Best Global MBA Programs for Consulting

Choosing the best Global MBA program with the goal of breaking into consulting is a huge decision. But which is the best Global MBA program for consulting? The right program can either catapult your career or confine you to markets you don't really want to be in.

Understanding the factors to consider when choosing an MBA program is essential. Should you target a US based program, or a global/international MBA programme? How much international experience is important to your eventual career goals? What size of program would best fit your cultural preferences? What market do you want to end up in? These questions and more are important to consider as you choose the MBA program that would best meet your career advancement goals. Listen to Jenny Rae, ex-Bain consultant, as she gives her list of the best global (international/non-US based) MBA programs for Consulting.

Best Global MBA Programs for Consulting- YouTube Transcription:

So, you're thinking about getting an MBA, and you're interested in US-based programs, which are generally top-tier. But you're also interested in global programs which can give amazing insight, perspective, and opportunities to see the world. We think you should look at both, and here we've separated out our best 10 global MBA programs for consulting.

Hi, I'm Jenny Rae, the Managing Director of Management Consulted, and a former Bain consultant, as well as a Columbia Business School MBA. I didn't go to get my MBA because I wanted to go into consulting, because I actually did it beforehand. But one of the things that I was thinking about when I picked my MBA program was the kind of international exposure it would give me. And I looked at a number of both US and international programs. So let me walk through our list of the top 10 programs.

#1- INSEAD: France, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi

View the INSEAD School Profile Page.

Number one, pretty unequivocally, is INSEAD. INSEAD has three campuses and programs, in France, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. And really it has both a sterling international reputation, in part because it has a requirement that you speak a second language when you go there, so everyone is bilingual pretty incredible. But it has an accelerated 10 month MBA program, which is one of the top global experiences in the education world. INSEAD is included in many top lists of programs regardless of the fact that it is global and not US based. And MBB firms are big recruiters at INSEAD. McKinsey leads the pack, but the other MBB firms focus on that. So for any offices really outside the US and even for some inside US positions, INSEAD is gonna be great. One of the challenges of INSEAD is that its ten month popular program is considered to be a little bit out of sync with standard recruiting processes at other firms and organizations. And you don't have the opportunity to do an internship like you would in other places. So if you're gonna choose any one of the other programs or think about other schools that is at least something to factor in. But overall, INSEAD places a lot of people and does a great job at preparing their students for consulting.

#2- London Business School: UK

Second on our list is London Business School. London Business School is a very, very, strong program in the UK. And in addition, London Business School is really focused on a shorter term process but they have a pipeline for internships and for full-time. London Business School has the prestigious location of being in London which is one of the consulting hubs of the world. And it's compared to INSEAD and Fontainebleau. It has a very, very powerful alumni network that's right just a Metro ride away inside London.

#3- Cambridge Judge Business School: UK

The third is the Cambridge Judge business School. Cambridge Judge is a top-ranked Business School but even though it's a top MBA program, it's even higher because of its focus on consulting, because it has a very strong financial services reputation, but it has a very, very, very, intimate classroom environment. Where students are supported throughout their entire career prep process. The other schools on our list have a very different kind of program something not quite as large, and a lot of the starting base salaries are really high for students that come from Cambridge Judge.

#4- HEC: France

HEC in France, is a top program and we love going to HEC. It's one of our favorite programs to go visit because it's really out in the middle of nowhere, which creates an incredible opportunity for students to get to know each other. And there are a lot of firms that hire from HEC, but most notably they have a broad set of consulting firms and internal strategy practices, where they prepare you for the case interview and then work with you through that.

#5- Oxford Said Business School: UK

Oxford Said Business School is another really top program in the UK. And Oxford is a really top program overall, but about 95% of the class recently, came from outside the United Kingdom. So out of all the schools that are on our list they're really probably the most global program, that we talk about. Because they have so many people coming from so many different places. One of the challenges that that brings, is supporting students that are interested in going back to their home countries, or supporting a lot of foreign students that are interested in staying in the UK, for the MBB process, but they do an amazing job.

#6- Rotman School of Management: Canada

The next one is the Rotman School of Management in Canada. Rotman is a top program. It's actually a little bit larger than some of our other programs that we've talked about. And because of this large focus and a very clear prestige differentiator over other top MBA programs in Canada, Rotman does a great job of placing into the top MBB programs, and the Big 4, inside the Toronto offices and inside other focuses for Toronto consulting, for Vancouver consulting, for Montreal consulting, etc.

#7- IESE: Spain

Next on our list is IESA in Spain. Now, IESE sends a lot of students to consulting. And they are considered to be a partner school to Harvard Business School with a case method in the classroom. So students are fluid in discussing their abilities, when they're talking about doing powerful resourcing overall. And they have a really strong training program for students that go through the consulting prep process. However, some of the methodology is a little bit out there. They focus on really creative structures, which sometimes don't fit quite in the same way with the standard consulting firms. So IESE in Spain, in Barcelona, has gone through a lot of unique changes to address the global consulting, recruiting process.

#8- Esade: Spain

Next on our list is Esade, also in Spain. And it's a top program globally. I think one of the challenges of being in Spain in general, is just that the Spanish market for consulting is not nearly as large, as for example the UK market. So that's one of the reasons why these schools fell a little further down on our list. Esade really places an emphasis on the flexibility in consulting. And it's focused on management consulting as a prep process, is a good focus for folks that are interested in going into it.

#9- HKUST: Hong Kong, China

Last but not least, we have a couple of Asian schools, which over time may very well disrupt some schools higher up our list. But HKUST in Hong Kong is one of the key places where students that are interested in getting MBA business training overseas are interested in going. Especially if your interest is placing in Asia afterwards, or if you come from Asia. It's really tailored at career professionals that want to change careers. And so they do a good job of supporting their professionals in going into consulting.

#10- NUS: Singapore

And then finally, on our list is NUS. NUS is a top MBA program and specifically again, focused on really great recruiting and also placement. Because Singapore is smaller, unlike some of our Spanish schools, that actually adds to its advantage. Because students won't only find jobs in Singapore, they're gonna find them all over Southeast Asia, all over Asia, all over Asia Pacific, all over EMEA and beyond. And because of its global nature, NUS does a really good job of preparing students for consulting.

Wrap Up

Overall, we have a lot of great schools that we feature, that focus on their pathway into consulting. If you're a school who's interested in being featured for what you do to help students break into consulting, we'd love to help. We'd love to write an article about you, do a feature about you, and help with additional programming to help your students as well. So please reach out to us at team@managementconsulted.com. In addition, if you want more great content like this follow us on social. Also you can check out this channel, make sure you subscribe, and you can always find us on our website at www.managementconsulted.com.