MBA programs at the PwC Academy. What is an MBA, why and who needs this degree Mba education

Is it possible to become a successful specialist without specialized education? Extremely difficult. Is it possible to become a successful manager without a business education? Lots of examples.

Then why does business education exist? Why do companies spend millions to get their executives to have an MBA? And how can this degree be useful to an ordinary person?

We decided to answer these popular questions together with - one of the most popular business schools in Russia, where you can get an MBA degree and become a master of business administration.

What is the point of business education?

Business education is really fundamentally different from what is taught at a university or in advanced training courses. Theoretically, it is at the intersection of several disciplines that are related to management - law, psychology, economics, statistics. But theory is not a major part of it, simply because the problems that managers face are not of a narrow, specific nature. The ability to apply the acquired knowledge from different areas Therefore, MBA programs are built primarily on the basis of practice.

Imagine: a large textile factory presented a "gift" for Christmas, burning down a couple of weeks before the holiday. The restoration of production will take six months - it is obvious that during this time all the workers will run away. Which textbook to look into to find a solution?

The problem is that in no - most likely, the textbook simply does not exist. Unlike other fields of activity, there are not so many ready-made solutions in business, otherwise we would all have become millionaires long ago. Too many independent parameters, too many unpredictable circumstances.

Business education teaches how to act in situations where the choice is huge, and there are no ready-made solutions. This requires high-order skills: strategic thinking, planning, analysis. That is why business education is not like studying law or materials science - only knowledge is not enough.

A decisive role in shaping the thinking of a manager is played by practice or case study - analysis of real business situations. By the way, the example with the burned down factory is also from real life. The manager persuaded the owners to pay workers full wages for six months while production was being restored.

After the company returned to the market, labor productivity at the factory increased by 40%, customers and staff became almost twice as loyal. The manager proudly wore the status of a business guru, until a few years later the plant was forced to file for bankruptcy. There are no universal solutions, and it is important to take into account any experience.

Who gets business education?

MBA students are either managers or management candidates. Someone aspires to grow up to the position of a boss at work, someone dreams of gaining market share with their company. MBA will be useful for both, but most likely they will choose different programs learning.

There are several programs in the world for different levels and areas of training - from the most general MBA General to highly specialized ones. But the core of training, consisting of the basics of various functional specialties (from marketing to HR) and subjects in analytics and ethics in business, is preserved in all programs.

in Moscow business school the most basic training option is presented in the form of an MBA Start program aimed at solving practical cases. You can also choose industry-specific MBAs and study your direction in business in depth, or functional ones, which give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in one of the areas of business administration: this is useful for those who aspire to lead a department in a company.

Studying according to the general program is aimed at managers of all categories. A manager who solves the work problems of his subordinates is a bad leader, so every boss needs complex rather than highly specialized knowledge in the first place.

What exactly do leaders learn?

The skills of the Master of Business Administration go beyond the standard technical skills of working with reports and personnel. Here is an example from practice: one of the graduates of the Moscow Business School, immediately after graduating from the MBA program, faced new job with a test of strength - it was necessary to launch the work of one of the departments of the shopping center under construction in two months from scratch.

“Everything was important here: competent staging and distribution of tasks among a limited number of employees, rational time planning, motivation of employees for a large amount of work in a construction environment, the ability to quickly make important decisions,” she said. It seemed hardly possible to complete the task without the skills acquired in training.

MBA instructors are people with relevant experience. Generally, the higher the status educational institution the better the experts it invites. This is one of the main differences between the learning process in the MBA program and other courses - the role of the teacher's personality is higher here.

Is it the same as business training and coaching?

Real business education is not like coaching. The MBA program is not limited to psychological training, although there are some - success in business is too often tied to leadership skills a particular person, so their development is also necessary. But trainings do not occupy the most significant part of the training: in the Start Moscow Business School MBA program, the Manager's Personal Efficiency Skills module is only one of 15.

Often the importance of studying in an MBA program is reduced to networking. You not only learn how to build business communications through communication with colleagues, but also create an asset from social connections for the future. There is a popular opinion that networking is generally the most valuable thing in studying for an MBA program, and it is worth going to get a degree only because of the right social circle.

What to do after MBA?

Much depends on the program you have chosen. If this is a functional program, then for a start you can become a line manager, and this is perhaps the most reliable option in terms of career growth for specialists and leading specialists.

Industry programs are popular among those who have already decided on the area of business or the direction of career development for a manager. General program MBA is a classic option that started the history of MBA education in the USA: people go to it to get the most detailed experience that will be useful in any managerial position.

You can learn more about study programs at Moscow Business School.

National requirements for the general content and conditions for the implementation of MBA level programs
(NASDOBR, 2015. extract)

1. MBA level program is a professional development program of a generalist nature for those with significant relevant experience practical work required in order to contribute to educational process within their group, with an emphasis on leadership, strategic management and professional orientation.

2. The aim of the MBA level program is to:

systematize and enrich previous practical experience.
develop students' strategic thinking, entrepreneurial skills, innovation and leadership skills.
develop understanding and experience in studying key business issues, including its transformation and globalization, and identify the potential contribution of business to solving these problems.
develop interpersonal skills and teamwork.
develop the ability to apply accumulated and newly acquired knowledge and experience to solve complex business problems in a different context.
To ensure the acquisition of knowledge at an advanced level in the management of an organization and the study of the environment in which it operates.
form an understanding of socially responsible business management.
promote continuous learning and personal development.

3. At least 60% of teachers involved in the implementation of the basic professional disciplines of the program submitted for accreditation, must be full-time teachers educational institution, have an academic degree and / or title, and experience of scientific and pedagogical work for at least 5 years.
TO basic disciplines are disciplines in management and organization development strategies, which form the basis of a professional approach to solving problems of organization management from a generalist and functional position in a strategic perspective.

4. To teaching special disciplines managers, specialists, professional trainers, coaches, consultants with practical experience in business or Scientific research and developments in this subject area.

Special disciplines (mandatory and optional) include disciplines of functional, industry and other specialization of the MBA program and provide in-depth consideration of the most important aspects of business and management, based on the specifics of the MBA program and the target group of students. This makes it possible to take into account the individual preferences of students from the standpoint of their organizational and career interests.

5. The nature of the MBA level program takes into account the relevant work experience of the trainees. The program is intended for those who will soon be able to make a significant contribution to the management of the organization at a strategic level. It should provide both an intellectually challenging training program and an opportunity for personal development.

6. Highly specialized professional retraining programs for managers (in finance, marketing, personnel management, etc.) do not belong to the MBA category if their educational and thematic plans do not provide a balanced study of all the main aspects of managing an organization in a complex.

7. The MBA level program should provide relevant knowledge and understanding of the organization, the external environment in which it operates, interaction with shareholders. Compliance with the requirements for standard program content should be achieved. The program should provide students with general knowledge in the field of management, including:

concepts and processes in the field of production and marketing of goods and / or services, financing of an enterprise or other form of organization.
concepts and methods of accounting, quantitative methods, and management information systems, including IT applications.
organization theory, organizational behavior, human resource management and interpersonal communication issues.
processes and problems general management at the operational and strategic level.
macro and microeconomics.
the influence of environmental factors on the organization, including legal systems, demographic, ethical, social and technological issues.
change management skills.
business policy and strategy.
leadership and entrepreneurship.
business sustainability, ethics and risk management in business decision making.
modern aspects such as creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation, e-commerce, knowledge management and globalization.

8. MBA level program should be holistic (integrated) and build the student's ability to combine the knowledge and skills acquired in individual courses. This can be done through a project where the trainees can demonstrate an understanding of the theory and how to apply it.

9. Normative volume of the MBA level program in any form of education is at least 1800 hours of academic work, of which at least 600 hours of classroom lessons. It is allowed to replace classroom classes in an amount not exceeding 300 hours by conducting classes remotely

10. Programs can be in full and part-time format , use distance learning methods or be mixed.

The program is supported through an online platform that students can access off campus and outside of class hours.

In programs developed for modular basis , the structure should take into account an interdisciplinary approach to management, provide for the means by which the integration of individual subjects is achieved.

Programs can carry out significant part of the learning process remotely or in the format of "blended learning" . Programs operating in such modes must ensure that students receive an education equivalent to that of full-time students.

European guidelines for MBA programs
(accepted by EQUAL, signed by the Russian Association of Business Education)

Generalist MBA program designed for people with work experience, focused on educational outcomes (acquired knowledge and understanding, professional skills and abilities, universal skills and abilities), this is a program that forms strategic thinking.

Section 1. Economics - the legal environment of business

Patterns of economic behavior of subjects
Macroeconomic indicators in the company's activities
Business Law
labor law
Corporate Governance
Institutional Relations

Section 2. Personal and professional development

Manager systems thinking
Professional skills of a manager (training)
Personal management art
Team building (training)
Business communications (training)
Career Development Program
self-management
English language

Section 3 Financial Management

Financial and credit system
Financial markets and financial institutions
Taxation
Accounting and the financial analysis for managers
Accounting
Management Accounting
The financial analysis
Company finance management
Basic concepts of financial management
Investment management
Enterprise valuation
Risk management (elective course)
financial technology
Organization of the securities market and exchange operations
Making short-term financial decisions
Tax Management (elective course)
Formation financial policy organizations (elective course)

Section 4. Management

The evolution of managerial thought, systems approach to management
General and operational management
Implementation of a balanced scorecard
Logistics management
Strategic management
Quality management
Business planning
Project management

Section 5. The person in the organization

Organizational behavior
Conflict Management
Survival strategy (training)
Human resource management
Change management (training)
Cross - cultural management (elective course)
Management technologies
Leadership in management (training)
Theory and technologies of effective communications in management (training)

Section 6 Information Management

Information systems and technologies
Information and knowledge management
Telecommunication qualifications

Section 7. Marketing

General Marketing
Marketing Management
Making pricing decisions.
Marketing communications technologies
Marketing technologies
Sales management (training)
Branding (elective course)

Section 8 international Business and management

International business environment
Foreign economic activity
International Business Technologies

Section 9. Applied projects. Independent work

Consulting.
Management consulting.
Internships (optional).
Computer business game (optional course).

certification project.

First, a few words about terms. MBA (master of business administration or master of business administration) is a master's degree in economics and management. Respectively MBA education is the training that leads to such a degree.

There are many different things being said about an MBA education. An IBA can raise salaries many times over, makes it possible to get a position of a top manager, freely choose a job in the labor market... Is this true? Let's figure it out.

Where does the MBA come from?

MBA programs originally appeared in the United States around the beginning of the 20th century. The purpose of such training was to prepare senior managers for the needs of the business. The MBA very quickly became the standard for top management training and a brand in the American labor market. This was partly due to High Quality education, partly because of the high demands placed on students and a rigid selection system. It is difficult to enter the MBA in the USA and not everyone will be taken to study despite the high cost of education.

MBA is hands-on learning

The highlight of an MBA business education is practical training, working with real cases and solving problems faced by real companies. Accordingly, teachers are also practitioners, consultants or current managers and directors of companies.

It is for this reason that they do not teach in universities when they receive their first higher education. There are practically no teachers who are or have been in business.

In addition to case studies, the learning process includes business games, trainings, seminars, development of own projects and their defense, as well as constant teamwork. Of course, the composition of classes varies depending on the format of training (full-time, part-time, distance).

MBA, second higher education, magistracy - what to choose?

Often people ask themselves: what to choose, MBA, second higher education or a master's degree?". The practical approach is a strong difference between the MBA and the second higher and master's programs. MBA students must have work experience and business management skills. Master's and second higher education, on the contrary, are focused on the theoretical training of students.

The second argument in favor MBA is good Teaching Staff . In general, I would like to say that it is better to choose business training not by the prestige of a school or university, but by the level of teachers. The stronger they are, the stronger training program. The prestige of a diploma is a second matter.

What is MBA training

There are many different MBA programs and here are the main ones:

EMBA (Executive MBA), focused only on top managers.
Full-time MBA - full-time, full-time education. It is not particularly popular, because. With such training, it is impossible to combine work and study.
Part-time MBA is part-time education that makes it easy to combine work and study. Classes can take place in the evening, on weekends (for example, 2 times a week in the evenings and one full day off or two full days off) or have a modular system (for example, 4 full days per month).
Distance learning MBA is a format that involves distance learning. This format is now gaining popularity, although it has its pros and cons.
Mini-MBA is not an abbreviated MBA, but simply a management training course, usually designed for 6 months. Now such training is very popular, because. takes a little time, costs significantly less and has a good teaching staff.

MBA program specializations

Curricula can be of a general and sectoral plan. In both options, general managers are being trained, but in the second case, a little more material is given on a certain profile.

MBA Start (General Management), which is a kind of basic education for a manager of any level.
MBA professional. Highly specialized (marketing, personnel management, sales...) or industry-specific programs (logistics, HoReCa, retail, manufacturing, construction, and more).

Why you need an MBA

There are several benefits of an MBA education:

Practical skills and knowledge. MBA is cases from real business, communication with directors of corporations, modern presentation of material, home practical tasks. All this makes the MBA a good investment in yourself and your career.
Exchange of experience with colleagues for study. Perhaps this is even the most important moment of such a business education.
Connections and acquaintances. In the learning process, you can meet interesting and active people (both students and teachers).
Expanding horizons. The MBA covers all aspects of business management: leadership, marketing, sales, HR, project management and more. The learning process is focused not on the narrow sharpening of managers, but on the training of specialists who can think and make decisions in various situations.
An MBA can make your job search easier. For example, now hh.ru has 98 vacancies in Moscow, which say that the MBA is a significant plus for the candidate.

The cost of MBA programs in Russia ranges from about 30 thousand rubles (for distance learning mini-MBA) up to 1.5 million rubles and more (for a full-fledged 2-year MBA program). However, such investments in oneself fully pay for themselves, because. raise managers to a new level of development.

Will there be an increase in income after completing an MBA?

An MBA education not only increases income, but also improves the qualifications of a manager and helps him move up the career ladder. Such an increase will inevitably increase earnings. Experts call earnings growth figures in the region of 30-70%.

Experience is more important than a degree

Despite all the advantages of an MBA, work experience is always more important. MBA is not a panacea for all troubles and it will not solve all issues. Any employer always first evaluates the experience, achievements and level of companies in which the candidate worked, and only then looks at education and diplomas.

Figuratively speaking, the MBA is a handy and modern rod with which you can catch a lot of fish. However, you will have to catch this fish yourself.

Program MBA (Master of Business Administration) - historically the main (flagship) program in the business school. In addition to MBA, Executive MBA and DBA programs, business schools offer medium-term and short-term business education programs: professional retraining, advanced training.

There is a lot of truth in the picture; a similar situation sooner or later comes to a lot of career-oriented managers and business owners. Only new knowledge and new skills give the opportunity to solve problems. Humanity has not come up with anything else.

The “core of competencies” of top managers includes everything that is the basis of the modern MBA and EMBA standard (this is, in particular, a study of the competencies of top managers of the Skolkovo School of Management)

MBA- a training program for managers of middle and senior management for effective work in business, government and municipal government(cm.).

Based on the results of training, a qualification MBA degree. To study for an MBA, you must have a diploma of higher education and at least 2 years of practical experience. (AMBA-accredited business schools and business institutes set a minimum tenure of 3 years).

Graduates of MBA programs have basic knowledge in general and strategic management, marketing, finance, business development, accounting, human resource management, project management, etc. (see the full list of MBA graduate competencies). Program graduate MBA school business issues a diploma of vocational retraining established by the (state) sample and its own MBA diploma.

MBA competencies are important for Russian managers because:

the level of competition among employers for well-educated and talented candidates is high.

the skills of about half of current managers in the field of management do not correspond to modern requirements: there are no skills and tools for innovation, change management, lack of competencies for business cost management, project management, communication skills are not well developed, etc.

older generations of managers are retiring and there is a shortage of competent and experienced managers to replace them. To date, the number of top managers with an MBA degree is still small.

According to the survey of the magazine "General Director"

1. Where is an MBA required?

having an MBA diploma significantly increases the candidate's chances of successful employment in any field at any level of management, especially in the financial and banking sector, marketing and sales, project and operations management, consulting, state and municipal government.

graduates of business schools in the field of strategic management are most in demand.
in companies operating on the international market or involved in international trade transactions.
knowledge. received at the MBA will be valuable for those who run their own business or plan to create their own startup.

2. What can you find on an MBA?

Knowledge, skills, abilities. Even people with impressive experience, who think they know everything, after entering the MBA program, are convinced that this is far from being the case. The fact is that the business school accumulates knowledgeable, experienced, ambitious, thinking people, and this "collective mind" enriches each participant in the training.

More than 70% of MBA graduates consider knowledge the most the main learning outcome . And not only knowledge. Here is how they talk about it in an interview with our portal:

"rethinking the life position and the main goal, understanding the main business processes"
"expanding the horizon of strategic vision and thinking"
"general structure necessary knowledge and identifying bottlenecks in their own knowledge for their further development”
"served as a starting point for a new round of self-development"
"believe in yourself"
"self-awareness and a different view of what is happening"
"Changing mindset"
"new thinking, new qualitative perception and understanding of business processes"
"toolkit for company reorganization"
“the systemic attitude to one’s own work and evaluation of the work of others has changed”
"the ability to objectively compare your own level with colleagues from other companies"
"a new look at resolving issues and building partnerships at work in a different format"
start-up incentive, etc.

Changes. Learning and socializing interesting people leads to changes in your approach to work, business. You begin to change, discover new talents in yourself and develop new skills, become more confident in yourself. You can speak the same professional language with professionals in any business. Your price in the labor market is growing.

Communication environment (Networking). At the business school, the MBA program brings together active, career- and business-oriented people. People for whom the desire for something new, creativity and interest in life are natural. Is this not an ideal environment for your further personal and professional growth? Business connections and acquaintances while studying for an MBA often lead to dramatic changes in a career, and indeed life. This often pays off the cost of training many times over. The base of your contacts is expanding, and you also find yourself in other bases: the base of a business school, the bases of alumni associations.

3. Who is studying for an MBA?

Getting a business education is directly related to business success. However, it can only be effective for those who have practical work experience after graduating from higher education. Usually this is at least 2 years of practical experience (not necessarily in a managerial position) or 3 years in business schools with prestigious international accreditations.

Business education is based on discussions of business situations (case-studies), which involve, to a large extent, reliance on one's own practical experience. Therefore, for those who have little such experience, we advise you not to rush to the MBA.

Contrary to common perceptions, MBA programs in Russian business schools are not limited to company executives.

27 years old - 33 years old - average age of MBA students. The most numerous cohort of MBA students is aged 29-44, although there are students younger and older.

Composition of the MBA program group(on the example of the evening program):

50 - 60% - middle managers.

25 - 30% - top managers (general, commercial, financial directors, business owners).

10 - 15% - line managers.

4. Motives for applicants to MBA programs, see

5. How much can your annual income increase after the end of the MBA?

According to the statistics of our portal, managers who, 2 years after graduating from the MBA moved up the career ladder have increased their income on average 1.5 times , and this equally affected middle and top managers.

Among those who remain in the same position, there is a difference: top managers were able to increase their income 1.5 times , middle managers - by 30% .

The salary of a candidate with an MBA, as a rule, is 25-30% higher than the average job seeker's salary, recruiters say.

6. Career changes and earnings growth after MBA, see

7. Who shouldn't go for an MBA?

Those who do not have a clear goal in their development and do not have the motivation to change themselves, their work, their business.
Those who are not ready for serious work during their studies and perceive the MBA as a "magic wand" that will automatically increase their salary and transfer them to the chair of a top manager.

8. Leader or not a leader?

An MBA is also a great opportunity to develop such a quality as leadership. You can understand what qualities you have more by passing

First, a few words about terms. MBA (master of business administration or master of business administration) is a master's degree in economics and management. Accordingly, an MBA education is the training that allows one to obtain such a degree.

Where does the MBA come from?

MBA programs originally appeared in the United States around the beginning of the 20th century. The purpose of such training was to prepare senior managers for the needs of the business. The MBA very quickly became the standard for top management training and a brand in the American labor market. This was partly due to the high quality of education, partly due to high requirements for students and a rigid selection system. It is difficult to enter the MBA in the USA and not everyone will be taken to study despite the high cost of education.

MBA is hands-on learning

It is for this reason that they do not teach in universities when they receive their first higher education. There are practically no teachers who are or have been in business.

MBA, second higher education, magistracy - what to choose?

Often people ask themselves: what to choose, MBA, second higher education or master's degree?". The practical approach is a strong difference between the MBA and the second higher and master's programs. MBA students must have work experience and business management skills. Master's and second higher education, on the contrary, are focused on the theoretical training of students.

The second argument in favor MBA - good teaching staff. In general, I would like to say that it is better to choose business training not by the prestige of a school or university, but by the level of teachers. The stronger they are, the stronger the curriculum. The prestige of a diploma is a second matter.

What is MBA training

There are many different MBA programs and here are the main types:

EMBA (Executive MBA), focused only on top managers.
Full-time MBA - full-time, full-time education. It is not particularly popular, because. With such training, it is impossible to combine work and study.
Part-time MBA is part-time education that makes it easy to combine work and study. Classes can take place in the evening, on weekends (for example, 2 times a week in the evenings and one full day off or two full days off) or have a modular system (for example, 4 full days per month).
Distance learning MBA is a format that involves distance learning. This format is now gaining popularity, although it has its pros and cons.
Mini-MBA is not an abbreviated MBA, but simply a management training course, usually designed for 6 months. Now such training is very popular, because. takes a little time, costs significantly less and has a good teaching staff.

MBA program specializations

Curricula can be of a general and sectoral plan. In both options, general managers are being trained, but in the second case, a little more material is given on a certain profile.

MBA Start (General Management), which is a kind of basic education for a manager of any level.
MBA professional. Highly specialized (marketing, personnel management, sales...) or industry-specific programs (logistics, HoReCa, retail, manufacturing, construction, and more).

Why you need an MBA

There are several benefits of an MBA education:

Practical skills and knowledge. MBA is cases from real business, communication with directors of corporations, modern presentation of material, home practical assignments. All this makes the MBA a good investment in yourself and your career.
Exchange of experience with colleagues for study. Perhaps this is even the most important moment of such a business education.
Connections and acquaintances. In the learning process, you can meet interesting and active people (both students and teachers).
Expanding horizons. The MBA covers all aspects of business management: leadership, marketing, sales, HR, project management and more. The learning process is focused not on the narrow sharpening of managers, but on the training of specialists who can think and make decisions in various situations.
An MBA can make your job search easier. For example, now hh.ru has 98 vacancies in Moscow, which say that the MBA is a significant plus for the candidate.

The cost of MBA programs in Russia ranges from about 30,000 rubles (for distance learning mini-MBA) to 1.5 million rubles and more (for a full-fledged 2-year MBA program). However, such investments in oneself fully pay for themselves, because. raise managers to a new level of development.