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I've noticed that there have been several questions in this forum regarding MBAs so I thought it would be a good idea to have a thread dedicated to the topic. Having an MBA myself, I can answer some of the questions regarding the programs, etc. but of course, my knowledge is limited to my experience and that of the others I know who have the degree. Just like the opinions and information regarding any schooling are varied, so too is the information regarding the MBA. What I hope is to create a thread where the information can be centralized. 1. What is an MBA? MBA stands for masters of business administration. It is exactly what it sounds like, a graduate level degree in business administration. At it's heart, it is a generalist degree, wherein you learn to be the boss. There are specific concentration type tracks in some MBA programs where if you have electives you can choose to focus more on finance, marketing, operations management, etc. However, even if you have a concentration in say, finance, you will still take some marketing classes, some management classes, etc. 2. I see schools offering different lengths of programs, what's the deal? Traditionally, the MBA is a 2 year full time program. It's like an extra two years of full time college studies. Some schools offer a 1 year program that accelerates the pace and runs 12 straight months. Various schools also offer part time MBA programs where people tend to work during the day and attend classes on evenings or weekend. One particular kind of part time program is the Executive MBA, and that usually requires a certain level of business and management experience. 3. Is a full time program better than a part time, one year, or EMBA program? It really depends on who you ask. Like I said, the two year program tends to be the most traditional, but there is still value in the other programs for students. In the EMBA programs, most of the students tend to have quite a bit of business experience anyway along with full time management positions, so in essence it's not as imperative that they spend as much time in the classroom as others. Of course, there can be some bias one way or another, but by and large, the full time programs tend to have more prestige than part time ones. 4. I want to go into profession X, is an MBA right for me? It really depends. I know that's a poo poo answer, but ask yourself this question knowing full well that an MBA is very much a degree teaching how to become a better manager. "Will the career I am hoping for require ultra specific skills that an MBA can not provide? If that is the case, is there a degree that is better for me?" It's also helpful to look at and talk to people who already have the job you want. Do they have MBAs? Would they recommend you get one? 5. My undergraduate was not in business, can I still get an MBA? Yes. My undergraduate degree was in international politics and I got one. One of my classmates went to West Point. His degree was in blowing people up. Another person I know studied engineering. There are all sorts of backgrounds in business school and each one brings a unique insight to challenging problems that often have no correct answers. 6. There are no correct answers? What the hell? Well, there are and there aren't in business school. Excluding obvious examples where there is the need to know and apply a formula to get a correct answer like in some finance classes, there isn't always a clear answer. In many business schools "case studies" are used in which a real business event is studied and then the students are asked to come up with a solution. It sounds deceptively simple, but it can be incredibly complex as many different situations and factors may have to be considered in creating a solution. In many of my classes there was rarely two teams with similar results, and yet many of them could be considered "correct". 7. Teams? I don't play well with others. Too drat bad. Business school is just like business, in that no man is a island. Some schools lock you in to a team that is supposed to give a good mix of skills. Some times teams are self-selected, and sometimes its both. 8. Ok, so I'm going to apply. I want to go to the best school I can. Which one is the best? This is a really dangerous question because the amount of business schools has grown greatly, and "best" is so subjective. US News, Wall Street Journal, etc. all issue rankings regarding the "BEST BUSINESS SCHOOL" and everyone runs to get a copy and deans across the country commit seppaku after falling 3 spots. In reality rankings are only part of the picture and become meaningless in certain situations. 9. That sounds like a loving cop out. That's because it is. I can tell you this. The "Big 3" sort of holy trinity of business schools are Harvard, Wharton, and Stanford. Regardless of their rankings everyone loves them and people throw paper airplanes folded out of $100 bills at you if you went there. Is the accounting you learn at Harvard somehow better than the class at your local commuter school? Probably not, but let's not pretend that the halos of prestige and history have no effect on school rankings. Close behind, and in most regards just as good you have schools like Dartmouth, Chicago, Michigan, Duke, Virginia, Northwestern, MIT, Columbia, maybe NYU and a few others. These are sort of "Tier 1a" schools. They still kick rear end and are loving awesome, but for whatever reason (marketing) they lack the glitz and glamour of the big three and are eternally doomed to fight for the remaining 7 spots on any "Top 10 best B-schools" list. The next group of schools are still very very good and include places like Georgia Tech, USC, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, Notre Dame, UCLA, Texas, etc. There are a bunch here, and I'm sure I left out your alma mater. Don't bother bitching about it, I don't care. No one is going to argue that these schools suck, and in many regards they are just as good as some of the higher ranked schools. However, like I said before, these "best of" lists are very subjective and rely heavily on non-quantifiable things. People will argue until they are blue in the face about which school is better than the other one, but the important choice is to make the right decision for you. 10. How do I know what school is the right one for me? Research, dummy. Too many people pick a school based on a pamphlet and a ranking. They have the worst 2 years of their life and get nothing out of the experience. There are a few things to consider. Firstly, some schools are more renown for specializing in a certain field of business. Want to live near Chicago but like marketing? Then University of Chicago was not your best choice. Northwestern was. Are you a nerd who loves inventing poo poo? Then consider MIT. All schools have strengths and weaknesses in their programs, it's not hard to find out what they are. Looking at places like the Princeton Review and Vault.com can give you a good idea not only of what the program strengths/weaknesses are, but what your life will be like there. Want to live in a big city? Skip Iowa State and consider NYU. The fit is important when considering business school, just like it would be for any job. Your best bet is to go to the best business school you can that you can imagine yourself spending time at. locdogg fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Sep 27, 2008 |
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11. When should I go? This is a hard question because it involves a lot of personal preference. However, I can tell you this from my own personal observations. Those who have spent a few years post bachelors working in the real world perform significantly better in business school than those who have not. It seems as if those 3-5 years of work really made the difference in their abilities to perform in b-school. That said, there are some 5 year programs that grant BA/MBA or BS/MBA or whatever. Lots of people go through these and turn out just fine. However I am glad I had a few years of "real world" before I went back to school. 12. Is MBA school like undergrad? Not really. If you're looking for 2 more years of undergrad, forget it. Firstly, most of the students are now adults, and so much of the bullshit that went on as undergrads doesn't happen as much in MBA programs. Some of the students will even have spouses and kids, which can change your outlook on life dramatically. Of course people still get drunk, have sex, whatever, but somehow it's different because you're not 18 anymore. It's more "Melrose Place" less "90210" if that makes any sense. If you understand that reference, you are probably old like me. A second thing to consider is that MBA programs are very much a boys club. The ratio of men to women is 70/30 or thereabouts depending on the program. This changes the dynamic as you could imagine and creates a different environment than undergraduate studies. 13. How do I get in? The first thing you need is a GMAT score from the GMAC. This is a standardized test that is sort of like the SAT but marginally designed to test your ability to perform in business school. Volumes have been written about the GMAT, for better or worse, and you can find all about it in one of those books. Foreign students need a TOEFEL if English is not your native language. I've heard cheating is rampant in this test as well as the GMAT, so certain schools are putting less weight on them. Take that with a grain of salt. You will also likely be asked to fill out a form, submit a transcript, write some essays, and get recommendations. Recommendations from alumni of the school you're applying for are always a good bet, but not essential. Your essays, as it turns out, are really pretty important. Don't gently caress around on them. They can make you or break you depending on how you do. Proofread the poo poo out of them and have someone re-read them for you. Finally, many schools have interviews. If you get an interview, that's usually a good sign implying you made it past the first round of cuts or whatever. From what I understand, interviewers are trying to determine if you'll be a good addition to the program, and sometimes really qualified candidates get the boot because they are douchebags. Just be yourself, relax and be friendly and honest. They interview people all day every day and can get a pretty good read on you. 14. What if my undergrad GPA was blah.blah blah and my GMAT was yak yak yak? Will I get in to school X? How the gently caress do I know? Call the admissions office and ask them. They'll probably charge you at least $100 (often a lot more) to find out the answer, but at least then you'll know for sure. 15. I'm not from the USA, what should I consider? Firstly, recognize that schools in the US are different than in many places. For example, an Indian classmate of mine was amazed at how informal class was run and that students would regularly challenge the instructors. Apparently this is not commonplace in India and required a huge adjustment in outlook on their behalf. Secondly, I would suggest that you do not spend your time exclusively with the other classmates from your country/region. If you bothered to travel all the way to the United States for school, you may as well get as much "America" as possible while you're here. Spend time with the US students, doing things they might enjoy. Some of my best memories when I studied abroad involved doing things of local color. 16. I'm black/a woman/not white or asian. Does this make a difference? Yes it does. Welcome to business school. It's no secret that diversity is a very desirable for business schools and they seek to have representatives of all walks of life. While being a minority won't help you on your Economics test once you're in, it will certainly help you on your admissions packet. 17. After graduating, it's a gravy train, right? I mean, all ibanks and cigars. Wrong. A lot of recently hired MBAs are getting shitcanned as we speak and lots more never got jobs in May. It's just part of the environment. Having an MBA helps, but it is no guarantee of success. Business school is a great way to expand the "who you know" network though, and some schools have more notable alumni networks than others who may be of use later in life. 18. What topics can I expect in MBA school? As I stated earlier, you learn how to be the boss, and as such, you get a pretty broad exposure to most facets of business. The core accounting, finance, marketing, operations, strategy, and management courses are pretty much universally required. Most schools are requiring ethics now as well, but some take it more seriously than others. Other courses may include international operations, entrepreneurship, some sort of speaking/writing course, negotiations, problem solving, and more specific core classes (like tax accountancy or corporate debt finance). 19. School X says it's on a "module" system, what does that mean? Some schools have begun adapting to this system where terms only last 8ish weeks. It's like academic quarters, where you complete an entire course in 8 weeks. It can seem fast and students can cover a lot of ground, but the trade-off is that often the classes don't tend to go as deep in to the subject. 20. Will I have any fun at all? Yes. In my experience, going to business school was like having a job. That's how I treated it. But even people with jobs still have free time sometimes. I went to big university style events, spent time at bars, concerts, even with girls. It's possible to balance school with fun. Overall, I'd say it was a very positive experience, and I appreciated the time I had in business school much more than I did my undergrad experience. This is only a small part of business school, and if there are specific questions I could answer about my experience, I'd be happy to give you my viewpoint. I'm pretty sure there are at least a few other MBA grads here who may be able to offer some advice or input too.
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Sep 26, 2008 05:20
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Omits-Bagels posted:This would be a good question for everyone... what are you doing with your MBA now? I'd like to stay away from specifics about myself if you don't mind, but I can give you some semi-anonymous information I suppose. Me: I'm in marketing now, but prior to my MBA I was in consulting. Post MBA: I think the average salary for my class was in the mid to high 90's, but I'm not sure. It of course varies depending on where you go to school, where you come from before school, what you did after school, where your new job is located, etc. Debt, well figure a top flight MBA currently costs $40k-ish a year plus living expenses. If it's a two year program, you can do the math. Some schools offer fellowships/scholarships etc. and if you're lucky, you can get your employer to reimburse you. Do I think it was tough? Not in the same sense as say, boot camp or something like that. Were there some long days? Yes, but I never felt completely and hopelessly lost. I would say that for the most part, people considering going to get an MBA (especially the full timers) are a self-selecting group and tend to be pretty smart and motivated to begin with, which makes the mechanical parts of schooling easier.
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Sep 26, 2008 06:20
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iamthexander posted:As a current business undergrad, what can I do right now to help when I start trying to get a MBA? (I know that I'll get a graduate degree, and a MBA seems like one of my top grad degrees right now.) If you want to pursue a MBA at a prestigious school, how do you even begin to start looking down that path? You may also want to consider an MIS degree in lieu of an MBA, and like I said, an MBA teaches you to be the boss, but an MIS is much more specific to IS stuff. ExCruceLeo posted:I have been looking into starting an MBA program and I know some of the schools I looked at (some private some not) say that if your GPA was below a certain point, you still have a chance but you will be on a probationary period and can't make below a B. Most MBA programs have a minimum GPA requirements anyway, so I'm not sure about probationary stuff. However, I've never heard the public/private thing. It really doesn't make sense though. If you went to Harvard for your undergrad and then to Wharton for your MBA, do you think anyone would go "Oh well, that's great, but 2 private schools? No thank you." There used to be some sort of bias against people who spent their entire academic career in the same school, but that was generally for more non-professional degrees (english, philosophy, even some hard science) where 1 on 1 with professors is more the norm. In business school, there usually isn't time to form working relationships with all the professors that could somehow be call in to question academic integrity. bhaltair posted:I'm graduating in December 2008 (2.5 months) and my job search has been rather depressing. Ideally I'd go get my MBA and hope things settle down/fix themselves by the time I graduate but I'm not sure if I have that option. I obviously want to get in to a top MBA program but I don't have the work experience. Any suggestions? Bad news, traditionally in times of economic downturn, applications to grad school are up. When things are good, applications are down. Realistically, if you're class of 2011, things should be much better by then economically though, so that's good. The GMAT is like the SAT on steroids, and while not particularly hard it is really more an exercise in endurance than straight smarts. The hardest stuff was some simple Trig and geometry I think. Certainly nothing like Calc or anything like that. When I took it, I sat in a room with a bunch of cubes. In each cube was a computer, and you take the test for like 4 hours. I think there is a 10 minute bathroom break in there, but I'm not sure. Either way, towards the end people tend to get buggy, which can be a problem. There are several guides and prep classes out there, but my advice is at the very least to take a few practice exams (I think the Princeton Review book comes with a CD with a few on it). Maybe you should buy one of the guides for about $30, check it out, take a few practices. I know the prep classes are generally major $$$, so they are for people who A) generally already have jobs B) are deadly serious about their MBA. From what I've heard, they are pretty good, but I didn't take one.
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Sep 26, 2008 17:15
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ultrafilter posted:I think this is potentially misleading. It's not like getting your MBA entails an automatic promotion to management. Rather, an MBA provides you with the business background that is necessary for the boss to have. And I also think it's very important to stress the generalist nature of the degree. The real purpose of studying various topics as part of an MBA is to allow you to ask intelligent questions of experts in those topics, and not be totally lost by the answer. Of course, there are exceptions--for example, people who study finance at Wharton do end up knowing a lot about finance--but those should be viewed as exceptions rather than the norm. No, you're not being harsh at all, you're exactly correct. It was stressed over and over again in my program that taking one or maybe two statistics class does not make you qualified to be a statistician, but rather hopefully allows you to at least ask intelligent questions of statisticians. The same could be said about marketing, finance, etc. If you want to be an expert in a field, get a PhD. If you want to learn to manage a business, which entails a broad base of disciplines, an MBA is the degree for you. Of course with concentrations, your depth can go deeper to some regards, but the MBA degree is ultimately about learning to be a good manager. That of course is both the beauty and danger of the degree. You study a broad selection of topics, but sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. One of the best instructors I had used to yell at us all the time (figuratively of course, not like Sam Kinneson in Back to School) that we were trying to formulate answers when instead we should be formulating questions. It can also be dangerous when non-MBA holders expect too much out of you with regards to specific disciplines. That's something that's becoming less common though as the degree becomes more commonplace.
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Sep 26, 2008 23:46
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Thoguh posted:So I'm considering going for my MBA sometime soon in the future but I've got a question concerning the type of program to shoot for. Not every person from top flight MBA programs go into banking. Believe it or not, some even go into non-profits! Especially now, given the current environment, people with MBAs will be heading to regular industry as opposed to Wall St. Iowa is a decent school, obviously not as sexy as Harvard or something, but most a Big Ten degree is always a solid bet. I wouldn't limit your choices to either "apply to Iowa or apply to someplace else". Spread your apps around, since taking anything for granted in this environment is risky. MBA apps will likely rise if history is an indicator as job opportunities dry up for people so they look for someway else to spend their time. My advice is spread your apps around, Iowa plus a few other places you are interested in. Once you get some admissions packages in your hands, your decision would likely become easier. Right now, who knows what your choice may even be?
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Sep 28, 2008 21:11
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Oodles posted:I am a year out of school, having just graduated with a Masters in Engineering. I am thinking about getting my chartership first (another 3 years) then hitting up my MBA. http://rankings.ft.com/global-mba-rankings Oxbridge is always a good choice, but pretty much anything in this top 100 list indicates a "good school" that is at least locally/regionally respected. Hopefully this list can give you an idea of who in the UK is considered to be a good B-school.
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Sep 30, 2008 18:11
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Shooting Blanks posted:I was under the impression this bias was still very real and not due to any questions of integrity, but more a question of academic incest. You're right, academic incest is a better term than integrity. I would say it's less of an issue with regards to professional schools than other types of schooling only because in business school (even at the grad level) you are one of hundreds usually and have little opportunity to sort of get caught up in the loop of academic incest. Can it happen? Sure. Only that it's less likely due to the nature of the topics and size of these programs over say, an MFA or PhD in Chemistry, were programs tend to be smaller in number of students, have more 1 on 1 with instructors, last longer than 2 years, have higher turnover in faculty, nature of the material (more subjective/theoretical), etc.
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Sep 30, 2008 20:12
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Budget Dracula posted:In my first MBA class we had a scavenger hunt in Second Life. In one of my last classes I did a report on why managers need to be in touch and it included Anshe Chung and an interview transsexual furry hooker in Second Life. The students were all aghast until the professor told them, "I'd rather you hear about this here than after your company made an investment based on your decision that went horribly wrong and you got fired because of it." Which brings me to another point that I think fresh MBA program entrants or people considering the degree need to remember. In school mistakes are cheap, your teacher will not fire you for a dumb idea or because you don't know. Use the opportunity to explore new ground rather than stick with what you know. The whole point is you're there to learn. No one gives a poo poo if you got a 3.5 or a 4.0 6 months after you graduate, but they will care if you didn't bother to learn some marketing basics, even if you work in finance.
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Oct 4, 2008 00:34
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Smilin Joe Fission posted:I've heard it said that the main advantage of getting an MBA isn't the actual knowledge you gain through taking the classes, but rather the network of contacts and friends you meet who will presumably help you down the road in your career. I think there is some sort of notion going around regarding the "n word" that may be misleading. I hear a lot about networking from people, and while the old adage of "who you know" is still true in many regards, getting an MBA doesn't admit you to some secret club of magical members like you see in the movies. The days of the "old boys club" where it's a bunch of guys sitting around smoking cigars in some wood paneled room are over, and there really isn't anything even remotely close to that any more. Sure, some schools have better alumni networks than others, but that will only take you so far. When you consider larger programs like Harvard or Wharton graduates like 900 students a year, it becomes clear that it's difficult to really build a really strong network in those 2 years amongst your classmates. Instead, knots and cliques may form, but you can probably get the same result from joining a country club or whatever. In theory you could read all the books and learn the same thing you would in an MBA program, but there are a few things you would miss out on. Firstly, paying all that money and setting aside time to go to school pretty much forces you to focus on your school. It's easy to get distracted during study, and doubly so if you're not paying all that money to be in school in the first place. Second, the lectures and speeches offer a great deal more than the books. In fact, I have books I bought that I never read for classes. The teachers are the real drivers for education in the programs, and the books are a secondary source at best. Thirdly, having that degree is proof that you actually did it. I know it sounds trite, but that rubber stamp means a lot when dealing with employers, customers, associates, etc. In short, there is really no way to accurately recreate an MBA program by yourself. There is a reason they exist and are in such demand.
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Oct 5, 2008 23:11
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appleseeder posted:Arzy did you go from the military to MBA or is that just an avatar? What are the prospects before and after for military officers, with regards to an MBA? Is it easier to get in, harder to get jobs after because no "experience"? I can tell you that in my class we had a West Point guy, a few regular Army officers, and a naval officer. All of them were really sharp and they seemed to have no problems due to "experience" since I would imagine that leading people in literally life threatening situations tends to be regarded as a pretty good indicator of leadership potential. Of course not all officers are good MBA candidates, but from what I saw, it wasn't a hindrance as far as post-MBA opportunities as they all got good jobs after graduation.
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Oct 10, 2008 04:22
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KingMorse posted:I think the other part of my initial post that is important is that a lot of this depends on your chosen route. If you're happy being a part of the machine, you will benefit from an MBA. If you're not, you probably won't. Entrepreneurial endeavors would benefit greatly from an MBA. It's a generalist degree and allows for a broad scope of knowledge that would be useful to anyone involved in business. The days of the man in the grey flannel suit are long dead, and while it sounds like you know people who have been very fortunate in their pursuits, I assure you that having an MBA in no way precludes you from non-traditional career paths.
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Oct 10, 2008 22:28
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Vladimir Putin posted:From what I've been privy to, the only MBA's worth it financially are from the top 10 (Wharton, HBS, whatever the MIT one is). People from there generally get recruited to 100K+ starting salaries. Like King Morse said, there are a lot of MBA's out there and you have to find some way to distinguish yourself. Though in today's tough times on Wall Street, MBA's are kind of scrambling around, or so I hear. There are figures out there for payback periods, so if that is a primary concern, it's easy to determine where the place to be it. I think Business Week publishes one, and I think Forbes does as well. The top 30-50ish or so schools are all pretty good bets long term, at least traditionally, who knows given the recent scenario though. You guys are also right that there are tons of MBA grads out there, in fact, last I checked there were something like 1200 MBA programs in the US alone. However, common sense could tell you that an MBA from a top school is more valuable in the job market than one from Eastern Idaho State or something like that. But it can not be stated enough, an MBA degree is just a tool. It is not a guarantee for anything, but having it can be useful in certain situations.
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Oct 10, 2008 23:12
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Jealous Cow posted:I'm currently working toward my BS in Business Administration and Management from VCU. I have 5 years with a major retailer, 1 year as a Senior Financial Analyst. Staying at VCU and getting my MBA would be very cost effective (about $3k a semester) and not take more than 2 additional years. Traditionally, there is a break between BA/BS and MBA. 3-5 years for regular MBA, and 10+ of management level work experience for the executive programs. You're right that VCU isn't a hot poo poo business school, but I think you're putting the cart before the horse in this situation. My advice would be to wait until after you graduate and work for a little while before you consider an MBA. Once you know where you stand in your wants/desires/abilities/etc. you can probably make a better call as to whether you want a fancy MBA or one from a place like VCU, if at all.
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Oct 13, 2008 05:58
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Omits-Bagels posted:What counts as 'work experience'?
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Oct 13, 2008 16:24
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Rekinom posted:I have a quick question -- my situation pretty much dictates that I can either get an online master's degree in the next few years, or wait until I'm ready to switch careers (roughly 10 or so years from now) and then go to school full-time for the MBA. Online MBA from where vs. full time from where? If it's a matter of online u. of phoenix vs. sitting in the u. of phoenix classrooms then go for it online, but if its a difference of online u. of phoenix vs. sitting in the classroom of a major university (say a D1-A/BCS type school) then go to the real school. Like it or not, online schooling tends to be less well thought of compared to "real" schools, and it's not possible to go full online to the top tier of schools, so keep that in mind. Also you should keep in mind age, as traditional full time MBA students tend to be in that 26-32 ish age group. Wait too much longer and you severely limit your flexibility as other real world considerations (family, children, career, etc.) begin to hinder your ability to drop everything and go to school for 2 years.
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Oct 23, 2008 19:46
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Thoogsby posted:There's usually a correlation between division and academia. Big schools get better athletes and better teachers. Athletic success also drives awareness/positive impression of the university as a whole. It's often referred to as the "Flutie Factor".
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Oct 23, 2008 22:42
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Thoogsby posted:Okay. So what the gently caress is your point? Maybe he thinks the MBA is an academic degree? 
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Oct 26, 2008 06:08
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ion posted:That's probably because you're American? The MBA is an American professional degree. If you are going to pursue your MBA and hope to find something other than that, you are going to be very disappointed.
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Oct 26, 2008 18:35
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ion posted:words look man, if you've got a legitimate question or comment, we'd love to entertain it. otherwise, maybe you shouldn't post here anymore, ok?
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Oct 26, 2008 23:11
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Modern Life Is War posted:When did you guys pick your concentrations? My part-time MBA will take 3.5 to 4 years at Rutgers and there's some hints that the answer is 'the sooner the better' even in my first semester here. I'm not sure how your program is set up, but as a general rule programs tend to go from broad to specific, meaning the general (required) classes are first, then more specific concentration courses later on. Most students have a general idea of what their concentration will (or at least won't) be before they ever set foot in the classroom, and in my 2 year program, everyone had chosen by the end of the 1st semester their concentration. So, I guess 25% of the way through the program then is where I'd venture the sweet spot is. That said, there was no hard and fast anything that locked us to any track. As far as I could tell, the only advantage to the concentrations was when picking classes. Certain concentrations got dibs on certain classes. On my diploma it doesn't say anything about a concentration, and my MBA is exactly the same as everyone's in my class, regardless of concentration. I also lost some credit in my MBA program. I started a part time program at a smaller, less well known school and attended for a little while until I decided to leave and pursue a degree at a better school full time. I lost the 10 credits or whatever I had amassed and just sort of wrote it off as "prep work" for my "real" MBA. I ate the cost because apparently MBA programs are very touchy about transferring credits (they lose serious $$$ in tuition if they allow it and it screws with their "flow"). In your instance, you'd just have to weigh the pros and cons of the old vs. new curriculum and is it worth the $$ you'd lose or not.
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Oct 27, 2008 05:27
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Thoguh posted:How do you guys think the value of an MBA is going to end up being changed by the financial crisis? Whether you look at it as a general tool for career advancement or to push you into a specific industry, it really seems as though there must be a big change in how an MBA is viewed? Well, the bloom is definitely off the rose, so to speak for MBAs, especially given the general disdain the "Wall Street fat cats" have garnered in the past few months. But, people are wising up to MBAs in general now that every commuter school and podunk directional in the world is offering it. MBA itself is no magic wand, and people are most definitely judgmental based on the company you keep. I know that the Big 10 schools are all excellent institutions and can offer quite a bit to grads. Middle of the road Big 10 MBAs are still in the top 50ish in the country and are portable across the country because of the high level of awareness these schools have. In my opinion, an MBA degree from a Big 10 school will have a positive impact long term on your career, however in the short term, everyone is hosed. 
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Nov 12, 2008 01:52
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problematique posted:How so> Knowing little about his situation I am going to make some broad based assumptions and assume he he is thinking about the "traditional" MBA path. That is, get a job and work for an established firm in some sort of managerial role post MBA. Long term, I would argue that your opportunities for advancement in the corporate world are greater, and your wages should reflect that. Short term, the economy is in terrible condition and freshly minted MBAs are having a hard time finding full time work as companies aren't looking for expensive new hires (as MBAs tend to be) when they can't even pay the salaries of the people they currently have.
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Nov 13, 2008 06:33
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Don Wrigley posted:What I find interesting about this, having been a long-time software developer: It has been predicted that something similar will happen in the next 10-15 as the baby boomers retire. There's something like 80 million of them that need replacing and only the very tip of the generation has hit 60, so it is entirely possible that there will be an increased demand for management skills as all of the old business leaders pack it in.
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Nov 13, 2008 17:19
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For those interested, the latest Business Week rankings are out today: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/ In my opinion they tend to have better criteria than US News, but that's up to debate. Even still, rankings are only useful if people put any stock in them, so take any of these charts with a grain of salt. Besides, they all tend to say the same thing year after year anyway!
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Nov 15, 2008 00:15
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Quantum Butte posted:Anyone working in product development/management who has done an MBA? I'm curious to see whether people think those two disciplines would benefit. Product development usually involves a broad mix of disciplines such as marketing to determine the wants/needs of the consumer, finance/accounting to reach decisions on making the product economically viable, and ops management to get the thing from drawing board to showroom floor. Product development is an MBA in practice. It's a good combo. Product development (especially new products) sometimes gets shoehorned under the marketing umbrella but it does require consideration of all the skills I mentioned plus a bunch more I'm sure I forgot. locdogg fucked around with this message at 18:58 on Nov 21, 2008 |
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Nov 21, 2008 18:55
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Milky_Sauce posted:I currently have a pretty good job, but am looking to move up in the company. Basically the only way is to bust your rear end for 20 years, or get some sort of degree. I am currently going for a bachelor's in business. No, a BA is a good thing to have even if you don't get an MBA. And don't worry about state schools, many of them are fine institutions. Last time I checked, U Mich, U Texas, and U Cal were all state schools and I don't think anyone really thinks that because they are public they suck. Even directionals have their value and a degree from them is superior to no degree at all. It shows you have some commitment to having your poo poo together. As for getting an MBA, my advice is to cross that bridge when you get to it. It sounds like you're at least a few years away from that decision. You need to finish your BA first and you've got like what, 80 more credits to go? Relax. Like it was said though, a lot of schools require calc I to get in. Once you're there, I can't really say how much you'll use it, I didn't encounter any serious mathematical equations beyond mid level algebra in my classes that I noticed, so take that for what it's worth.
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Nov 25, 2008 17:31
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is that a egg posted:I am sort of stuck between the decision to go for the MBA (advisor meeting today) and a Master's in Labor Relations/HR. I have been working in HR for 4 years, so I think I can get the LR/HR with little to no effort and much less cost honestly. But, I am also aware that I might be able to get a little more mileage out of the MBA - and plus I can just specialize in HR management. Ask yourself this: "Do I like my job and can I see myself working in this field for the next 20-30 years?"
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Nov 25, 2008 17:34
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extra innings lovin posted:Woot MBA Heh heh, getting expensive to have your ego stroked. I remember when U Mich got the $100M and everyone was making GBS threads their pants just a few years ago. I just wonder how much Harvard is holding out for?
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Nov 26, 2008 01:04
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Milky_Sauce posted:Thanks but the business degree is actually a BS, not a BA. Is this common? Yeah, it's totally common. I think that was just my typing. I think some schools award a BA and some a BS, but frankly the distinction is meaningless to most people. As long as you have a bachelor's degree, you're doing fine.
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Nov 26, 2008 06:35
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mvc posted:Does anyone know anything about Canadian schools when it comes to MBAs? They're probably less known than American schools, but there are a few pretty good business schools here such as Sauder (in Vancouver). There are a few good schools in the wintry north, but most of them tend to be located predictably in the eastern bits. Queens is supposedly pretty good, as is U of Toronto, York, and McGill. From what I can tell though, Ivey in London, ON is supposedly the best though. They probably get positive press/name recognition due to their published cases, as it's one of the few that I've ever heard with much name recognition outside of Canada (and I'm from Detroit, so the circle of name recognition shrinks further from the border). Unfortunately for Canadians, most Canadian universities just don't have much name recognition outside of Canada, at least not in the USA. That's probably why so many Canadians choose to pursue their MBA in the US.
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Dec 22, 2008 05:58
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mvc posted:Thanks for the heads up. But is there a Canadian equivalent to the GMAT? Because I know we dont have the SATs here for post-secondary, so I was wondering if business schools giving out MBAs had something else in place for the GMAT? The GMAT is pretty global as far as I can tell. For example, Ivey asks for it, so does McGill, and I imagine most serious programs regardless of the location would. It's a pretty general test, and it's not like they'd have to tailor it too much, just change all mention "houses" to "igloos" in the verbal section and you should be all set for Canadians.
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Dec 26, 2008 06:56
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