MBA

Hi All!
I am looking into getting my MBA. My employer will pay a percentage of it but only a state school equivalent. So I am limited to state schools.


I was thinking about going getting it online. Does anyone have any feedback about an online vs in person or an MBA in general?

Thanks!

 

Online is if you're a busy person, but dedicated to getting it done.

In person is way more "hands on" and keeps you from going oh hey youtube.

 

I'm a bit of a cynic about those three letters. So, don't take this personally but, why? What do you think you'll gain from it? Besides paying for it, what will your employer do for you once you have the piece of paper?

 

It also depends on what field you're in and I have heard of some employers not recognizing online degrees. I highly suggest some forecasting for yourself before you commit. An MBA may sound great now but it may be irrelevant to your future growth.

 

If it's anything like the military, nothing

 

I have an MBA. I got mine as soon as I graduated from undergrad.

It didn't do me much good at first since I had no experience, but you have an employer/experience. That's a plus. Seems like he wants you to grow within the company.....just my initial observation.

I'd say get it. Take a few classes a week at night. I'm not a fan of online classes, I learned so much more when it was hands on. I wouldn't shy away from taking a couple of online classes if your school offers them just to give you a break from time to time.

It's a helluva sacrifice. I worked one full time job and a part time job while getting mine. But I'm glad I did.

 

Thanks. That was kind of my thoughts too.

The hope is down the road it'll lead to more money. I also hope it'll open more doors for career advancement/promotions. I also want to do it for myself.

Thanks that's a good thought. I am still early on in my career so I'm not sure where I'm going to end up.

 

I'm same boat as you. I just graduated about a year ago and I wanted to pursue one sooner than later while I don't have a family.

 

Is your employer going to cover it 100%? If not, how much will you have to pitch in? Make sure you weigh the cost of the program with your potential expected salary growth. Doesn't make sense to spend 40-80k on a degree if you're not going to make it back. Also, take into account any personal/family relationships.

 

Definitely do it while you don't have a family. I got married right when I graduated undergrad school. No kids as of yet since my wife went for her doctorate as soon as I got my MBA, we're now in her final year of post doc.

Having a family while going to school would be highly difficult!

It (MBA) doesn't pay off right away at all, but with enough experience and the right connections, it's a damn good thing to have.

 

Employer will pay 90%. A Cal State is about 30k for the degree so out of pocket will only cost me roughly 3k. My employer also will pay 50% of textbooks.

The girlfriend will be going to veterinary school so we will both be occupied with school. And no kids to distract us lol.

 

My employer will pay for all higher ed even GED. One caviot...my employer will only reimburse high ed if it's work related which quite frankly can be anything as long as it's STEM related. Anything else is worthless IMHO. Many of our higher "ups" have not only an MBA degree but also an engineering, science, math degree to boot. Just sayin...high ed STEM requires a B or higher to get reimbursed.

 

There are lot of MBA online courses that are legit. Pretty much nil without STEM unless you have an undergrad degree already. For what it's worth...there are bazillion folks out there looking for work with only a MBA degree. You need to make yourself stand out..............from the MBA zombie herd.

 

I recommend majoring in a STEM degree with a MBA as dressing. IMHO.

 

If you can dedicate the time, do it. 90% covered is sweet. However, does your employer require you to work for the company for a period of time after you graduate? Most employers require a year after graduation or you gotta pay everything back. Keep that in mind too.

 

Always good to verify with HR first. I know the curriculum vitae of all our higher ups. Any effort to show you want to ejemuhkate yourself further is always a plus to any decent employer. The one thing you don't want to be is satisfied where your are at because that's where you will stay. Pretty sure a lot of folks here will agree....

 

I'll look into something else. I had never really thought about that. Thanks for the tip!

Yes they do require me to stay 1 year after. While I'm not planning on peacing out after but 1 year doesn't seem too bad.

 

If my employer were to pick up 90%, I'd be tempted, otherwise, it's just an expensive networking course.

Two MBA stories over the last week for me... I hired one on my team.. Graduated from a well known school and I've now realized they can't do what I consider basic math... Literally no clue how they passed the GMAT.

Other case is one of the smartest dudes I know, has an MBA from MIT... Still in a job where it, and he, are wasted.

So for me, no, I'm not going for it unless it's practically free, the return on investment of cost, let alone time, just isn't there in my industry.

 

If "they" want a one year commit...ask what's in it for you beyond that one year. Don't be afraid to ask. If I was "they" I'd expect you to ask.

 

Very similar experience in my current day job.

 

Good point. Will do. Thank you!

 

That's not bad. My last employer had a program where they'd pay up to $7500 a year in tuition reimbursement but you had to sign a 5 YEAR commit. If you know that an MBA will absolutely help you in your profession, I'd say go for it.

 

MBA will help. While experience goes most of they way (like it has for me cause I ain't got one), it helps to separate you from the pack. Also, it shows commitment that you took the time to get better professionally and personally. At the end of the day it won't hurt you, only help.

 

Oh wow. I've heard of those. I couldn't imagine committing for 5 years after.

 

Well...Seeing how I got a public school education...and barley survived at community college... yeah I got nothing...I know post of the week..

 

Depending on your field, an MBA is like a high school diploma now. All of your peers will have one. It won't set you apart for advancement/promotions or new jobs, but not having one will certainly hold you back.

 

In this volatile economic environment, it will not hurt to have another degree, especially when your employer is paying most of the expenses. 1-year commitment sounds like 1 year of guaranteed employment, unless you have something immediate in mind.

Definitely go with on-site degree. There are still plenty of 'old-schoolers' who do not count online degrees as equal. It may take just one of them on a committee to turn you down for a job.

If you have interest in STEM, go for it. No one will say that you took it because it was easy. (If you don't like it, then it will be like pulling multiple teeth).

 

Check to see if you can get a Specialized MBA. I've been eyeballing DePaul's MBA with a concentration in Negotiation and Game Theory.

For online vs. in-class you will want to consider the quality of the professors. If you are looking to just add the MBA the online will mostly be fine, and in the next few years will become more and more the standard. The in-class MBA could provide you with more unique opportunities to develop a stronger skill-set. Again, it all depends on the professors and courses you take.

 

I think it depends on what stage of your career you're at and also how high you want to go - so i agree with this but also disagree at the same time. For example, I have no desire to become a CEO - I work enough as it is and at times, don't sleep due to the pressures of my role. I question whether I ever want to sign up to even more than what I do today. At my level of senior management (not executive) my experience is more valuable than an MBA without the necessary experience. IF I wanted to go to the executive level of a large organization, an MBA would certainly help but... I prefer my weekends & evenings as family time as much as possible.

So it's horses for courses. I think all our opinions stated in this thread are valid, they're all based on our personal experience and desires. I'd be interested to hear what OP's career plans are long term... @big_jarv

 

It's never been a question on if it's worth it or not. If I had to pay for it 100% I probably wouldn't get one.

Long term I'd love to get into upper management. I've always had a liking for how business works and trying to do something better.