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Is London School of Business Finance (LSBF) a good place to do a Global MBA

I have finished University and I will graduate with a Second Class Honors (2nd Division) 2:2 and I want to do an MBA so I can get strong foundational learning skills for Investment Banking (Corporate Finance).

I have been to LSBF's open day and all though the school OUTSIDE did not looking appealing inside it looked very nice and modern.

I have read many things in regards to LSBF people criticise it highly saying things such as getting an MBA from LSBF would be almost worthless etc etc.

However I look at the modules they offer in GLOBAL MBA (Investment Banking) and the modules are very much up to date and it seems fine to me...http://www.lsbf.org.uk/programmes/masters/mba/lsbf-mba/specialisations/mba-investment-banking.html

Sure it may not be London School of Business, but not everybody can pay £60,000 just as not everybody went to an Oxford or a Cambridge.

What do you think?

By the way this is the one for those that want to be an Investment Banker on the Capital Markets side....

http://www.lsbf.org.uk/programmes/masters/msc/lsbf-msc-in-finance/specialisations/msc-investment-banking.html

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Reply 1

sj27

Some thoughts, in no particular order:
1. Any uni can have modules that look good on paper. How well they are taught is something else
2. MBAs are becoming (are already) a dime a dozen. An MBA from a school with a poor reputation arguably adds little to no value to your job search
3. Most decent MBAs require work experience as a pre requisite. One has to question the value of ones that don't. Most graduates will go into some kind of management masters rather than an MBA if they have no work experience.
4. Partly linked to the above, many or most MBAs are company sponsored (which explains why the courses cost what they do). It's generally better to get a job, work a few years, then get your company to pay for it.
5. Any decent MBA program should publish destinations of graduates - how many graduates have a job within 6 months, and where they go. Do they publish it, and what do the prospects look like? If they don't publish it, that's a warning sign. Similarly, are they happy for you to get in contact with their alumni, or do they carefully choose a couple of "alumni experiences" in their marketing material?

You can also do a keyword search on LinkedIn for this course and see where its graduates end up. By and large, are these your target jobs? You can also use LinkedIn to message graduates and ask them about their experiences there. This can take time, but it's probably one of the most objective ways you'll have to gauge the quality of outcomes.

There are people on TSR who have complained bitterly about the quality of teaching, motivation of lecturers etc on this course. Something to think about.

Reply 2

xjay1234

I think the school is good!

I have researched carefully and I have heard the teaching there is of a great standard, everybody can have a negative thing to say about every school to be honest.

The Consultancy Project is the modules where your off on placement at a Bank the school provides it for you.

I don't see what is so bad about this school.

Yes they said work experience is an asset, but I have been applying for it incase I am not successful for an Analyst Internship. Plus Banks now offer Associate Internships for Students that have finished their MBA and have no experience. So it is great that Banks are no catering for all kinds.

So I think the investment would be a good one at LSBF.

If I keep listening to others eventually I will NEVER go to a school LOL.

Reply 3

sj27

Well...if you think the school is good and the courses are taught well and that you'll easily find a job at the end of it, that's great. (But then why are you posting here asking what people think?)

Reply 4

Gridiron-Gangster

Original post by sj27

Well...if you think the school is good and the courses are taught well and that you'll easily find a job at the end of it, that's great. (But then why are you posting here asking what people think?)

Agree with this.

I would advise that LSBF should be avoided like the plague given that the degree is awarded by London Met and has no professional accreditation whatsoever.

It would be waste of time and money and the degree wouldn't be worth the paper it's printed on. I would advise looking at other mba options. I'd even say the OU MBA is miles better than LSBF, it even has triple accreditation and you need work experience and GMAT for it too.

If the cost of an mba is concerning you then perhaps look at a management degree. But avoid LSBF at all costs.

Reply 5

Gridiron-Gangster

With a 2:2 I think you would struggle to find a decent mba school unless you had extensive work experience or an uber high GMAT/GRE.

Aberdeen is a decent-ish university which accepts 2:2s for the mba programme but doesn't have any accreditation.

Bradford has a decent mba programme which is triple accredited but I think they want a 2:1 and work experience.

You got lots of the American unis doing one year or distance courses but that may price you out.

Reply 6

Q Bramz

...I Would Recommend London School of Commerce. It's A College, But Has MBA Programs With Partner Universities- Gloucestershire, Cardiff Met n Anglia University. Also, The Teaching Standards R High, n Fees Are Affordable.

Reply 7

JimmyTheD

Original post by Q Bramz

Do they offer a degree in CamelCase Ebonics?

Reply 8

Gridiron-Gangster

If you really want to enrol at any of these bakcstreet B-schools then save yourself the hassle and flush £10k down the toilet. Same difference.

Reply 9

Q Bramz

Original post by JimmyTheD

Do they offer a degree in CamelCase Ebonics?

Was That Sarcasm? Koz It Takes Long For My Mind 2 Come Down To The Level Of Intelligence Of Delinquents.

Reply 10

fours

lol @ the level of entitlement and how delusional people are

2.2 degree + LSBF MBA = investment banking associate... yea sure brah

Reply 11

getagood

LSBF are an interesting bunch - they are a private college and do not have degree awarding powers.

Every year they seem to change their partner Universities in the last two years

1. University of Wales - Ended because of academic and marketing issues - none validated courses promoted see QAA report etc..
2. London Metropolitan University - Ended when the University lost its license
3. Glyndwyr - Ended after due diligence checks by Glyndwyr.
4. New University announced but how long will it last?

If you start with one University it may not be the same when you finish. Avoid like the plague

Reply 12

mary213

LSBF is not a good school, it is very important to know that. I spent a year there, and decided to leave because they were disorganised and very unhelpful. The tutors are not good and the admin office dont really seem to know what they are doing. Classes were cancelled at the last minute, once I was walking to class and got an email saying it was cancelled, another time we waited in class for 45 minutes before someone came in to tell us the class was cancelled. I was told at the beginning of the year that my results would be released two weeks after I finished my last module so that would have been end of june 2013, its october and I dont have them. I have been going there every other day, calling and emailing but that has gotten me nowhere. I missed all the deadlines for september/oct intake for MA programmes at other schools and now have to apply for January. I contacted a lawyer because I dont want to be in a bad situation as I am an international student and I would like to get admission somewhere else before my visa empires. Most of the students in my class had the same issue and left LSBF. Unfortunately some of them did not get their results before their visa expired. I feel like this is done on purpose to keep students there. They offered me a place on their MA programme but I said HELL NO lol. Really and truly, LSBF is not a place that cares about the students, they just want their money. the quality of education means nothing to that school. This whole situation has stressed me out greatly so I felt it was important to share my story. Anyone considering going to lsbf is better off taking a year out and gaining work experience and applying somewhere much better.

Reply 13

boothang

I concur with what the last commenter said, LSBF is the absolute worst! i did a professional course there and regretted every bit of it.
the admin staff are clueless and standards are sooo low. i wouldn't wish it on my enemies.

Reply 14

gabriellecouzin

I agree with Boothang LSBF IS NOT TO BE RECOMMENDED.
They are only after signing in students but once the money is paid service is very disappointing.

I personally have been WAITING FOR MY REFUND FOR MORE THAN 1 YEAR, they keep on saying they will do it but nothing happen unless you do a sitting in front of their building. We are many in that case, you can visit the facebook group (228 members) LSBF NO FEES BACK POLICY for more stories about LSBF wrong doing.

Reply 15

ParetoOptimum

Given the MBA bubble has grown to the point where commentators are questioning the value of the world's most prestigious MBA's, I'd never even contemplate attending anything below a top-tier MBA, least of all a shady private institution like LSBF with a terrible rep.

OP don't do this.

Reply 16

Rkjain_007

Can you please suggest which college or university is better than LSBF at the equivalent cost?

Reply 17

Rkjain_007

Could you please suggest here which college or university is better than LSBF at the equivalent cost? I am looking out to pursue an MBA from UK but at an affordable cost such as offered by LSBF. please let me know the college which offers an MBA that has value for money. thanks!

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 18

qareza

I already searched for MBA program in UK, I think all of them are not cheap and need work experience (minimum 3 years). It is designed for professional not fresh grad looking to improve their CV and title with MBA. The title definitely prestigous, but if u earned it in a lame uncertified business school, let just say your degree certificate is no better than toilet paper.

If you still want to pursue your MBA, I suggest taking it outside the UK (unless you're fine with crappy uni) many countries provide MBA with lower fee and no work experience especially in south east Asia,

or just take Msc business related course, I think it is better. Sometimes, the University name u graduated from is more appealing to companies that title you hold

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 19

Gridiron-Gangster

Original post by qareza

MBAs in the UK are much cheaper than in the US and the work experience requirement varies.Oxford strictly speaking don't have a minimum work experience requirement but in reality you would struggle to get onto the programme without a decent amount of work experience notwithstanding an excellent academic record, GMAT score etc.

There are many decent MBA programmes in the US which don't require a work experience minimum but these tend to be distance learning programmes which again aren't cheap and are not 100% online as they have a residency requirement.