Online MBA: Is It Worth It? (What You Should Know)
Are online MBAs worthwhile? For the most part, yes. But the best way to find out is to pursue one.
The quest for professional certifications
Business schools providing AACSB certification, which has worldwide recognition and is a growing necessity in the field of management studies-are highly demanded by postgraduate students-to-be. So, if you crave to become a management grad, enrol yourself in a Management course today!
If you’re currently working, enrolling in an online MBA course may be the best option, as you’d still be provided with all the skills a traditional MBA holder should have.
Quality of school-a path to earning more
The more recognised the school you earn an online MBA from, the better the chances of earning high. To name a few top business schools, Harvard Business School, Stanford as well as Wharton School of Learning are great places to start.
Sources have revealed that if you graduate with an MBA from Harvard, you will earn about $3,233,000 within 20 years. For Stanford, it’s $3,011,000 while Wharton $2,989,000. In the UK and US, the online MBA degrees have the highest recognition and therefore a good salary package to check out. The salary increase for the Harvard Business School graduates has been 94%, London Business School for 100% and University of Wharton for 84%.
Online MBA’s vs traditional MBA’s
The debate
In a recent survey conducted on the value of an online UK MBA, there were varying opinions about it, some favouring the idea and others not really. Several people perceived the value and profitability of pursuing an online degree as prestigious compared to traditional learning, while about 30% of people expressed their views in favour of the seriousness created by the traditional classroom setting.
Affordability and comfort of online MBA programs
Apart from these, many business schools offer affordable MBA pathways that can meet your busy schedules perfectly. The postgraduate level 7 diploma in Strategic Management, is a 30 module course with 40 guided learning hours per module. Upon receiving your diploma, you are eligible to apply for an online or on campus MBA top up course. If you do not have a university degree but have at least 5 years of managerial experience, you can directly opt for the course.
Tips for online MBA interviews
If you have already gone through an admission process, you will know that there are certain questions that are asked to judge the intellectualities of the candidates. Similarly, questions asked by the candidates at the end of the interview process are equally important. This might get you an acceptance letter.
It’s a chance for candidates to show they have made the effort to dig a little deeper that they care and have genuine interest in our program and faculty research.— Christine Sneva, senior Director of Enrollment Management and Student Services at Cornell Tech
Have a look at the key questions you should ask the employer during an interview. For instance:
- Anything regarding a brochure or school website. This shows that you are very interested and have done a good research on the relevant programme.
- Why they decided to be a part of the specified school? In a sense that refers to the quality the school imparts in respect to education.
- In what way is the online MBA program the best form of learning?
- Ask for description of the business school from their own perspective.
- Any advice to the students?
By asking these kind of questions, you can find out what the interviewer feels about the B-school in question. This could also put you in the good books of the interviewer.
Career options
At this point in time, you must have discovered whether an online MBA program is good for you. It’s also important to know the types of MBA jobs that pay well.
If you are in sales, there are more possibilities of having a flexible schedule and pay.
It’s normal if you don’t have a proper career focus at the beginning of your degree, but the following options could help you:
Software developer:
Although MBA is not a necessity in getting good jobs in the software development field, candidates with an MBA degree in software development are more preferable.
Information security analyst:
Prior experience is required in this field, however, someone with a good MBA degree would be more beneficial to the company rather than someone without.
Financial manager:
There is no better option for this role than an MBA in finance. To deal with financial matters, accounts and loans, a majority of companies will look for an experienced person.
Management Analyst:
For this one, you need to give your experienced advice on improving the company’s efficiency and profitability. If you have few years of experience in operations, you are highly eligible.
Operations Research Analyst:
An MBA holder with specialisation in products and operations management can troubleshoot problems regarding logistics, sales and production thus, employers will seek for people like that.
Conclusion
Choosing to do an online MBA program is a great choice, not just because of its affordability and flexibility, but because of the worldwide recognition and doors it could open for you.
Author bio — Shaona Williams is an educator and an online education enthusiast. She writes on the importance of online learning programmes, career prospects of an online UK MBA program, and whether they are worth perusing based on their return on investment.
Pls I want to study online am in Ghana