Cranfield University Cranfield School of Management

Statistics

Programs & Curriculum

Employment

Scholarships & Financial Aid

The Cranfield approach to business education, MBAs at the school tell us, stresses "application rather than pure theory and teamwork rather than individual reward." This intensive program, "is very demanding due to the condensed nature of the course (it covers a traditional U.S. two-year syllabus in 11 months)." It cuts right to the heart of the matter by "focusing on the personal and professional skills that business leaders need. Teamwork, communication, and presentation skills are crucial to the Cranfield experience." As one MBA puts it, "The academic experience at Cranfield is so much more than just a series of business classes. It is a lifestyle and leadership-development course."

Students heap praise on practically every discipline offered at Cranfield, from accounting to finance to supply-chain management. They love that all areas "focus on practical and applied learning, with teaching provided by leading consultants in their field." Professors, "almost all of whom are great teachers with industry experience, which brings real meaning to the case studies and the learning," push students to their limits. As one MBA explains, "We are actively encouraged to do things and to get out of our comfort zone, and I believe that our personal communication and networking skills will be superior as a result."

Cranfield MBAs often work in "learning teams," attacking case studies in three-day cycles; teams start preparing Wednesday's cases on Monday or Thursday's cases on Tuesday, for example. Teams must produce group reports, which earn a single grade for each member; therefore, individuals must work through their differences to present a report that satisfies everyone in the group. This "team approach to assignments teaches us to respect diversity," students tell us. One student explains, "The emphasis on teamwork means that you have to develop good interpersonal skills very quickly." Students also note that "the fact that students have significant work experience (more than seven years on average) helps."

Because of the curriculum's breakneck pace, "the main issue is being able to humanly process all the material!" The reward for all the hard work is "knowing you will be prepared for life after Cranfield." One student analogizes, "Being at Cranfield is like sky diving. It's risky, expensive, and scares the living hell out of you just before you make the leap. But once you have jumped, it's an exhilarating roller coaster of a ride, and I have the feeling that it will all be over too soon and that I will want to do it again."

Students Say - Admissions

Applicants to Cranfield are required to submit the following to the school's admissions department: undergraduate transcript, GMAT scores, TOEFL scores (for ESL students), a resume demonstrating a minimum of three years' full-time work experience, letters of recommendation, personal essays, and an interview. The school notes that it is possible for applicants lacking undergraduate degrees to gain entrance to the MBA program; such students, however, "all have considerably more than the minimum requirement of three years' work experience" and are required to "prove to the Admissions Board that [they] can cope with the academic side of the work by achieving a GMAT score of 600 or more."

Students Say - Campus Life

Cranfield University "is located in a quiet village, creating a close community where most students live in houses and flats." This isolated localeâ€""it takes 20 minutes to drive to the nearest supermarket"â€"means that students must rely on one another for entertainment. Fortunately, "there is no dearth of social events, which more than makes up for the school being in a bit of wilderness." Students tell us, "There are many social activities and opportunities to network with other business schools, such as Oxford, London Business School, Cambridge, and others [as well as tons of] clubs for different sports activities like badminton, basketball, cricket, football, motor sports, scuba diving, sailing, or rugby and others for dancing, jujitsu, or yoga."

Students especially appreciate Cranfield's family-friendly atmosphere, telling us that extracurricular activities "are inclusive of the diverse student population, partners, and families." One MBA notes, "My wife enjoys socializing with other partners, attending the dancing club, and other sports activities such as touch rugby and badminton. My two kids enjoy playing in the safe school playground. They also enjoy [the] various activities arranged by school or student clubs."

There are drawbacks to Cranfield's remote location, of course. Students warn, "You need a car, as public transport in rural England is not great." They also complain that "there are very few options to eat on campus and very little access to options off-campus. Restaurants on campus are closed by 7:30 P.M., further reducing the options for hard-working students."

Cranfield's diverse student body is "a real eye-opener that helps us understand different viewpoints," MBAs tell us, as well as an excellent source of food and entertainment. One student reports, "We recently had international week, with presentations and food given by students from over 10 countries. Our Diwali festival celebration was attended by over 350 peopleâ€"and there are only 136 students on the course!" Students interact constantly due to the curricular emphasis on teamwork; every term, students "are split into teams consisting of six or seven persons, all mostly of different nationalities."

Students Say - Careers

Cranfield's careers office supports its MBAs with a variety of services, including a yearbook (distributed to hundreds of recruiters, the book contains all graduates' short resumes), on-campus recruiting events, and career-preparatory workshops. Students can use the careers office to access employer databases, self-assessment instruments, and alumni. This last is considered most valuable by the MBAs we spoke with. One typical survey respondent lauded the "incredible alumni help," reporting, "I contacted several in jobs with a high level of responsibility and mostly received answers within 24 hours!" Students are not entirely sold on the office's efficacy; however, many wish for "a greater diversity of recruiting companies on campus." One student writes, "We need more proactive support by the career center in order to compete with other famous schools located in big cities, especially because this school is not located in a big city." Companies recruiting on the Cranfield campus include Accenture, American Express, Atkins, Bank of Luxembourg, Booz Allen Hamilton, Eli Lilly and Company, General Motors, KPMG, Marconi, Pfizer, Pharmacia, Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd., and Tesco.

Other Schools To Consider Top Programs