MBA for Mariners

What is MBA?

MBA stands for Master of Business Administration. It is a postgraduate degree that focuses on various aspects of business management and administration. MBA programs are designed to provide individuals with a comprehensive understanding of business concepts, strategies, and practices, with the goal of preparing them for leadership roles and for Personal branding in various industries.

MBA program often include case studies, group projects, and real-world applications to help students develop practical skills and insights into the business world. Many MBA programs also offer opportunities for networking and interaction with industry professionals, which can be valuable for career growth and development.

Common subjects/learnings in MBA

MBA course helps in fundamental development and personality enhance of a person embarking on a new journey. Here are some common areas of learning that are typically included in an MBA course:

Business Foundations: 

The program helps you with building the foundation of the business management which may include:

• Economics: Understanding market dynamics, supply and demand, and macroeconomic concepts.
• Accounting: Financial reporting, analysis, and basic principles of corporate finance.
• Statistics: Data analysis and interpretation for decision-making.
• Marketing
• Operations Management
• Human Resource Management
• Organization Behaviour
• Strategy and Leadership
• Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
• Business Communication
• Networking and Soft skills

Students can also take certain electives and focus on particular subjects during the MBA.

Besides the academic learning, the key learnings from MBA are from:

1. The Cohort of students studying with you
2. Participation in various committees like Cultural, Recruitment, communication, Speaker series etc. 
3. Professors
4. Industry connects including guest speakers

Types of MBA:

Normal MBA’s like General Management MBA, MBA in finance, MBA in HR or operations are widely available in almost all colleges. However, many persons from the maritime industry struggle to find a course which within their domain. Following are the courses within the maritime domain available as well:

1. MBA in logistics and supply chain
2. MBA in Port management
3. MBA in shipping management
4. MBA in shipping and logistics
5. MSc in maritime administration and logistics
6. MSc in International trade
7. MSc in port management etc.
8. MSc in International Trade and Logistics
9. MSc in maritime economics and logistics
10. MSc in management supply chain and logistics 

 These are just few to mention there are several other MBA options which you could explore depending on the interest and career prospect in Merchant navy 

Is MBA for me?

For most persons, especially after reading through so many stories in the news, the feeling is that MBA is the panacea and once done their life is settled. This may or may not be correct and it depends on a lot of factors like your experience, background, place you do MBA from etc.  Mariners often think that in-order to make transition ashore MBA degree is mandatory and this will help them getting good jobs and better pay-cheques. We have tried to demystify in this blog.

The decision regarding pursuing an MBA is contingent upon your commitment to remain within the shipping industry. If your intention is to continue a career in the shipping sector, pursuing an MBA may not be the most advantageous choice. However, if you aspire to explore alternative career paths outside the shipping industry, an MBA can prove highly beneficial.

Once you have determined your inclination toward pursuing an MBA, various options become available, depending on your age group:

1. Professionals below the age of 30 may consider enrolling in a full-time MBA program offered by a top 20 institution.
2. Individuals falling within the 30 to 35 age bracket may find value in pursuing a full-time MBA program offered by one of the top 10 colleges.
3. Those in the age range of 35 to 40 are advised to explore full-time MBA programs provided by the top 3 colleges.
4. Professionals aged 40 and above are generally not recommended to embark on MBA programs due to other career considerations.

If not MBA, than what?

For making a transition to ashore its not mandatory to have an MBA degree. Without an MBA degree a mariner or persons in maritime industry can easily make a transition ashore. Infact, shipping or maritime industry doesn’t recognize MBA a lot. Look around you and check how many CEO’s or Head of company’s have a MBA degree especially full time, check with them on how many have risen to the top because of MBA as well. Many persons would have done a MBA degree but while in the job but it wouldn’t have necessarily helped them in the career progression. 

We suggest that you should focus and invest in degrees which have a maritime flavour. We suggest this for the following reasons:

1. Leverage your industry experience – Build on what you have gained
2. Build relevant network which will help you in the future – It is best to connect to 20 persons within same industry who are likely to enhance your growth rather than 30 outside industry 
3. Build relevant skills, for e.g knowing about Economics is good but if you know about maritime economics it would be even better
4. Less competition which means more chances or progression after you pass out
5. Comparatively easier to get in top colleges which offer these courses

Industry recognizes and gives a lot of value to core industry knowledge. Showcase that and build your future

What next?

If you are a mariner and depending on when you want to leave sailing, you could refer to the following to plan for your career. 

The choice of your next steps in your career depends on your commitment to continuing in the sailing industry. If your intention is to continue sailing and you have no immediate plans to leave the profession, you may find it advantageous to pursue a specialized shipping-focused distance learning program lasting for one year. This program could encompass critical areas such as management lessons along with core maritime subjects like Operations and commercial.

However, if your sailing career is part of a temporary plan, and you anticipate sailing for a duration of 1 to 4 years, especially if you are over the age of 35, it is advisable to consider enrolling in a more comprehensive 2-year distance learning program. This extended program can provide a deeper understanding of the industry, covering topics like Maritime Law, Shipping Operations and Management, Strategy, finance etc etc. 

For those under the age of 35, it is recommended to take some time to explore your interests, check out interviews, research and shortlist colleges that align with your career goals, save financial resources, and eventually enroll in full-time courses. This approach holds regardless of whether you plan to continue sailing for just a year or for up to 4 years, ensuring that you are well-prepared for your future endeavors.

Options

At Sea and Beyond, we have partnered to more than 28 universities which offer all types of courses globally. Some of the universities we are partnered with are:

1. Solent University
2. KEDGE Business School
3. Erasmus University
4. University of Limassol
5. EM Normandie Business School
6. STC NMU
7. ALBA Graduate Business School
8. Swansea University
9. University of Greenwich
10. Coventry University and many more 

You may look at some of these courses, by going through our website . You can download brochures for more details 

If you have any queries feel free to contact us

Career counselling:

With the above thought, we have tried to make things a lot simpler to you but almost everyone and rightly so would like to have some more guidance, counselling or just verification of your thought process. 

At Sea and Beyond we have mentored more than 1000 mariners, 300 + maritime professionals who are non-mariners and have partnership with more than 28 universities globally. We understand what would a mariner want, what are the offerings from the university and how could one offering be more relevant than others.  

Conclusion:

Enhancing yourself is the biggest investment a person makes. Most of these investments are generally made by a person’s parents and not many persons invest on themselves in terms of upskilling. 

It’s time you:

1. Invest in yourselves as it will help your entire family
2. Talk to experts on the best investment opportunities.

For more details check out this video on skill Enhancement 

Incase you need support write to us on education@seaandbeyond.com or call/whatsapp on +91 8104974528 or +91 8976124339

You may visit our website or leave a message by connecting with us 

Happy Career!!!