Anyone here a current MBA student or graduate? If so, I have a few questions…
what program did you do? Regular MBA, Professional, Executive, other?
Where did you go?
Was it worth it personally and/or professionally?
Did you go straight after your undergraduate degree? Or did you wait/ how many years of experience before you went?
Any other info you care to share?
Canisius MBA graduate December '07. Regular evening MBA program. Went straight through for an extra year out of undergrad. Coming out of undergrad there with a Finance major where I had to take all of the business courses a lot of it was stuff I already knew, but I think someone with a non-business background that is looking to get into management would get a lot more out of it. It was definitely worth it professionally for me because I got hired right out of school for a job that wanted 5 years of industry experience because all of the bosses in my department were Canisius alums and they liked the degree and high GPA.
Drawback: There are a shitload of group projects. Seems to be the case in all MBA programs. Who you get in a group is a crap shoot because there are a lot of people that work all day and come to class in the evening that are pretty much beat and have no time for anything, so their work sucks, and you have the broads with kids that just constantly use them as an excuse to either not do their work, or suck at it. If you call them out, they get preachy about what it’s like being a mother, blah blah blah I don’t care. If you’re halfway decent at writing and presentations you’ll end up fixing everyone else’s work.
I’m doing an Engineering Management degree, similiar to a technical MBA but without a lot of business classes. So my experience isn’t relevant to your question I’m betting.
However, a co-worker is doing the Simon School (U of Rochester) Executive MBA program. His opinion is that it’s the way to go (executive) if you can get in. They are pretty competitive and definitely trump the “normal” MBA programs. He got a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering first and worked for about 5 years before enrolling. The nice part of that is that work pays (or would have paid if he didn’t win a scholarship) for a good chunk of the tuition. He is on the upper management path, either here or at another company, so it was worth it professionally for him.
Considering that your company will pay for it, it’s tough to find reasons not to.
With that said, I plan to get my MBA since Moog fronts the bill, but right now I just don’t have the focus to make the best use of it. I think balancing personal life and understanding the sacrifices you need to take during the process should play a significant role in whether or not you do it.
But as far as personal and professional pros vs cons, there really are no cons other than sacrificing time to get the degree.
If you want I can get you info on the MBA program at D’Youville College. LMK
The shitty part Paulo; MMDG (Medical group) won’t pay all of it, they’ll only pay a minor part (~15% of the EMBA); it WAS part of my agreement to pay for it all, but they backed out as they want to pigeon-hole me as an engineer, I’m not thrilled about it.
I’m applying for the University of Utah EMBA program (37th or 38th ranked in the country), so it’s all professionals and mostly management/upper management already. Alternating Friday/Saturday classes (no night classes); I’ve got 15 years Product Development experience, 9 years post BS.
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Considering I’m living in SLC, I doubt the D’Youville info will help me much. 
---------- Post added at 11:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 AM ----------
Considering I’m living in SLC, I doubt the D’Youville info will help me much.
That’s fucking lame. If paying for your MBA was in the offer you accepted, you should make sure it happens.
Yea, I agree… but management doesn’t. “it’s not directly related to why we relocated you…” Gotta love it.
Regardless though, I’m still going after it whether they pay me or not; if they don’t or I don’t accept their $$, then I’m free to find something better once I’m done.
Cougarspeed is and will be able to put his helpful .02 cents in. :tup:
I believe he is at Empire State College and loves it.
Here is the problem I had. You need to evaluate the job you are looking to have after you get it vs the cost cost to get it.
Some companies pay a percentage of it and some pay the full thing. If they are paying you for everything to go to school, then hell, don’t think and just go since it will just cost you hard work but will have huge rewards.
If you are paying it, its a different story. You need to look at your current situation and what is available to you if you get it. For example, if you are making $50,000 a year with student loans from undergrad, you take out $30,000 to go for your MBA and what are you looking at after school job wise? Is the increase in pay worth the additional loan payments for 20 years or are you racking up more debt for an extra few hundred a month after taxes and loan payments?
Boxxa - Yea, I was thinking of the ROI. Essentially I’d be buying a new Vette for the cost of the EMBA; figure with the salary increase for the change in career direction, it’s a 4-5 year ROI; so by the time I’m in my late 30s, I’m free and clear of the investment cost.
I second the notion above that focuses on the ROI. I’m in the same stage it seems as you with approx 6 months left in my BA and looking at MBA in September 2013. It’s a balance of work experience and school hence the reason some MBA programs require you to work a set amount of years to be eligible.
What industry are you working in at the moment? Is it where you would like to be or see yourself in the future? How much of an impact would an MBA have?
In my situation, in a dealership setting, an MBA would not do much. You work up the ladder and through experience and some education, BA, you can make it as a general manager. If I was to pursue a corporate job with a manufacturer than an MBA would be more influential.
Yeap, I was going to school for business admin with plans to transfer for a bachelors/mba but then I realized I need industry experience so I went ME instead. Someone else can pay for my MBA in the future. To me someone with 6+ years of college and no real-world experience doesn’t really know that much.
An MBA should be(along with great personal skills, proven results, and experience) giving you the platform to be in the highest echelons of management. Many in my classes are using it to get to that next peg and honestly if that is the objective there has to be a better way to get there aside from spending the amount of time and money it takes to get your MBA. So I wouldn’t judge if an MBA has a valid ROI but rather will you use this new set of skills to get the ROI potential it has created for you.
I am getting mine right now but that doesn’t mean I will advise that everyone gets one. Quite relative to each individuals expectations and desires from the program.
Interesting answers, keep them coming, and thanks for the other viewpoints, some things I did not think of.
My main reason for going is because I’m COMPLETELY bored and burned out on the engineering side of things; it’s that old do what you’re good at and enjoy and it won’t be work, BULLSHIT. I don’t mind the engineering side, but the politics and bureaucracy of middle/upper management drive me nuts. Thus the looking for an out and into something different, something higher on the food chain or independent. I’m in the Medical Device industry now, so to go anywhere “up”; typically an MBA is almost a requirement unless I want to spend another 10+ years crawling my way up to hit another glass ceiling. The EMBA pretty much removes any glass ceilings, other than personal ones.
I know my Father-In-Law said that if I were to come to him in 3 years with my MBA and my experience; I’d be getting about a 50%-75% raise to walk in the door; and I’m making relatively good $$ out here in SLC; and he’s back in B’Lo. (side note - a few people on here know him; I know people on here work at the Tonawanda Engine plant)
Take it for what it’s worth, but I was told the company I work for doesn’t look at an engineer with an MBA as anything special, at least directly out of school. Their opinion is the market is saturated with them, so you need to set yourself apart. Experience is one way, EMBA is another.
That isn’t to say the entire world feels this way, and it may be specific to the facility I work at.
An MBA directly after any undergraduate is definitely looked at differently than someone who got their MBA/PMBA/EMBA after 10 years in the industry.
Well put… I keep thinking about getting my MBA but really I’d just be doing it to better myself. I’m not looking for a new job nor am I looking to change my position currently. I’m working on getting my PE ME (currently waiting on the 4 year mark working under a current PE.) and getting a Six Sigma Black Belt. (Yes I know ss isn’t cutting edge or anything but I figured it would be a good way to enter into learning again after being out of school for some 3-4 years.)
Having not qualified to respond as you are looking for people with an MBA, I am still compelled to offer my own plan 
After I get a PIMP cert, I was thinking about getting an MBA.
Still need to finish a research paper for my M.S. though.
I know of very few Mab’s in R&D here. One guy I know in another group with one has not had to use it yet.
If I can get the company to pay for it, I would definitely go for one.
Even if it is not 100% compatible with your current job, it will help to change your views on the world and expose you to
a greater variety of ideas and opinions.