Online vs In-Person MBA

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aggiesammy18
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Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by aggiesammy18 »

Hi all,

I have been working as an engineer now for 2 years and have recently gotten a promotion and a pair of job offers from within my company to go along with it. I have been struggling as to which offer would be best from a career advancement perspective.

Option 1 is by a pretty decent margin my favorite from a job description perspective. It would be a continuation of what I currently do (and love) but with much more responsibility. It has marginally better pay than option 2, but is also in a lower COL area. The problem is there are not any amazing options nearby for an MBA program. My plan has always been to go back to school for an MBA (company will pay the majority of tuition) and use that to pivot to a new career field. However, I am worried if I choose option 1 I will be stuck either getting an MBA from an "unranked" business school, or getting an MBA online from a better school.

I feel like a huge part of an MBA program is networking and gaining the connections to help me pivot to a new career field, and I'm worried I'll be shooting myself in the foot if I take a job that would force me to get an MBA either online or from a school that is not as well known as the schools near the option 2 job.

My questions is to what extent does the school you get an MBA from or the people you meet in your program control the potential job opportunities you could get after graduating? Or do you think that generally, most employers don't care as much where you got the MBA from, and more of how well you did in the classes and what you prior work experience looks like?

All advice is appreciated!
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geerhardusvos
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by geerhardusvos »

aggiesammy18 wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:31 pm Hi all,

I have been working as an engineer now for 2 years and have recently gotten a promotion and a pair of job offers from within my company to go along with it. I have been struggling as to which offer would be best from a career advancement perspective.

Option 1 is by a pretty decent margin my favorite from a job description perspective. It would be a continuation of what I currently do (and love) but with much more responsibility. It has marginally better pay than option 2, but is also in a lower COL area. The problem is there are not any amazing options nearby for an MBA program. My plan has always been to go back to school for an MBA (company will pay the majority of tuition) and use that to pivot to a new career field. However, I am worried if I choose option 1 I will be stuck either getting an MBA from an "unranked" business school, or getting an MBA online from a better school.

I feel like a huge part of an MBA program is networking and gaining the connections to help me pivot to a new career field, and I'm worried I'll be shooting myself in the foot if I take a job that would force me to get an MBA either online or from a school that is not as well known as the schools near the option 2 job.

My questions is to what extent does the school you get an MBA from or the people you meet in your program control the potential job opportunities you could get after graduating? Or do you think that generally, most employers don't care as much where you got the MBA from, and more of how well you did in the classes and what you prior work experience looks like?

All advice is appreciated!
Congrats on the job offers, sounds like you are on a good path. I work in the tech field and unless you get a top 10 MBA, no one really cares. The amount of money and time you put into it, likely will not pay off at all, especially if you are already in a field and employed and getting job offers. Even a top school, which will cost an arm and a leg, sometimes doesn’t pay off. Stick with certifications and work experience, and find cheaper ways to network and meet people in your field. My company sponsors me to go to conferences and trainings which can be just as or more helpful depending on the venue. And they don’t cost me $100k! An MBA would do nothing for my career, and I think they will be even less valuable than they are now, and they have waned significantly over the last 20 years. If you want a masters degree, get it in a technical stem field. Best wishes!
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by willthrill81 »

IMHO, more important than the online vs. face-to-face issue is the reality that the generalized MBA is not very valuable in the marketplace. I discussed this a while back in the post below.
willthrill81 wrote: Fri Feb 08, 2019 3:54 pm Having taught in multiple MBA programs myself and being in on many conversations on both sides of the fence, I can tell you that there are only three types of MBA that still have significant added value for a large proportion of those get them: (1) an executive MBA from a solid program, (2) a 'general' MBA from one of the top B-schools, and (3) a specialized MBA.

Executive MBA programs at good B-schools really can improve students' knowledge and skills in the workplace, and networking is a huge benefit as well. Be prepared to cough up at least $70k for a good one.

A general MBA from a top B-school still tends to carry significant weight in many, perhaps even most, industries. Networking is a big feature here as well. The cost can be obscenely high though, easily $200k.

A specialized MBA that focuses on a relatively new, 'hot' area can provide students with both good skills and connections in a niche area, where the connections tend to count the most, and may be valuable to many companies interested in expanding into the new area, although this added value can degrade rather quickly if the industry quickly moves past that area or it becomes saturated with similar graduates.

A general MBA from a typical university is, in my experience, not usually very helpful from a career perspective, although you can find many instances where they were. Mine was useful to me simply because it showed me that I wanted to continue my education in a different direction, and that new direction completely overhauled my career for the better.

YMMV.
That said, I agree that all else being equal, there is more value in a face-to-face MBA than one that's online. You can develop connections with other students and the faculty that are difficult to impossible to create in an online environment.
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Tejfyy
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by Tejfyy »

I too think if you're going the MBA route face to face is preferable. But don't discount a hybrid program i.e., online and f2f.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by DarkHelmetII »

aggiesammy18 wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:31 pm Hi all,

I have been working as an engineer now for 2 years and have recently gotten a promotion and a pair of job offers from within my company to go along with it. I have been struggling as to which offer would be best from a career advancement perspective.

Option 1 is by a pretty decent margin my favorite from a job description perspective. It would be a continuation of what I currently do (and love) but with much more responsibility. It has marginally better pay than option 2, but is also in a lower COL area. The problem is there are not any amazing options nearby for an MBA program. My plan has always been to go back to school for an MBA (company will pay the majority of tuition) and use that to pivot to a new career field. However, I am worried if I choose option 1 I will be stuck either getting an MBA from an "unranked" business school, or getting an MBA online from a better school.

I feel like a huge part of an MBA program is networking and gaining the connections to help me pivot to a new career field, and I'm worried I'll be shooting myself in the foot if I take a job that would force me to get an MBA either online or from a school that is not as well known as the schools near the option 2 job.

My questions is to what extent does the school you get an MBA from or the people you meet in your program control the potential job opportunities you could get after graduating? Or do you think that generally, most employers don't care as much where you got the MBA from, and more of how well you did in the classes and what you prior work experience looks like?

All advice is appreciated!
Non-MBA'er here however in a field where an MBA is fairly common. Based on a few data points across friends and family here are is my take:
1) Even if a top tier MBA, you will not somehow magically acquire connections that will automatically make you rich. Yes you will have access to similarly bright, hard-working people but there are so many other factors. And you have the inevitable causal vs. correlative considerations (arguably many MBA's from top tier schools would have otherwise been "successful").
2) If you feel that you *need* it to round out your skillset and nothing more - accounting, project management etc... - do the bare minimum $$ and time-wise to acquire the actual skills and don't really worry about brand name or even what the degree holds.
3) One of my most "successful" friends (as measured by wealth, launching a company and so on) is an engineer with no MBA.
4) I would consider an expensive face-to-face MBA if a) it is truly top tier (according to whatever threshold you apply), AND b) you seek a position that historically is filled by a particular pedigree. For example if your life dream is to be the CEO at a Fortune 100 company then I would give serious consideration to a Harvard MBA should you be accepted. My take is that there is still a certain echelon of roles and type of work that requires such a pedigree, but that the copious amounts of alternatives and parallel prerequisites are overlooked so as to inflate the overall perceived value of an MBA.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by alrick »

Given your likely circumstance, I would give thought to a hybrid or low residency MBA that blends online learning with group projects and periodic face-to-face gatherings on campus or at locations nearer to your work. I'm not so sure that the MBA experience builds much of a networking base, but a blended model does have you working with others in project learning situations that often result in learning new skills by seeing how others approach matters at hand.
Good luck!!
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by JPH »

I don't have an MBA, but I have an MA and a PhD. In my case, the coursework, which is mainly what you would receive online, added minor value compared to simply being immersed in the learning environment. Hanging out in the faculty lounge, in the lab, or going to lunch with mentors highly valuable. I also benefited from teaching and mentoring undergraduates. I didn't even follow the curriculum outlined in the school catalog, but substituted several tool subjects that benefited me throughout my career.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by vineviz »

aggiesammy18 wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:31 pm My questions is to what extent does the school you get an MBA from or the people you meet in your program control the potential job opportunities you could get after graduating? Or do you think that generally, most employers don't care as much where you got the MBA from, and more of how well you did in the classes and what you prior work experience looks like?
In my opinion, there are two general conditions which - if BOTH are true - would warrant taking time off to do a full-time MBA program:

1) You are ready to change careers, change locations or both IMMEDIATELY upon completion of the program;
2) You can get into a nationally-ranked (e.g. top 10, but not necessarily that high) MBA program in your intended area of study and/or geographic location.

My analysis suggests that unless both of those things are true, a part-time MBA program at the best school in your area probably has a better ROI.

Keep in mind that not all part-time MBA programs are online only. Many nationally-ranked schools have executive MBA programs that include in-person classes.

For instance, Chicago Booth has an executive MBA program( https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/executive) in which students take classes every other Friday and Saturday for just less than two years.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by Boglegrappler »

If you're going to change fields, you need to attend an MBA program where the companies that you want to work for come to recruit. It's that simple.

The "networking" aspect of business schools is over-rated dramatically. It's all in the recruiting reputation and which firms believe that the school's graduates are good hiring candidates. You should be keenly aware that some fields are intensely competitive to be hired into, even at Harvard, Stanford, or Wharton......think investment banking and consulting. Those fields require top academic performance against highly competent peers, plus certain personality traits that you either have or not. Of course, your promotions suggest that you may have them.


BTW, most companies who "send" you to an MBA program only pay for it if you continue to work for them. I'm sure you've considered that.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by tedgeorge »

If you've only been working for a couple years, then it may not be worth it for you. You could get into management without having an MBA if that's the direction you want. When I did mine, we had people fresh out of school that could not tell you anything because they lacked the experience. We had much better discussions from people who worked for several years.

If you don't know what you want to do for a new field, save your money and figure that out first. Look around for a mentor in your company (or network) if possible to help with that. There may be opportunities to use your set of skills to pivot to a different role in the same field. Use your alumni network from your school. There are options out there if you look.

If you think you'll get your MBA and pivot to say marketing, you may want to think again. You are competing with people who likely did marketing undergrad and now have an MBA. I'm not saying it's impossible but you need to be working to getting a job in your new field as soon as you start your MBA to understand what opportunities you have and where you can have success. Like undergrad, you've got a limited window of when you are new-grad and when the shine wears off and there are a new crop of new-grads to compete against.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by teCh0010 »

alrick wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 7:28 am Given your likely circumstance, I would give thought to a hybrid or low residency MBA that blends online learning with group projects and periodic face-to-face gatherings on campus or at locations nearer to your work. I'm not so sure that the MBA experience builds much of a networking base, but a blended model does have you working with others in project learning situations that often result in learning new skills by seeing how others approach matters at hand.
Good luck!!
I did a hybrid format like this, and really enjoyed it. We met in person once a month, and every once a semester spent an entire weekend (4 hours on Friday, 8 on Saturday, 4 on Sunday) together.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by geerhardusvos »

Boglegrappler wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 7:50 am If you're going to change fields, you need to attend an MBA program where the companies that you want to work for come to recruit. It's that simple.
This is a good point. Our local state Bschool has extremely high ratings, and the top 20% students get swept up for MBA internships at the big local companies. But those students typically already have impressive resumes. If you are going to get an MBA, do it in the place that you want to live and in an area that has companies that you want to work at. In general though, there is still around 80% of people graduating from our local state school who are in the exact same spot as when they started, except they have almost a quarter million of debt.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by stan1 »

Where I live evening brick and mortar university MBA programs at one of the local state university are very rigid. For example if you have to travel for work your grade might get dinged (or you will not pass the class) due to non-attendance. Most of the students were NOT fully employed in professional jobs. Several people working for me found this to be a problem and ended up transferring their credits into an online program that was more flexible. The extreme example was an employee who was taking an international business class. His job required him to go to West Africa for a week to actually conduct international business. He offered to come back and brief the class on doing business in Africa. Professor said no, he'd fail the class if he went on the business trip instead of sitting in the professor's lecture.

The demographics will vary by program but in general if you are fully employed in a professional job I'd stick with executive MBA (meeting only on weekends), hybrid, and online programs.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by DharmaBum »

Context: I graduated from an elite MBA program about a decade ago.

My experience is that you don't get a great return on your time, effort, and investment unless you're going to a Top-15 type program (i.e., Harvard, Stanford, Penn/Wharton, Chicago MIT, Northwestern, Columbia, Dartmouth, Berkeley, Yale, Duke, UVA, Michigan, NYU, Cornell). There are a few programs (i.e., UCLA, Emory, Vanderbilt, UNC, etc.) that seem to provide good opportunities regionally that you might consider with a scholarship.

I would say that the program was transformational for my career, network, and finances--I think that was also true for many of my peers as well. That said, you need to understand the types of opportunities available through the programs and make sure that's what you want. Once you graduate the jobs you get will require sacrifice if you want to continue to grow in your career. Personally, I think it's a great path to go down, but you just need to really understand what you're getting yourself into.

Hope this helps!
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by techthedj »

(former) engineer here with a T15 MBA (in person part time).

A big draw of MBA programs is on-campus recruiting. I wanted to pivot from engineering to strategy and management consulting (though this is also valid for other hot career paths, e.g. IB, MBA rotations, Finance). It is really, really difficult to do this transition as a standalone activity. Many of these firms source most of their candidates from campuses (undergrads as analysts and MBAs as senior consultants), and once you're in it is an up or out structure (for consulting at least). Some MBA programs will allow PT students to recruit alongside the FT program, some won't. This is a huge YMMV as school cultures will differ (some programs stigmatize the PT programs), and campus recruiting in general is very time consuming before you consider the fact you're already working a full time job.

Seeing that your employer will be footing the bill (and this will probably require you to stay with your current for a few years), the above might not be something you want to consider strongly, though I did have classmates who ended up breaking the their retention plans and paying back the tuition to their employer (they found new post-MBA roles that made doing this worth it from a financial and professional perspective).

I agree with Tejfyy above:
don't discount a hybrid program i.e., online and f2f.
These can give you the best of both worlds if you play your cards right and manage the experience properly.

From a strictly academic perspective, everything you learn in an MBA class can be learned for free on YouTube. For me, an MBA was an opportunity to make a drastic career change that would be otherwise impossibly difficult. It enabled me to make a true step function change to my career path. It is also hard to quantify the experience of learning from my peers who come from all walks of life (both professionally and culturally). Going in, my world revolved around engineering. That quickly changed as I got to learn first hand the worlds of finance, marketing, strategy, supply chain, product development, etc (from my peers on the ground doing the work, not from a textbook).

To echo the sentiment of some of the above posters, a few years down the road, few people will care where you got your MBA. You will have a career path and accomplishments that will define your professional life, not an MBA from 10-15 years ago.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by stoptothink »

DharmaBum wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:38 am Context: I graduated from an elite MBA program about a decade ago.

My experience is that you don't get a great return on your time, effort, and investment unless you're going to a Top-15 type program (i.e., Harvard, Stanford, Penn/Wharton, Chicago MIT, Northwestern, Columbia, Dartmouth, Berkeley, Yale, Duke, UVA, Michigan, NYU, Cornell). There are a few programs (i.e., UCLA, Emory, Vanderbilt, UNC, etc.) that seem to provide good opportunities regionally that you might consider with a scholarship.

I would say that the program was transformational for my career, network, and finances--I think that was also true for many of my peers as well. That said, you need to understand the types of opportunities available through the programs and make sure that's what you want. Once you graduate the jobs you get will require sacrifice if you want to continue to grow in your career. Personally, I think it's a great path to go down, but you just need to really understand what you're getting yourself into.

Hope this helps!
The bolded is a really good point. I do not have an MBA, but my best friend graduated from Wharton ~5yrs ago. It's still early, but to date he's convinced he'd have the same opportunities had he continued to just work for the mega-bank he was already working for. He's basically doing the same thing he was previously, just a step or two up the ladder and at a different mega-bank. He mentions over and over again that his biggest regret is that he wasn't sure what exactly he wanted from the program and what he wanted to do after, he was just assuming that doors would swing open with Wharton on his resume. It has not worked that way.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by DetroitRick »

The exact answer to your questions will highly depend on exactly which employers you are dealing with, which type of career positions you end up holding, and your own geographic location(s).

My experience was at a top 10 school:
A slight majority of employers/potential employers cared a great deal about the school I went to, a minority did not care
My school opened some doors that otherwise would have been more difficult to open
The contacts and relationships from b-school and alumni circles CAN be very helpful. Yes, networking and connections can easily become an important benefit of your choice
Beyond my first few years after graduation, nobody ever asked about grades and few got specific about course work

I can't emphasize enough that specifics are highly situation dependent. For example, when I got out of business school and was working in finance, planning and the like, I got into a lot more interviews because of my school. But part of that was also that I worked for some small, relatively unknown companies too. Then, later in my career when I switched to working in international trade, almost nobody ever cared.

I'm familiar with the money and location issue vs. school choice. When I was applying, I was also considering some moves to places where no high-reputation schools were available. I opted to stay where I was in order to attend my school of choice (it was not a sole factor though). This turned out well for me, but I would have made it work either way. It is a tough choice and there is no single answer.

I started my degree part-time and finished it part-time, all at the same school. I also did one semester full-time, thinking I might finish that way. Ended up going back part-time for multiple reasons (employer opportunity, money, and mild dislike of my particular full-time program). Education-wise I found the part-time stint to be superior in my case (few grad assistants teaching, higher caliber of classmates). But that aspect meant little to anyone else.

Talk to some alumni of schools you are considering if at all possible. You will get helpful insights, even if the answers are contradictory. Best of luck!
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by khangaroo »

Commenting as someone who got their MBA almost 3 years ago from a no-name local university. I did it in-person and part time while I was working a full shift at my employer - I work as an engineer for a general contractor.

I would highly recommend you get a clear vision of what industry you want to shift to and pick your university based on that as a previous poster mentioned. For example, if you wanted to go into consulting and work for McKinsey or BCG then you will have a tough time getting a job offer unless you're going to HSW or a program with a similar caliber. We had some big names that did come recruit at my school like Amazon so not all is lost but I would recommend talking to the MBA program's career advisor and see what companies are coming to hire their MBA candidates.

I did an in-person part time program and I felt like we were a relatively tight cohort but 3 years later we're all just friends on FaceBook and rarely keep in touch. I could only imagine the scenario is the same or worse for online programs where you don't even have the option to grab a beer or go to events together where bonds and connections are strengthened. If you had the option, I would encourage an in-person MBA if you're looking for that experience but if you're just looking to get those 3 three letters after your name then go online.

In terms of employer perception, mine did not care where I got it from because it wasn't a big factor in the industry. I will say that it did get me noticed more by upper management because I was doing it part-time and I think it did help me get promoted quicker but in terms of the name of the university it did not matter. Your industry might be different so look into what your industry's expectations are along with the industry that you want to switch in to.

Looking back, I would do my MBA again because it did improve my leadership skills, ability to work in teams, and a more broad understanding of general business departments like the finance and accounting side of things. I would also encourage NOT to do the MBA unless you can get it partially funded through your employer - it's just not worth it unless you're going to HSW.
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by deso89 »

A lot of great advice on this forum. I was in a similar position to you (engineer for 5 years) when I started attending an online MBA program. The school I went to wasn't ranked for brick and mortar but had a well ranked online program and had a specialization in industrial engineering - which helped me sell it to my employer as something they should help with tuition reimbursement for. When I started I wanted to utilize the MBA to step into either a strategic business or engineering management role. I also had started a masters in materials science in person 3 years into my career and quickly decided it wasn't for me (mix of math skills erosion and logistics).

In person while working full time at a job that requires 45+ hrs a week is tough logistically. When I moonlighted in person for the part time materials science program the thing that killed me (outside of relearning advanced calc) was time. Class three days a week on a university schedule meant driving 30 minutes, parking in a garage, walking 15 minutes across campus to class, sitting in class for ~1.5 hrs for two classes, then repeating the commute to get back to work. Making up ~3 hrs of work every other day to take two classes a semester was doable, but less than ideal, and that doesn't include homework. With my online part time MBA I was able to attend class at my convenience (pre-recorded lectures) and cut out all the non-value add commuting time.

One of the things about the part time online MBA was most of my classmates were in a similar situation - the enrollment of my program was skewed heavily towards engineers working full time while pursuing a part time MBA. Because of that the program was well tailored to that demographic. It was also very affordable after employer reimbursement and tax breaks compared to a top 10 in person program. I graduated with out of pocket expense ~10% of what I would have paid at the best school I could have gotten into.

The cons however are definitely there. In my experience if you want to switch from engineering into marketing, strategy, or finance at a different company than where you work you likely want to go to a face to face school, and likely a top 10 program, to avoid taking a pay cut. When I graduated I was content with my program, and have been able to use the knowledge I learned in my day job. I switched internally at my company (large international company) into a business position from engineering, so I got value out of getting my degree as it helped open doors. That said, I enjoyed some of my non-engineering classes but when I looked at alumni profiles I quickly realized companies weren't hiring from my school for those positions at anywhere near an engineering salary. As Khangaroo mentioned, if you want to go work at a McKinsey or BCG or in I banking you're much more likely to get hired out of a full time program at Harvard than a part time online program from a state school.

tl,dr:
-Understand logistics of the program you're going into, and if using employer money what their expectations will be from a day to day standpoint.
-Understand what the opportunities are for the program you're going into at graduation and if it's important to you what the ROI will be to do that vs what you are currently doing if you're looking for a complete career switch.
-Understand what you want to do with the program, and how that may change as you understand more of what options are out there. It may be possible with an industry certification (PMP, Lean Six Sigma, etc).
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by crefwatch »

It's kind of a separate issue, but I'd make sure that either kind of program is accredited, and accredited by a respected agency. I don't know if a new crop of accreditation mills have sprung up to serve sketchy (and, especially, online-only) programs. Aside from some assurance of quality, you are also looking for a response when your interviewer (or someone else) politely says "Gee, I haven't met anyone/heard of/know the reputation of Program XXXXXX."
JustAnotherInvestor
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Re: Online vs In-Person MBA

Post by JustAnotherInvestor »

Hi aggiesammy18 ,

I recently completed my MBA, 18 years after my undergraduate. The advice I got when choosing a school was that if I was looking to change careers, it would be best to go to a top 10 business school. In my case I wasn't looking to change careers so I attended a local Texas State School that's maybe in the top 200 nationwide. The difference was that tuition was around $100,000 less than the local top school, most of the faculty at the school I chose to attend did not have industry experience, and the majority of the networking events were cancelled, because of COVID. In speaking with the faculty, a lot of the curriculum is influenced by the AACSB, many of the assignments were directly from the AACSB.

I've got an engineering background as well, and one of the drivers in getting my MBA was that a previous manager had the opinion that "Engineers don't make the best managers", which made it more difficult for me to grow as a non-technical leader. I've run into quite a few folks with the same mindset over the years.

In looking back, I would probably make the same decision if I were to do it all over again. I had a great time in the program and learned quite a lot that I've been able to apply as a leader. In fact, I firmly believe that getting an MBA was the result of the promotion I received right after finishing and has opened a few more doors in my current company. I've only been asked once or twice where I got it from, most folks just say something along the lines of, "you got an MBA and worked full time, that's great".
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