I actually got my MBA from UH. I graduated in '12. I did the night time MBA where 2 days a week I would have to drive to UH after work, (from kingwood) and sit through a 3-4 hour class. I am telling you some days were brutal. I think what a lot of other posters are saying is true about work exp. If you do not have work exp. don't get a MBA. It really isn't worth it. They will say things and give you examples that you cannot really relate to. Once you have work exp. you are able to take what they say and actually put it towards what you are doing at work ATM or in the past, therefore making the info that you learn much more valuable. And like what others have said if getting this won't help you at this job (pay raises, position) then its not even worth it to get one, unless the job is going to pay for it, at that point you might as well. I work for a family business and although it didn't help me with either of those things, I understand business a whole lot better than I did before.
Yeah, I couldn't have done that. I work with a couple guys who are getting a masters in petroleum from UH after work and they are frequently drained or stressed. I'm not bout that life.
I did a dual JD/MBA program. I'd highly recommend to sit tight for a few years to gain value and experience, have your firm foot the bill, and to study your butt off for the GRE and/or GMAT. I suggest sticking to b-schools in the top 20-30 in various rankings list because of the alumni network and the people you'll meet. A friend's firm is paying for her to fly to Stanford and take MBA classes there, and she returns home to Houston every week. She's learning so much from very talented people around her. You want to be in that kind of position. IMO, an MBA outside of the top programs isn't worth the cost.
Good thread OP. Wanted to start somethign similar. I have been thinking about an MBA for the past few years and finally gave the GMAT a few weeks back without much preparation. Got a 660. I have a bit over 4 years experience after undergrad and pulling in 6 figures. A couple of questions: 1. Is the MBA really going to take me to the next level pay wise? 2. Can I get into Rice or UT program with that GMAT score? (rest of my profile is solid). 3. No disrespect but I don't really value a UH MBA. I went to a few of their info. sessions and stuff like avg GMAT score of 530 and pay of incoming students of around $50K puts me off and makes me question the caliber of students that I am going to study with and also the rep of the school. Can someone please disrepute this? Fact is UH MBA is about $50K cheaper than a Rice or UT MBA. That is a lot of money but I am not sure about the value. 4. Part time vs full time? I understand a big part of an MBA is the network you build and the contacts and you cannot get the same level of networking and build the same relationships obviously when you go part time as opposed to full time.
1. That's for YOU to find out. No one is going to tell you "Hell yea man! Get that MBA because you'll definitely move up!". If they do then they really don't know what they're talking about. If the next step up in your career path requires an MBA then there's your answer. 2. Average incoming is 690. Sure people get in with lower but you're better off with a score of 690 or higher INFO 3. This is, IMHO, something that people put too much into, the whole "UT or RICE or bust!". If you've got the work experience and have networked fairly well at your job then no one is going to look down at a UH MBA. IMHO an MBA is to polish your work experience up and not to accomplish a whole make over. Getting an MBA from ANY school without the chops and experience will get not get you far. And unless you can pay for the whole program out of pocket or have your employer foot the bill you need to really consider the financial commitment between one program and another program costing twice as much. It's fairly easy to go into a grad school class and tell who you need to network and be friends with and who to just go and who can only be relied on to be a beer buddy. 4. I worked full time and went to grad school full time (9+ hours a semester) and while it was tough at times it was rewarding in that I got to form relationships that I still call upon for advice or even for prospective jobs. Of course my experience and everyone else's experience differs but I still cannot stress enough that, unless your next job or career jump requires an MBA, you might want to hold off going to grad school. There are plenty of training and certifications you can do that would make your resume rock solid (e.g. PMP, SSGB, SSBB, LEAN, SQL, etc.) even without stepping into grad school. And in most cases employers will offer those training courses for free.
There is one...it's called an a-hole. But I wished I would have worked a couple years before getting mine. However, there is something to be said about still being in that school mindset. I worked and did night classes. I do wish I would have spent time right after the MBA and got my CFA. It's tough to go back to that night time study schedule after years away from it.
I needed the 150 credits and my school offered a 5-yr joint BBA/MBA program, so that's the route I went. In terms of career advancement, it certainly doesn't hurt to have an MBA, but as others have said, make sure your need actually justifies the cost. What I found frustrating was the fact that what I learned in the classroom was like, the 3rd or 4th most important outcome of the program. At least in my own case, I felt like I was mostly just there for the networking and the piece of paper. But hey, I loved being in school a little longer.
steddinotayto did a great job with his post so I'll only add a few things - If you got a 660 without much preparation, that's really good. I think I scored 600 or so for my diagnostic. I raised that to about 750 after several weeks of diligent studying. You're off to a better start so if you prepare more I'm sure you can score very well. Several of my classmates at UT got in with a 690-710 so you're almost there. I did full-time, and would recommend you do that as well unless your schedule is too full. There was a slight stigma at my program against part-timers, and it was somewhat of a clique atmosphere.
Two people I met there gave my family plenty of business so the costly tuition paid for itself - and my firm had already chipped in too. I somewhat agree nevertheless. I hardly learned anything there. I plan to return to school so I can study physics, aerospace engineering, and mathematics (for self-edification and my hobby), and I already know that will be money well spent on for a mental workout.
I say if you want to get anywhere near any kind of high-level marketing or leadership roles go ahead and get one; accounting undergrads need CPA, economists need grad work and finance grads (such as myself) are roadkill. You get high enough in any organization it's probably budgeting, staffing and ops planning, I don't know where else you learn that unless you're numerate enough for engineering or comp/sci and senior enough to manage projects, at which point you might already have a better or clearer career path. Also, remember that business schools always try a little harder and create a much tighter pipeline towards career training and job placement than other majors.
i'd never discourage continual education. if i could pay for it out of pocket and didn't have to work on the friggin time, i would totally go for an MBA - there's even some sweet one year MBA programs. financially: be sure to consider the price you pay for what it will yield you in the workforce/your network/your field. in the workplace: an MBA does establish credibility. try to align your next career step around the specific degree you choose - make that degree 'work' for you.
I have one and I'll echo several of the comments. Make sure the expense is worth it to you first. Get your current employer to chip in. It can't hurt to have and if you're looking to move into upper management or the C suite it will definitely help. But there is no guarantee suddenly you'll make X amount more dollars. There are many job ads out there that require advanced degrees though so do some research where you want to go. If nothing else you can teach nights with it like I do!:grin:
