With thousands and thousands of business schools in the world, how do you choose the right one for you? To answer this question, we recently interviewed Professor Ed Snape, the dean of the School of Business at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).

Professor Ed Snape

Here is a checklist of five helpful points for students on the Chinese mainland to consider. 

Is it accredited by international organizations?

Whether or not a school is accredited tells students a lot about the actual quality of education and how widely it is recognized. Therefore, the first step students should take is to look at the school’s accreditation.

Business schools with Triple Accreditations from the three leading global accreditation bodies - namely AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS - account for just 1% (including HKBU Business School) of business schools worldwide. 

What do users say about it?

Authenticity matters in many areas of life, including education. Therefore, the first step applicants should take is to check the schools’ websites for student blogs or other places where they can share their feedback.

Professor Snape suggests that those schools that feature students’ opinions may value their voices more. This may also reflect a close relationship between the School and students - which must be a good sign.

Browsing around LinkedIn to look for the professional profiles of the schools’ alumni may also help better provide a more complete picture of the schools’ graduate prospects.

How many and what programs is it offering?

It is important to explore the list of programs that a school offers, as it gives applicants an idea of whether it would fit with a student's needs and career interests. It can also provide a feeling of how well the school is able to meet society’s need for talents.

Schools offering specialist programs like these while also providing generalist programs like an MBA and MSc in Business Management may be able to provide a more comprehensive learning journey for students in all their programs.

How supportive is the School to students?

This means providing all-round support throughout the students’ learning journey - from the admission process to scholarship provision, from equipping students with academic knowledge to insights from industry insiders, from helping students to find their own paths to providing practical work experience, from a strong and supportive alumni network to a well-connected career service centre.

What and how did it do in the pandemic?

Schools do vary in how successfully they have managed the pandemic and its impact.

Professor Snape says: “From on- and off-campus hygiene measures, software and hardware preparedness, to teachers’ digital savviness and the adequacy of digital materials - these are the areas that applicants should pay much attention to, especially when no one has a solid answer as to when the pandemic is going to end.”

Professor Snape adds: “Please think about these five questions when choosing a business school. Taking some time to think this through will pay dividends in future.”