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an MBA - is it worth it ?

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    an MBA - is it worth it ?

    Hello there,
    I am toying with the idea of doing an MBA. Part-time, while I'm (hopefully) working. Open University, in fact.

    I reckon I have the energy to do it, no kids yet etc, so it's probably a good time.
    Does anyone have views on whether if it really pays off ?

    My motivation is that I guess the day will come when I have trouble getting contracts, I will want other options ready. Like look for permanent jobs.
    And then (being that bit older) I would need to be a manager of some kind, because purely technical permanent jobs have that salary ceiling. If I would be stuck on a purely technical track, I could be competing with spotty kids for VB jobs. I am under the impression that the more seniors guys from a technical track are using business skills.

    any thoughts ?

    (apologies to any younger Visual Basic professionals who may be reading)

    #2
    Ask yourself this: How many high-flying executives with MBAs gained their MBA from Open University?

    Despite OUMS being AMBA accredited, and despite there being more OUMS graduates than any other business school, it just doesn't have the 'cachet' of, say, LBS, Ashridge, Cranfield and the like.

    The problem with an MBA qualification is that, the actual qualification is secondary to the choice of business school. So, choose your school with care.

    Comment


      #3
      OU ?

      Actually the OU has a very good name. It may not rate with LSE/Cranfield but is better than most of the standard universities.

      Check out the course carefully and see who goes on them. Many of the business schools are packed out with foreign students with no experience. Part of doing the course is to gain from the knowledge and experience of other participants.

      The best schools insist that you have substantial prior experience.

      Ask yourself if you want a theoretical basline or real skills.

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        #4
        cranfield

        A friend of mine took the part time MBA at Cranfield. Over 2 years he had to go to Cranfield x weekends per year.
        He's at the BBC now in a senior management position so for him it was a good call.
        Think about starting your own business. An MBA will definitely be of use then...

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          #5
          How much does it cost?

          ...to take a year out and get one from a proper university (I'm thinking leafy cloisters and creaky bicycles)?
          One of my schemes was to do an MBA, but really as an excuse to bum about like a student again while there's not much going on in the sector. However I've had wall-to-wall work for the past x years so I never got as far as weighing it up properly.

          Where do all these MBA people end up anyway? Asking any of the boardroom-level guys at most of my clients 'so where did you do your MBA?' would most likely result in a smack in the mouth.

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            #6
            Big in the US

            ...and sadly increasingly coming over here. I know one girlie who I would not trust to make a cup of tea but she has an MBA and earns 120K per year in London plus bonuses...

            www.business2.com had a long article on MBAs and whether they are worth it or not a few months back - go and do a search.

            Some senior British business leaders have slated MBAs in recent months with more than one saying that MBAs did well in the boom when anyone could have made money but are ruddy hopeless now.

            In the US apparently many MBAs are now finding it difficult to find work but, no doubt, they will get loads of work in any global recovery.

            I heard it can cost from 30K Sterling to 150K Sterling to get an MBA. Here in the UK they are mostly the children of super rich people who do them.

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              #7
              The other thing about MBAs...

              ...is that an MBA is notj ust an MBA... You can do MBAs in specific areas like Health Services, IT, Media, Marketing, etc...

              If you pick the wrong one, for example IT, would you be in work now earning mega bucks or not. On the other hand, here in the UK there is mega bucks in NHS Management and those jobs never seen to suffer in any recession so maybe it would be wise targeting that... but then would you get accepted.

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                #8
                cost of MBA

                £30k - mm, might be worth it
                £150k - honestly? I'd expect one-on-one tuition with Carole Voorderman for that much.

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                  #9
                  The Gurdian...

                  ...as a long series of articles on the mertis or not of getting an MBA...

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Welcome to the real world

                    Where in the world does an MBA cost £150,000??!

                    The most expensive MBA in this country is at London Business School. Currently about £40,000 for a two year course. Most of the 'big league' business schools charge in the region of £20,000 for their courses.

                    In response to Thunderlizard, if you want to bum around as a student, go and do a Masters in some tin-pot subject. Most reputable MBAs require serious amounts of work.

                    To the person who stated that the OU has a good reputation, I would point them to the league tables of MBA courses. OUMS only makes it into one league table, and that is for the number of graduates they churn out. It may well be better than doing your MBA at De Montford (or whatever Hatfield Poly is called now), but it will hardly put you into a strategic level job.

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