An MBA degree is a Masters in Business Administration, which is a graduate degree for people who have studied business fields such as accounting, marketing, information technology, or supply chain management. An MBA can only be obtained from a university that has a school of business. This type of program is generally used to prepare students for a career in business or even give them the knowledge to start their own company. The program will cover all aspects of business and students will study marketing, accounting, supply chain management, human resources, and general business management until they focus on their concentration.
Why Should I Pursue An MBA Degree?
Deciding whether to pursue an MBA degree is something that should take much time and consideration. First of all, you should consider what your goals are and understand the reason why you are pursuing the degree. An MBA is very expensive and many of the top schools cost up to $50-$60K per year and funding for scholarships and grants are often very scarce for these programs. Unfortunately, many people will have to take out loans to fund the program if they are unable to get an employer to help fund it through a tuition reimbursement program. A program will typically take up to 2-4 years depending on whether you decide to attend school full time or part time. Since an MBA costs a lot of time and money, you must know for sure what your plans are once you obtain the degree. An MBA program is only effective for someone who plans to have a career in business and knows that their present or future company will utilize that degree.
What Are the Benefits of Earning an MBA Degree?
The benefits of earning an MBA degree can include better employment opportunities, higher salaries, more responsibilities and authority. For some people, an MBA can also mean that you have the ability to start and manage your own business. An MBA unlocks new employment opportunities at Fortune 500 companies as they often seek new MBA grads for some of their junior management positions. The starting salaries for MBAs can range from anywhere from $60K-$100K depending on the company and where you attended college. The graduates of top schools can expect to have the best employment opportunities and higher salaries, but those that attend the less prestigious schools will likely earn an average salary of $50K-$60K with some well known local companies.
What Jobs Are Offered with an MBA Degree?
Most MBA grads can look forward to management positions and if you plan on working for the same company they will probably offer you even better position for even more authority. In the past, MBA grads used to have lots of employment options, but that has changed in more recent more years due to the economic downturn. Things are not what they used to be and some graduates are not receiving any offers or they may feel that the offers they have are beneath them, so to speak. This is not to say that this will happen to everyone who pursues an MBA, but this is something to consider before enrolling.
Which Degree Is Better, MSC or MBA?
MSC is a Master of Science and it is very similar to an MBA because they often come along with business related concentrations such as finance, accounting, economics, engineering, and taxation. There is no answer as to which degree is better (I suggest you have a look at this review of online business administration degrees first) because it really depends on the person, their interests, and their personal goals. An MBA is looked upon as more of a professional degree that is more appropriate for the corporate world, but an MSC may be better for people that would like to be involved academia, science, or nonprofit organizations. Either way, they are both masters degree programs and they will garner a lot of respect for employers, so just select the best one according to your interests and goals.