Manchester’s ‘MBA in the Spotlight’

Manchester is home to one of the biggest student communities in the UK. This Northern hub withholds an incredible reputation for its excellent educational institutions, multilingual student population and unrivaled career prospects. As Manchester is such a diverse, cultural city bursting with opportunities, it’s no wonder that we continuously celebrate being part of it!

Here at Manchester Young Professionals, we are truly enamoured with everything that this incredible city has to offer and passionate about helping young people flourish in their professional lives. We seek to inform, educate and inspire young people about the various opportunities that present themselves in Manchester’s business and education scenes.

So, that being said, we’re writing today to boast about an extraordinary institution that offers young people outstanding industry-focussed tuition to students across the globe. Let’s dive right into our exploration of Alliance Manchester Business School and introduce our latest feature ‘MBA in the Spotlight’ to showcase what it’s like to be on their highly reputable MBA.

The MBA degrees available with Alliance Manchester Business School

As we have mentioned, this business school gives students all over the world the opportunity to transform their careers. Alliance Manchester Business School forms part of the reputable University of Manchester, this institution also takes pride in being the largest campus-based business and management school in the UK. One of their most popular and successful programmes with both national and international students is the Manchester MBA degree. Ranking 4th in the UK for their impressive MBA courses, projects and internships, AMBS remains a top choice for prospective postgraduate students everywhere.

This globally-recognised degree advances students’ knowledge and expertise in the world of business and management. Offering full-time, part-time and Global MBA courses, students are spoilt for choice with the plethora of possibilities made available to them by this highly-accredited school.

The journey and experiences of an MBA Student

Earning a Master’s Degree in Business Administration opens a lot of doors for young professionals hoping to establish themselves in the industry. This type of qualification not only advances an individual’s chances to start their own business, it can also pave the way for leadership positions in renowned companies. As you can imagine, landing a spot within Alliance Manchester Business School’s MBA programmes can be life changing for a lot of students.

In our first feature, we’ve picked the brains of local MBA student Alex Chivers, who currently studies a full-time programme at AMBS, to find out more about her choices, goals, background and experiences as a young business professional:

What was your job before the MBA? 

Before the MBA, I was working as a Partnerships Manager for a Conversion Rate Optimisation Agency in Manchester. This involved leading the strategy for the partnership programme to increase revenue and increase market visibility for the agency, including managing partner relationships, events, marketing content, assessing potential future partners – a bit of everything.

Why did you decide to study the MBA? 

I spent my 20s as a sports journalist, so it was a big career change moving into the digital agency world, first on the account management side and then into partnerships. While a lot of my skills are transferable, sports journalism is a very specific industry and I wanted to broaden my knowledge of business, particularly on the commercial side in order to give my career a boost and prepare myself for more senior roles.

How long had studying an MBA been in your career plan? 

Around two years before I started, but I had envisioned doing it part time and had been researching that side of things. But when the opportunity for full time came up I knew straight away it was the right decision for my career, because the full time programme is so practical and is packed with real life business projects I could use to enrich my experience.

What are your end goals from studying an MBA? 

To give my career a boost and prepare me for more senior roles in a business – both in terms of being more qualified, and to prepare me to make better strategic decisions so I can be successful in the role. I’d like to fully transition into the technology industry, and the MBA is a great opportunity to do that, particularly using the internship we do midway through the programme. Finally, I’d like to work internationally one day and having an MBA will help me achieve that ambition.

What have you done so far on the programme? 

We’re just at the end of the first term, but we’ve covered a lot of ground. We’ve started looking at the finance and accounting side, plus exploring management concepts, marketing and operations. But the highlight has been the Not for Profit project, which is our first ‘real world’ business project. My team worked as consultants with a local charity to look at helping them improve a specific business situation. It’s a bit daunting at first to be thrown straight into the project within a week or two of the course kicking off, but it’s a rewarding challenge that helps bring a lot of the lecture concepts to life – and we had a chance to help out a really worthwhile cause too.

What are you most looking forward to on the MBA?

We finish the course with an International Business project – which we have to bid for, and I’m really looking forward to that as a way of applying everything we’ve learned into one large project. I’m also really looking forward to (hopefully!) doing the internship in the summer, and applying the MBA learnings in a professional environment.

What has been your favourite part of the programme so far?

The people. Right at the start of term we all went away for a few days to the Lake District for some reflection and team building activities, which was very intense but a lot of fun and a great way to get to know everyone. Our cohort is from all over the world, and everyone has really varied backgrounds, experience and strengths. But everyone is really talented, and the group is fantastic at pulling people through difficulties and giving motivation through stressful deadlines! Working with them all, and spending time together outside the business school, has been a fantastic experience.

We were also keen to discover what draws students to Manchester…

Manchester is home to a large number of educational settings, all specialising in various areas of study. With almost 85,000 students living in and around Manchester, there certainly must be countless reasons why this amazing city attracts young people from all over the world! So – why might MBA students choose Manchester? We asked Alex exactly that.

Why did you choose Manchester? 

Two reasons – it’s extremely highly regarded and the practical element. I like that our lectures are supplemented by projects with real business clients – it’s a brilliant experience and really adds to the CV. Plus, it’s more fun than just studying the concepts out of a textbook! It also helps that it’s local for me.

What do you enjoy the most about living in Manchester?

I was born and brought up here so in my totally biased view it is one of the best cities around (and I have lived in a few before returning home!). There’s always lots going on in terms of events, festivals, food and drink, sporting events etc but for me the smaller size when compared with London means it’s easier to navigate and experience all those things. Easier on the wallet as well. The technology and media sectors are also really growing in Manchester still, so it’s an exciting time to be living and working here. Plus Manchester United are here, which is extremely important.

Do you plan to stay in Manchester having completed the MBA?

I hope to. I love the city and I’d like to work within the technology sector, so I hope that there are opportunities for me to fulfil my career goals here in Manchester.

How students can fund their educational journeys to obtain the degree they desire

There are an abundance of options out there to assist young people in securing the degree they wish to obtain. Funding does not always need to be sourced directly from your pockets. Undergraduates and postgraduates should always conduct research on the options available to them in financing their chosen courses. Alex is a student that attained a scholarship to study her full-time MBA, and has never looked back. Wondering how assisted funding might help you in taking a leap towards submitting an application? Let’s hear Alex’s thoughts on scholarships…

Funding is the key reason why local professionals do not embark on a Full-time MBA. What advice do you have when it comes to funding for those who may consider a Full-time MBA?

This is totally understandable, and it was one of the reasons I originally envisioned doing the MBA part time, so I could continue to earn. That changed for me because I was offered a scholarship, which helps offset the fees so the full time option, and all the benefits that come with that, became much easier to justify financially. The scholarship I’m on (Joseph Wright Scholarship) is only open to local candidates because the school does recognise that finances are a big reason why people are put off and are taking steps to help with that, which is great. There are a whole range of possible scholarship options, and while that does mean they are more attainable it can be a bit confusing, both in terms of what you’re eligible for and how likely it is you’ll get one.

I’d really recommend talking to the recruitment team – they are fantastic and will talk you through the options, what you’re eligible for and crucially, what is likely to be achievable for you in terms of funding. Then they will help guide you through the whole application process, including admissions and scholarships. It really feels like they are fighting your corner with you, and it makes the whole process much easier, clearer and less daunting! Overall, I’d say the scholarships are likely to be much more attainable than you think so if that’s the reason you’re hesitating, definitely reach out to them.

What advice would you give someone thinking of studying an MBA? 

Do it! But do your research first. It’s a big commitment to do it full time, because you’re taking a career break and aren’t earning, and the workload in the first couple of terms especially is very high! But you’ll learn a lot, benefit your career and meet lots of interesting and talented people, so I think the payoff is worth it.

Want to begin a career in Business Management? Let MYP help you secure a scholarship with AMBS

For many young people, the prospect of studying at a prestigious university to earn an MBA may seem virtually impossible where funding is concerned. Both Alliance Manchester Business School and MYP understand the setbacks and obstacles that can stand in the way of a talented young person grasping the opportunities they desire and deserve. Consequently, we make it our mission to deliver scholarships to ambitious young professionals in order to make their educational dreams come true. For us, funding should never hinder the pursuit of a career. By applying in 2022 for a scholarship worth £22,500, you could be one step closer to achieving your goals.

To learn more about Alliance Business School and their eligibility requirements and diverse degree options, visit their website or enquire with them today. Or – if the scholarships we offer sound intriguing – express your interest by emailing us at info@mcryoungprofessionals.com. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on this fantastic business school and the unique opportunities we have lined up.