Hello PrepLounge,
Does entering an MBB as an Advanced Professional Degree Candidate, i.e., PhD prohibit MBA sponsorship by your firm?
Kind regards,
Harsh
Pedro, my thanks to you too for your effort and time!
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MBA after PHD?
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Hi there!
No, it doesn't.
MBA sponsorship depends on the geography and office that you are in. You can find out more about that either when you join the firm or by networking with consultants who already work there.
Also, nothing is set in stone with these things. You can always create a case for yourself and explain why you would need their sponsorships. If you're convincing enough they'll still do it even if don't happen to fall within the ‘regular process’ they go through.
Best,
Cristian
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Hi Hatsh,
Not at all! You're still very much eligible! It's a bit of an odd move, but if you've proven yourself at the firm for a few years, done good work and have good connections, and have a good reason, you can absolutely apply.
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Hi Harsh,
happy to share my thoughts.
In general, no, PhD does typically not prohibit MBA sponsorship.
However, sponsorship policies vary greatly by firm and geography, so a standard answer does not do justice here.
Note that for many firms, PhDs join on same level as post-MBAs, so this can complicate things, as MBA sponsorships are often tied to specific career levels.
Feel free to share with me your target geography and firms via DM, then I can give you more tailored advice.
Regards, Andi
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No, it doesn't. But, of course, after you get an offer and before you accept it, that may be a good thing to discuss.
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Hi,
from my experience, consulting firms sponsor MBA programs for employees at certain career stages. You can't be too junior and not too senior plus you have to have a certain tenure with the firm. For example, I don't really know cases where people at manager level leave for an MBA program - at that point you'd want to build out your specialization and start developing your client network to prepare for your junior partner case down the line.
That said, if you come in with a PhD, you'd already start at a higher level (potentially 2-3 years away from manager). So it would be a serious deliberation whether or not an MBA would make sense once you have the required tenure.
In any case, firms have a finite number of MBA sponsorship slots in a given year and people have to internally apply for them. There are usually more applicants than spots. So there is never a guarantee but it is being looked at on a case by case basis and top performers usually get preferred. So having a PhD is not per se a dealbreaker I would say.
Hope that helps a bit for context
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Hi,
The short answer is no but you will need a strong reason to justify one.
Good luck!
BR
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Ankit, I thank you kindly for your input - much appreciated!
Hello,
It's not a super common move, but it definitely is not prohibited!
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Cristian, thank you, kind sir!