Full-time MBA students, paying their own way, have a wider range of options. But they have the problem of finding organizations willing to give them projects which meets their own corporate needs, as well as those of the student and the business school. The greater the reputation of the school, and the more it is involved in research and consultancy in the business world, the easier it is to attract good projects. Students sometimes complain that these can be not particularly challenging. In spite of this cautionary note, an increasing proportion of MBA projects are now undertaken overseas.
Some business schools have strong partnerships with others overseas that provide opportunities.
For instance, a group of full-time Cranfield MBA students helped the Hungarian National Oil company, MOL, to refine its business plans for opportunities abroad, for example in Romania. One group of part- time students explored business development opportunities in China, and another group in Japan, on behalf of their sponsoring employers. On the full-time MBA program at Cranfield, many projects are initiated by the students themselves. Students work on a variety of projects with small and growing businesses, mainly in Cape Town and Johannesburg, providing consultancy in such areas as funding, marketing, enterprise management, and venture capital. On the lighter side, the trip is combined with a rugby tour, playing the business schools of the country.