Understanding the Role of the Master in Management in Global Business Education

This paper shares insights on key questions related to MiM programs and makes recommendations to help business school leaders plan for their programs’ sustainable futures.

November 2017

Overview

2017 GMAC MiM Whitepaper 130x168The rapid expansion of Master in Management (MiM) programs, starting in Europe and progressing to the MBA-focused markets of the United States and Asia-Pacific, has caused many business school leaders to grapple with understanding the strategic role of the MiM in their program portfolios and make sense of the credential’s place in the broader context of global graduate business education. This paper shares insights on key questions related to MiM programs and makes recommendations to help business school leaders plan for their programs’ sustainable futures.

Quick Facts

  • MiM and full-time MBA programs largely serve distinct types of candidates at different stages of their careers and lead to different outcomes.
  • MiM programs, which at most business schools serve pre-experience candidates, help graduates successfully launch their careers, leading them to job opportunities that otherwise might not have been open to them. For these programs, the value proposition of the MiM is grounded in the short-term—it offers pragmatic training and connections needed to start a career.
  • Full-time MBA programs, which generally serve experienced candidates, help graduates accelerate their careers and ascend to roles with increased levels of responsibility and organizational scope. The value proposition of the full-time MBA is in the long term—it provides connections and trains students not necessarily for their first job, but for their second, third, or fourth job after business school.
  • The analysis featured in the paper also highlights key differences between the established European MiM market and the emerging US and Asia-Pacific MiM markets.