Dirty Dinar

I finally got ahold of an Admissions Officer at the American University of the Middle East (AUM). The woman I spoke with was very friendly and as helpful as she could be under the circumstances. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the details about the University are still up in the air. That’s to be expected but I was still taken aback.

AUM admissions requirements for pursuing an MBA are:

1. A Bachelor’s degree
2. A TOEFL score of 550+
3. Taken the GMAT

I was told that they are not interested in a specific GMAT score. All they care about is that you’ve taken the GMAT. After you fulfill those three requirements, they will call you in for an interview.

Some issues that worried me are:

• AUM hasn’t determined the tuition rate yet - I guess they will wait to see how many people are interested in enrolling to decide on that figure. I expected
• The campus is in an area I’ve never heard of before - I think it’s called Alagaila but I’m not sure of the spelling. It’s located somewhere near Fintas.
• The University can’t seek accreditation until it has its first graduating class - Is it worth the trouble to attend an MBA program only to find out that it won’t be accredited?

Everywhere I look lately I have been seeing the billboards for AUM, the American University of the Middle East. It’s a newly established private university in association with Purdue University. They’re accepting applicants to begin in October 2008.

I googled the university and found nothing about it. It’s a fresh university which means it’s not accredited. Is it worth the risk starting an MBA course at a university with no credibility? The only thing going for it is that it’s associated with Purdue University. According to their website the Krannert School of Management was the No. 1 MBA program in 2004 and 2005.

I had previously considered enrolling in Kuwait Maastricht Business School but several people advised me against it. I took their advice because they had first-hand knowledge. They were attending the program and told me some of its flaws. Among their complaints were the fact that the instructors were difficult to understand and didn’t teach well, the low caliber of the students, and quality of the program. They all advised me that if I wanted to pursue an MBA to go abroad.

There are a few reasons why I can’t go abroad to pursue higher education, among them are:

1. I can’t afford to pay for tuition and living expenses abroad. I’d need a scholarship to help me out and my GPA isn’t good enough to qualify for a scholarship.
2. I prefer doing a part-time MBA because I don’t want to quit my job and have to go through the job search all over again in a year or two. I’m happy where I am and don’t want to risk the alternative. Also included is the opportunity cost. An MBA in Kuwait doesn’t count for much. If you’re lucky your workplace will increase your salary by KWD 50. I haven’t heard of anyone with an MBA who has benefited greatly from having one.

Why get an MBA then? When it comes to the future I always imagine the worst possible outcome. I don’t want to come to a point in time when I will get passed over a promotion or if I have to leave Kuwait and the only jobs I can get require an MBA. I would hate an opportunity to pass me by because I didn’t have the educational requirements. An MBA may not count for much in Kuwait now but it might open many more doors in the future.

I’ve called AUM for more information (2240169) and they haven’t gotten back to me yet so I’ll keep you updated. If anyone has any thoughts on the issue I’d love to hear them. I’d be interested to know if you have an MBA and if it’s done anything towards your career or career path.