I'm Phoebe Zimmermann with the VOA Special English Education Report.
We continue our Foreign Student Series with a report this week about M.B.A. programs in the United States. An M.B.A. is a master's degree in business administration. Students learn to deal with all kinds of business situations. They develop skills needed by many different industries.
M.B.A. programs teach about economics. They also teach about the structure of organizations, and about other subjects including finance and marketing. Students do more study in areas that interest them.
It usually takes two years to get an M.B.A. if you attend school full time. People who have jobs might choose a part-time program that takes longer. There are also executive M.B.A. programs which might be completed in as little as eighteen months. Classes generally meet on weekends.
Business is one of the most popular areas of study for students who come to the United States. To be admitted to an M.B.A. program, foreign students must have a bachelor's degree. They must show a clear understanding of English by doing well on the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Most students also take the Graduate Management Admission Test. Most of the one thousand five hundred M.B.A. programs around the world use these test scores.
The Graduate Management Admission Council has some advice for foreign students. It says they should investigate in detail what different schools could do to help them find a job. For example, ask how many companies that come to the school are willing to hire international students. Also ask if summer internships are possible. The council says even the best schools may have a lower average of job placement for international graduates than for others.
One example of a school that offers a part-time M.B.A. program is the University of Maryland University College. Students have a choice. They can do all the work over the Internet. Or they can work online and also attend traditional classes. The Web site for more information is umuc.edu.
Information about other M.B.A. programs can be found from the Graduate Management Admission Council at mba.com. And you can find all the reports so far in our Foreign Student Series at www.unsv.com.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Phoebe Zimmermann.