MBA in Poland for 40+ and older?

background

41 year old Indian American mid level manager considering an MBA/executive MBA type program in Poland full

Why?

I wanted to complete my MBA in Europe and Poland seems an affordable option and also wanted to experience eastern europe.

I live in NYC and DC

Is any specific MBA program recommended for my age group (40+)

Also concerns about racism areobvious and will i be able to enjoy the nightlife?

Even though I am an American citizen, i am of indian heritage and like others have reported are worried about racism in poland

Also how easy is it to learn Polish?

Any advice on cost per month for a nice walkable apartment (non sharing studio or one bedroom furnished)

target date : sep 2014

what is your budget for tuition fees ?

budget is open. i found prices from 5000 EUR onwards. for a one year program of 2 semesters. others charge more

maximum living cost that will be good will be not more than 1000USD per month and some additional costs for train travel in europe during vacations

i am more worried about the racism, language and cultural adaptability

1000 USD is more than enough .

don't know about the racism ,because i'm not in poland yet .

I suggest this website for finding the program you want : study in poland.

I suggest choosing the program in one of the following universities : SGH , kozminski ,university of warsaw

You will be stared at by the older generations some will stop walking and give the evil eye younger generation generally ok stay away from football stadiums and should be ok also depends on the town and the area of the town

I'm the only black guy in a small town 50000 people and i get stared at all the time i think its more out of why the hell would you come to poland its rubbish than wanting to kill me although certain bars in the town are a bit like the wild west saw dust on the floor etc the N word is often heard but only from the inbred scum selling mushrooms on the streets

thank you dext

are you from the US?

Also, what about a larger city?

also, how do you manage to order food, go to bars and use public transport?

do you speak polish?

dany,

thanks i will check the following. i am thinking of warsaw or krakow as the choices as i like metro areas

I'm from Barbados but lived in england for a long time I speak a little polish now as I've been here for 3 years. in warsaw and Krakow there is no issue with language as many many many people speak english and even if i try to use polish they answer me in english If your looking to rent in warsaw or krakow your cost of living will be double unless you are willing to flat share

I would be more concerned about quality than racism. In warsaw, krakow etc there are many indian students.

I think only warsaw has aacsb status. Quality of business and economics teaching lags far behind the US. (I have worked in both countries and studied in US too). I also think that you might find warsaw or krakow living costs higher than in a smaller US town for everything except healthcare and alcohol.

thanks again for your helpful answers.

my final question?

would you say that you have a good life in poland with a lot of fun,good friends/girlfriend, good food, good education?

also on the social front, do poles call you to their house, or on trips or to their parties or they live in the 50's deep south mentality

cms

do you have any planned budget for krakow/warsaw without sharing an apartment in the best parts of town walkable to anything and near public transport, preferably in an area of town they see international students a lot and wifi or high speed internet is a must as i need to be connected 24/7 on the fastest connection possible

I want to have a good quality of life and experience what will be the final degree of my life and additional cost can be budgeted to enhance my experience. during my previous masters degree i did not have much money for a good quality of life.

i don't really care about AASCB ratings. it wont help me in my career. i am doing this as a career break from the routine life we live in the US and this will be my last chance to experience a different culture and get a degree. its more for the life experience rather than expecting to land a job in europe. i will return back to the US as soon as I am done.

As steve jobs said ' you only get to do so many things in life'

the main goals for me are:

1. eastern europe for cost price/culture as i will lose one year of opportunity cost in the USA. Huge loss of pay plus spending for MBA = double whammy

2. MBA in english (one year program only so i can be done in 12 months

3. learn polish language

4. sightsee in europe to the extent possible

5. return back to the states when done

6. as i am single i have no family or baggage to worry about

usually an MBA program is 2 years in poland (and europe )

this website gives you near accurate prices :

krakow
warsaw

Prices are comparable to small us cities

Warsaw univ of tech has a 1 year MBA and i am
Checking other options.

it's a good university ,the master program there is strong .

This is rubish !!!! Do not believe in rankings , because those rankings do not relate to curriculum, but the standard of facilities and the level of foreign quotes in English language periodicals . Since Polish system is underfunded , this sphere lags behind USA or some the most developed countries in Europe without any doubt . But it doesn`t matter for a student . What you are looking for is the knowledge , right ?

University programs, not to mention the lower level schools represent much higher level of education than universities in the U.S. or Western Europe. Typically, foreign students admitted for example to the Polish universities of technology have problems with curriculum. Although the level of the so-called English division is much much lower for foreigners. You can see it with the results of international contests, where students from Polish universities always occupy the top positions, especially in mathematics and science. I have a family history of children who traveled with parents to the United States and they were given about two years ahead of US peers . Conversely, students from the U.S. who wish to study at the Technical University are normally not able to follow the curriculum without tutorial help . Also , the graduates with American diplomas will not find work in Poland. Thus, the opinions of foreigners are bitter and are the result of many disappointments. But if you are bright and study hard you can make it .

For some reason, I don't think cms is bitter or disappointed in any way. Realistic and pragmatic, yes.


Because they don't speak Polish.


Not really. They may know everything about theory, but their practical skills are often shockingly low.


Polish students have problems too, not least because of the pitifully low entry standards for many courses.

is that why so many Polish are anxious to attend UK universities?

Because in Polish universities, they learn vast amounts of theory and next to no practice. In the UK, they learn practical things ;)

why be prejudice against the Poles?

What did they do to you?

I was there and this drunk guy tried to jump me in the dead of night. I didn't blame all the wonderful people that were in the city and enjoying life because of one person who probably had a tough struggle in life.

Get over it. Just because you will look different you think that is a reason? I wonder what a person from poland would say to that.

Yes , it is easier to get there and money for the tuition and expenses are taken from a bank as a student`s loan and can cover all costs . Polish students can get something like 600 PLN as a student`s loan . What does it cover ? Nothing , maybe books and a bus ticket . The second thing they mostly apply for not science studies but humanistic . In Poland it is not easy to be admitted for tuition free studies . You need to pass with very high marks to get into popular faculties.

Really? Have you considered contacting the Student Loans Company and tell them that? I wonder what they might tell you.


You have an extra word in that sentence, don't you.

What rubbish. Loans for living aren't given to non-UK residents.


You're talking about the scholarships, which are not loans.


Monia, you make it far too easy, you really do :D

amuland.pl/Portal/Progi-punktowe/DL-EUR-2012

11 points last year to get into tuition fee studies at UAM. That was chosen at random.

11 points is equal to around 35% at Matura. I'm sorry, but LOL. And this is one of the best universities in Poland.

Popular means - having the most applications on one place such as medicine and stomatology . If you want to apply for univ of technology it is not so difficult , because technical studies are not so popular . They even offer computers for new students to attract them . But it doesnt mean that such a student will be accepted for the second year . Most of them with low marks will not pass the first year .

minimal quota for Warsaw univ of technology :
pw.edu.pl/Kandydaci/Studia-stacjonarne-I-stopnia/Ubiegloroczne-progi-punktowe

You can observe a lot of differences between faculties.

medycyna2012.blogspot.com/2012/07/progi-punktowe-2012_10.html
Can you see the difference eg: Warsaw Medical University : medicine and dentistry?

You need to score appx above 88 % to be admitted for tuition free studies , so as you can see it is not easy to get there .

And Polish Matura is much much more difficult than British on advanced level . So the average British student would never pass the advanced level of Polish matura from chemistry or physics.

You'll be safe here than in the USA (provided you use a little bit of common sense).


The course Delph linked to is not offered a 'university of technology': it is offered by the Faculty of Law and Administration of Adam Mickiewicz University, which is one of Poland's better universities.


ROFL! You seem to forget that some of us have experience teaching in both British and Polish schools.

Exactly how would you know this?
Have you taken British A levels?
And exactly what are you trying to imply? British students studying science are too dim to pass the Polish matura? LMAO!!!

That's one of the funniest things I've ever read here!


And this is also a barefaced lie!!

Pam , I know that, first hand from my family members. Some , who studied in France and some in USA and Canada . One of them who studied in France and acomplished bachelor in France and wanted to get a master in Poland and he received that this year . He said that maturity exams are so simple in France and also univeristy level so low that he needed one year to prepare himself to be admitted for master in Warsaw Univ of Technology. In Canada Polish children are put 1- 2 years ahead of their peers in schools . Also my niece received a bachalor degree from U of T and she told me that it was very easy , required no hard studying . My nephew told me that studying bachelor in Biology he did not have to know for example names of flora and fauna at all . I know from my cousin who has got a master from biology that she didn`t have time to enjoy studying because all her time at the university she spent on studying books , memorising names of flora and fauna not only in Polish but in Latin . This is just an example . To describe the big gap you would have to write a book .

A wonderful example of what is wrong with Polish universities: there is far too much attention paid on memorising fairly useless things and fair too little paid to understanding things and actually doing things.


So in other words you have no personal experience with the education system of the UK and you have no second-hand experience via your family members. But you still decided to mouth off about it; how surprising.

Which means that something is seriously wrong with the university and the teaching if this is the case. Or the entry requirements should simply be higher - but that would mean an end to the gravy train, wouldn't it?


But you claimed that 'free' studies are difficult to access in general. Trying to use medicine or dentistry as an example is pointless.


Indeed, a great example. I heard some brilliant cases from people studying business in the Economics University in Poznan - they were often forced to be able to be able to use completely useless economical formulas, but they couldn't complete a basic balance sheet.

These countries are not the UK.

.


Where is U of T? Unless it's a British university I've never heard of, you make no reference to study in the UK, specifically A levels V Polish matura.

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Again no reference as to which country your nephew studied in.
You would also be studying for a degree in Botany not Biology, if you were learning names of flora and fauna.
Just because you have family members that found study abroad in other countries easy, doesn't mean to say they would find it easy in Britain.

Where in that link does it say that it's 11 points?


Jon357, in Poland it is in general much harder to get into tuition free studies, than the paid ones. The more popular, prestigious the faculty is, the more candidates for one spot there are and the more difficult it is to get in. Of course, it depends on how good and prestigious the university is - but it means the same - more people for one spot.

My cousin wanted to be a doctor but she didn't manage to get into the medicine faculty. She got into biotechnology and so she studied biotechnology.

Perhaps Monia would like to explain to us why the third best university in the country (UAM) admits students with a mere 11 points to a faculty of administration and law?