The Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate degree has long been the leading option for professionals who want to redirect their careers or advance into high-level, high-paying positions in any industry. An MBA program typically includes core courses in accounting, finance, management, operations, information systems, strategy and marketing.
If you want to maximize your career potential while balancing academic obligations with professional and personal responsibilities, an online MBA is likely an excellent path toward your goals.
Working professionals often decide to pursue an accelerated MBA online for a variety of reasons, from flexibility and affordability to employability, earning potential and advancement opportunities. Current MBA students, employers and MBA alumni all typically agree — the MBA is a worthwhile investment in your future.
Here are a few reasons to consider an MBA to reinvent, redirect or advance your career:
Employers prefer MBA graduates: According to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s 2019 Corporate Recruiter’s Survey, employers give business schools high marks for equipping graduates with the skills that matter most including problem-solving, collaboration and data analysis and interpretation.
Nearly nine in 10 recruiters agree that MBA graduates are well-prepared to be successful in their companies. If you aspire to work for corporations, you should know that Fortune Global 100 and 500 companies are the most likely to say that recent MBA graduates are prepared for success.
Broaden your career horizons: An MBA offers career versatility with the ability to shift from one industry to another, from one department to another and from one function to another. Having more options throughout one’s career is a hallmark of well-educated MBA alumni, since it is expected that they will have knowledge across a range of core business subjects, and the ability to synthesize their expertise for business decision-making.
Gain knowledge and skills that are current and relevant: Accredited programs like the online MBA from the University of Southern Indiana are designed with cooperation from leading employers. Completing such programs provides MBA candidates with a competitive edge in the job market, and the pay gap between MBA holders and non-MBA holders in the same positions widens over time.
Here are some advantages of an online MBA program:
100% Online Format: Avoiding a commute to a campus saves hours of preparation and time. You will cut out the wasted minutes you spend getting to and from your car, waiting for classes to begin on campus, and making food and gasoline stops to and from campus. The online format also makes programs more accessible, since you are not limited to those in your geographic area.
Multiple Start Dates: Online programs like the USI MBA usually offer several start dates per year, rather than the two or three that are common to on-campus programs. When you are ready, you will not have to wait long — if at all — to begin.
Self-Paced and Anytime Learning: While on-campus professors are forced to hold classes as certain times and to pace a course for the fastest or slowest students, online programs have flexibility in both regards. Self-paced learning allows you to learn at your own speed and anytime (asynchronous) learning enables you to balance academics with your professional and personal life.
Accelerated, Affordable Program: Not only do you save time and money by choosing the online format over a conventional on-campus format, but with this accelerated program, you earn your degree in less time. Students can obtain an MBA in USI’s online program in as few as 11 months, for a total tuition of just $12,900.
Working professionals have many positive outcomes to consider with an online MBA. Perhaps the most important is the personal transformation that comes from more fully developing one’s natural capabilities.
Learn more about USI’s online MBA program.
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