HiI've been in strategy consulting for just over a year, and am starting to think that I should maybe get set for an MBA - either to boost my career inc onsulting, or provide an opportunity to move to another career.My question is this: which consultancies sponsor their employees to undertake MBAs, and what sort of proportion of their staff get sponsored?I don't work at McK, but I assume that they, like the other top players, offer sponsored MBAs to a significant proportion of their BAs?Thanks.P.s. I don't really want this to descend into a debate as to the value of MBAs... I just want to know whcih employers are best in terms of sponsorship opportunities.

You should also check the nature of the MBA support and conditions around it. Increasingly even MBB firms' "support" is changing from full payment of fees to letting you keep your work email address and pass whilst you're studying so that you can use the photocopier and office facilities. Others will only loan you the fees so you end up paying the full course costs anyway.

McK (and I think Bain and BCG) pay fees plus some living expenses ($10k p.a. or so) on condition you return for 2 years afterwards. I know some niche firms are the same. I don't know which comapnies are doing that 'give you a pass BS' I've never heard of it.

ATK apparently partially fund although occasionally, and I mean occasionally

Would Deloitte?

No, not the UK firm.

Big JC, are you really JC? I'd like to point out I was lied to at grad events - they told me they would fund MBAs. This has now messed up my life plan. Nice one.

There's specific policy against funding MBAs at Deloitte, and that's because I say so. Never having one never did me any harm did it now.[I believe the US firm will sponsor but v unusual in the UK].

Thanks for the replies... Out of interest, on the graduate side of things, do McK and the other top tier firms put a lot of their people through MBAs, or is it only a small percentage that get sent off to do MBAs?

You have to consider why you'd want them to as you'd have to go back and work for them for a further 2 or 3 years or whatever afterwards.

At McK, a minority (less than 50%) get offered MBA sponsorship - it varies by performance and economic environment (i.e. whether the market is strong enough that people need incenting to return). Lately, the proportion is down (still double figures, but only just). Others move on "of their own accord" or are offered terms (e.g. keeping their email address) that make it clear the firm has no interest in whether they do an MBA or burn in hell.

Mac the Knife - are you talking about the London Office? If so, this is not a picture I recognise.Over the last few years virtually all business analysts have been offered MBAs - although few of them have actually done them (what with PE, Hedge Funds and the like recruiting strongly and paying well)

haha mac the knife, i like your screen name.

Hi,Would I be right in thinking that McK offers the highest probability of getting an MBA paid for? I am currently in my final year and I'm thinking I should go for McK, especially if they offer pretty much all BAs MBAs after 2 years... Are there any others that do the same? How common is it for Bain or BCG to offer MBAs?Thanks

You can TRY to go for McKinsey -there is nothing wrong with sending and application and trying anyway, if MBA or not.I am sure there are many smaller consultancies that would benefit from you having an MBA and agree to "subsidize" it.

Just read this... I'm just finishing my MBA, and am keen to move into a smaller firm -- I don't particularly like the bureaucracy of where I was pre-MBA! Don't suppose you could point me towards one or two of these smaller firms?

Great - will put in an application then!