What can you do with an MBA, and how long does it take to get one after undergraduate?

Question

Career wise, what can I do with an MBA if I were to aqquire one?

Answer 1

If you want to get an MBA, the best thing you can do it first get your undergrad (obviously), then get a real job and work for a couple of years. Then go back to school for the MBA and either be a teaching assistant and/or get an internship.

The reason for this is, an MBA is practically worthless if you don't have a few years of real world experience. Also, working before going to grad school will help you figure out what area of business you're interested in, and will help you focus your graduate studies to a relevant field.

My friend went through undergrad and immediately got her MBA, but it took her nearly a year to find a job, since she had no real world experience. It was a shock to her, since she thought anyone would hire her with an MBA. But that's not the case.

Answer 2

An MBA is a management degree, so it prepares you for a variety of careers in business. Generally, it will allow you to progress more quickly and perhaps farther than would a bachelor's degree in business. Originally, quality MBAs all took 2 full-time years to complete, but recently many schools have offered the degree in different formats (evenings, weekends, distance learning, etc., which makes the timing more flexible. Since the MBA is an entry-level master's degree (you don't need to have been a business major as an undergraduate student), many programs will waive basic courses for those who took equivalent subject matters as an undergraduate, so at some schools, this means you get the MBA more quickly (where I got mine, we were instead required to take additional coursework to replace that which we waived, which resulted in a stronger MBA, I think). As has been said by others, it is really not a good idea to get an MBA right after undergraduate school, because you would just be expanding theory without anything to relate it to. Even those in that situation who do well in class do not do particularly well on the job market. You should work 3-5 years minimum first, after getting your bachelor's degree, before going back for an MBA to make it optimally useful.

Answer 3

One thing to understand is that an MBA without work experience is often *worse* than having no MBA at all. The issue is that an MBA makes you overqualified for entry level work. But without work experience you have to take entry level work. As you have no work experience you're unqualified to take on higher positions -- you think a company is going to hire you to be a manager when you have no kind of track record at all? It's not going to happen. Not even at a fast food joint! Get a job, find something to specialize in. Do that for a few years then you'll have a clear mind to what you want to be doing career-wise. You then have a track record to let you move around.

Answer 4

$5.00 and an MBA will get you a cup of coffee. I have heard tales that it leads to promotions sooner, the money is higher for a starting wage, or that it opens many doors. I have found that it is untrue. I am an ardent professional that baptizes myself to my work, processes, and the overall mission; with a great attitiude. I still work for pennies, started at high school grad wages, and cant even get a window to open. (human resources is not high on my list for making efforts to recruit)

Answer 5

AN MBA WILL GET YOU MORE MONEY TO START AND A QUICKER ADVANCEMENT OR MAYBE A SUPERVISORS POSITION AND IF YOU ARE SHARP ENOUGH YOU CAN GET IT IN 1 OR 2 YEARS AFTER YOUR BA OR BS.