I am a second year student of BTech in electronics and communication engineering. I want to do MBA from an university in the UK. Do I have to sit for the GMAT? Also, can you give me a clear idea about the degree, its prospects and the tuition fee?

I come from a very humble background. Are there any scholarships that I can avail of? How much of the course fee will it cover? And, how do I apply for them?

Avishek Banerjee

Whether or not you have to take the GMAT depends on the universities you are applying to. Not all universities in the UK ask for a GMAT score if you want to take admission to an MBA course, it is mandatory at some institutes while others are quite flexible about it. Most universities, however, require MBA applicants to have a minimum of two to three years of full-time work experience.

The average tuition fee for an MBA course in the UK ranges from £7,000 to £16,000 (from about Rs 5,76,500 to Rs 13,17,600), depending on the institute you are doing it from. The prospects are excellent as a person with an MBA from a reputed British university is held in high regard everywhere in the world.

The unfortunate thing is that there are hardly any scholarships available for MBA students in the UK. You can, however, contact the British Council for specific information on any scholarships available and the criterion to obtain it. The British Council also has a website (www.britishcouncil.org/india) that you can check out.

Alternatively, you can also try for a bank loan to fund your studies abroad. International students are allowed to work in the UK and that gives them some amount of financial support. You can also stay back for a year after completing your degree.

You should browse through the websites of the universities of your choice to get a fair idea about the admission process and the deadline. You will need to schedule your TOEFL or IELTS and GMAT (if necessary) accordingly so that you can apply to the universities with all required information.

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