What should she do?

[paki786]

Hi Guys,
Need some help/opinions/suggestions. My wife will most likely be coming to Canada this June/July (spousal sponsorship). She is currently in Pakistan. She first did her B.COM (2 years) and now doing her MBA (3.5 years). Right now, it's her 2nd last semester which will finish next month. The last semester will be from Sep to Dec. She wants to get some Canadian education for sure to help with her career here.

So the question is, or I should say what option should she go for?

1) Should she go back to Pakistan in September for her last semester and finish her degree?

2) OR should she not bother and focus on getting admission here in Canada?

If she goes with option 1, she will be able to get her credentials assessed and get her MBA equivalency. In that case, what should she study here in Canada? No point in doing MBA again (costly and probably not allowed anyways). Should she do some post graduate diploma in Business to get Canadian education on her resume?

If going with 2nd option, can she get credit for her incomplete MBA and finish her MBA here?

I know these might be very specific questions, but I'm looking for some general suggestions. Thanks

 

[canuck78]

She should complete her degree after spending so much time and money. No she won't be able to transfer into a Canadian MBA for her last semester. Unfortunately her MBA is unlikely to be viewed as the equivalent as well MBA programs that Canadian employers are familiar with.

 

[paki786]

She should complete her degree after spending so much time and money. No she won't be able to transfer into a Canadian MBA for her last semester. Unfortunately her MBA is unlikely to be viewed as the equivalent as well MBA programs that Canadian employers are familiar with.

I myself have the same opinion that she should complete her degree so that she will earn her MBA back home and also get MBA equivalency at least on the paper here in Canada. I know someone who had the same B.COM and MBA from Pakistan and WES assessed it as MBA in Canada.

And yes I agree that employers here wont view it the same, and that's why it's important for her to get some Canadian education to get into the job market here. Still have to figure out what that education would be.

 

[canuck78]

If you are sponsoring her there is no need for WES equivalency.

 

[paki786]

If you are sponsoring her there is no need for WES equivalency.

Right, it's just so that she can officially say on her resume 'MBA from a recognized university. Credentials assessed by WES'

 

[canuck78]

Right, it's just so that she can put that on her resume and officially say 'MBA from a recognized university. Credentials assessed by WES'

No need. Save your money. WES doesn’t mean anything for employers.

 

[21Goose]

The WES assessment will be superfluous since you don't need it for spousal sponsorship, and employers aren't going to care about a WES equivalency certificate when it comes to getting a job.

Getting credit to complete her MBA here is close to impossible. However, you can always ask a few business schools here and find out for sure. You should assume she won't get it, though.

Does your wife have any work experience in Pakistan? Or did she go straight from undergrad to an MBA, as is very common in India - not sure if Pakistan works the same way.

If she doesn't have any work ex, I would actually say that she shouldn't complete her MBA. This is because doing an MBA here in Canada three or four years down the road is a great way to move up the corporate ladder. However, she's not likely to get into an MBA program here if she already has an MBA from back home. So you end up in a situation where you have a pointless degree that doesn't get you an MBA-level job here, while simultaneously blocking you from getting a Canadian MBA.

If she doesn't complete her degree, she can come to Canada and start working. For example, she may be able to work as a teller in a bank - that's an entry level job that a college grad can reasonably get, and it's the kind of job that can lead to getting into business school three years later. And then she won't have to worry about getting rejected because she already, on paper, has an MBA.

Still, it's not a clear decision one way or the other. Just something to think about.

 

[21Goose]

Also, which B-school is she getting her MBA from? If it's something like LUMS, then it might be worth completing.

 

[paki786]

No need. Save your money. WES doesn’t mean anything for employers.

In a sense you are right. I myself have a CS degree from back home and I got it assessed by WES. Even if I did not get it assessed, I could still say I have a degree.

 

[canuck78]

The WES assessment will be superfluous since you don't need it for spousal sponsorship, and employers aren't going to care about a WES equivalency certificate when it comes to getting a job.

Getting credit to complete her MBA here is close to impossible. However, you can always ask a few business schools here and find out for sure. You should assume she won't get it, though.

Does your wife have any work experience in Pakistan? Or did she go straight from undergrad to an MBA, as is very common in India - not sure if Pakistan works the same way.

If she doesn't have any work ex, I would actually say that she shouldn't complete her MBA. This is because doing an MBA here in Canada three or four years down the road is a great way to move up the corporate ladder. However, she's not likely to get into an MBA program here if she already has an MBA from back home. So you end up in a situation where you have a pointless degree that doesn't get you an MBA-level job here, while simultaneously blocking you from getting a Canadian MBA.

If she doesn't complete her degree, she can come to Canada and start working. For example, she may be able to work as a teller in a bank - that's an entry level job that a college grad can reasonably get, and it's the kind of job that can lead to getting into business school three years later. And then she won't have to worry about getting rejected because she already, on paper, has an MBA.

Still, it's not a clear decision one way or the other. Just something to think about.

Disagree. After investing 3.5 years and money would finish off the degree. You are assuming she will have the time and money to complete another MBA in Canada. I am also confused about the B Com in 2 years. Unsure if that would meet the prerequisites for a Canadian MBA.

 

[21Goose]

Disagree. After investing 3.5 years and money would finish off the degree. You are assuming she will have the time and money to complete another MBA in Canada. I am also confused about the B Com in 2 years. Unsure if that would meet the prerequisites for a Canadian MBA.

Yeah, it's not a clear cut decision one way or the other. Your points are equally valid.

 

[paki786]

The WES assessment will be superfluous since you don't need it for spousal sponsorship, and employers aren't going to care about a WES equivalency certificate when it comes to getting a job.

Getting credit to complete her MBA here is close to impossible. However, you can always ask a few business schools here and find out for sure. You should assume she won't get it, though.

Does your wife have any work experience in Pakistan? Or did she go straight from undergrad to an MBA, as is very common in India - not sure if Pakistan works the same way.

If she doesn't have any work ex, I would actually say that she shouldn't complete her MBA. This is because doing an MBA here in Canada three or four years down the road is a great way to move up the corporate ladder. However, she's not likely to get into an MBA program here if she already has an MBA from back home. So you end up in a situation where you have a pointless degree that doesn't get you an MBA-level job here, while simultaneously blocking you from getting a Canadian MBA.

If she doesn't complete her degree, she can come to Canada and start working. For example, she may be able to work as a teller in a bank - that's an entry level job that a college grad can reasonably get, and it's the kind of job that can lead to getting into business school three years later. And then she won't have to worry about getting rejected because she already, on paper, has an MBA.

Still, it's not a clear decision one way or the other. Just something to think about.

No she does not have any experience...went straight from B.COM to MBA. You are right about getting MBA here. If she does it back home then she wont be able to do MBA here down the road.

I wasn't sure if she could get some entry level job without getting any education here...but yea it wont hurt trying. I want her to start on the right foot, whether it means starting with some entry level job (assuming she can get it) or getting some education here first. I will be financially supporting her so even if she does not work right away and gets 'proper education' first then I'm ok with that.

 

[paki786]

Also, which B-school is she getting her MBA from? If it's something like LUMS, then it might be worth completing.

It's BZU...nothing fancy.

 

[21Goose]

No she does not have any experience...went straight from B.COM to MBA. You are right about getting MBA here. If she does it back home then she wont be able to do MBA here down the road.

I wasn't sure if she could get some entry level job without getting any education here...but yea it wont hurt trying. I want her to start on the right foot, whether it means starting with some entry level job (assuming she can get it) or getting some education here first. I will be financially supporting her so even if she does not work right away and gets 'proper education' first then I'm ok with that.

I don't think it's impossible to get admission, just that you will have to explain why she needs two MBA degrees. It might be worth talking to a student/admissions advisor at a few business schools and getting their opinion.

I'm sure it's not uncommon for people to want to do a Canadian degree even though they have the same degree from back home.

 

[paki786]

I don't think it's impossible to get admission, just that you will have to explain why she needs two MBA degrees. It might be worth talking to a student/admissions advisor at a few business schools and getting their opinion.

I'm sure it's not uncommon for people to want to do a Canadian degree even though they have the same degree from back home.

Not MBA, but maybe some post graduate diploma in Business. Something that would help her get into the job market here and progress. There is really no plan to re-do MBA here (too costly anyways)