7 Reasons We Chose Australia for Business School

With its beautiful beaches, laid-back culture, and abundant economic opportunities, Australia has attracted thousands of students from around the world for years.

If you want academic excellence, it is also a great place to study. In the latest QS World University Rankings, 36 Australian universities were listed, and seven of them made the global top 100, including the University of Sydney.

We spoke with two graduates of the University of Sydney Business School to find out why they chose to study for an MBA in Australia.

Australia’s Outstanding Education Standards

Kevin Lenihan is from the United States and studied the full-time MBA. He was initially drawn to the University of Sydney by its excellent reputation, its history, and its campus location.

"The University of Sydney is the number one university. I knew my classmates would be high achievers, and the faculty would be first-rate, knowledgeable, and excellent at what they teach," he said.

Nadia King also studied the full-time MBA. She is from Barbados and was also attracted by the university’s strong reputation.

She said, "In addition to being ranked number one in Australia and fourth in the world for graduate employability, I also have a personal connection to the University of Sydney. My uncle is part of the University of Sydney alumni association, and I first heard about the program from him."

Valuable Business Connections

Studying in Australia gave Kevin and Nadia the opportunity to meet many people who could help their future careers.

Kevin said, "While studying at the University of Sydney, I met many approachable and talented business and government leaders. I also met several heads of state and Fortune 500 CEOs."

During his MBA at the University of Sydney Business School, Kevin gained hands-on experience working with real Australian companies through a program called "learning by walking around."

He said, "We had the flexibility to move freely within companies and understand their problems from the ground up. Our company visits gave us the deepest insight and context for the theories we learned in class."

Nadia added, "It is the perfect combination of theory and a more practical, experiential approach to learning. Certain units gave us the chance to apply what we had learned in the real world and engage with Australian business leaders."

Kevin is still in touch with staff at the University of Sydney Business School and often has hour-long phone calls with them. He describes them as his "second family."

He said, "The MBA team cared about the students and called all of us by name. On the final day, our program director made surprisingly detailed remarks about each student’s achievements and even told a few well-placed jokes."

Helping Me Build My Own Business

At the start of his MBA, Kevin only had a vague idea of what he wanted to do next. He knew he wanted to start his own business, but he says the program helped him clarify his vision.

He said, "We all used the expertise of our peers and mentors, as well as the learning environment, to build our path to success."

"I believe an MBA is well suited to students who want to grow their own business, become entrepreneurs, or become intrapreneurs by focusing on invention and implementation. The lean startup methodology is powerful here!"

After finishing his MBA, Kevin went on to found a non-governmental organization that now has more than 40 volunteers, eight employees, and 1099 contractors serving three client companies.

He said, "I completed the program with an NGO, a business, and a much wider personal network."

Experiencing a Different Culture

Raised on the small island of Barbados, Nadia wanted to explore the world, visit natural wonders, and experience new cultures.

After traveling in Asia in 2017, she was eager to explore Australia and felt that studying there would be the perfect way to do it.

"I thought it was the perfect opportunity not only to advance my academic and career goals, but also to pursue my interest in travel and invest in myself. I saw this international experience as a way to improve my intercultural communication and better understand another culture," Nadia said.

"Island life can leave you with a closed mindset and may even stifle creativity. My first degree, which I completed at home, highlighted that because it lacked an international dimension."

"I believe that living abroad would offer an excellent opportunity to broaden my horizons and help me mature into a well-rounded adult."

Plenty to Do in Your Free Time

When asked about the biggest pleasure of studying in Australia, Kevin and Nadia both mentioned the many things to do in their free time.

Kevin said, "After class, we would either do group assignments or study, and then go to the beach, out for dinner, venture-capital pitch events, or networking events. Our class even took an informal trip to Cairns in Queensland for a beach-and-rainforest getaway. It was amazing!"

Nadia said she loved spending so much time outdoors. She enjoyed Sydney’s natural scenery, as well as coastal walks, hiking, and relaxing on the beach.

She said, "We would go out to eat, drink, play soccer and basketball, go to the beach, go to the gym, attend venture capital pitch nights, startup events, corporate networking events, concerts, language or cooking classes, bushwalks, movies, theater, or harbor cruises. You name it. Sydney has it all."

Australia’s Strong International Outlook

Both graduates were initially attracted by the international nature of the program.

Kevin’s MBA cohort was small, with only 50 students, but it was highly diverse. The program brought together students from 18 nationalities across many industries.

He said, "With no more than five people from the same country, cultural cliques were almost eliminated: we were all brought together. We also learned to value and absorb the finer points of international business."

Nadia also enjoyed the global perspective of her MBA program.

She said, "The program helped me develop a more complete view and understanding of global leadership."

"It emphasized the importance of understanding yourself as a person, as a team member, and in relation to your surroundings in order to develop a successful business and leadership model going forward."

"The program also helped me achieve my personal goals of experiencing and understanding different cultures and building a broader network by having me work in cross-cultural teams every day."

Australia’s Friendly Environment

Overall, it was Australia’s friendly and safe atmosphere that made Nadia and Kevin’s experiences so enjoyable.

Nadia said, "I immediately felt at home. Australia felt like a larger version of Barbados. The locals were warm, friendly, and relaxed, and they truly embodied a 'work to live' rather than 'live to work' attitude, which is similar to the culture back home."

She added, "I always felt safe. I lived in a city, but I always felt comfortable taking the train at night or walking alone."

Describing his MBA experience, Kevin said, "It was a family. Every morning when you went to class, you were catching up with your friends and the staff. It was the kind of place and time where weekends and weekdays blended together, in a good way."

"Sydney is beautiful, happy, safe, and comfortable to live in. I loved every minute I spent there."