Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me.Im looking at taking a postgrad masters in management to boost my chances of landing a top MC job. From what I read these are the best 5 in the UK:LBS (£20k)LSE (£30k 2 yr)Durham (£7k)Cranfield (11k)Lancaster (£7k)Can anyone relate their experiences with these schools? Or perhaps give more general advice on the perceived value of an MA/MSc with any of these institutions?

LBS and LSE will give you the brand and the networks, and will help open doors among alumni; the others won't help much.

That said, cost of course + foregone earnings mean you'd be an idiot to do either.

Being a capital scarce 20y/o I doubt i'll be affording LBS or LSE. Durham seems good value for money as they seem to land quite a few MAs with high profile employers. Unsure about the credentials of the other two...Tough times for graduate jobs

Depending on where you are in your career Tom, you might be better off putting a few hard years graft into your current position.Postgrads are all very well but potential employers put a lot of stock into actual operating experience - something a postgrad won't help with, especially for a "top MC job". There's a glut of people in the market with postgrads from LSE and LBS at the moment, so experience really does matter.

Have you considered taking a post-graduation year out?Volunteering/Internships abroad might give you an extra something to set you apart from the masses of grads looking to MC

Post grad year out ? I'd say do a PHD instead of MSc or even a research MSc... then you're a specialist and apply to MC in niche market...

Don't do a phd if you want to further your career in MC. It will set you back a few years and indeed most firms will still only consider you alongside other graduates. Also, it might be worth considering that there are a large number of people starting masters courses following redundancies so it may not differntiate you as much as you're hoping.Suggest decent industry experience would be more beneficial at this stage if you can't get in MC right now.

I would add Cranfield to that Mars old bean. For many years it was THE alternative to LBS in the UK. Though it's slipped slightly, it does still mean that many old duffers in senior management positions are Cranfield grads or respect Cranfield highly. The alumni network cannot be underestimated....

Durham seems good value for money?Have you considered Warwick Business School MSc Business Analytics and Consulting (£6k)? If you are dead set on a top MC job then this one seems tailor made