MBA International

Católica Porto Business School’s MBA programme was an exceptional experience that allowed me to enrich my social and technical skills in an extraordinary way. Thanks to this self-improvement I am now able to achieve one of the goals that led me to choose the International MBA in the first place – rise to higher levels in my professional career, especially from a global and international perspective. The faculty was, for me, one of the most valuable aspects of the programme, not only because of the vast knowledge and extensive work experience shown by its members, but also for their strong focus on the practical and professional contexts and their great willingness to help students.

The international weeks, particularly the one at ESADE, and the foreign teaching staff add an important international complexity to the programme enabling students to perceive the distinct facets of management in different cultural contexts, which are crucial in the current business context. The team spirit instilled in the group and experienced by its members throughout the programme is distinctive and fundamental inasmuch as it allows us to gain a new family for life, both for the time spent together and for the sharing of experiences.

I decided to do the MBA for the same reasons as any other individual would – exclusively for professional reasons. Coming from a totally different field of expertise, the MBA offered me what is most looked for in labour market today – to differentiate myself and to differentiate the service that I provided. As a holder of a degree in law and working in that area, which due to its complexity focuses significantly on the technical component, I saw the MBA as a way to broaden horizons and develop other technical skills that would bring me closer to those I was providing services to.

The fact is that the MBA has enabled me to achieve those goals and acquire those technical capacities (today I am able to talk to CFOs, business managers, and marketeers without having the feeling that we speak different languages), but it also went far beyond the scope I had initially assigned to it.

I had the privilege and the luck of attending the MBA with a group of unique students coming from widely different backgrounds and with very diverse experiences, which they were willing to share, and with soft skills that matched (and exceeded even) their technical skills. I learned a great deal both in and outside class, from each one of the classmates that were and are part of the 9th edition of Católica’s MBA.

An MBA is an important event in our lives and, for this reason, our goals must be clearly defined and choosing the right programme is key. In my case, I was driven by the wish to validate the skills and knowledge acquired along a career with several years of international experience. The Católica Porto Business School’s MBA programme was the one that seemed to me to be more compatible with my needs: the excellence of the Católica brand combined with its competent and recognised faculty and the programme’s strongly international component were the right ingredients.

The superior quality of this programme is visible from the outset and is present at all times: the care paid to the selection interviews, the permanent contact and constant provision of information about the whole process culminate in a path that while marked by rigour and accuracy it is also extremely challenging and rewarding.

Now that I have learned new concepts, relearned others and viewed the same problems from another perspective, I feel reborn as a professional, much more confident and much more capable and empowered. I certainly owe all this to the excellent faculty (because we can use the MBA to the best advantage and their support and willingness are crucial), to my classmates (who are my friends today) with whom I have had the privilege to share the 10th edition and to the entire school staff, always friendly and welcoming.

I have a degree in Business Management and Administration from Católica Porto Business School and I believe it is vital to update knowledge and upgrade the skills that are needed to perform duties in the field of management. Católica was my first and only option due to its undeniable value and recognition, from the faculty to the administrative support staff.

Because I am fully convinced that the only way to enhance my Organisation’s competitiveness is to invest in training and in the development of human capital, I chose the MBA as a way to foster new career development capabilities.

The school selects the group in a particularly careful way, the latter consisting of elements with a variety of academic backgrounds and different work experiences. Conviviality and knowledge sharing foster my development as an element of a team and allow me to turn differences into opportunities. In addition to technical skills, the programme is strongly committed to the development of personal skills, which are a valuable asset in one’s personal and professional evolution.

At a time of financial and political turmoil, the MBA boosted my confidence and flexibility to cope with unforeseen incidents. Aware of this learning, I am prepared to accept and embrace new challenges, strengthen my role with regard to relationship management, information sharing and motivating working teams.

Católica Porto Business School’s MBA has exceeded my expectations and to some extent it has influenced my decision to pursue an international career and use all my knowledge and experience in a different setting. I must emphasise the quality of the faculty, the topical practical cases developed inside and outside the classroom, enabling us a better grasp of the concepts addressed in the different courses, the selection process and the level of the admitted students, which allowed me to enhance my networking and to know distinct experiences. The MBA’s curriculum is very well put together to meet the needs of businesses in the face of the current economic environment in Portugal and worldwide and to train managers who can address these challenges.

My decision to attend an MBA in Católica Porto Business School was based in order to enhance skills and knowledge in the areas of Management. This objective was fully achieved. Today I feel more prepared to face new professional challenges in the future. The retained experience in trips to São Paulo and Barcelona only further enriched my final result of the MBA which was certainly a good choice! 

Católica Porto Business School’s MBA was a fantastic experience lived in a great atmosphere between faculty, classmates and the entire school staff. The stimulating learning environment and the highly experienced faculty, both academically and professionally meant rigour and strictness as well as sharing and inspiration in which dialogue and the exchange of ideas prevailed. The programme helped me to complement my knowledge of finance, accounting, marketing and operations in a coherent whole, closing loopholes and sparking innovation, factors which are increasingly important to meet the daily challenges posed by international business management. I should also like to underline the importance of the international weeks, the partnership with Dynargie and the events and activities organised by the school, all of them carefully planned and highly appreciated by everyone.