MBA Will Put Your Career on the Fast Track

If you feel like your career isn't heading in the direction you'd like, or if you think it's time to change careers, you may want to start by looking into MBA programs. While on-the-job learning is great training and valuable background, many employers are looking for academic credentials for higher level jobs.Not only can an MBA lead to a more interesting, fulfilling career, but it can also substantially increase your income. According to PayScale.com, the median salary for individuals with an MBA degree is $78,000. That compares to a median salary of $57,000 for people with a Bachelor of Science degree, $51,000 for someone with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and $40,444 for someone with a high school diploma. Clearly, if you are shooting for a rewarding career with a hefty paycheck, an MBA is the way to go.But if you're already working a full-time job, raising a family, or taking care of other obligations, chances are you can't just put the brakes on your everyday life to go back to school fulltime. There's another way to get your degree -- online learning. With online learning, you can get the credentials you need to reach your career goals on a schedule that works for you.
eLearners is a company that provides a variety of services to help potential online and distance learners find out about and select the best courses, programs and degrees for their needs. Services at eLearners.com are free -- the site and its provisions are entirely supported by their education partners, sponsors and service providers. They point you to a wide variety of colleges, schools and companies, and try to give you enough information about online learning to narrow your choices and make an informed decision.For instance, Walden University, is an accredited graduate institution offering advanced degrees online to professionals who work to make a difference. Students can complete the program in less than two years, making it ideal for ambitious learners who wish to pursue an advanced degree without sacrificing career or family.The University's academic standards are high, the faculty is experienced and the curriculum is rigorous. Walden's MBA program is results-oriented and designed to deliver an understanding of leading-edge, 21st century management practices. The Walden distance learning approach optimizes relevance and depth of learning by letting students share experiences with peers here and abroad.
An MBA isn't the only way to advance your career and increase your pay. Choose from over 1,500 online degree programs and 6,000 professional certificates.

Schools use active approach to market MBA programs

When marketing their MBA programs, area colleges and universities take into consideration the competition from each other, and are constantly examining the effectiveness of their messages.
As an example of specialization, Stephen Mayer, MBA director for Niagara University, said many universities are differentiating themselves by offering advanced degrees in areas of focus that may include finance, international business, as well as programs in entrepreneurship, innovation.
Ethics and corporate governance, e-commerce and digital commerce are common focus areas.
"I see MBA programs being responsive in the communities at large to help them become competitive," Mayer said.

The insider: Judge Business School

As the first term starts drawing to a close, my one year on the MBA is feeling both more precious and more fleeting than before. I spent the first term getting to know the other people going through this experience with me and trying to keep up with the material, concepts and techniques being thrown out daily by the lecturers. Now my attention is turning to what I’m going to do next. This, after all, is what doing an MBA is about: not the pleasure of academic study, but to help the transition to the next stage of my career.
I think that I’m in denial about actually making decisions about what I want to do next. Major global corporations arrive at Judge every week to explain why we should work for them. Closer to home, Cambridge is full of opportunities: it has more venture capital invested in new companies per head of population than anywhere else in Europe. The feeling of virtually limitless options is pleasant and quite enticing.
However, as I see those around me beginning to get job offers or getting short-listed for final rounds of interviews after only two months on the course, I’m wondering if I need to make my mind up.
My aim when I started the MBA was to remain in the high-tech cluster around Cambridge. I still have a strong desire to work in this area, but I’m now also considering other options. There are two traditional recruiters of MBA graduates – banks and management consultancies. Early on I ruled out the banks – I’m just not passionate about moving money around. I am, however, considering consultancy. My interest in this sector began while taking part in a competition run by a management consultancy. Teams from ten business schools in Europe and the United States were given a hypothetical business situation to analyse and then they had to present their recommendations to the partners of the firm. My team was selected to represent Judge at the European finals in London, where our recommendations will be judged against those of four other European schools. The winning European team will then compete against the winning US team in the global final. The competition is a great chance to get some insight into the world of consultancy. I’m hoping that the experience will help me to make my mind up. The prize money would be nice too.

Online MBA Accreditation

The Most Important Consideration When Choosing an Online MBA Program
School accreditation is the most important factor to consider when deciding on an online MBA program. Proper accreditation could mean the difference between an online MBA degree that gets you a promotion and a degree that isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Anyone can make up a “fake” accrediting agency, and many diploma mills will boast of accreditation from organizations that sound professional. However, not every accrediting agency gets respect in the real world. There are three types of accreditation agencies that are essential to consider when earning an MBA online: regional accreditation, professional accreditation, and distance learning accreditation.

Regional Accreditation
Regional accreditation is the most widely accepted type of accreditation. If you want your online MBA to be recognized by future employers, you’ll want to make sure to enroll in a school that has regional accreditation. There are six regional accrediting agencies that grant this recognition. Although your MBA classes will be held online, the school itself should be accredited by one of the six agencies:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (info@msche.org) – Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands New England Association of Colleges and Schools (kwillis@neasc.org) – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (info@ncacihe.org) – Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (northwest@boisestate.edu) – Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (info@sacscasi.org) – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia Western Association of Schools and Colleges (wascsr@wascsenior.org) – California, Hawaii, the Pacific Basin
Professional Accreditation
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) grants accreditation to MBA and other business programs. AACSB is a well-established, respected accrediting agency that is trusted by many employers in the field of business.
Graduating from an online MBA program that is accredited by the AACSB may give your resume an extra boost. Some employers may be more likely to hire you because of your school’s accreditation. However, AACSB accreditation is not necessary. If your alma mater is regionally accredited, most employers will still be willing to hire you.

Distance Learning Accreditation
The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) is the largest accrediting agency to focus solely on distance learning colleges. The council is growing in respect and recognition; however its accreditation is still the least influential. If your online MBA program is accredited by the proper regional agency or by the AACSB, don’t worry about distance learning accreditation.
An online MBA degree that is only accredited by the DETC is better than a degree that has no accreditation at all. However, your DETC-accredited degree may not be fully recognized by other universities and future employers.

In a Nutshell
Accreditation can be confusing. As you search for the perfect online MBA program, here are the basics you’ll need to remember:
1. Regional accreditation is your best bet.
2. AACSB accreditation will make your online MBA stand out.
3. DETC accreditation may not be accepted everywhere.
4. Any other type of accreditation will not be as important as the three listed above.


Technorati Tags:
MBA, online MBA, MBA Accreditation, degree Accreditation
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl |

MBA in th US

Frankly, it's time somebody told you the truth - dispelled the myths, cleared up the inaccuracies, and laid out both the practical framework and the philosophical underpinnings of the Masters of Business Administration (MBA); particularly if one chooses to pursue such a degree in the United States. It's time for some straight talk, and there is no better time than now.

When distilled to its vital essence, its vibrant core, the MBA's true worth lies in three areas: educational value, relationship development, and access to opportunity. Let's start with the easiest of the three - access to opportunity.
Let's face it - an MBA is not the Holy Grail. But in some circles of business, you will not have an opportunity to even compete, much less develop and showcase your skills and talents - without first getting an MBA. For such companies, for such industries, an MBA is an "Admissions ticket." It is the price of Admissions for being hired. The reasons for this are many.

Unlike the generation of my parents who came of age after World War II, where the goal was to find a great job at a great company, where pay and job security were assured - a company from which one retired; we live in a vastly different world today. In my father's day, the key was to find the right company, and to work one's way up the corporate ladder. In America, such companies were plentiful - from telecommunications to manufacturing to electronics to the automotive industries - even government. Such companies had strong in-house programs for training and development whereby employees could improve their skills and thereby their lots within the firm. In fact, those with degrees, much less in business, or those with MBAs, were indeed in the minority. Such degrees weren't all that necessary. Such was the business climate of my father's generation. I say my father, because it was also the generation in which a working woman was an anomaly. The world in which we live today, and the one you will face in the years ahead, is an entirely different species.

Today's world is fluid. On the one hand, many employees change jobs every five years; some even change careers. Given this migratory labor force, many firms have chosen to let the educational arena, particularly MBA programs, do what was originally handled within a company's particularized training and development program. On the other hand, this fluidity is not limited to employees. In today's climate of mergers and acquisitions many companies are constantly reinventing and reconfiguring themselves as well. Regrettably, loyalty and longevity are values of a bygone age. Unfortunately, this is not the end of the challenge.
Technological development, fueled by an ever widening Internet, has created a paradigm shift both in business and in the business of education. The Internet's true impact is not yet fully understood, but what is clear is that it is changing our world. As a manager, it is not uncommon to be called upon to manage in areas that did not even exist when you were in school (e.g. the Internet). Consequently, if you intend to be an effective manager in this fluid world, an MBA is a useful tool to have. But, an MBA from where?
It is an important question. For some American firms, where you go to school is as important as what degree you pursue. Sometimes, even more so . Getting my undergraduate education at Yale taught me that, and Business Week's, October 2 edition: "The Best B Schools," reinforces the reality that where you go to school still does matter. Such schools as Yale, Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford, Wharton and Northwestern, all have great brand name value. If you get your MBA from such schools, you will have a wealth of opportunities to choose from. However, if you dig deeper, you will learn that while Harvard and Stanford have great brand names and equally great MBA programs, Yale has a great brand name, but its MBA equivalent degree (Masters in Public and Private Management or MPPM) is not as respected as that of Harvard or Stanford's MBA. Still, because Yale's brand name is so great, it seems not to matter that the degree is not as highly valued. As a Yale graduate one still has great opportunities, no matter what degree you pursue. However there is more to the story.
In my conversations with Yale Management school officials coupled with my own observations, I learned that over the years, many Yale students began to feel that nobody really understood what an MPPM was. As such, last year students were allowed to have their MPPM degree labeled as an MPPM or as an MBA. As of the fall 2000, the MPPM is now officially an MBA. Yale did not substantially change the curriculum content. It just changed the name. This demonstrates that at American Universities students can sometimes make a big difference, and it also underscores how important the MBA degree really is.
Many MBA programs seek to appeal to potential students by developing a specialty or by developing strength in a particularly region of United States. For example, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles (USC) has a very strong reputation in the Southern California with respect to its MBA program. Its national reputation as an MBA program provider is not as strong. However, since Los Angeles is one of the most important economic centers in America, to have a strong presence in Southern California is a great thing. We have pursued a similar course here in the Charlotte area, the largest banking center in America. However, USC has a great national reputation with respect to its graduate program in film. On the other hand, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where I spent several years as Senior Associate Director of MBA Admissions, was ranked in the top ten of business schools in the country (now its ranked 12th); thereby, having a great brand name both nationally and regionally. However, UCLA's graduate school film program is not as well regarded as USC. What does this all mean?
The point of the matter is that in the world of business, particularly the MBA world, perception means a lot. What people perceive as being the case is often what counts. On the other hand, this perception may not match the reality. You might choose a particular MBA program in America because of what you perceive it to be or because of what your advisors perceive it to be. But, you may be disappointed, or it may exceed your expectations when you actually arrive. What can you do? Visit, talk to alumni of the school, talk to current students, do independent research, and of course read the institution's promotional materials (including its web site). Examine where its professors were educated, what is their experience, where do the institution's graduates go? How do they fare in the marketplace? However, this information will make little sense if you haven't figured out why you want an MBA and what you expect your MBA to mean in your career.
You must develop your personal framework through which all information you encounter will be filtered. Before you develop your personal framework, let me warn you. You already have one. Let me illustrate the point by dispelling the first myth that often trips up prospective MBA students.
Myth #1: Those without a business major need not apply. Rubbish.Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be an undergraduate business major in order to pursue an MBA. In fact, a great majority of the best graduate schools in America prefer a varied mix of undergraduate majors and that an as varied array of work experience backgrounds be represented in their student bodies. Why? It is because the primary method of teaching is through the case method, and the primary method of learning is through collaboration. This stands in stark contrast to schools of law where the method of learning is rooted more in an adversarial process rather than a collaborative one. In plain English, what does this all mean? Let me be more specific.
In a typical MBA course, it is not uncommon for students to examine a particular case study as a means of understanding the key principles the professor deems important. In examining the case, students do not come to the subject matter as a blank slate. Each draws upon their work experience and academic preparation. A person with a marketing background will see things in the case that perhaps a person with a financial background may not. A person with a social services background may see something that a person with a technical base may overlook. However, when all these perspectives (i.e. personal frameworks) are brought to bear on the case, each participating student both contributes and is enriched by the dynamics of the learning process.
While these are indeed generalizations, they are still the predominant learning patterns for graduate business programs in America. It underscores that learning is not just a relationship between a student and the professor. You will learn from each other.
In the final analysis, what is important is to have a reasonable exposure to both quantitative and qualitative elements with a good foundation in reasoning and thinking. However, I am reminded of the words of William James: "A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."