, an increasingly practical set of business schools is emerging. Pierre-Yves is just one of hundreds of professors adapting to the demand for out-of-classroom experiences in management education.
 
The concerns among this group of MBA students were laid bare in two studies by top business schools in both Europe and the United States. A new service from the Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners sought to bring together the best academic thinking from leading schools – including Stanford, MIT and Oxford – to find practical applications for MBAs to use the knowledge they have acquired.
 
At the same time, the Association of Business Schools (ABS) also published a report that highlighted areas of b-school education that need improvement. Chief among the recommendations was to design more practice into courses.
 
On both sides of the Atlantic, the need for change was overwhelming: business schools needed to design more practice into courses. Yet bringing about change is much more difficult than it seems. The issue is rooted in academic culture and history, and a long-standing academic concern for a high proportion of staff to be academically qualified, rather than be industry-insiders.
 
One professor from a leading business school said: “My impression was that there was little strategic thinking as to how to engage with industry. That is to say: what is the purpose of engagement with industry? What concrete benefits does this engagement bring to the school, as well as to the wider university?”
 
Rotman School of Management recently launched a new MBA project which gives first-year students a chance to embrace corporate culture in Toronto, one of Canada’s business hubs. It is the second year of the course, which 350 MBAs now take. 
 
It is an understandable move. Live case studies are now in vogue. While business schools still teach plenty of classroom theory, it is not the main driver of relationships with local businesses. 
 
“It transitions them from the standard MBA classroom to going off into work – a go between,” said Mara Lederman, co-creator of Rotman's course. “These [companies] like to hire our students. It gives them an opportunity to show the students about what it means to work there,” she added.
 
An astonishing 90% of leading UK employers surveyed agreed that embedding work experience within business courses like MBAs would make graduates more employable, according to a separate report from ABS. Yet 50% of them said they have difficulty hiring high-calibre managers. In every industry from luxury to real estate, frontline recruiters are more likely to be lured by MBAs who can boast of practical b-school experience.
 
Across the world, there is now a huge focus on securing a more practical education for the next generation of MBAs. While some schools have been slow to adapt, others have been running practical projects for years.
 
Janelle Goulard, an MBA student at the Sauder School of Business who worked with real estate firm Winkworth in India on a live case, said: “There’s definitely an advantage to Sauder from that perspective. Being in India and seeing some of the challenges, and being able to effect change, gives me an advantage over other schools.”
 
Beijing has been an economic rocket, a city whose economy has been propelled by investment and exports. While economic growth cooled to 7.4% in the first quarter of 2014 from 7.7% in the previous period, there are few more prosperous places to practice management skills. 
 
The city’s companies are being filled with MBA students who are immersed overseas for practical experiences. 
 
Daniel Duric, a Swiss Master's student studying at Grenoble Ecole de Management's Chinese campus, says growth is tremendous. “All these [experiences] are things that cannot be learned by reading a book, but must be experienced in your own skin. I am sure that these experiences would set me apart from other potential [job] candidates.” 
 
Saurabh Sakhuja, a Global MBA student at France's ESSEC Business School, has just completed a team consulting project centred on a month-long immersion in an emerging market. He also spent weeks studying at the school’s Singapore campus, met with established alumni and visited companies – including KPMG, the leading audit firm. 
 
“We also had a lot of companies that visited us at careers fairs, who spoke about how to apply for jobs and how things work in Asia,” he says.
 
“We have a lot of people working in Asia and always had alumni that we could get in touch with; there were a lot of good networking opportunities.”
 
Rotman, one of the leading business schools in Canada, is one of the MBA providers that has been careful not to get the balance wrong. 
 
Its Capstone Course-team developed a program specifically to throw students into the practical deep-end, but in a safe environment. To develop MBA’s practical skills, Rotman students are guided by professors over six weeks. Time with companies is shorter but has been effective. 
 
Mara, also a Rotman associate professor of strategic management, said: “It helps teach them to solve problems, but at same time [with] guidance and learning.” She added: “There’s a disconnect between teaching them in a safe class environment, and throwing them into the real world.” 
 
One of the most popular functions for MBAs this year has been marketing. 54% of firms polled in a GMAC survey who hired business school graduates did so for marketing roles – above the consulting and finance functions. With the boom in online marketplaces, many MBAs may be heading for marketing roles at e-commerce websites. 
 
Heather Duncanson is a first-year MBA student at Rotman. She spent her time on the Capstone Course working on marketing and strategy with Kanetix, Canada’s leading insurance comparison website. 
 
“It was a good opportunity to solidify my learning throughout the year in a real-life context, which made it that much more real,” she said. 
 
Business schools across the globe are putting students into live business situations like Heather’s. Commentators argue that MBA students need to get out of the classroom. 
 
Valentin Beau, a Master's student at Grenoble, worked on a live business case for a leading Chinese design and rebranding firm in a team of six for six weeks. 
 
“The fact it was with real company with real issues was the main thing I learned. You have to respect everything they ask you, and [apply it] in a short period of time,” he said. 
 
Valentin added: “A project that happened two years ago; [there are] no deadlines to respect. But we had six weeks to do the job.” 
 
ASB’s research also suggests that live cases and practical work will develop closer ties with businesses. The organization, which works with hundreds of the UK’s top business schools, hopes to improve MBA hiring.
 
“I personally benefit from working with the students from the Creative Industries module, who are encouraged to contest and provoke established ideas,” said Jane Donald, marketing and communications director at the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, who worked with students at a Scottish business school.
 
“Accessing academic networks, through the University of St Andrews, has also evolved my own working practices and enabled me to challenge my own views and opinions.”

Student Reviews

ESSEC Business School

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The best intercultural university

There are more than 50 nationality in the grade, so there are opportunities to interact with people from all around the world. In terms of academics, the BBA course offers diverse courses for the 1st

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Prithwiraj

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Top business school in France

Doing PhD in essec took some time, to be precise about five years. But the experience was very good and cost effective too. There are opportunities for the student for teaching assistantship and that helps both financially and in career. In the final year I could manage to teach marketing to M1 students and this helped shape my career

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Great college

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Blended

Good school in France

I am currently enrolled in M2 in Essec business school. I am specialising in marketing management. The Grande Ecole programme is valued in France and my school ranks very high up. There are a lot of opportunities for internships and CDD.

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9/02/2020

The program curriculum

BBA program. The program is really practical and useful, provide us many international opportunities. Like internship and humanitarian experience, and the flexibility is also really cool, we can choose different campus and tracks as we want.

Véronique

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11/12/2019

International Course

This school is very international and business oriented. Highly recognized by the companies The campus has been renovated and is very functional and modern from now on. Excellent atmosphere. Reputation of essec is a plus

kevin

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11/11/2019

Friends, Career opportunities.

The program I did gave me the opportunity to start in Singapore. I got the chance to know all the students that started there and we bonded and made some friends for life. The career opportunities that ESSEC also gave me were unbelievable.

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25/09/2019

Practical and useful

I think the best thing about Essec is that it's not focusing on academics rather it emphasizes on future job mindset and professional experiences.. The classes are interesting and we have plenty of workshops attributing to different sectors.. The campus is very nice with a good cafe and wonderful library. The only problem is the location of the campus. It's quite far from Paris.

Kartik

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14/02/2024

On Campus

Amazing experience! Must try

I think its a very amazing school with great and experienced faculty. Also the alumni network is very solid and useful. The school has a great balance of studies and work experience which is really essential for a student.

Ali

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28/05/2024

On Campus

GBBA: Diverse, Enriching, and Career-Boosting

My experience at ESSEC Business School has been outstanding. The Global BBA program offers a rich academic curriculum and diverse learning opportunities. I appreciated the chance to study on different campuses, including an international exchange, which broadened my perspective. The social environment is culturally diverse and vibrant, enhancing both my personal and professional growth. The administration is attentive, constantly offering new academic and student life opportunities. The campus facilities and classrooms are excellent. I highly recommend ESSEC for its excellence, global exposure, and career opportunities.

Maximilien

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5/06/2024

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ESSEC BS BBA REVIEW

The English track BBA program at ESSEC is simply exceptional. Courses are taught by internationally renowned professors who are experts in their field. The subjects taught cover a wide range of disciplines from marketing to finance, strategy and entrepreneurship. The English track is a major asset because it allows you to develop perfect mastery of professional English, essential in today's globalized business world. Some students love student life at Essec, which is one of the best in France, but it all depends on taste.

Clément

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14/06/2024

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Great program, incredible school

I love almost everything about this school, from the student life to the academic program and the opportunities it provides. I'm currently at the Paris campus, in Cergy, and I'm really enjoying it. The BBA program is very rich and diversified, you can start with geopolitics and then finance, what I mean is that there's a great balance between the subjects in this program. I was also lucky enough to spend a semester at the Singapore campus, and I loved that experience on the other side of the world. ESSEC is also known for its dynamic and rich student life, with access to several parties a week and the various associations within the school. If I could recommend just one school, it would be this one - I'm 100% satisfied.

Rayane

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Great experience

First of all, what I appreciate the most is the academic environment. The courses are extremely stimulating and are taught by high-level professors, often experts in their field. The diversity of subjects offered, ranging from marketing to finance, including entrepreneurship, allows you to acquire a complete and versatile education. The group projects, although sometimes stressful, are also an opportunity to learn to work in a team, which is essential in the professional world. One area that I feel could be improved is the management of student events. Although many activities are organized, I have noticed that some events can lack organization or communication, which can frustrate those who want to get involved. Better coordination between the different student associations and the administration could really improve the overall experience.

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