The Benefits of an MBA Education

An MBA is a professional degree. It will help accelerate your business career, create a powerful return on investment and create many opportunities for career switches into highly-sought-after positions in consulting, investment banking, and venture capital.

In two years or less, you will become well-versed in such areas as finance, management, marketing, and strategy. You will also learn a whole new way to analyze business issues and be exposed to powerful techniques to help sell yourself to your full potential.

Since the economy is not showing signs of accelerating anytime soon, then these two years (assuming you attend a traditional two-year, full-time program) sharpening your job skills, improving your résumé, and expanding your network look even more attractive.

In addition to giving you additional career flexibility and helping you switch occupations, a degree from a top program will increase your earnings potential by over 150%. It's pretty tough to do that by staying put for 2 more years!

Career Choices

In the short term, an education from a top program can help you gain valuable work experience with employers such as a consulting firm, investment bank, or venture capital group. You will also have opportunities to work for a more "stable" Fortune 500 company in business planning, investor relations, or corporate development.

In the long term, these valuable experiences can position you for a senior-level management position. What is not always widely known about a business school education is that it can also help you in more non conventional ways. By sharpening your analytical skills, you will be better suited to excel in the government and non profit sectors, although admittedly a public policy degree will prepare you equally as well.

Program Choices: Full Time, Part Time, or Executive

Each of these program choices has benefits and drawbacks. Going full time will allow you to concentrate more fully on class work. It will also make a summer internship (which can be critical in executing a career switch) crucial.

Part time programs can be less intensive depending on the workload from your employer. The income can also make the experience less financially stressful, with many employers covering the tuition costs.

The executive program is best suited for applicants with more senior level work experience. The classes are taught at the "50,000 foot view" instead of the "10,000 foot view" used in the other programs.