Business education: Path to career success

Published: Fri 9 Sep 2016, 11:31 PM

Last updated: Fri 9 Sep 2016, 11:35 PM

dubai - Industries change. Organisations change. People change. However, the global demand for graduate business education remains high because change is the only constant in the business world, and an MBA or other specialised Master's degrees provide the tools and leadership skills necessary to adapt to an ever-changing business landscape.

Leading the effort to help students find a graduate business programme that will put them on the path to success is the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the maker of the GMAT exam and the leading association of more than 6,000 GMAT accepting business programmes worldwide, including 72 programmes in the Middle East region.

"GMAC's mission is to provide the solutions necessary for business schools and candidates to discover and evaluate one another to ensure that talent doesn't go undiscovered," said Sangeet Chowfla, GMAC President and CEO. "We know that prospective business students have different career aspirations and motivations driving them to pursue a management degree, and there are a great number of business schools and programmes around the world seeking to align with their goals and enhance their skills and talent."

The reasons for pursuing a graduate business degree vary, and may include career, salary, and skill development, among others. GMAC recently conducted a market segmentation study that revealed the top five motivations of students who are pursuing a graduate business education. These include: improving management skills; advancing careers; improving specific skills; having a more satisfying career; and improving leadership skills.

These motivating factors reflect those of students in the Middle East region as well, who are pursuing business education to increase job opportunities, develop knowledge and managerial skills, increase salary potential, and accelerate career growth.

As a student, understanding your motivations for considering a graduate business education is a big part of the decision-making process, but of equal importance is understanding whether it is worth the investment. Recent data from GMAC indicates that it is. According to the 2016 GMAC Alumni Perspectives Survey, 95 per cent of graduate business alumni rate their degree as good to outstanding value, and the majority found their education to be rewarding personally, professionally, and financially. GMAC data also show that women, in particular, highly value their graduate management education, as the vast majority rate their degree as a good to outstanding value, and they say the degree was personally, professionally, and financially rewarding.

Recent enhancements to the exam, such as a score preview feature and score cancel options, help ensure that test takers have more control and confidence over their GMAT experience and can put their best foot forward during the testing and application process.The most widely used exam for MBA admissions

Accepted by more than 6,500 graduate business programmes worldwide, the GMAT is the most widely used exam for business school admissions. Most students in the Middle East region who take the GMAT exam choose to study abroad, with European and US programmes being the top destinations.