International MBA Program

Anne-Marie Heron

While working full-time in a demanding job, I was able to complete my MBA on my own timeline. I thoroughly enjoyed the courses I took, and I found the material very comprehensive and clear. A MBA has given me a good foundation in business knowledge to complement my engineering background. I would highly recommend this MBA program based on its flexibility, cost, and content.

Blair Harris

I have always been a believer in lifelong learning. In 1998, through a friend, I happened upon the EBS MBA program. With a demanding job and an active recreational life, I could never dream of completing an MBA on a full-time basis so, when I learned of the flexible schedule I was immediately interested. I had also noticed that employers in Canada were seeking the MBA qualification as a standard.

I took three and a half years to complete the program and was able to write my exams at a regional exam centre operated by a local college in the city where I reside. I found the textbooks excellent and the examinations representative of what one would expect to see from a world class MBA program. I had the discipline to keep up with my readings and prepare for my exams. The exams were a fair and thorough test of my knowledge and ability to apply business theory to real-life business cases; passing an EBS MBA exam meant that you knew your stuff!

I had been in the workforce for nearly 20 years at the time of registration and this provided me with real-life aptitude and experience that helped me relate to the EBS MBA business concepts. It also allowed me to practice what I had learned immediately. As a consequence, I got much more from the program than if I had completed an MBA after graduating as an undergraduate 20 years earlier.

After investing a great deal of personal energy and time, the MBA provides me with the self-satisfaction and confidence that one would expect from an achievement of this nature. It also provides me with recognition and admiration from colleagues and clients who are impressed with my new found knowledge and credentials. Ultimately, the MBA contributed to my successful advancement into my current position with the Provincial Government; financially it represented a 20% salary increase.

In hindsight, I am delighted that I had the courage to investigate and enroll in the EBS MBA program. The program’s flexible course scheduling, high standards and reasonable pricing structure combined with my self-discipline and my desire to succeed were the key ingredients for success. My EBS MBA has enabled me to advance along a more exciting and prosperous career path.

Carmen Dima

Back in 2001, after six months of intensive research, I selected EBS MBA as the most reputable, flexible and comprehensive program available. At that time I’ve given myself two years to finish it; to my surprise, I got so engaged in the material that nine months later I was mailing my graduation package!!

I found the course content clear and easy to assimilate. Course and university support was absolutely outstanding. Courses such as Influence or Negotiation are quite novel and not typical for a traditional MBA program. EBS brings a refreshing challenge of contemporary courses applicable in all areas at a personal and professional level.

Examinations are rigorous and the level of commitment required is high, however, the rewards in terms of retention, learning and applied knowledge are immensurable.

Last but not least, the EBS MBA is recognized and highly valued around the world. It gave me the opportunity to apply my acquired knowledge in North America, South Africa, Romania and Denmark and empowered me to perform at the top of my field.

I am currently working on my DBA with EBS and I find the experience equally rewarding.

I endorse EBS’s MBA program for its unique features and its capacity to prepare strong business professionals through a flexible yet demanding educational framework.

Catherine Shaw

I completed my MBA at Heriot-Watt while working full-time, in a dynamic environment, undergoing significant change. Since graduating, I have continued to apply this valuable learning to my position, connecting, transforming and inspiring others in the delivery of our common business goals.

I now chair our Thunder Bay Interministerial Council, a collection of senior managers united in leading change in the delivery of government priorities. In addition, I manage our fleet organization; am our recognized talent manager and a member of our Thunder Bay Ontario Public Service United Way Team.

As a volunteer assessor for The Northern Ontario School of Medicine, I am involved in considering the applications of potential medical students.

In summary, in an environment of transformation, the MBA program has been invaluable in providing me with insight, inspiration and confidence, along a path of continuous learning and growth.

Graham Thomson

Being pretty busy both at work and with family, I wanted an MBA with maximum flexibility on timing. The EBS MBA fit very nicely with my schedule. While I didn’t have to use it, the ability to defer an exam is a nice feature. The 100% final exams suited me very well, again saving me time. While they can be perceived as high pressure, I found that the comprehensive exam made me work hard to have a complete understanding of all the course material. The exams were challenging, but fair. In nearly all cases, they tested on the critical, core concepts.

I found the course content to be excellent, in most cases. Strategic Planning, Project Management and Influence were especially good – I found the reading to be anything but a chore. As well, even though I had taken Accounting and Economics before, the approach in those courses was very practical and added new knowledge. I especially enjoyed the humour in the Economics course.

Attaining my MBA was very fulfilling and I’d recommend the EBS version to anyone.

Grant Walker

I am employed with a regional health system in Southern Alberta, Canada. The health region’s current CEO introduced me to the Heriot-Watt Edinburgh Business School MBA. She was a graduate of the program and spoke highly of it. I was pleased she recognized the benefit to both the health region and me from the enhancement of my skills and knowledge through this program of study.

The EBS MBA Distance Learning program was immediately attractive for several reasons. The program is well recognized by my employer and other community leaders as a reputable international MBA program. The distance learning program form also enabled me to continue with full-time employment during my period of study. It can be a significant challenge to leave one’s career temporarily given the lost employment income and the inability to take advantage of promotional opportunities that may arise.

The program costs were also very reasonable. My expenses were reduced through receipt of two course exemptions given my previous studies and status as a Certified Management Accountant.

Study was at my own pace enabling coordination with family and work demands. I completed one course at a time, delayed only one exam, and finished the entire program within a four-year period.

Core courses were challenging, stimulating, and informative with learning applicable to my work and career. Optional courses were numerous and represented a broad scope of topics enabling study matching my needs and interests. Examinations were available in my city, through the support of our local university, and at multiple times a year.

I attribute my success in achievement of the MBA program to good study habits including development and adherence to a study schedule, regular review of covered materials, use of previous student’s course study materials available on the internet, development of my own review notes and strong administrative support from Heriot-Watt.

Completion of the MBA program shows an ability to be challenged, dedicated and goal driven. I have received two promotions since completion of the EBS MBA program and am now employed in a senior administrative capacity.

I highly recommend the Heriot-Watt Edinburgh Business School MBA program to potential students.

Ian Downie

In the early nineties I began searching for a way to improve my formal education. At that time I was enjoying some career success, but felt that I would be limited in the future because my formal education was purely technical (Electrical Engineering) with no business studies. I was married with two small children, living in a small town where the nearest university was over one hour away, and I was doing a lot of business travel. It seemed that a distance learning MBA was the best option for me. I would tailor the program to fit my life, unlike several colleagues that opted for “Executive (part-time) MBA" programs. They nicknamed their program “the divorce course" for the impact it had on family life. I would study on the planes, in the hotel rooms and when at home, after the kids had gone to bed. It requires a lot of self-discipline, but I have learned that this is a quality my employer really admires. I often heard “I don’t know how you do it!" Frankly, with some degree of self-discipline, studying had very little impact on home or work life, although I would always take one week off work prior to the exams to cram.

I selected Heriot Watt based on the schools reputation, the fact that Professor Lumsden specialized in Distance Education when doing his PhD, and on a recommendation from a business colleague alumnus. Also, I was encouraged by the fact that students in residence used the same course material and wrote the same examinations. My research of distance learning programs lead me to conclude that Heriot Watt was significantly ahead of the pack. I enrolled in 1999 and graduated in July 2003.

While I was studying, I was continually struck by the same self-observation; “I can use this knowledge/information/technique tomorrow". Each course that I took had immediate application to my responsibilities at the office.

My employer has recognized the value of my additional skills. During the four years of study I was promoted twice. Since graduating, my career has been very exciting. I have been given several interesting development assignments in 2004 I was promoted to Vice President – Business Development. Last week I accepted another promotion with a three year assignment in Europe! I will begin in January as Managing Director – Europe.

Johanne Webster

In 2001 I decided it was time to re-position my IT career towards Business Management, it was not an easy decision since I was residing in Anguilla at the time. Anguilla is a tiny 32 sq mile island in the Northern Leewards of the Caribbean with beautiful beaches but no tertiary education facilities. I knew at the time that I had two options, leave the island for an extended period or find a reputable distance-learning program that I could keep up with. The first option was not really feasible since I had a very young family the youngest of which one yr old at the time and I was working full-time.

I began my research on the Internet and found the Edinburgh Business School MBA program, the program appealed to me instantly primarily because of its flexibility and its focus on quality education. I also remembered that I had heard positive feedback about the program in Trinidad. I sent off an internet inquiry fully expecting no reply, and making up my mind that I would probably have to stand the expense and call eventually.

I received a full packet in the mail within two weeks, and that responsiveness has been the cornerstone of my experience with the Edinburgh Business School ever since. Over the four and a half years it took me to complete my MBA and graduate I have had to call EBS once, and that was because I was having email problems. The staff have always responded to my emails promptly and with great concern that all was proceeding as should be as the following indicates. As you might imagine, on such a small island, I was the only person enrolled in the program so I expected to have to travel to sit my exams, as happens with many other distance learning programs. I was pleasantly surprised when EBS informed me that they would set up an exam location for me in Anguilla in co-ordination with the Ministry of Education. This they did till my very last exam. Again this reflects the experience EBS has with distance learning requirements and the needs of persons utilizing these programs.

As pleased as I was with the efficiency of the administration of program, I was even more pleased with the content of the program. The texts were all well written and easy to understand, very important for me coming from a mathematics background and also having no study support mechanisms available locally. The comprehensive nature of the case studies and the profiler questions in the eMBA courses was more than sufficient to enable a thorough understanding of concepts and principles. In addition each course had a discussion board which the lecturer frequented and answered questions. In my experience, every question I had, was answered by some one of these means. As such I was able to complete all my exams without any failures.

The relevancy of the texts were also apparent since as I was working and studying, I was able to immediately apply most of my new knowledge, and as such transition from a very technical role to a managerial role and bring with it much value to the position I had at the time and my subsequent positions. My career has now changed focus, and I am well on the way to re-positioning I had envisaged. I feel armed with the necessary know-how and more importantly I have the confidence to know that I have the “stickability “ it takes to succeed at whatever I put my mind to.

Without a doubt the EBS MBA is not for the faint hearted, but the with the support and services provided by the Edinburgh Business School many of us who may not have had the opportunity to participate in a graduate business program now can.

Ken Dias

I found the course quite challenging especially as I was out of touch with academic studies for quite a while. I had to really devote all my spare time as I aimed to finish in less than 2 years. I took time of work (vacation) as otherwise I could not keep up. I found the questions and answers were useful in getting a good grasp of the fundamentals of the courses.

The finance, accounting and economics courses are especially useful as before, I had no clue about these subjects – I just wanted to be a good engineer and that was all. Even at work, I am able to go through projects with the business aspect in mind.

I would really like to apply the knowledge gained in a real live project in my home province of Ontario, Canada. The power generation industry is about to start booming here and I think it would be an opportune time to form a team of EBS grads to exploit the opportunities that will arise. I hope there is a good response - as what better way to apply the principles learned to a new business! This is what Business Administration is all about.

Lawrence Falconer

A few years back, as a public servant employed by the provincial government in Ontario, Canada, in the very focused, technical field of regulating employer-sponsored pension plans (or occupational pension schemes as I believe they are called in the UK ), I was seeking a way of expanding my perspective and knowledge in the field of business and finance. I had previously earned a professional accounting designation in Canada, namely Certified General Accountant, and hence had been familiar with earning academic credits through the purely examination-based approach. A university degree at the masters level and specifically an MBA was extremely desirable, but I had to recognize some constraints in getting one. I still had one daughter to put through university and obviously wanted to remain in full-time employment. Spare time was limited due to my commuting time to and from work and there was also the time I needed to allocate to my home and family life.

Heriot-Watt University’s prospectus indicated that their MBA program would suit my needs. Keith Lumsden as founder and head of the school with his impressive background and reputation in North American and UK academic circles, combined with the UK university standard-setting system, convinced me that the program would be of a high quality. The core courses in the program were solid and the optional courses allowed significant specialization. The program also allowed considerable timing flexibility for the student but at the same time did not compromise on the standards required to achieve the MBA.

With two exemptions granted by EBS for the Quantitative Methods and Accounting Courses in hand, and funding of three of the courses provided by my employer to get me started, I proceeded through the program one course at a time, taking Finance and Economics in quick succession to plug some of those gaps in my business background that were urgently needed. In just over three years I had completed the program and was off to Edinburgh with my family in tow to receive the MBA at the November 2003 Convocation. In addition to the degree recipients I expected to see from within the British Isles, I was astounded to see the number of graduands from all over the world at that ceremony, from as close as Denmark and Norway to as far away as Taiwan. I now take great pride in being part of that select but world-wide group who are the EBS alumni.

If you can work independently for the most part, are prepared to put in the hours to study the course materials in depth and to practice applying the knowledge by self-testing from the exercises and sample examinations provided, I would recommend the EBS MBA Program to you. I note that today there are even more options available for students from the university, enabling you to be more precise in tailoring the program to your needs. For these reasons I highly recommend the program.

Completing the program has given me more confidence and skill in resolving issues that I face at work and addressing the needs and difficulties of stakeholders. Right now I miss the studying and the challenge of the examinations, and as I am approaching retirement I am thinking how I might get started on that Doctorate of Business Administration program that EBS offers.

Mike R. Drotar

Since starting work in the financial services industry my career objective was to obtain a senior executive position in the corporate finance department. My view is that a MBA degree is definitely the most valuable generalist training and business education option to prepare executive managers in effective decision-making and strategy development.

Once the MBA route was chosen it was then a decision on which university program. After exhaustive research EBS was a clear preference because of its outstanding reputation and the rigorous standards of the U.K. university system. By completing the degree on site in very beautiful city of Edinburgh I further benefited from more international exposure during the education experience.

The EBS MBA provided interesting core courses and an extensive selection of electives so that I could customize the program towards my personal and career interests. Each course was professionally developed and designed with significant detail. Instructor support was seldom required as a result. The software simulation packages provided with certain courses were very stimulating and effectively augmented the theory.

Olivier Bianchi

When I enrolled in the EBS MBA programme, I had a hectic schedule and was traveling extensively for business. I was in sales, working and living in Montreal (Canada) and wholesaling mutual funds for an investment firm. At that time I needed a MBA programme that had the flexibility and also the quality that I expected from the most reputable MBA programmes. My research led to me to the Edinburgh Business School.

My busy travel schedule prevented me from attending regular evening classes and carrying heavy books around. I therefore found the modular courses and the online help to be very convenient. I wrote three exams in Montreal. I then had the opportunity to move twice for professional reasons - when I moved to Toronto I was able to write my exams in Toronto and when I relocated to Paris (France) I wrote another 2 exams there. The transition was seamless. The support staff in Edinburgh was fantastic and made everything extremely easy. I wrote my final exam – Strategic Planning – back in Toronto. I graduated in 2003.

I also found the programme to be extremely well designed. It really helped me to cement my business knowledge and gave me the tools that I needed to analyse, assess and solve the business challenges that I face everyday.

Richard A. de Beaudrap

I sat my first EBS MBA exam in 1996 and my last in 2001. The mere fact that I had embarked on the program seemed to make a difference in my career. I was chosen more often for challenging assignments, which made me very visible to senior management. This allowed me to be seen as a knowledge expert in my group, none of whom had graduate degrees. The rank above me was replete with accredited accountants, many of whom also held an MBA and other degrees. Before long I was seen more as their peer than as a peer to my own business level. I was also consulted extensively by them whenever they needed something out of the ordinary from my group.

A major business restructuring occurred in 1999, and of the 9 people in my business group, I was the only one offered a position in the new structure. It was a significant promotion. Perhaps not curiously, the only person in the rank above me who maintained his position was also more than midway through an MBA program.

About a year after I finished my MBA, an opportunity rose for a position I considered ideal. I was the only person interviewed by the business head, and received the position.

Looking back, it was of course not the mere fact that I had embarked on an MBA. It was the changes that occurred in me - how I approached my job, and how I addressed business problems. The knowledge came from the studies, and the professionalism with which I approached work grew out of my enlarged sense of my own abilities in the business arena.

Teresa Costouros

Educational opportunities have always held great interest to me. Most of my career has been within the financial sector – Insurance and Risk Management specifically. I completed several industry related credentials (CIP – Chartered Insurance Professional), FCIP – Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional and CRM – Certificate in Risk Management).

In 2000, upon completion of these designations, I was pondering my next educational endeavour. In addition to working in the insurance industry as a senior commercial underwriter, I was also teaching part-time at Grant MacEwan College. I was considering pursuing teaching as a full-time career. A colleague of mine at the college suggested that an MBA would not only be an asset, but also a requirement, in securing a full-time teaching position in MacEwan’s School of Business.

My colleague referred Heriot-Watt to me as a well reputed school where I could obtain an MBA through distance learning. I reviewed the website, found the information I needed and proceeded to apply to the program and order my first module. I completed the program within two years. I found the distance learning format fit perfectly into my schedule. When I had lighter teaching loads, I had more hours to spend on studying. When teaching loads were heavier, I progressed at a slower pace. The flexibility the program provided, allowing me to customize my own schedule, was wonderful. I worked very hard, but the rewards were well worth it!

Since completing my MBA with Heriot-Watt, I have obtained a full-time teaching position in MacEwan’s School of Business. I have also been appointed as the Curriculum Coordinator for the Insurance and Risk Management diploma program. In addition, I am the Program Chair for three diploma programs within the School of Business. I enjoy a very fulfilling and rewarding career which would not have been possible without completing my MBA. The program offered at Heriot-Watt helped me realize my dreams. I am now contemplating the next step: a DBA at Heriot-Watt?

Andrew Sinclair

When I began the Edinburgh Business School distance MBA program in 2005, I was working for a large international mining company and was about to begin a 2-year stint at a fly in, fly out construction site in northern Labrador. I knew that I wanted to pursue an MBA, however I was having trouble finding a program that was going to be flexible enough to fit my demanding travel schedule. I then heard about the EBS MBA program and after comparing it to other distance MBA programs in the UK, US and Canada, it was clear that the EBS was a perfect fit for my needs.

Never having taken a distance course prior to joining this program, I was pleasantly surprised at the various media and discussion forums available for content delivery. This variety was very useful to me since I was equally as likely to be reading from my Economics book pdf on my laptop while flying in a plane, reviewing pages from my Marketing binder during down time at the construction site and reading posts on the Project Management discussion forum at my kitchen table.

I found the content to be very interesting and since I was completing the program while working full time I was able to translate it to my day job, particularly in the area of project management, which helped me understand the content that much more. The knowledge I have gained in this program has also played a part in my career progression. I am still with the same company and I have had three jobs of progressively increasing responsibility since joining the MBA program.

Finally, in 2008 after three years of taking one or two courses per semester, my wife and I made the trip overseas to attend the graduation ceremony in Edinburgh. It was a strange feeling to walk around the Heriot-Watt campus knowing that I had been a student for three years but had never set foot there.

I continue to recommend the EBS distance MBA program to my colleagues, friends and anyone interested in pursuing business education at the graduate level that faces challenges in their schedule due to professional or personal constraints.

Brian Watson

After 21 years in business management, I changed careers in 1999 to teach in the Ontario college system. Shortly thereafter, the provincial government changed the college's Charter to include to the granting of degrees.

My undergrad degree and professional designation alone would not allow me to teach into the degree programs, so I needed a Master's degree. The obvious choice for me was an MBA, but which one and from what institution? I had to study on a part-time basis, so I began my search.

I decided to enroll in the MBA program with EBS, beginning my studies in January 2004. There were two primary reasons for choosing EBS; flexibility and value! Like many people I was already juggling a very busy family, work and professional life, and I needed as much flexibility as possible to fit my studies into an already busy schedule. I did not want to be tied to a structured schedule where I had to be in a classroom on a specific evening at a specific time.

For this to work for me, I needed complete flexibility, and the MBA at EBS provided that opportunity for me. Additionally, there are many other good programs I could have chosen that would have required a significantly greater financial investment. In my opinion the MBA at EBS provides for much better value dollar for dollar.

I found the program of study to be relevant, current, and rigorous! Not only have I benefitted directly from the program, it has also enriched what I bring to the classroom and offer my students each day. I successfully completed the program in June 2008, and my family made the trip to Edinburgh to attend graduation ceremonies in June 2009.

I highly recommend the MBA at EBS! It was an excellent experience! Thank you EBS for such a fine program!

Vincent Chow

I always consider the completion of this MBA programme one of my greatest achievements. Being a Chartered Accountant with an undergraduate degree in this same discipline, I have received a substantial amount of technical training but have never been trained sufficiently in general business subjects. Because of this, I researched different MBA programmes offered by many universities before finally selected the EBS programme.

There were mainly three factors affecting my decision. Firstly, the programme must have a solid and well-rounded structure. EBS MBA was and still is one of the best programmes one can find in the market. It includes all the subjects I consider most relevant to a graduate level programme but never goes overly specialized in any specific subject area unless one chooses to pursue a specialisation in that discipline.

Secondly, the programme must offer sufficient flexibility. In my opinion, no other MBA programmes in the world can beat EBS MBA. Lastly, the tuition fees must be at a reasonable level. My finding is that while EBS MBA programme maintains a very high academic standard, its cost is almost among one of the lowest in the market.

As in other academic programmes, some courses are better than the others in the EBS MBA programme. In particular, the Economics course is one of the better courses (if not the best) I have ever taken.

This MBA programme has helped me to acquire a well-rounded education in general business practices. What I earned is not merely a degree certificate but also all the knowledge and the perspective that comes with this study. Without this programme, perhaps I would still be a competent accountant, but I would never be as well-rounded an accountant as I am now.