If you are currently debating on which MBA school to go to, don't make the mistake to overlook the teaching style of your target MBA program! Unfortunately, teaching style is often one of the last things people focus on. Here are the differences:

00:00 - Intro

00:48 - Lectures

Lectures are the most common teaching methods found in business schools. they tend to be more of a passive experience that is mainly driven by the professor. This teaching method will probably be the most natural to you, since it is very similar to the way many undergraduate and graduate classes are structured.
Lectures give you the chance to actively participate sharing examples and clarifying points of discussion. You will be able to observe the different styles of presenting and facilitating, which will also enrich your learning experience.
Observing how your classmates make their points and raise questions is a good way to see for yourself the do’s and don’ts’s through the reception of your faculty and peers. Therefore, this is a good testing ground for you to practice and observe how to engage in workplace discussions and meetings.

02:07 - Case Studies:

In the US, it's the Harvard Business School and UVA’s Darden School, where the case method dominates, and where they are core to the entire MBA experience for students. In Europe, it's IESE Business School, which is known to have the case study method in place.
The format involves a professor leading students through a historical analysis of a real-life business situation. It is also the MBA teaching method most applicants are curious about when they consider attending business school. Cases are commonly used as the driver for interactive classroom discussions and there is an expectation of strong preparation and class participation from all students. Because the case study method relies on lively class discussions with multiple points of view, it is considered the gold standard in management education. If you want to end up working as a management consultant, I recommend you choose a school that puts a lot of weight on case studies.

04:07 - Experiential Learning

This is one of the more truly immersive teaching methods that allows you to operate within a specific topical area or industry of interest, e.g. classes ending with “lab”, like global lab, venture lab. You will see this is especially in Consulting, Finance and Entrepreneurship classes. This method is all about learning while doing, and from discussions I've had, with students at other schools, this is a trend that continues to grow in many MBA programs.

Experiential Learning has historically grown from situations, in which fresh MBA graduates arrive highly motivated at their new workplace but have no idea how to get any actual work done.

05:16 - Simulation
Simulations are probably one of the least common business school teaching methods. This MBA teaching method primarily uses technology recreations of common business scenarios. One of the most popular is the “MarkStrat” simulation used in marketing strategy courses. Simulation teaching methods compress years into minutes and allow you to have an impact on all your firm’s key variables. For instance, simulation games allow your team to determine pricing, quantity and advertising channels, immediately getting the results on how this affected profitability for each simulated period.

06:30 - Summary

The business school teaching strategies at MBA programs are as diverse as the programs themselves, so do your research to make sure you are choosing the program that is right for you, your learning style, and your post-MBA goals.

Personally, I decided to go for an MBA program that has the case study method, because I was used to lectures in my first university degree anyway and I didn't want to pay a fortune for such that. I wanted to be challenged for the money that I paid.

What I liked about them was that they normally translate very well to your real-world experiences after your MBA. Also, the case study method allows for the exchange of thoughts between your classmates. Professors will provoke discussions with people from different backgrounds and from different parts of the world, allowing you to see how other people think and understanding other people's viewpoint. The case study method trains you to see the big picture and makes you better understand the overall situation.

Finding a fit in teaching style is essential. I recommend you schedule class visits to the programs you'd like to sit in on and decide for yourself, which teaching style best fits you.

Question of the day: What's your favorite teaching style? What do you prefer and why? Let me know in the comment section below.

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