McDonough School of Business is part of Georgetown University, which is based on the banks of the Potomac River in Washington DC and was established by Jesuits in 1789. Its MBA programme emphasises teamwork, cooperation and (friendly) competition in small classes. Students also run a number of groups such as the Consultancy Club, the Graduate Investment Fund and Ultimate Four Basketball.

Vital statistics. McDonough has tough academic requirements, including a good grade in a university-level maths course; most applicants have a GMAT score between 640 and 720. The 21-month programme emphasises international management strategies, ethical decision-making and presentation skills.

Rankings. The school is 22nd in BusinessWeek’s top US programmes; 38th in ft.com’s global MBA rankings; and 53rd in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Which MBA? guide.

International opportunities. First-year students can choose to do an internship or study abroad; in their second year, everyone does a global consultancy project that includes a week overseas. Previous projects include working with Pepsico on a marketing study for a fish-based snack food that it planned to launch in Vietnam and examining the aviation market in the Czech Republic for an aircraft company.

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BACKGROUND

• From disaster to the write stuff

• How to ride out a recession

• Producers put reality on the small screen

• I'm on the train, but don't tell the opposition

Related Internet Links

• Snakes & Ladders

• Graduate jobs

• Search for an internship

Employment record. Graduates’ salaries increase by an average of 122 per cent of their preMBA wage while 98 per cent are employed within three months of finishing.

Work experience. All students undertake a summer internship, which can be specifically tailored to help to change industries or careers.

Application deadline: see website for details. There will also be an admissions event in London on October 25

Sources: msb.georgetown.edu; mba.eiu.com; www.businessweek.com/bschools; ft.com

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