Getting direction: MBA programs on the rise in Mexico as the young and ambitious look to secure competitive edge in tough job market.

People currently looking for work in Mexico face a grim situation: unemployment has been steadily rising as thousands have lost their jobs due to major consolidations and staff cutbacks. Those still working have seen their compensation shrink, or at least fail to rise, with inflation and cost of living. Salary increases have been rare during the past year, and some workers have even had to accept pay reductions.

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The situation is not likely to improve quickly, since the GDP growth rate of 1.2% for 2003 will not generate the impetus necessary to create enough jobs for the one million young people expected to enter the job market this year.

This is the employment picture painted by Thurston Hamer, senior partner at Korn/Ferry, a leading executive headhunting firm. Still, despite the current situation, Hamer is optimistic that Mexico will eventually return to a period of strong growth.

For those looking for better jobs, "my recommendation is to continue studying to develop new skills in order to be prepared once the economy improves," Hamer said.

EXCELLENCE IN MONTERREY

One of the best ways to be ready for a better economy when it finally arrives, experts say, is to earn a Master's in Business Administration. Several Mexican universities have stepped up to the plate to offer new and competitive MBA programs.

The Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, also known simply as the Tec, offers a variety of paths to pursuing an MBA, including full-time programs, curriculum designed for mid-career professionals and online courses. They are offered both independently and jointly with other universities, with the majority of the programs having excellent reputations.

The latest Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive poll of corporate recruiters listed the Tec de Monterrey as one of the top three business schools outside the United States. Against U.S. universities, it ranked 16th, ahead of MBA programs at Duke, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

One of the newest and most creative of the Tec's offerings is its Global MBA for Latin American Managers, offered in conjunction with one of the world's top schools of international business, the Thunderbird School of International Management. A two-year program, the Global MBA combines the latest technological methods of presenting information with traditional classroom-based instruction.

TOUCH YOUR FELLOW COEDS 

Before beginning the course, students fly to the Thunderbird campus in Phoenix, Ariz., for an intensive weeklong orientation. They participate in discussion groups, write papers with partners and work in teams, getting to know the people with whom they will communicate electronically as part of the program.

After the orientation, students are able to attend the Tec campus closest to them. There, professors from Thunderbird and the Tec beam a live satellite class every two weeks. Designed to prepare Latin American managers for the highly competitive global business environment, Global MBA faculty members have doctorate degrees and international expertise.

During the satellite transmission, participants can ask questions on camera, by phone or via online chat rooms. Olaf Carrera, a public relations director in Mexico City who began the MBA program for Latin American managers last fall, raved about access to top faculty. "Compare it to a large lecture class of 150 students where you don't have the opportunity to ask questions," he said. "Even at Harvard, you don't always have access to the top professors."

Textbooks and classes are in English. Applicants are required to score 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (Toefl) to be admitted to the program. Once accepted, they have the chance to polish their language skills with courses in English business communication.

While English is essential, the focus is international. Although U.S. textbooks are used, cross-border distinctions are discussed. "When we study general accounting principals, the professor will point out the differences between Mexican and American accounting practices." Carrera said.

At the end of the program, graduates receive a joint degree from ITESM and Thunderbird.

ACADEMICS WITHOUT BORDERS 

Another Mexico-U.S. educational partnership is the one the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM) has formed with Arizona State University (ASU). The pair are planning to offer an executive MBA and confer a dual degree to graduates. The program, which starts its inaugural run in September, will be offered half in Spanish.

ITAM professors will give their courses in Spanish while the Arizona State faculty will fly to Mexico City to present theirs in English.

Although courses will be held at ITAM, students will be required to attend a week of intensive classes in Phoenix during the final year of the two-year program.

Class sessions will be supplemented by visits to multinational companies that have strong ties with Arizona, in an effort to give students an inside look at the techniques and tactics of U.S. business leaders.

"We require that candidates for the executive MBA have at least seven years of top management experience," said Gabriela Alvarado, director of MBA programs at ITAM. "The executive MBA is tailored for individuals who have been out of school for a while and are now more concerned with method than theory."

ITAM offers three other MBA programs, one full-time, another part-time and a third focusing on international management. "While many of our students get to be executives while they are studying for their MBA here, the executive MBA requires that the candidate already be a top manager in order to be accepted," said Alvarado.

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A major advantage to this executive MBA is that upon completing the program, graduates earn a dual degree. They receive a Maestria de Direccion de Empresas from ITAM and the MBA from Arizona State University.

LIVE FROM SCOTLAND

The Escuela Bancaria y Comercial (EBC) was the first private university to be established in Mexico. Originally founded in 1929 to train executives at the then-new Banco de Mexico, it soon opened its doors to the public.

Today, EBC's curriculum includes the latest techniques in the fields of economics, banking and finance. In 1997, it began offering a distance-learning MBA from the well-regarded Heriot Watt University in Scotland.

The Heriot Watt Distance Learning Program consists of nine courses, seven required and two electives. Students complete each course at their own pace.

"This program has various advantages," said Juan Manuel Ramirez, publicity director for EBC's graduate division. "The students don't have to attend any classes, which is perfect for people who travel a great deal on the job. In addition, this MBA is very complete and cost accessible."

For those who prefer direct contact with teachers and fellow students, Escuela Bancaria y Comercio offers weekly two-hour tutorials where students meet, and any questions they may have about the material will be discussed with an EBC professor. In addition, interactive software programs are available to enhance the course material. Both the tutorials and the software programs are at additional charge.

"Applicants to the program must have good English skills, have completed their bachelor's and go through a personal interview at EBC in order to be accepted." Ramirez said.

The current global business climate means Mexico needs bilingual employees who are comfortable working in varied cultural environments. To meet this need, Mexican business schools are creating MBAs to prepare students in an English-intensive, bicultural format that encourages flexible thinking and sophisticated adaptation skills.

With so many options available domestically, students don't need to travel abroad to gain international business acumen. Instead, they can now study a cutting edge curriculum and develop a global vision while participating in work-study programs of higher learning in Mexico.

Rhona Statland de Lopez is a Mexico City-based freelance writer.