Why apply for a USB programme early?

We are entering that time of the year when many people start to think about their future and what they need to do to find a sense of achievement career-wise.
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One of the key reasons why people enrol for postgraduate business studies is to enhance their standing at work as a result of the expertise they gain through the study experience. The University of Stellenbosch Business School’s MBA , with its strong focus on responsible leadership , has been designed to help people achieve this. The USB MBA combines business knowledge, decision-making skills and leadership skills to support people with clear career goals to stand out among others and to become role models.

There are various reasons why USB’s programme heads urge prospective students to enrol for the school’s academic programmes as soon as possible.

Martin Butler, Programme Head of USB’s MBA, encourages prospective students to apply for USB’s MBA as soon as possible. The MBA has three formats (Full-time, Modular and Blended Learning) and various intakes to offer students as much flexibility as possible. “Apart from the Full-time MBA, all our other programmes offer learn-while-you earn formats. However, we can take only a certain number of students on each format. If students wait for too long before they apply, some of the classes can become fully subscribed.”

Prospective students applying for financial support from their employers need to take the application window into account. Says Butler: “Employers who provide financial assistance to employees enrolling for an MBA first want to know that these employees have been accepted onto the programme. Applicants should allow time for this approval process as well.”

Butler also says the MBA calls for a huge commitment in terms of time. “The MBA will ask sacrifices from you and your family, friends and colleagues. It requires thorough planning. Students who apply now will allow themselves more time to put the things in place ‘around their studies’. Also, those who have not studied for a while might want to enrol for a short course to hone their quantitative skills once they have been admitted to the MBA.”

Registration for the 2018 intake of USB’s 13 academic programmes opened on Thursday, 1 June 2017.

Rolling and non-rolling applications
Prof Michael Graham, Head of the Postgraduate Diploma in Development Finanace and MPhil in Development Finance at USB, explains students need to distinguish between rolling applications and deadline-driven applications.

The selection process for programmes with rolling applications happens on an ongoing basis. However, in some cases – like USB’s Development Finance Programmes and Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning – all the applications are assessed only after the cut-off date. This allows USB to select the top students from all the applications. So students applying for programmes with non-rolling application deadlines should not wait until the very end as the application process consists of various steps and the uploading of various documents.

Prof André Roux, Head: Futures Studies Programmes, says early application will help prospective students to organise their work and personal calendars for the year ahead. “This will enable students to prepare their schedules and their families and colleagues well in advance to help ensure academic success.”

Owen Mbundu, Head of USB’s Marketing Division and USB MBA alumnus, mentioned “the competition for certain programmes at the top schools” as a key reason to apply straight away. Other reasons, he says, are financial planning and “preparing your family and employer that you will be embarking on a learn-while-you-earn programme”.

Pierre Rossouw, Head of Student Administration at USB, provides two reasons for early applications: preparation and pre-reading before the start of the programme and, for foreign students, allowing sufficient time to obtain study visas. Obtaining a study permit can take up to 12 weeks from the date of being offered a place on a programme at USB – hence the early application deadline for foreign students.

How to apply for USB’s MBA and other programmes
Prospective students who want to apply for postgraduate studies at USB can do so as from 1 June 2017. South African and foreign students follow the same online application process.
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Applying now will give prospective students enough time to organise their schedules, do pre-reading, prepare their employers and family, and obtain all the documents that need to accompany their applications.

The admission requirements and application details are explained at www.stellenboschbusiness.ac.za.