MBA

I'm thinking of taking graduate classes to get a masters. I'm still in school now, but I'm almost done with my bachelors. I was debating whether or not I should just continue right away with graduate classes and finish 1 semester later that I should (I'm 1 semester ahead now). Or if I should wait and take them later.

In one way I want to start right now and then go out and apply for a job and already have a MBA . And it would make sense because I'll be ready for the classes because I'm used to it now. And I've had all of the graduate course profs already.

But I'm thinking that it might be better for me to wait. Because I'd probably do better if I had some experience first with a lower level job, then took the courses and would be able to apply for a supervisor position with a MBA. I don't' think that a MBA and no experience will help very much. And I think having a MBA and applying for a lower level job wouldn't be worth it, and the MBA may also hurt my chances because of the possibility of being overqualified.

What do you think?

I am in business school right now. I am doing management/law undergrad. Every professor says if you want an MBA make connections now and get internships. Work for a year or two after undergrad, then go for the MBA. If the company likes you, they may pay for some of it. Doing this will open up many doors. Trust me, it won't hurt.

[quote89a118fd4c="Powerbook"]I am in business school right now. I am doing management/law undergrad. Every professor says if you want an MBA make connections now and get internships. Work for a year or two after undergrad, then go for the MBA. If the company likes you, they may pay for some of it. Doing this will open up many doors. Trust me, it won't hurt.[/quote89a118fd4c]

Thanks this was the type of answer I was looking for. I definatly want an MBA, I just wasn't sure when the best time would be. I was leaning toward working first, but I wasn't sure.

[quotee277d86bb8="Powerbook"]I am in business school right now. I am doing management/law undergrad. Every professor says if you want an MBA make connections now and get internships. Work for a year or two after undergrad, then go for the MBA. If the company likes you, they may pay for some of it. Doing this will open up many doors. Trust me, it won't hurt.[/quotee277d86bb8]
You know who else is in business school?
Ryan the temp.


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I would wait until later, unless an MBA is a qualification for employment in the position you want. A graduate degree can make you look overqualified, and potential employers may worry that you'll either want too much money, or get bored and move on quickly.

My husband got his MBA and MS simultaneously after working for 2-3 years...and AT&T paid for all of it. It took him 3 years to complete since he only went at night. It was hard on me with the new baby while he was going to school (at night and working his full-time job during the day), but it was all worth it. He got an immediate promotion and raise in pay when he graduated. I would say, if you find a job you like, there's nothing wrong with working for a while first then going back to school when you know it's something you really want to do. On the other hand, I've had friends who couldn't land a job after college and went back to school to get a graduate degree instead, then got great jobs after getting those degrees. It's kind of up to you to decide if you're on an academic roll or if you want some work experience first. And getting a company to pay for it is always a great thing!

Im thinking of the samething too here at UH they offer a PPA program for accounting its only a year and most are 2 years

A mentor recently came to my psych class to talk to us. He mentors for free and seems very knowledgeable. He's about 30 years old or so and mentors for free.

PM me if you want his #, I took a business card.

Why do you want an MBA, or any graduate degree for that matter? If you can't clearly articulate why you want/need an advanced degree for what you intend to do with your life/career, don't spend any more time thinking about it.

As has been said, there's a lot to be said for working for a couple of years to figure out what you want to do with your life, and then going back to school on your company's dime. Remember, it's not slouch schools that offer part time MBA programs either, UC Berkeley (Hass), UChicago (Gleacher), Northwestern, etc, all have part time MBA programs.

[quoteeb27ade2dd="doylnea"]Why do you want an MBA, or any graduate degree for that matter? If you can't clearly articulate why you want/need an advanced degree for what you intend to do with your life/career, don't spend any more time thinking about it.

As has been said, there's a lot to be said for working for a couple of years to figure out what you want to do with your life, and then going back to school on your company's dime. Remember, it's not slouch schools that offer part time MBA programs either, UC Berkeley (Hass), UChicago (Gleacher), Northwestern, etc, all have part time MBA programs.[/quoteeb27ade2dd]

The first half of your post pretty much captured something that I feel most students neglect to answer when making a decision on obtaining a graduate degree.

It seems, more often than not; or at least the people I spoke with, that they are just getting a graduate degree for the doors it [ieb27ade2dd]may[/ieb27ade2dd] open for them in the future. In my eyes, getting a graduate degree that isn't necessarily required for what you want to do career-wise is a waste of time and money. And since time is money - it's just a waste of a [beb27ade2dd]ton[/beb27ade2dd] of money.

Re-evaluate and think very thoroughly about why exactly you want the graduate degree and if you find that you're convincing yourself that you need it; when in reality you don't, then perhaps taking your bachelors and jumping into the work force is your better bet.

[quotea46dadeae2="Akademikz"][quotea46dadeae2="doylnea"]Why do you want an MBA, or any graduate degree for that matter? If you can't clearly articulate why you want/need an advanced degree for what you intend to do with your life/career, don't spend any more time thinking about it.

As has been said, there's a lot to be said for working for a couple of years to figure out what you want to do with your life, and then going back to school on your company's dime. Remember, it's not slouch schools that offer part time MBA programs either, UC Berkeley (Hass), UChicago (Gleacher), Northwestern, etc, all have part time MBA programs.[/quotea46dadeae2]

The first half of your post pretty much captured something that I feel most students neglect to answer when making a decision on obtaining a graduate degree.

It seems, more often than not; or at least the people I spoke with, that they are just getting a graduate degree for the doors it [ia46dadeae2]may[/ia46dadeae2] open for them in the future. In my eyes, getting a graduate degree that isn't necessarily required for what you want to do career-wise is a waste of time and money. And since time is money - it's just a waste of a [ba46dadeae2]ton[/ba46dadeae2] of money.

Re-evaluate and think very thoroughly about how exactly you want the graduate degree and if you find that you're convincing yourself that you need it; when in reality you don't, then perhaps taking your MBA and jumping into the work force is your better bet.[/quotea46dadeae2]

Actually that is the reason that I am considering an MBA. Also because I want to challenge myself, and I think that if I am successful I will feel a real sense of pride in myself.

[quotea719b86022="stueybaby17"]
Actually that is the reason that I am considering an MBA. Also because I want to challenge myself, and I think that if I am successful I will feel a real sense of pride in myself.[/quotea719b86022]

If you're considering spending 2 additional semesters in University just for the doors it may potentially open for you and are willing to put forth the effort (and money) required to do so - then all the power to you. All I'm saying, is that if you're having to convince yourself that you need it just to find a decent job, well, that's not the case.

Is challenging yourself and having a sense of pride worth the amount of time and money you're going to have invest to get a graduates degree?

Sounds to me like you already have your mind made up and you're just looking for re-assurance that you're doing the right thing. You are likely to run into mixed opinions on whether it's worth it or not, but if it's something that you truly want to do then, personally, I'd go for it.

If you are going into accounting (I believe you have asked accounting-related help questions here before), an MBA isn't what you need. I asked my dad about it, and he is a CPA, he said the only thing that matters is getting your CPA.

[quote7d78f54aae="tylerc"]If you are going into accounting (I believe you have asked accounting-related help questions here before), an MBA isn't what you need. I asked my dad about it, and he is a CPA, he said the only thing that matters is getting your CPA.[/quote7d78f54aae]

yup ask your school if they have a PPA program they have one at UH its only a year. Also I have heard many companies wont look at you unless you are CPA qualified.

I was looking into it, and thinking about it more and I decided that my best bet would be to go out and get some experience and become a CPA. After a few years I can go for the MBA and then try to get a Senior Accontant position. Becuase as many people said an MBA really wont' help for a staff accountant position, but I know that it will help for a Senior Accountant position because it involves a lot more management work than that of a staff accountant.

Or you can opt to stay in school forever and use loans that don't gotta be paid back until you are done with school. Free school for life FTW.

[quote6739abcd5d="Gigante"]Or you can opt to stay in school forever and use loans that don't gotta be paid back until you are done with school. Free school for life FTW.[/quote6739abcd5d]

Good Idea in theory, but I believe the loans have a certain age/time period in which they consider you to be in school. I'm not sure exactly but I believe the loans I have I will need to start paying on the principle either 6 months from the date of graduation, or on my 25th birthday.

here's my two cents get your degrees now.

I'm apparently in the minority in this opinion, but it's what I did.

Here's an example from the company I work for now. If you get your BS, and work for them, the avg starting pay is ~45k. They'll pay for a part time masters program at the local college (1 class/semester), and when you finish, they give you a $2000 bonus, and that's it.

or... if you get your MS or MBA, the starting pay is $55k.

As far as earning potential goes, you can't beat getting the degree up front. You'll never get 10% raises your first two years, and so you'll always be behind the guy who got the degrees first.

As for total cost, I'll leave that to you, but don't forget to factor in the time value of money (you're in accounting, yes?).

Also, keep in mind that a decent score on the GMAT will pay for an MBA. Those kinds of assistantships are generally more available to students coming straight from their undergrad because a large number of older student's tuition is being paid by their companies, and no university wants to give a scholarship to a corporation.

last thought - once you get out of school, it can be very difficult to go back. I finished several degrees and was going to go back and finish off my PhD, but once I got out in industry and starting working 50-60 hour weeks, I found myself with much less free time and thus much less motivation to give up that free time to do homework and research. Even my friends who work a straight 40 hrs/week haven't made it back to finish their MS, yet.

[quote10ffac611c="tmberwolff"]here's my two cents get your degrees now.

I'm apparently in the minority in this opinion, but it's what I did.

Here's an example from the company I work for now. If you get your BS, and work for them, the avg starting pay is ~45k. They'll pay for a part time masters program at the local college (1 class/semester), and when you finish, they give you a $2000 bonus, and that's it.

or... if you get your MS or MBA, the starting pay is $55k.

As far as earning potential goes, you can't beat getting the degree up front. You'll never get 10% raises your first two years, and so you'll always be behind the guy who got the degrees first.

As for total cost, I'll leave that to you, but don't forget to factor in the time value of money (you're in accounting, yes?).

Also, keep in mind that a decent score on the GMAT will pay for an MBA. Those kinds of assistantships are generally more available to students coming straight from their undergrad because a large number of older student's tuition is being paid by their companies, and no university wants to give a scholarship to a corporation.

last thought - once you get out of school, it can be very difficult to go back. I finished several degrees and was going to go back and finish off my PhD, but once I got out in industry and starting working 50-60 hour weeks, I found myself with much less free time and thus much less motivation to give up that free time to do homework and research. Even my friends who work a straight 40 hrs/week haven't made it back to finish their MS, yet.[/quote10ffac611c]

Hey twolff, isn't that a pretty low starting salary? I don't know which industry you are in, but the average grad salary from our bschool is $55k and mba program is $85-90k i believe. I guess it depends on both your industry and where you are located, but it seems low for some reason.

But either way, i usually feel most strongly about getting MBA before working.

MBAs are for losers.

There's a very small field in which they're essential, I think; most people, if they are not stupid, can use the time and energy otherwise put towards an MBA to establish themselves well enough so that they never have to rely on it.

EDIT lol look at the 17 year old kid think he knows anything about MBAs.

a) Ilan - you're 19, and despite your strong opinions, you're wrong. MBAs are decidedly not for losers.

b) It's rare, HBS being the only clear exception, and only this year that they started their new program, that a top tier business school - top-14 for example, will accept a student right out of undergrad. The point of an MBA is build upon and develop the management experience that one already possesses; no college degree program can possibly prepare you for real-life management.

c) Yes, it's hard to go back to grad school, but that's only the case if you don't prepare yourself to do so. If you accept a job out of college and no-one else in the profession has an advanced degree, and you don't have a personal motivation to go back for a grad degree then yes, it's very difficult. However, to say that it's impossible to do, or doesn't happen is foolish. I've already been to grad school once (several years after college graduation) and paid for it out of pocket. I'll go back again at some point, but this time when I can get my employer to pay for it. Having someone else foot the bill for my education is an awesome benefit, and should be a consideration anytime you're looking at a post-college job.

cii) Grad assistantships are rare in MBA programs, from what I know - I wouldn't count on one if you're looking to apply to a top-tier school.

ciii) A note on top-tier schools as well A friend of mine, who is a professor emeritus at a top 30 MBA program has told me and others on a couple of occasions that unless someone else is paying for it, do not attend a MBA program that falls out of the top 20 schools - the costs (TVoM, opp cost etc) are too great for the ROI.

d) An MS or PhD is very different than an MBA, and it doesn't make sense to compare the two. If you're going to compare advanced degrees, a much more apt comparison is a JD and MBA, in terms of education and experience required before acceptance into a top-tier school.

[quote46b6d2aef5="doylnea"]a) Ilan - you're 19, and despite your strong opinions, you're wrong. MBAs are decidedly not for losers.[/quote46b6d2aef5]

Yeah, that's why I went back and edited it when I realized I didn't know what the fawk I was talking about.

And I'm only 11, actually.

[quote7665ffa6d6="Gigante"]Hey twolff, isn't that a pretty low starting salary?[/quote7665ffa6d6]

yes, very low. I do gov't work, and get paid crap for it, but I wouldn't trade my job for any other.

[quote7665ffa6d6="doylnea"]c) Yes, it's hard to go back to grad school, but that's only the case if you don't prepare yourself to do so.
...
cii) Grad assistantships are rare in MBA programs, from what I know - I wouldn't count on one if you're looking to apply to a top-tier school.
...
ciii) A note on top-tier schools as well A friend of mine, who is a professor emeritus at a top 30 MBA program has told me and others on a couple of occasions that unless someone else is paying for it, do not attend a MBA program that falls out of the top 20 schools - the costs (TVoM, opp cost etc) are too great for the ROI.

d) An MS or PhD is very different than an MBA, and it doesn't make sense to compare the two. If you're going to compare advanced degrees, a much more apt comparison is a JD and MBA, in terms of education and experience required before acceptance into a top-tier school.[/quote7665ffa6d6]

c) I was very prepared to go back, but simply lack the time. There are other factors beyond one's desire that tend to come into play once you get a real job.

cii) a high enough GMAT score will generally get you an assistantship anywhere. This is true anywhere, including the top MBA school in the country. I know MIT's Sloan offers assistantships, for example. (they also take students straight from undergrad, btw.)

ciii) not necessarily true. it's easier to get assistantships at schools that are not top 20, but still very, very good and nationally recognized. If they boost your starting salary 20%, and they'll pay for it, the ROI is significant.

d) I agree. I wasn't just comparing them. (I actually have an MS [i7665ffa6d6]and [/i7665ffa6d6]an MBA.) The benefits to any advanced degree are similar, though. I'd give the same advice based on the same arguments to anyone who was considering going for an MS or an MBA.