International Students in American
Business Schools
Robert Joss, dean of the Stanford Graduate
School of Business in California, discusses the application process for
graduate programs in business administration and U.S. business schools'
strategies for keeping competitive internationally, during a USINFO Web
chat.
Question: Are there any possibilities to match up the cost for an MBA
degree according to the economic status of the country a student comes
from, or according to the economic status of the student? Is it possible
for an MBA graduate to be recruited in the United States? What are the
limits and expectations?
Robert Joss: Graduate education is
expensive. It is costly to deliver. Fortunately, many students are eligible
for financial assistance, so I would encourage interested students to
investigate the availability of such aid as a way to ameliorate the cost of
studying in this country.
Yes, it is possible to be recruited in the United States-but this will also
require the graduate to obtain the necessary work visa in order to remain
in the country. It is best to investigate the feasibility of such a visa
with a prospective employer during the interview process.
In the developing world, not all MBAs find jobs.
Would you subscribe to the view that a degree in IT holds better prospects
for landing a job?
My view is that the world has many, many more management jobs than it has
IT jobs-so I believe the MBA, as a degree which covers a basic and broad
body of knowledge relevant to general management-is probably better at
generating job prospects over the long run. Perhaps the difficulty you have
seen is due more to employer unfamiliarity with what the applicant actually
can do for that employer.
Does your school offer any financial aid for
foreign students? If yes, how can we apply for it?
Our school does offer financial aid, and about three-fourths of all our
students receive some amount of financial aid. Many American business
schools have some type of financial aid, and you should investigate that
when applying to any school. But first you have to gain admission to the
school, then you can investigate the availability of financial aid.
How can I participate in this program? Where do I
have to submit the necessary documentation? Are the MBA courses provided
with scholarships?
You need to apply to each university separately. Decide first which
university program might best meet your needs. Each university that has a
business school (and there are hundreds of them in America) maintains a Web
site where you can learn all about that program. There are also some
general Web sites, such as the one maintained by the Graduate Management
Admission Council (www.gmac.com/gmac), which provide summarized information
about many, many schools. Once you have selected a few schools of possible
interest to you, then you can investigate whether they have scholarship
funds available.
What undergraduate degree do you feel is most
helpful for an MBA?
We admit people to Stanford with a tremendous diversity of undergraduate
degrees. I would find it difficult to specify any one as "most helpful."
Our most common undergraduate degree holders come from engineering and
economics-which tells you what the applicants think is useful. But business
people everywhere tell me liberal arts, humanities, philosophy, psychology
are just as important as economics and engineering or basic sciences or
mathematics.
The most helpful thing is for an undergraduate to develop sound analytical
thinking and good communication skills, and to learn how to apply them in
everyday work and study.
As an overseas educational adviser, we see a great
many students that do not yet have work experience, but are still
interested in pursuing an MBA program. What other experiences could be
considered relevant that are outside the scope of practical work
experience?
At Stanford we are open to admit students right out of an undergraduate
program. But we do look for experience, because experience helps us to
evaluate what the applicant is capable of doing by seeing what he or she
has actually done-and not just what the applicant knows or says he or she
can do. Experience can be gained and demonstrated in many settings-not just
in a work environment. Within school, there are many opportunities for
leadership and organizational experience. In extracurricular activities,
student government, housing associations, summer jobs, part-time work-there
are many opportunities to demonstrate the acceptance of responsibility, the
application of knowledge to problem solving, and the ability to influence
others.
It seems to me that the skills you need to get a
job and the skills you need to do a good job five years later are sometimes
not compatible. How do you address that at Stanford?
We address this at Stanford by focusing on learning how to think for
yourself and learning how to continue learning (especially learning from
on-the-job experience) throughout your professional life. We do this by
emphasizing the foundations and functions of business, so that our students
take away solid theories, frameworks, and analytical techniques of
life-lasting value. Then to help with that first job, we offer workshops
and coaching in preparing for interviews, which focus on those skills that
are important to that first job within an organization.
How would you contrast the MBA degree with other
graduate business programs? Students can often find more research
assistantships available in other business programs such as Master of Arts
or Master of Science.
I think any graduate study in business and management is very helpful to
future career satisfaction. The important thing is to acquire familiarity
with the body of knowledge that informs one about the critical areas-about
economies, markets, organizations, individuals within organizations, and
the critical issues involved in the effective performance of organizations.
This could be an MBA program like ours, but it could also be attainable
within an M.A. or M.S. program. My advice would be to investigate just what
is covered and whether a student will obtain the necessary breadth and
depth of knowledge to prepare for managerial life.
What is your philosophy on the MBA rankings?
There is too much focus on rankings. The key is to find the school that is
best for you, the applicant; not what some publication thinks.
Please share your views on this article. Write to
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