Why Should You Consider Portugal For Your MBA? - Poets&Quants

Portugal offers excellent conditions to international students, both in terms of academic and living experiences. When considering taking an MBA, it’s important to bear in mind the quality of the programs on offer; the existence of conditions to ensure that you, as a student, will make the most of your time; and an overall living environment that is sustainable from the financial point of view, while providing you with social interaction and career advancement opportunities that will eventually make your investment worthwhile.

This blogpost covers Portugal’s added value regarding these factors.

MBAs with international accreditation and recognition

Some MBA programs in Portugal are well ranked worldwide and are fully taught in English; students and the population in general master the language (mandatory in Portuguese public education curriculum from the 3rd grade onwards) and Faculty members are often selected based on their teaching and research experience abroad.

In terms of format, one full-time year or two part-time years is the norm.

The clear definition of guidelines for the recognition of MBAs by the Association of MBAs means that accredited programs, such as The Lisbon MBA, offer students the same international and strategic viewpoint on Business Management as programs in London, Copenhagen, and Paris offer. Likewise, they cover the same core subjects, often taught by Professors who explore Portugal’s strategic location to go back and forth over the Atlantic to teach in Europe and in America throughout the year: Marketing; Business Economics; Financial Accounting; Quantitative Analysis; Finance; People & Organizations; Operations Management, etc. are approached combining concepts, in theory and practice, with a strong focus on group work.

A thriving business environment

Lisbon features entire quarters completely transformed since the 2010 crisis by young entrepreneurs responding to less-than-perfect conditions with their ideas and business acumen. The successful bid to host The Web Summit in 2016 confirmed, more than created, the innovative spirit of a country that boasts many award-winning tech and science accelerators. Furthermore, Portugal’s privileged relation with its former colonies means that it operates as a business bridge linking 4 continents (according to the researcher Ivana Casaburi, Chinese investment in Portugal accounts for 3, 3% of GDP, more than any other European country). This explains why Portuguese institutions, and MBAs particularly, pay a special attention to entrepreneurship, soft skills and market exposure.

Portugal’s thriving business environment is crucial to the enlargement of professional networks and post-graduation career opportunities.

A welcoming country for foreigners

Over the past five years, the number of foreign students in Portugal grew by 74% (official statistics – IPP). Top institutions and an entrepreneurial society are only two of the factors behind this. The country is a member of the European Union and has bilateral visa agreements with many non-EU countries. It is one of the safest places in the world and people are historically welcoming. Recent winner of several Tourism awards for Best Destination, Portugal boasts an unusual mix of history and culture, gastronomy and nature. The weather is mild all year round and attracts many adventure-lovers.

Social and legal changes have lately opened up the real estate sector to short-term accommodation and student residences. Day-to-day life is relatively inexpensive (about half what it costs in London, for example), while the quality of life is enviable.

Bearing all this in mind, MBA students in Portugal can add a defining competitive edge to their resume in a place that gathers the perfect conditions to help them deal with the typical pressure and workload of an MBA.

For additional information on this topic feel free to contact The Lisbon MBA advisors.

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Marta Andaluz is Director of Marketing and Admissions at The Lisbon MBA, a joint venture between two top European Schools based in Lisbon: Católica-Lisbon and Nova SBE. They offer a 1-year Full-Time MBA and an Executive MBA in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management. 

 

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Is An MBA The Right Move? 5 Reasons You Should Invest In One - Poets&Quants

Once upon a time, investing in an MBA was seen as what really big shots did when they wanted to become even bigger shots — and it worked. But now, as higher education becomes more accessible and many young professionals have some kind of university degree, why make such a huge investment?

Well, for very good reasons. This blog post will help you reframe the way you think about MBAs and understand whether pursuing one is the right move for you.

1 – Because it’s an MBA!

The democratization of education worldwide and the huge increase in both the number of MBA applicants and students and the number of programs on offer sometimes overshadows the obvious: an MBA is the most prestigious and challenging business master’s degree there is. Its stamp on a CV offers instant worldwide recognition. It corresponds to a professional certification in business administration as well. All of this means that an MBA opens many doors careerwise, wherever you choose to live and gives you the chance to negotiate higher salaries. The only caveat here is that you must choose your MBA wisely and ensure you’re attending a school with international standards of excellence.

2 – Because smart people need to meet smart people to succeed

Networking opportunities are a major part of a solid MBA. Yet when prospective students read this kind of sentences, they often think of conferences, parties and “meet & drink” events attended by important executives. Actually, occasions such as these complement the most long-lasting kind of networking an MBA allows: the one that takes place in the classroom. If you’re an MBA student, you’re surrounded by really smart and ambitious people who — just like you — want more out of life. Some of them may become friends for life, business partners in post-graduation ventures, investors that make your ideas a reality. And let’s not forget the Faculty! MBA Professors and lecturers are handpicked based on academic and professional experience, so make the most of what they have to share with you if you’re one of their lucky pupils.

3 – Because everyone needs a chance to stop and think from time to time

If you think about your daily life, filled with urgent requests from your superiors at work; with worries about your family; with efforts to spend quality time with your partners and friends; so on and so forth. When do you really pause to ensure that you’re managing your career and your life instead of it managing you? Taking an MBA allows you to stop for one or two years and learn new things, look beyond your little bubble and imagine a future in a globalized world with immense opportunities. It also forces you to work on the kind of subject matters and soft skills that you’ll need if you decide to embrace such opportunities.

4 – Because the market wants MBA graduates

One of the studies ordered by the GMAC (the Graduate Management Admissions Council, the organ responsible for the GMAT) in 2017 concluded that hiring MBA graduates is again an important market trend. According to the research, 79% of employers (as opposed to 68% in 2016) were on the lookout for MBA graduates in 2017.

5 – Because MBA alumni would do it again

In 2014, Harvard Business Review published an article based on a survey that approached 21,000 former business school students — over 90% of whom, when asked if they would’ve enrolled in B-school again at the time they did, knowing all that they’d learned after graduation, answered an unequivocal “Yes.” Who are we to disagree with them?

If you want to discuss in more detail your MBA plans and how our program fits them, please schedule a meeting here. We’ll be happy to help!

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Marta Andaluz is director of marketing and admissions at The Lisbon MBA, a joint venture between two top European schools based in Lisbon: Católica-Lisbon and Nova SBE. They offer a one-year full-time MBA and an executive MBA in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management.

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