Thinking of studying for an MBA in the UK? Find out how business education in the North East compares to London
The divide between the Northern and Southern regions of the UK is an issue that every citizen has eventually gotten accustomed to. In the public eye, as well as on paper, the fact that individuals hailing from the South of the UK (especially London) have access to better educational opportunities is glaring. Despite all this, over the years, postgraduate business schools and higher education institutions as a whole, in both regions, have seen great advancement. Though the divide is still considerably evident, there is no doubt that both sides are equipped to deliver top-notch education as will be shown later in this piece.
Beyond any doubt, London and Southern England are stocked up with a range of top-ranked higher education institutions. When it comes to postgraduate business institutions, one impressive college that is making waves in the MBA world is the Hult International Business School, and it is smack in the heart of London itself.
This school stands out of the pack for a number of reasons which include its ranking by The Economist as the 13th Masters worldwide – certainly “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest” as Ben Franklin once put it. But how do such business schools in London compare to their Northern counterparts? Let’s find out.
Setting the Scene for Business Education in the UK
Just as all fingers are not equal, geographical regions are gifted with unequal resources. This is a fact that has stood prominent since civilizations began to rise and fall. Nevertheless, not having equalIty cannot in any way be equated to not being useful. This same statement can be applied when comparing postgraduate education in the North East to that of London.
Although London leads the way when it comes to higher education in both the UK and across the world, there are other business schools scattered along the Northern Axis such as Cranfield University, Durham University and Alliance Manchester Business School (which is under the Umbrella of the University of Manchester).
Business Education in the UK: How the North East Performs
In a traditional sense of one versus the other, the Southern institutions and those in London boast of a higher number of grants, facilities, experience, and even history, but this in no way mars the good name and standard that is maintained by Northern Higher Education Institutions (HEI). In one way or the other, institutions in the North East are pulling their weight. As already ascertained, they also have high ranking business schools that offer MBA courses with stellar facilities that attract students from all regions including overseas.
Take the University of Durham as an example, it is located in the North Eastern region of England. It also happens to be ranked as the 7th best University to pursue a postgraduate business course in the country, with its tuition fee currently at £28000. Their three-pronged business program is both versatile and engaging, allowing students to take internships, visit businesses overseas and benefit from an equally stimulating online learning experience. This level of sophistication and excellence is not only common with Durham, but extends to various other universities in New Castle, Northumbria, Teesside, and Sunderland.
These North-Eastern institutions all offer business education courses that are both versatile and engaging, allowing for students to take internships, visit businesses overseas and benefit from an equally stimulating online learning experience. However, the level of sophistication and excellence that is mostly found in London, a cosmopolitan city renowned for its education, is sometimes lacking.
A recent study conducted by Professor Stephen Gorard at the University of Durham has shed some much-needed light on the educational system in the Northern region of the country. While most of the schools in the North of England may not have the same prevalent mix as their Southern and London-based counterparts, they are really not doing that bad a job and suggests that ‘they simply do not have an equivalent mix of children’.
MBA Postgraduate Studies the UK – The North East Verdict
Though it is true that London has a large number of prominent postgraduate business schools, the North Eastern region of the country is not left out on this front as we have already ascertained. With some Northern Business schools producing graduates like Kerryann Ifill and Paul Madden and Southern schools producing Timothy Kopra and Sir James Arthur Ratcliffe, it is evident that business schools in the UK are doing quite well in general.