I have a BBA already in Entrepreneurship. I don’t really want to work in “Corporate America” any longer. I have seen tons of recent advertising however on the executive MBA from near and far schools. Would one even make sense if I continue to pursue my own business ventures? What are the costs? Would choosing a nearby school such as Texas A&M or Univ of Houston be better off than say Florida State or Univ of Phoenix. (I live near Houston). Just curious if it might be worth the efforts. Thanks!
Yeah, if you call Baylor University an online degree mill?
Thanks to everyone for their honest answers!
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pros:
anyone can get one
cons:
the diploma is worth slightly more than toilet paper
if you have any chance to get into a real b-school, no matter how bad, it will be infinitely better than whatever you’re gonna get from an online school. . . those diplomas are worthless. . . case closed, there’s no discussion about it, their diplomas are not worth the paper they are written on. . .
Online classes suck. For profit online classes suck even more. You need to be in the classroom networking and learning directly from the prof and other students. An MBA makes sense because it will make you a more sophisticated businessman. I also highly doubt you have a bachelors degree and if you do it must be from an online degree mill.
I am just completing an Executive MBA program (I’ll be done at the end of June–woohoo!) Like yourself, I have entrepreneurial aspirations. The nice thing about the program I took is that it gave me a solid grasp of business principles that will be equally applicable in corporate and entrepreneurial ventures. Most likely, you’ll find yourself far better equipped to manage whatever venture you choose AFTER you finish your MBA.
One thing I have enjoyed about the ‘brick and mortar’ school I’ve been going to is the network/relationships I have gained with a group of extraordinary individuals–professors and students. I’m fairly confident that, all other things being equal, an online experience wouldn’t give you anywhere close to the same kind of network opportunities you would get through a more traditional route. As such, I’d highly recommend the ‘local’ option. If you go w/ A&M, It’s probably a bet more expensive than Univ. of Phoenix, but probably worth it. Most likely, you can find a ‘tier 2′ regional school that just hasn’t earned a great name yet, but still has a great faculty and quality overall education. If cost is a huge issue for you, look at doing a program from that kind of school.
Best wishes in MBA school.
The pros are you save time (possibly money) and get your degree in a flexible environment. The cons, of course, are the lack of student-faculty interaction and lack of networking opportunities.
However, if you plan to start your own business, I doubt if the cons matter much, though I would recommend a combination of part-time lectures with online classes. That way you get a mix of both worlds.
Also, choose a nearby school. Texas A&M is one of my favorites.
On-line executive MBA programs are a response to the needs of executives who cannot take the time to attend classes, usually because of distant travel requirements. In many cases such programs require some presence on site, but most study is on-line. If it is a genuine executive MBA program, it will not admit you unless you qualify as an executive. Legitimate business owners typically qualify.
It is interesting that you place strong schools like Texas A&M or Florida State together with a for-profit program like Phoenix which is not AACSB accredited. Investigate any MBA program carefully before applying. Many new ones have been started and some are worthless. What to look for: Schools’ accreditation status (AACSB accreditation or at least AACSB membership is preferred for the MBA) , tuition cost, class sizes, program length. Is the faculty mostly Ph. D. s qualified in business fields? Is the faculty permanent or part-time adjunct teachers who are not as qualified? Is the faculty well published? What are the average entrance exam scores of the students? For instance, if students take the GMAT, is their average below 550 or above 580? Are most students truly executives or do many of them have little or no work experience?
Before you decide on an MBA program explore the Internet for information on available programs. There is a lot of information available in free public service sites. Some sites are limited to specific countries, such as Germany, UK, or Australia. Some list a small number of select schools, while others may include more than 2,000 MBA programs listed worldwide. You can find the program that best fits you. You can search for programs by location (US, Europe, Far East, etc. ), by concentration (finance, marketing, aviation management, health management, accounting, etc. ), by type of program (full-time, distance learning, part-time, executive, and accelerated), and by type of degree (MBA, MS, Ph. D). In some cases you can select your own criteria and preferences to get a list of universities that satisfy your needs.
You can find data on entrance requirements, program costs, program characteristics, joint degrees such as MBA/JD, and much more. Some sites have links to the schools’ web sites, or provide email addresses to contact schools of your choice, and send them pre-applications. You can find lists of top schools ranked by various periodicals or ranked by starting salaries of graduates, GMAT scores, and other criteria. Generally you should stay away from any sites that require you to pay to get information or that promise to find scholarships for you or ensure acceptance into a program. Before you provide any personal information to a site, be sure to read their privacy policy and make sure they are not harvesting email addresses for sale.
I think you are asking a good question about opportunity costs. The value of an Executive MBA includes professional and academic outcomes as well as networking and exposure to other business leaders. A MBA could provide a good framework for your business ventures, but is not always a prerequisite to entrepreneurial success.
I am not sure that the Univ of Phoenix is a good comparison to EMBA programs from AACSB accredited schools like Houston, FSU, etc. I recommend that you check out the Executive MBA Council website (www. emba. org) for more information. Their directory search is a great way to compare EMBA programs on cost, class size, program format, and many other characteristics side-by-side.