| Topic Name: |
Advice Needed: PhD? |
| Message Name: |
I know this is off t |
| Date Posted: |
04/18/2000 |
| In Reply To: |
There are some very good MBA programs in Europe, that probably can compete with the best US business schools. Unfortunately, there is also a large number of poor programs, mainly because "MBA" is not a certified education in the sense that educational programs must be reviewed by official boards. This means, basically everybody can teach an MBA program and issue a certificate.
As a result, consulting firms (and others)in Europe often give preference to PhDs. In this case, they know at least what they get. Also, a PhD in Europe is very often more difficult to obtain than in the US and the requirements are rather high. (I spoke about that with my PhD-supervisor today who also spent many years at US universities.)
This holds true for all major consulting firms, also those who might prefer hiring MBAs in the US. |
| Message: |
I know this is off topic, so I'll keep it short. Just to clarify, I don't think you'll find too many in agreement with the statement that PhD's are more difficult to obtain in Europe than the US. Besides the academic rigor and the standards of outside committee members, one of the most challenging aspects of a US Ph.D. program is its "open ended" nature. In contrast to the European system where Ph.D. programs are finite in duration, one can get stuck in a US program for a heck of a long time, often up to 10-12 years. This breeds some emotional stress I think to be unique to US PhD students and make the programs much more challenging.
OK, enough rambling... my humblest of apologies for taking up your time with this off-topic rant:)
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