Is an Online MBA worth it?

[Anonymous]

I am a non profit professional who would like to pursue an MBA along with the PMP to grow my career in the nonprofit world. I was looking at the UNC Chapel hill Online MBA program as it is well ranked.

I know its not MIT Sloan or Stanford business school. Is it still worth it?

[Anonymous]

Not really. If you want to learn some of the actual skills, (accounting, finance, Stats) it might be worth it. But as far as credibility and getting jobs that require an MBA, I’m not sure others would really think it was great.

[Anonymous]

The PMP will help.

[Anonymous]

How much are online MBAs? Same or less than in person programs? I can't imagine paying upwards of $100K for any online degree. Is there a more specialized master's degree that might be better for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much are online MBAs? Same or less than in person programs? I can't imagine paying upwards of $100K for any online degree. Is there a more specialized master's degree that might be better for you?

Significantly less than an in person program.

[Anonymous]

There a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There a joke.

As is your grammar.

[Anonymous]

Half of what you learn in an MBA is from your classmates/networking. Online MBA is a check-the-box thing only. For example if you work for a gov't contractor and the clients requires you have a masters but htey don't care where it's from.

If you're short on time, do an executive MBA instead, in-person. Plenty of good options around here.

[Anonymous]

I did one. My company wouldn’t pay for the Exec MBA, so I
Made the financial choice to go online. As PP says, for me it was a strictly a check the box exercise.

But note: you must choose a “brand name university.” It doesn’t have to be Wharton, state school
Is fine. Just Don’t do Phoenix, Full Sail or Strayer - as a hiring manager I throw those resumes out.

I chose the most prestigious name with most affordable tuition. There was one well known private school I loved, but it was 3x price of state school flagship. For me, living in DC, the local name is just as valuable as the out of area private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did one. My company wouldn’t pay for the Exec MBA, so I
Made the financial choice to go online. As PP says, for me it was a strictly a check the box exercise.

But note: you must choose a “brand name university.” It doesn’t have to be Wharton, state school
Is fine. Just Don’t do Phoenix, Full Sail or Strayer - as a hiring manager I throw those resumes out.

I chose the most prestigious name with most affordable tuition. There was one well known private school I loved, but it was 3x price of state school flagship. For me, living in DC, the local name is just as valuable as the out of area private.

What school?

[Anonymous]

PP here - my goal was to have zero debt so “bang for the buck” was important to me. I have 15 years experience at this point.

If I were 25 doing an in person, I would have gone with the best possible school I could get into and taken out loans. HBS, Wharton, Tuck, Johnson, Kellogg, Booth - all worth it in your 20s…

Here is my breakdown:

William & Mary and Virginia Tech are around $60k total ; George Mason and James Madison About $50k; VCU $40l —which is pretty good compared to what in person/Exec would cost - to compare UVA doesn’t have fully online yet, but there EMBA is hybrid and Is $167K.

U of Maryland Smith online is $90k. University of Maryland Global Campus is $25K. University of Delaware $35K

Other local: GW - $105K; American - $90K; Georgetown and Johns Hopkins have hybrid models with in person and online classes so I didn’t count them.

Compare to out of DC options with recognizable names: top ranked: Carnegie Mellon Tepper Online -$140k; UNC $125K; Indiana Kelley - $75K; USC - $105K; Arizona $60K; Penn State $60k; Lehigh $40K; Villanova $60K; Pepperdine $105K; University of Illinois - Urbana $25k; Syracuse - $90K

There are some interesting online mba programs from schools like IE, HEC, etc. - but your run of the mill US employer won’t likely give it the weight it deserves.

My rationale is that if you live/work in the DC area that a degree from Virginia Tech or U of Maryland Smith will have enough local cache to pass the 3 second “eyeball” test. Good school, recognizable, sizable alumni base in area, degree completed - check. Whereas Carnegie Mellon,USC and Pepperdine are all great schools - it isn’t going to buy me any more in salary or recognition at this stage of experience than George Mason.

Maybe Finance, Consulting or tech are different, but for general business/management it seems to suffice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did one. My company wouldn’t pay for the Exec MBA, so I
Made the financial choice to go online. As PP says, for me it was a strictly a check the box exercise.

But note: you must choose a “brand name university.” It doesn’t have to be Wharton, state school
Is fine. Just Don’t do Phoenix, Full Sail or Strayer - as a hiring manager I throw those resumes out.

I chose the most prestigious name with most affordable tuition. There was one well known private school I loved, but it was 3x price of state school flagship. For me, living in DC, the local name is just as valuable as the out of area private.

+1 The pedigree of the school does matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here - my goal was to have zero debt so “bang for the buck” was important to me. I have 15 years experience at this point.

If I were 25 doing an in person, I would have gone with the best possible school I could get into and taken out loans. HBS, Wharton, Tuck, Johnson, Kellogg, Booth - all worth it in your 20s…

Here is my breakdown:

William & Mary and Virginia Tech are around $60k total ; George Mason and James Madison About $50k; VCU $40l —which is pretty good compared to what in person/Exec would cost - to compare UVA doesn’t have fully online yet, but there EMBA is hybrid and Is $167K.

U of Maryland Smith online is $90k. University of Maryland Global Campus is $25K. University of Delaware $35K

Other local: GW - $105K; American - $90K; Georgetown and Johns Hopkins have hybrid models with in person and online classes so I didn’t count them.

Compare to out of DC options with recognizable names: top ranked: Carnegie Mellon Tepper Online -$140k; UNC $125K; Indiana Kelley - $75K; USC - $105K; Arizona $60K; Penn State $60k; Lehigh $40K; Villanova $60K; Pepperdine $105K; University of Illinois - Urbana $25k; Syracuse - $90K

There are some interesting online mba programs from schools like IE, HEC, etc. - but your run of the mill US employer won’t likely give it the weight it deserves.

My rationale is that if you live/work in the DC area that a degree from Virginia Tech or U of Maryland Smith will have enough local cache to pass the 3 second “eyeball” test. Good school, recognizable, sizable alumni base in area, degree completed - check. Whereas Carnegie Mellon,USC and Pepperdine are all great schools - it isn’t going to buy me any more in salary or recognition at this stage of experience than George Mason.

Maybe Finance, Consulting or tech are different, but for general business/management it seems to suffice.

OP of the above, which would be the most recognizable? Georgetown? Johns Hopkins?

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Online MBA holder here and yes, it was worth it for me. I was conducting a career pivot and the degree has helped. I wasn’t looking for a rarefied career experience in finance, but the degree helped me land significantly more interviews and command a significantly higher salary than I was able to prior to getting the degree.

Got it from Frostburg State, and my concentration was in business analytics.