MBA: UP or Ateneo

[bluviolet]

Based on my research it seems like there's only a small difference in terms of cost (I might be wrong). I have yet to hear from people who have actually taken them from these schools so I really need help. Here are my questions:


Which school would you pick and why?
What are the costs?
What are the requirements for these schools? Is GMAT required?
UP requires something called GPAT, has anyone taken this?
Can someone without any experience hack this?
How time consuming are MBAs? I'm a working mom with an infant, is it doable?


Thanks guys!

[dark_half]

Hi!

Can anyone answer the questions above?
Anyone who took their MBA in UP and Ateneo?

Also, are they trimestral or semestral?

[red_track]

UP ko lang

[kjsingh]

if you go to ateneo rockwell, may super large tarp na nakalagay "top MBA school in the phillippines -CHED". i dont know where they got this, though. but i agree, certainly.

[johnnymarky]

MBA is the only course in UP that offers a trimestral program. According to my officemates who is taking MBA, the per unit cost is Php 2,500. I don't know how much Ateneo costs.

Even if I graduate in UP (undergrad), I prefer Ateneo. Maybe because when I visited their school (near rockwell), there's a huge billboard that states "#1 MBA Program in the Philippines".

Well, the best MBA program in the Philippines are in UP, Ateneo, DLSU and AIM.

[samsungcold]

mba in Ateneo?? admu grad school is underrated

no questions - go for UP-CBA !!

[senyowrita]

I would suggest:

1. Asian Institute of Management
2. National University of Singapore
3. UP College of Business Administration

[Warwick Bohol]

If you're from UP undergrad but not from CBA or SE, you'd benefit a lot if you'll go for the UP-MBA.

If you come from UP-CBA undergrad, you'd be very disappointed with the Ateneo MBA. So, if you're from UP-CBA, aim for AIM or go abroad. That's what many CBA, SE and Eng’g grads from UP do.

[I Saw Perz GAnn]

best is in Ateneo.

[samsungcold]

Ateneo MBA is very disappointing.

[diwata123]

yep. ateneo MBA is very disappointing as compared to UP and AIM.
A former trainortold me he preferred DLSU MBA than Ateneo's.

And yes, if you're a UP grad (non-CBA) go for UP CBA, AIM or abroad.

for CBA grads, go abroad. =P

[yoroshikuonegai]

you're getting an MBA partly to gain recognition internationally and what better way to get it than at AIM or abroad? :)

[paenggoy]

Call the admissions offices of these schools and ask your second and third questions. Visit the program or department office and ask the program director or chairperson (or the OIC assigned) about the test mentioned below, the difficulty of subjects, and time needed. You can also ask the same questions to alumni or student organizations in the same campus. You can probably do all of these things when you do a campus visit, which you'll need to do to assess other things like the availability of public transport and parking, traffic conditions, the main and specialized libraries, various projects and programs offered connected to the MBA, and so forth.

Based on my research it seems like there's only a small difference in terms of cost (I might be wrong). I have yet to hear from people who have actually taken them from these schools so I really need help. Here are my questions:


Which school would you pick and why?
What are the costs?
What are the requirements for these schools? Is GMAT required?
UP requires something called GPAT, has anyone taken this?
Can someone without any experience hack this?
How time consuming are MBAs? I'm a working mom with an infant, is it doable?


Thanks guys!

[kjsingh]

its very weird that ateneo MBA is being matched with UP MBA. i dont think that theyre on the same footing. hindi naman expertise ng UP ang higher education in business... and bilang na bilang mo lang naman ang top ranking corporate officials na galing ng UP MBA, marami AIM, ateneo, and DLSU (if not abroad)... i dont think that this obvious fact calls for a citation...

its not because atenista ako so im saying this. again, i reiterate, the best MBA schools are AIM, ateneo, and dlsu.

here is (actually "are") the CHED citation(s) of the ateneo as the best graduate school to take your MBA in the phils:
http://gsb.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=427

[senyowrita]

HAHAHA! Natatawa na lang ako. May mga tao talagang “hayok” magbuhat ng bangko. (as in talamak!):rotflmao:
Anyways, I went to NUS and SMU couple of months ago to inquire re their MBA program.
Though SMU’s core is Management, I would still suggest NUS. Curriculum, diversity and environment are great.
Parang small UP pero mas sosyal at mas diverse ang students. There would be Manila briefing this November for those who didn’t attend the October session.
(Those interested, contact: richardque@nus.edu.sg +65 6872 4423)
AIM and UP CBA are also recommendable.:)

[n3X]

its very weird that ateneo MBA is being matched with UP MBA. i dont think that theyre on the same footing. hindi naman expertise ng UP ang higher education in business... and bilang na bilang mo lang naman ang top ranking corporate officials na galing ng UP MBA, marami AIM, ateneo, and DLSU (if not abroad)... i dont think that this obvious fact calls for a citation...

its not because atenista ako so im saying this. again, i reiterate, the best MBA schools are AIM, ateneo, and dlsu.

here is (actually "are") the CHED citation(s) of the ateneo as the best graduate school to take your MBA in the phils:
http://gsb.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=427

hindi ibig sabihin common perception siya na obvious fact na siya. we dont know for sure kung san ba talaga napupunta yung grads ng bawat school. for all we know, pinaka okay pala sa placement ang DLSU ganyan. kasi kahit ako e, minsan nagtataka bakit ang raming Ateneo undergrads sa companies. turns out, talagang marami sila (around a thousand). compared sa around 200 lang from UP CBA. second, yung CHED citation mo is Ateneo is the best graduate school na private. from FAPE yan. read it again. Even with that, we all know AIM is far better din.

Anyway I'm posting some rankings here ng MBA programs years ago. Nung 2000 di nagparticipate ang Ateneo. Pero we could see na dun pa lang, ang laki ng agwat between DLSU and UP, even if most would think DLSU is ahead.

http://www.mbainfo.com/rankings.html

Careerdynamo.com (UK), 2001

Ranking of Asian MBA Programs

(Derived from rankings by Asia Week and Financial Times, 2001)

1- Melbourne; 2- IIM, Ahmedabad; Asian Inst of Mgt Philippines; 4- Asian Inst of Mgt Thailand; 5- Nat Univ of Singapore; 6- Chinese Univ of Hong Kong; 7- Korea Adv Inst of Sci and Tech; 8- Macquarie; 9- Nanyang; 10- Sasin Grad Inst, Thailand; 11- Monash Mt Eliza; 12- IIM, Bangalore; 13- Int Univ of Japan; 14- CEIBS; 15- Nat Univ of Taiwan; 16- Brisbane Grad B School; 17- Lahore Univ of Mgt Sciences; 18- Univ of Queensland; 19- Seoul Nat Univ; 20- IIM, Bombay; 21- Adelaide Univ; 22- Nat Taiwan U of Sci and Tech; 23- Univ of Philippines; 24- Curtin; 25- Mahanakorn Univ, Thailand; 26- International Mgt Inst, India; 27- Narsee Monjee Inst; 28- U of Tech Sydney; 29- Biria Inst; 30- T A Pai Mgt Inst; 31- Bharathgidasan Univ, Japan; 32- Khon Kaen Univ, Thailand; 33- Ritsumeikan Univ, Japan; 34- Univ of Malaya; 35- Malasian Grad S of Mgt; 36- U of S Australia; 37- RMIT; 38- Hitotsubashi Univ, Japan; 39- U of Dhaka; 40- Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Ins of Sci and Tech,Pakistan; 41- U Sains Malaysia; 42- B K Sch of Bus Mgt India; 43- Aoyama Gakuin Univ, Japan; 44- U of Waikato; 45- Chungnam Nat U, S Korea

Asiaweek 2000

Top 20 Part Time MBA Programs

1- Melbourne; 2- Chinese U, HK; 3- Nat U of Sing; 4- U of H K; 5- Korea Adv Inst; 6- Monash Mt Eliza; 7- Nanyang; 8- Macquarie; 9- Int Mgt Inst, India; 10- U of Philippines; 11- I Inst of T, Bombay; 12- Queensland U of Tech; 13- City U, HK; 14- Narsee Monjee; 15- U of Queensland; 16- U of Tech, Sydney; 17- Curtin; 18- Khon Kaen; 19- U of Adelaide; 20- U of Malaya

In any case, UP CBA (and even some students from the School of Economics) has proven to be the best in general management, marketing, accounting and finance based sa intercollegiate compets and boards. So di ko alam kung ano yang sinasabi mo na hindi expertise ng UP ang business. Again, perceptions nanaman yan. Sa MBA, intl management and executive education, lamang ang AIM. Isang thing lang lamang ang Ateneo sa lahat, thats entrepreneurship.

[babble_gang]

its very weird that ateneo MBA is being matched with UP MBA. i dont think that theyre on the same footing. hindi naman expertise ng UP ang higher education in business... and bilang na bilang mo lang naman ang top ranking corporate officials na galing ng UP MBA, marami AIM, ateneo, and DLSU (if not abroad)... i dont think that this obvious fact calls for a citation...

Madaming businessmen from Admu dahil mayaman sila to begin with. Likewise, “I dont think that this obvious fact calls for a citation”. As per top ranking officials, can you cite names? In our international company, most bosses are from UP and AIM.

its not because atenista ako so im saying this. again, i reiterate, the best MBA schools are AIM, ateneo, and dlsu.


"It's not because I'm" being diplomatic "so im saying this". My admu prof recommended UP or AIM. Still chosing between the 2.

here is (actually "are") the CHED citation(s) of the ateneo as the best graduate school to take your MBA in the phils:
http://gsb.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=427

Doesn't CHED-FAPE award to PRIVATE institutions? :lol:

[i_bleed_blue]

i have this officemate who finished her undergrad degree in UP and took her MBA in AIM. nagturo din daw siya for this preparatory thing (some sort of refresher course, ata) for UP MBA. sabi niya, UP daw is really hard numbers. i havent seen thier curriculum though. i looked through the curriculum of ateneo MBA and the courses looked like the same subjects i already took as an undergrad in ateneo. they seem to be more focused on soft skills. gusto ko talaga mag AIM pero parang mashadong mahal, baka di ko kayanin.

1. so is my perception that UP teaches the science of business while ateneo teaches the art of business true?

2. so where should i go?

3. when is the right time to take your MBA? fresh grad pa lang kasi ako, and i plan to take my MBA after around 2 years pa... tama ba timing ko?

[senyowrita]

its very weird that ateneo MBA is being matched with UP MBA. i dont think that theyre on the same footing.

definitely not on the same footing.:)

hindi naman expertise ng UP ang higher education in business...

i suggest you go around the halls of UP CBA and UP SE and then say that again...
bigyan mo naman ng konting kahihiyan ang ateneo :rolleyes:

and bilang na bilang mo lang naman ang top ranking corporate officials na galing ng UP MBA, marami AIM, ateneo, and DLSU (if not abroad)... i dont think that this obvious fact calls for a citation...

obvious fact? baka bias fallacy? can you give any citation?
mas mababa kaya ang population ng MBA grads ng UP CBA.

its not because atenista ako so im saying this. again, i reiterate, the best MBA schools are AIM, ateneo, and dlsu.

ugh.. you're so obvious..:lol:

here is (actually "are") the CHED citation(s) of the ateneo as the best graduate school to take your MBA in the phils:
http://gsb.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=427

haler? private nga kasi diba.:rotflmao:

In any case, UP CBA (and even some students from the School of Economics) has proven to be the best in general management, marketing, accounting and finance based sa intercollegiate compets and boards. So di ko alam kung ano yang sinasabi mo na hindi expertise ng UP ang business. Again, perceptions nanaman yan. Sa MBA, intl management and executive education, lamang ang AIM. Isang thing lang lamang ang Ateneo sa lahat, thats entrepreneurship.

true! PANA, STRATMARK, FINEX, etc... UP strikes!
entrep? oh well, alam naman ng lahat kung sinu mas mapera.

bakit di kaya maglagay ng accounting course ang admu? :)

[mang_usteng]

lol talaga to si kjsingh.. estudyante ka pa lang siguro ng ateneo.. go to the real/corporate world and give us inputs..

nakapag inquire na ko dati sa UPMBA, requirement nila dapat may at least 2 years work experience, trimestral, at pwede part time..

check this site: http://www.mbaprograms.org/mbaprograms/asiamba.asp

disclaimer lang sa site. since di natin alam ang organization who did the ranking we cannot confirm the validity ng ranking.

[samsungcold]

come to think of it, Ateneo is not even a choice.
It`s just between AIM and UP- DLSU puede pa for part- time.

[senyowrita]

One more thing about UP and AIM: most (like 99%) of our expats commend these schools. In fact, ~90% of our new hires came from UP and ~50% of our managers had AIM/UP education. (Our company is industry's world's #1 and is also Phil's largest exporter... can't disclose the name). Even our regional managers who had their undergrad in UP went to AIM/UP/abroad.

So, if you choose UP or AIM, you have great chances of being recognized internationally. :)

Goodluck. Mabuhay ang mga Pinoy! :)

[diwata123]

I think overrated ang MBA ng ateneo.
I heard a lot of bad comments about Ateneo MBA.

Well speaking of MBA abroad, Harvard, Oxford and Wharton ang naririnig kong pinaka-ok. NUS and an Australian Univ. ok din kaso nalimutan ko name ng univ.

[trabaholic]

disappointing ang MBA sa Ateneo

[n3X]

sabi niya, UP daw is really hard numbers. i havent seen thier curriculum though. i looked through the curriculum of ateneo MBA and the courses looked like the same subjects i already took as an undergrad in ateneo. they seem to be more focused on soft skills.

I do not think its something that Ateneo consciously focuses on but rather an unintended effect of "class", which is the same case in La Salle. Its quite sad actually. Meron akong friend na grad ng UP, he chose to enroll sa La Salle just because of the brand. Soft skills (specifically socialization into the business class in this case [marami kasing soft skills]) are important, minsan more important than the hard skills, in terms of "success." Kailangan talaga siya to get ahead. Pero soft skills wont really get the job done. Technical know-how would still provide the strategic business advantage.

Ang specialty talaga ng UP CBA faculty mula noon pa is on finance and accounting kaya ganun yung perception. Pero okay naman din sa ibang functional areas (e.g. Marketing, Ops, InfoSys, etc.).


1. so is my perception that UP teaches the science of business while ateneo teaches the art of business true?

I dont think valid to. Well, problematic na in the first place kasi yung dichotomy mo ng science and art of business with relation to your previous discussion ng soft/technical skills (i.e. hindi siya congruent). Mahirap naman talaga i-gauge yung advantages or differences of each school. Pero to answer your question, Ateneo is focused more on yung practice while academic naman ang UP. UP lang ang merong full time business research. So in a sense, yes.

Pero eto yung thinking ko about it. Siyempre ang best pa rin talaga e yung parehong panalo yung theory and praxis. Professional field ang business. Unfortunately, ganun nga yung hatian of both schools. If I were to choose though, I will pick yung academic strength ng UP. And its not because taga-UP din ako. If you think about it kasi, experience takes time and mistakes are costly. If you're going to take a risk, at least its a calculated one. So mas okay na based ka sa theory. Second, mabilis maging obsolete ang current business practices. Mas important na mahasa yung critical thinking and resourcefulness mo, among other things, and these are what UP is known for. Nyahaha Parang promotion na to a.


2. so where should i go?

Depends on your goals and constraints din kasi e. I think Ateneo is okay naman kung vocation lang ang business sa yo. *** lang talaga makakasagot niyan.


3. when is the right time to take your MBA? fresh grad pa lang kasi ako, and i plan to take my MBA after around 2 years pa... tama ba timing ko?

Following yung sinasabi ng top global business schools, it really depends on the applicant. There are fresh grads na merong panalong extracurricular or community experience. Kung ready ka na and you feel na next step na yung MBA, then yun na yun. Like maybe for example, after working for some time in a corporation parang nag burn out ka na tapos wala ka ng masyadong opportunities to grow. E di okay na next phase ng buhay mo ang MBA.

[audigy]

ako im from UP. I dont know how to gauge kung maganda nga sya kasi hindi ko naman natry sa AIM, DLSU, or Ateneo

eto lang comment ko, pangit UP sa scheduling. block lang sya halos. hindi masyadiong flexible ang schedule. Last term nga, Tues - Fri pasok ko. At part timer pa ko nito ah!

But I guess, ok naman yung UP MBA.

[i_bleed_blue]

I do not think its something that Ateneo consciously focuses on but rather an unintended effect of "class", which is the same case in La Salle. Its quite sad actually. Meron akong friend na grad ng UP, he chose to enroll sa La Salle just because of the brand. Soft skills (specifically socialization into the business class in this case [marami kasing soft skills]) are important, minsan more important than the hard skills, in terms of "success." Kailangan talaga siya to get ahead. Pero soft skills wont really get the job done. Technical know-how would still provide the strategic business advantage.

Ang specialty talaga ng UP CBA faculty mula noon pa is on finance and accounting kaya ganun yung perception. Pero okay naman din sa ibang functional areas (e.g. Marketing, Ops, InfoSys, etc.).



I dont think valid to. Well, problematic na in the first place kasi yung dichotomy mo ng science and art of business with relation to your previous discussion ng soft/technical skills (i.e. hindi siya congruent). Mahirap naman talaga i-gauge yung advantages or differences of each school. Pero to answer your question, Ateneo is focused more on yung practice while academic naman ang UP. UP lang ang merong full time business research. So in a sense, yes.

Pero eto yung thinking ko about it. Siyempre ang best pa rin talaga e yung parehong panalo yung theory and praxis. Professional field ang business. Unfortunately, ganun nga yung hatian of both schools. If I were to choose though, I will pick yung academic strength ng UP. And its not because taga-UP din ako. If you think about it kasi, experience takes time and mistakes are costly. If you're going to take a risk, at least its a calculated one. So mas okay na based ka sa theory. Second, mabilis maging obsolete ang current business practices. Mas important na mahasa yung critical thinking and resourcefulness mo, among other things, and these are what UP is known for. Nyahaha Parang promotion na to a.



Depends on your goals and constraints din kasi e. I think Ateneo is okay naman kung vocation lang ang business sa yo. *** lang talaga makakasagot niyan.



Following yung sinasabi ng top global business schools, it really depends on the applicant. There are fresh grads na merong panalong extracurricular or community experience. Kung ready ka na and you feel na next step na yung MBA, then yun na yun. Like maybe for example, after working for some time in a corporation parang nag burn out ka na tapos wala ka ng masyadong opportunities to grow. E di okay na next phase ng buhay mo ang MBA.

haha, thanks much. i feel like i want to take up an mba kasi for the title lang, kasi "required" for certain positions in certain companies. i guess i have some "life planning" to do now. thanks again. *okay*

[Warwick Bohol]

The course outline of Ateneo-GSB as well as its academic approach look like its a diploma mill school. I would never ever go there even if they'll offer it to me for free.

UP or AIM

[lurkerguy25]

For me, di ko malalaman if Ateneo is better than UP or vice versa unless nakapag aral ako sa 2 schools na yan. But If I have a choice, I would go to Ateneo. Kung marami talaga ako pera, Id go to AIM.

[UP]

May kilala ako na nag-MBA sa LaSalle ang comment nya, parang naglalaro lang daw(papasok-lalabas-papasok-lalabas.hehe..), wala man lang daw ganung critical thinking at hindi nakakaarouse(oh cge mayabang din talaga sya..hehe)...isang sem lang sya, umalis na...

lakad...

Punta siyang UP-MBA, gumana na daw utak nya, nakakaarouse na daw magaral at critical thinking sobrang dami(hindi kasing dami nung BS)...hehe..


Pero tingin ko ATENEO, AIM at UP lang.....magandang pagpilian.....

[wala2003]

sa mga nagsasabing pangit sa ateneo GSB, ano yung mga feedback ninyo doon? Also, galing ba yun sa mga former students sa AGSB?

to the author of this thread, you may also try University of western Australia, may campus sila dito sa manila.. yung nga lang sobrang mahal ng tuition pero you could apply for a scholarship. Siya lang daw ang school na accredited ng isang group sorry i forgot the group dito sa asia. Google mo nalng yung website ng school for the information regarding it.

[arch23]

Just google the tons of international rankings and you'll find AIM and UP consistently landing the top two spots for the Philippines. Ateneo is a distant third and is actually in a shaky spot amidst DLSU's gains in the field.

[unchainedwriter]

UP! :) The best university in the Philippines. --though I'm not from UP.

sa AIM? Mahal dun e. Except na lang kung mayaman ka.

[dark_half]

What is the average age of an MBA student?

[Dragon_Heart]

I have studied in Ateneo Rockwell for my MBA standard.
I stopped attending classes, though. I didn't see how it can help me in my career when its just a mere diploma mill.

Take note that I am talking only about the standard MBA, not the other MBAs being offered.

This forum sums up most of my experience there:

http://atenista.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=338

Let me then tell you my personal experience. Take note, this is happened to me, an not like some posters who always say they have heard it from someone or that they have a friend who studied there. In short, all hearsays.

I graduated from ADMU Loyola ( if you have reason to think that I just want to bash ) so I was very disappointed with AGSB. I will sum up the reasons:

-> There are plenty of Mainland Chinese people( most of them not fluent in English, who cannot hold a simple conversation in English )
are studying here and they even graduate! They even pass Business Communication class with their fractured grammar! OK, I know that just because you can't speak English well DOES NOT mean you are stupid, but hey, even the entrance exams are in English, so how can they pass????

-> I have nothing against chinese people, I am Fil-Chinese myself. But good luck to you if your prof assigned the groups and majority of your groupmates are from China.

-> It is true that almost everyone in MBA standard are rank and file employees, and most of them haven't managed people yet. So the discussions in class are at best, mediocre. It is true what the other people say, the whole thing is a joke.

-> Weird teachers. I don't know if I just had bad luck selecting my teachers, but I have had those who at the first day of school will divide the class into groups, and assign topics to them. Why? Because for the whole semester, the prof is not teaching! He had just assigned the groups to report on their topics. Not being experts on the field, the students cannot make every report interesting, nor can they inject much work experience with their report. This isn't their fault, and I was riled with the way the teacher just delegated his job to someone else.

-> Even weirder teachers. I was just unlucky I guess, when I happened to chance upon some teachers who were very strict with time. AGSB only gives 3 maximum absences per student. 4 absences means automatic drop in the course. So with the weird teachers, 5 minutes late translates to one absent or half an absent. If you happen to have a 6 p.m. weekday class and get tied up with work... you get the picture. They operate as if their class is the world, and that their students are all full timers, not ones with jobs.

-> If you read the entire thread in the link I posted above, I would have to tell the threadstarter there that it is possible to fail your subjects. If you get the right combination of time conscious teachers and work deadlines. It just hits me that you can fail just because you are late, and not because you are stupid or lazy.

-> I am not saying that all teachers in AGSB are like that, but that happened to me. ( Just my bad luck maybe ) I had a few good ones, though.

-> Some of my classmates are just taking the classes just to finish the course and earn their degrees. It is a shallow reason, I know, but as we say in tagalog, napasubo na kasi sila.

I hope I have enlightened you guys on this. Again, I do not intend to bash my own school, I am simply telling my bad experience, and I will not compare it with other schools since I have no experience studying there. In my opinion it is not productive to compare schools because there are very few people who have studied in both schools to provide an unbiased comparison.

I will not disagree with those who have had "friends" or who "heard from someone" how good AGSB is. For all I know, they might have had a different experience, and they might be lucky enough to get all the good teachers/classmates.

[xUPteach]

its very weird that ateneo MBA is being matched with UP MBA. i dont think that theyre on the same footing. hindi naman expertise ng UP ang higher education in business... and bilang na bilang mo lang naman ang top ranking corporate officials na galing ng UP MBA, marami AIM, ateneo, and DLSU (if not abroad)... i dont think that this obvious fact calls for a citation...

its not because atenista ako so im saying this. again, i reiterate, the best MBA schools are AIM, ateneo, and dlsu.

here is (actually "are") the CHED citation(s) of the ateneo as the best graduate school to take your MBA in the phils:
http://gsb.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=427


Um... you don't know what you're talking about. Check any international ranking and you'll consistently find AIM and UP as the best in the Philippines. And contrary to your claim, higher education in business IS a UP expertise: in addition to consistently being cited for its highly regarded MBA program, UP was the first in the country to offer a doctoral program in the field.