I recently graduated from a top-10 MBA program. With your background, I think you should consider a MBA with a healthcare management concentration. Big pharma companies and hospitals would love your background when it comes to job hunting later on. Base on my experience, I recommend two schools with excellent healthcare management program - Duke (Fuqua) and Northwestern (Kellogg). I know these are rather daunting names, but as far as getting in, it's easier than you think. Don't worry about your GPA. It is high enough to get you into a top school if you can write a strong essay. Here are a few things to consider: 1. Why do you want a MBA? I know most people want it for career change, but you need to articulate on your new direction and how you can leverage your past experience toward that goal. 2. Why are you applying for that particular school? When you are writing your essay, the last thing the admission officers want to hear is you singing generic praises of their schools. You need to study the schools' cultures and demonstrate why you are a fit. Lastly, aim high on one or two aspiration school, but also apply for some safety schools that you would be happy getting into. Start early in the process (June-August for next year's admission), and don't get frustrated if you don't succeed early.
One of my really good friends got his undergrad in Electrical Engineering and got his MBA. He said some teachers looked at him differently (in a negative way) because he had no business background but he got his MBA with an above 3.5 GPA
Care to explain? I graduated with a BBA, and I have found it very useful in my current position. And BBA's produce poor MBA's??? I'd like to understand your reasoning for this claim. If you have any.
Total coincidence, but I just saw a friend post this on another's friend's wall on facebook. http://www.businessinsider.com/the-mba-effectively-does-nothing-it-has-no-impact-2010-10
I think Rice also does some kind of healthcare MBA thing. Can't vouch for quality; I don't know. But, I'll echo everyone's comments -- not having a business background or strong writing isn't going to be a big deal in business school. And, having a combination of a health background with an MBA makes for a pretty strong resume compared to all the guys with a business-minded BA and an MBA, who are a dime a dozen.
The problem is if you're trying to get your MBA to get out of your current field. Many of my classmates with ME and EE undergrads are currently interviewing for positions in investment banking and consulting (goldman, deloitte, et al) and they keep getting the same question over and over... "why should we hire an engineer when we have no need for all of your previous educational and professional experience? we can just find an mba student with a finance undergrad who will be better prepared than you to hit the ground running." If you want to use the MBA to further yourself in your current industry (to jump into a management role)... that seems to be the easier route to go.
ya it's definitely to stay within healthcare and get to some sort of a management role. so a generic mba wouldn't help me as much. Informatics is still in the back of my mind. If I had to now decide on a bachelors I would def do something in IT. I really appreciate all the reponses so far.
First sentence - I don't consider a BBA to be an education. It is watered (generalized) down job training. I am not talking about accounting or anything more specific, just a general "business" degree. You certainly don't need a business degree to go into business of any kind. Even more, you certainly don't need a business undergrad to get into and do well in an MBA program. An MBA is about the paper and not always the education so the education is not that hard compared to more traditional graduate degrees. Second sentence, no, I meant BBA's generally don't prepare people to be students - so it can be more challenging to go from a business undergrad to an academic graduate program than vice-versa.
that is not true because many science majors need a masters degree to enter the job market., and you can often get TA jobs or research assistant grants that cover your costs. And also, there were 45000 law school grads this past cycle but only 30000 jobs to fill, so its not like law school is a safe bet to pay off debt. Especially if you don't go to a high ranking law school you will have huge debt with little job prospects
Yes that was my point - it is not that hard to get grad school paid for. As for law, understood.n.I just meant there is a potential there to pay off massive debt that you won't have with more academic degrees. SJC - that is true. I just was thinking of a family friend who ran an MBA program and said tje majority of his students would just pay to instantly get their paper as opposed to rally wanting to learn all the aspects of the degree.
First, who gets a general "business" degree? I would say that's a vast, vast minority of BBA candidates/graduates. I also don't know that I completely agree with this distinction between an education and job training. For something to be educational, it must be inherently not related to a job? Seems foolish. While not necessary to enter business by any means, BBA's can be very helpful, especially in finance/accounting jobs. Are you a professor or someone qualified to make these claims? Either I (And my classmates) had a very different experience from the rest of the BBA's in the world or you, sir, are mistaken. I doubt that my classmates and I would make for inferior students (MBA program or other graduate program), but I doubt you would make these claims without something to back it up.
I am currently enrolled in a Healthcare Mgmt MBA through George Washington University. Completely online. http://www.mbahc.info/ The good: the vast majority of students are Doctors wanting more business knowledge, so you get to soak up their experience in discussions and projects. Every class from finance and economics to marketing and IT has a healthcare slant to it. The bad: EXPENSIVE. 60K total for the 2 years. Both of my jobs are pitching in with tuition reimbursement but it's still pretty rediculous. You are also very self directed in a complete online format. Why a healthcare MBA? There are so many places to work hospitals, insurance companies, pharma, and medical products companies. This is a specialized MBA so you have a foot up on the competition on those with more general concentrations. Also where I work evenings teaching now is waiting for me to finish so I can takeover their health information systems AA online program. I plan to work for a healthcare company during the day and grade papers and teach online nights and weekends. IMO it's a great program if you want to work in the healthcare field or want to teach about the healthcare field.
the UT mba program averages 96k starting salary after graduation plus a 23k signing bonus and 20k guaranteed bonus compared to the average starting salary with a UT bba of 52k so that is a huge difference 2 more years of study can make. from 50k to 96k for what ppl call just a piece of paper seems like a pretty good gig
At harvard last year 23% of the students didn't have a job within 3 months. That mean 200+ student didn't have job after spending 140k. Some of them might be picky about their jobs etc, but to get into harvard you got have a good background, scores etc. So have an out plan going in.
Our Lady of the Lake University offers a fairly inexpensive satelite program which offers you a MBA w/ an emphasis in healthcare that you can complete while still working full time. Just an option.
