It’s that time of the year; all prospective MBA students are researching business schools all over the world to find the best fit! Some of the things all of you do include:

• Checking rankings
• Googling
• Following the b-schools on Social Media and regular media
• Browsing websites
• Talking to alumni

How about understanding what an MBA education really is? Many people pursue an MBA for improving their career prospects. It is very true, after an MBA education, graduates tend to make more money. Furthermore, pursuing an MBA with an internship has even better returns.  A very recent article on GMAC’s Quick Clips e-newsletter discusses the importance of internship and how people who pursue an MBA with an internship actually have 26% higher chances to find a job. [Another great reason to pursue Rotman’s full-time MBA program!] As you can see there are more opportunities out there for those who pursue an MBA than who don’t.

However, there is one thing that is definitely worth mentioning: An MBA will provide you with the tools you need to succeed in your career, though it is a fast track to more senior level roles, you definitely need to put your whole heart into your job search during and after your MBA. Having this great education under your belt will definitely open great doors for you but it is up to you to make the most of these opportunities.

When you are short-listing your business schools, keep this in mind and look closer to both curricular and extra-curricular activities a business school has to offer. Finding out more about what you will be experiencing throughout your MBA education can be very important in your decision making process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L6nEoS-yR8

Very often, I am asked to compare one year MBA programs with our full-time MBA program. I must say it is a tough comparison. Both programs have their own merits. One-year programs are quick and you don’t have to be away from work for too long. Two-year programs will allow you to immerse yourself in business; especially useful if you have a non-traditional background, and of course the internship opportunity will provide you with an opportunity to try out a new field and change your career.

As I always say it is a personal decision. However depending on your personal reasons, there are times when pursuing a full-time MBA program with an internship is the only way to secure a better job after your MBA.

Why? Because if you have a non-business background, you will definitely need to have a solid business foundation to improve your business acumen. In a two-year MBA program, you will take all the core courses to build this strong foundation. At [Rotman], our employers are comfortable with hiring our first year students regardless of their professional and/or academic background for summer internships because they know that they will have received standard business education by the time they start their internship with them. Our students, especially career changers are comfortable with trying out a different industry because by the end of the first year, they will have gained solid business knowledge and they will have the skill sets necessary to be able to perform well on the job.

Another reason is the value an internship can add to your post-MBA career. Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) did some research on the value of internships and according to their findings people who have completed internships as part of their degree are 26% more likely to find a job than their peers who did not; for full article, please click.

When we look at our own students, at the end of the summer around 33% of the class accept the full-time job offer from the internship company. This means less competition for full-time opportunities starting in September of the second year, and one third of the class has more time to get involved in extracurricular activities in the second year!

Choosing an MBA program with an internship, depending on the industry you choose, might bring better job prospects. Below, you can see the breakdown of transformation of interns into full-time employees by industry.

As you can see we have very strong reasons to continue to offer a two-year full-time MBA degree with an internship. We believe that internships add value to your education by enhancing your skill sets and improved your full-time job prospects post-graduation.