Is a MBA still worth getting?

[BIKES!]

I think "an" MBA is very valuable. One measure is to look at job openings that require or recommend one. It opens doors and can be a substitute for actual experience. I also believe an MBA is worth more than a JD, for example, because an MBA can concentrate in accounting or marketing

MBA is not a substitute for experience and MBA's would lose 9/10 times to a candidate with experience.


If you are talking purely entry level (which an MBA should never find themself in), then yes, MBA would have a slight edge to those who made it through the door.

An MBA can help you get in the door, largely in part that HR are completely talentless and useless ass clowns that do the pre-screening. It does little after the point of entering the labyrinth of interviews...

 

[BrutalBoy]

The average age of a part-time MBA student is 27 or 28 years old. You should have approx 5 years of work experience. It does actually help with understanding the concepts.

starting the program at 27,28 or finishing it up?

 

[PabloZed]

Dont some MBA programs require you to have a certain amount of professional work history?

There are "professional MBA" programs, which are for people who are working and allow them to work and study. But most regular programs take students right out of college.

As a warning, people should stay away from U of Phoenix. A good friend did their program and called it basically a scam. Basically you are paying for a piece of worthless paper.

 

[blink_man182]

Also any time you can get free education from work I would suggest taking it. Every little thing helps add character and new skills to a resume. That is if something ever happens to the place you are working in case you plan on staying there for life

 

[BrutalBoy]

There are "professional MBA" programs, which are for people who are working and allow them to work and study. But most regular programs take students right out of college.

As a warning, people should stay away from U of Phoenix. A good friend did their program and called it basically a scam. Basically you are paying for a piece of worthless paper.

pretty much stay away from any college with tons of commercials(UP, devry, everest)

 

[PabloZed]

MBA is not a substitute for experience and MBA's would lose 9/10 times to a candidate with experience.

I disagree, but more importantly corporate America disagrees. Many job postings state requirements for the position and say a degree can substitute for experience. That is not always true, obviously, nor would it be true for an executive position.

 

[BIKES!]

There are "professional MBA" programs, which are for people who are working and allow them to work and study. But most regular programs take students right out of college. .

That's completely false. You wont get into any good MBA programs straight out of school. You are probably thinking an MBA is like a Masters degree in English. English, sciences, etc... want your money and will take you straight out of undergrad.

The people that go to full time MBA programs vary. We had two young (25,26)people get into Harvard and rather than have us pay for 80% of the cost they chose to live the experience. Logic being a Harvard MBA can make up the lost income in little time.

Many in their 30s, with families or who can not live without income do the FEMBAs. Not too mention the Executive MBAs are all fully employed...

 

[PabloZed]

pretty much stay away from any college with tons of commercials(UP, devry, everest)

Interestingly, congress was/is trying to crack down on those schools by outlawing the expenditure of any federally-backed money (as in loans) on advertising.

 

[therealdope]

Outside of top 5 schools not really. But if you get the hookup on tuition reimbursement from your work then it might be something with looking into.

What a load of bullshit. There are 20 top tier schools in the world - never mind the number of schools that offer degrees worth having. It's the tuition that is more of a concern.


1 3 Stanford Graduate School of Business US 192,179 129
2 3 Harvard Business School US 178,249 122
3 2 University of Pennsylvania: Wharton US 172,353 120
4 2 London Business School UK 152,981 134
5 6 Columbia Business School US 166,497 131
6 5 Insead France / Singapore 144,355 97
7 8 MIT: Sloan US 157,337 120
8 7 IE Business School Spain 156,658 139
9 10 Iese Business School Spain 133,888 148
10 8 Hong Kong UST Business School China 127,600 144
11 - Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad India 175,076 140
12 11 University of Chicago: Booth US 152,585 109
13 14 IMD Switzerland 144,045 78
14 22 University of California at Berkeley: Haas US 146,811 91
15 18 Duke University: Fuqua US 139,405 108
16 20 Northwestern University: Kellogg US 145,834 96
17 15 New York University: Stern US 134,093 115
18 18 HEC Paris France 121,061 107
19 17 Dartmouth College: Tuck US 151,182 111
20 15 Indian School of Business India 129,512 177

 

[BIKES!]

I disagree, but more importantly corporate America disagrees. .

You don't know what you are talking about.

You should leave the thread so you don't do a disservice to the OP...

 

[BrutalBoy]

What a load of bullshit. There are 20 top tier schools in the world - never mind the number of schools that offer degrees worth having. It's the tuition that is more of a concern.


1 3 Stanford Graduate School of Business US 192,179 129
2 3 Harvard Business School US 178,249 122
3 2 University of Pennsylvania: Wharton US 172,353 120
4 2 London Business School UK 152,981 134
5 6 Columbia Business School US 166,497 131
6 5 Insead France / Singapore 144,355 97
7 8 MIT: Sloan US 157,337 120
8 7 IE Business School Spain 156,658 139
9 10 Iese Business School Spain 133,888 148
10 8 Hong Kong UST Business School China 127,600 144
11 - Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad India 175,076 140
12 11 University of Chicago: Booth US 152,585 109
13 14 IMD Switzerland 144,045 78
14 22 University of California at Berkeley: Haas US 146,811 91
15 18 Duke University: Fuqua US 139,405 108
16 20 Northwestern University: Kellogg US 145,834 96
17 15 New York University: Stern US 134,093 115
18 18 HEC Paris France 121,061 107
19 17 Dartmouth College: Tuck US 151,182 111
20 15 Indian School of Business India 129,512 177

$192,000?

 

[BIKES!]

Outside of top 5 schools not really.

You must be thinking law degrees.

Excluding networking (and maybe Harvard) the top 12-15 do not power over one another.

Again, an MBA will get you in the door it doesn't get you hired. In corporate america, especially FO 100 companies it's a small world and even if you kill all the interviews, your experience and history/references will play a huge role.

 

[PabloZed]

That's completely false. You wont get into any good MBA programs straight out of school. You are probably thinking an MBA is like a Masters degree in English. English, sciences, etc... want your money and will take you straight out of undergrad.

The people that go to full time MBA programs vary. We had two young (25,26)people get into Harvard and rather than have us pay for 80% of the cost they chose to live the experience. Logic being a Harvard MBA can make up the lost income in little time.

Many in their 30s, with families or who can not live without income do the FEMBAs. Not too mention the Executive MBAs are all fully employed...

I graduated from Harvard. My roommate went straight to HBS as did many others. I had a scholarship to go to a handful of business schools and I would gave entered straight out of college, but took a different path.

Maybe others have different experiences, but most people I know went straight to grad school, including business.

 

[therealdope]

$192,000?

Looks like Phil Knight didn't donate quite enough money. And it's not like the school needs the money. You should see the last two raises they did for the endowment. Biggest sums of money EVER raised.

You know what I do with those letters I get for donations.

Spoiler

 

[Car]

if youre still saying "a MBA" instead of "an MBA" and repping your hometown area code, then yeah , i'd say you need it

 

[BIKES!]

LOL. I graduated from Harvard. My roommate went straight to HBS as did many others. I had a scholarship to go to a handful of business schools and I would gave entered straight out of college, but took a different path.

Maybe others have different experiences, but most people I know went straight to grad school, including business.

You are one of three things:


Connected and Rich
Minority- i.e., female. half black half native islander
Full of shit

Out of the 8-9K applications each year, they take very few people straight out of undergrad given the talent and power that applies.

 

[therealdope]

I graduated from Harvard. My roommate went straight to HBS as did many others. I had a scholarship to go to a handful of business schools and I would gave entered straight out of college, but took a different path.

Maybe others have different experiences, but most people I know went straight to grad school, including business.

That's hard to believe in light of:

Applications - Work Experience

 

[BIKES!]

That's hard to believe in light of:



http://www.hbs.edu/mba/find-answers/Pages/default.aspx

Typically when you want to make up a story about having an MBA you don't say you went to Harvard...

 

[wlu29]

I think it's worthwhile

 

[MASShole]

Typically when you want to make up a story about having an MBA you don't say you went to Harvard...

LOL spot on...