Is it worth of doing MBA after BE(CSE)?

Help! Is an MBA Worth it? Money, Time, and Sacrifice?

• Hi, I need help please. I have a full time job and other obligations. I am thinking of applying to Pepperdine University, in California, for an MBA. I have some questions and hope to hear from people who either have an MBA or are in school for an MBA. I work at a bank and an MBA isn't something that I may need. I may want to get into teaching when I retire (not certain). I will receive a Bachelor Degree, in Business Management, this June. I would love to get an MBA. My fear is that I have to study everyday and not have time to exercise and do other stuff that keeps me sane. Do you already have an MBA? Is it worth the money? I Is the program hard? Will I have to study everyday? From your experience, how many hours a week did you study or work on papers? Thank you very much for your assistance.

• Answer:

  * Do you already have an MBA? Yes. And an MA in HR Development * Is it worth the money? It was for me but I didn't go to Pepperdine and I'm not in Southern California. It really depends on what you're able to do with it when you're done. If you get an MBA and then become a bartender you won't see a very good return. I'll say that I have paid for my MBA solely with the improvement in my personal finances. I could be unemployed and would still be ahead. * Is the program hard? Generally speaking it is. Much depends on your background and strengths. It's very math intense and very quantitative. I went in with a BA in Music and a BS in Liberal Arts so I was not academically prepared. If you're going in with a BBA or BS in Business then you may get bored and would rather do something like an MS in Finance. Because the MBA is a generalist degree - there will likely be at least one course area that you find challenging and several that you find relatively easy. * Will I have to study everyday? Not unless you're a procrastinator and wait to prepare for exams. Most of the homework was quantitative stuff done on spreadsheets, analysis type material that would take a few hours between classes. Things like examining the annual reports of a company. Some of the social science courses (Org Behavior) were more reading and papers though and took a bit of time. 10-20 page papers per week wasn't unusual in a few of those. * From your experience, how many hours a week did you study or work on papers? I took six hours per 1/2 semester which was twelve hours per semester. That's generally a max load in an MBA. I set aside two-three hours every weekday for my studies but my studies is my hobby - this is my "other stuff that keeps me sane". I know people that got by just fine doing all of their work on one day each week (say 4-6 hours on Thursday). Sometimes though - sometimes it's more work than two people can do in a week. notes: Most quality MBA programs will require that you have some serious work/management experience to enter the program. If you're just starting out after college then the MBA may not be as valuable to you because you won't have the degree/experience combination. If you've been building experience such as at that bank then you may find that simply being enrolled in an MBA program is sufficient to advance you to a new level. The MBA is a generalist degree intended to prepare non-business undergrads in the general aspects of business management. You may find that with a BBA that you'll not benefit as much from the MBA as you would from a specialty MS such as finance, accounting, economic, marketing, etc... Those programs are also less likely to require significant work experience as a criteria for admission. As much as some people will tell you that the MBA is overrated, the work world out there doesn't seem to agree. It's a pretty valuable credential still and has application to a huge range of occupational groups. In most parts of the country it's still a pretty rare level of achievement. Working at a bank - you may find the MBA has far more value than you think. There are some really sweet banking jobs out there that are MBA jobs. But, the real value of an MBA is in the combination of the degree and some successful experience. Re: Teaching - the path to a public school license to teach from the MBA is not terribly difficult in most states. After an MBA you'll find the business education PRAXIS to be really easy. You'll just have to do the alternative route in your state to cover the student teaching issue. The MBA qualifies for most business teaching positions at the community college level and some at the 4-year level. Make sure your degree is AACSB accredited if that's the path you want to take. If you also pick up 18 grad hours in Finance you'll find your prospects hugely improved and the pay level very nice. If you also become a CPA or CMA you'll find many opportunities to teach.