Planning to study MBA. Need suggestions.....

Here are some thoughts:

(1) In general it is true that getting a job and a work-permit is easier with technical degrees. An MBA will not get you very far in the H1B sweepstakes.

(2) Your friends are right. A routine MBA will get you no closer to a job.

(3) An MBA will cost anywhere between $60K to $100K or more, depending on where you are. You need to consider whether this investment / debt is worth it for you, in case you do not stay in the US.

(4) If you have a reasonably sound scientific training, it is unlikely that an MBA will teach you a whole lot that is impressively, directly useful. The degree is more of a branding and networking opportunity. This is best achieved in a top-flight school.

(5) If you expect to be paying out-of-pocket, a run of the mill MBA is not worth the investment in time, money or energy. Your ROI is much greater if you go to a top program.

(6) If it really is your dream, then fight for it. Strategize carefully and engineer a transition to a top program. There are many international MBA programs now with 1 year or 15 month schedules. In my opinion, it would be a better bet to endure that relatively short separation from your husband in favor of a top credential.

(7) BY all means, start school in the fall, but reevaluate whether it should be a mediocre MBA or a bridge toward a top program.

(8) Take everything I have said with a grain of salt, but do take the time to go talk to faculty / advisors from high-quality MBA programs in the US, Europe & Asia, before you commit time and money. You might learn a thing or two.

 

OK, I am speaking with limited information, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

(1) The job scene is very competitive. The WSJ reported that in 2012, 23% of the USC MBA grads did not have a job 3 months after graduation. This is a pretty good, mid-level school. So at every step you should ask yourself the question: "what makes me different from everyone else?" You need a strong answer to the question "why should we hire you?". The answer does NOT lie in 'I am motivated, I work very hard ... ' that sort of boilerplate bs. A straight MBA does not set you apart from the competition. Try to plan your trajectory with this question in mind. Differentiate yourself from the herd.

(2) Having said that, one year and $40K is an investment that's relatively easy to handle, so I would not be overly concerned.

(3) It helps if your business degree meshes with your domain expertise. This depends on your credentials in the 'science' field you mentioned, your previous work experience or both. Try and evaluate that - unless of course you want to change fields entirely.

(4) Remember that job-hunting in the US is almost all about networking. Who you know matters. Talk to people in the industry you are interested in. Since you cannot get paid anyway, now is the time to line up unpaid internships. The degree alone will do little to launch your career.

(5) A lot depends on how you see your career. Is it just a job & extra income, is it an ambition, is there a long-term goal (professional or material)? Do you just want an MBA & a job, or are you thinking McKinsey / Bain / serious career ladder that sort of thing?

Since you said it was a 'dream', I am trying to provoke you into defining that dream. Don''t let it remain fuzzy. Try to clarify & refine it. A little research will help a lot!

 

Kavitha,

I did my MBA here in US and currently working for a multinational company. I agree with some of the points that Sokanasanah mentioned. MBA is EXPENSIVE. However, it's possible to get scholarship if you have good GMAT score and good leadership experience. I can't imagine paying $80,000 alone for school fee. You need to consider other expenses which come easily around $10,000 per annum.


You need GMAT, not GRE, to study MBA and It's important to choose the RIGHT school.

I'd suggest you to go for a 2 year program as 1 year might not be a right choice for internationals.

It's relatively easy to get a job with ME than MBA. However, it's possible with some extra effort. Your school career dept will only help you certain extend. But the end result is in your hand. I passed out without a job offer and got 3 offers who were ready to do H1B within 1.5 months (all of them out of my own effort). In my class, all but 1 international student got at least one job offer.

From my personal experience, my MBA is worth every penny. It's not only for networking and branding. You'll learn a lot about overall business. I use my learning everyday in my current job.

On a side note, go for MBA ONLY if you're interested in that career path. I've seen some of my classmates who were cribbing that they don't enjoy the subjects and career path they're heading do. Don't do it if you look at it as a path to work in US.

 

Uma:
Please don't take my comments as snark OK? I did not mean to disparage an MBA. I simply meant to emphasize that branding & networking carry a disproportionate amount of power in the marketplace. It helps to be aware of that. The content of MBA programs varies wildly, and by its very nature, does not and cannot carry the same amount of rigor as training in mathematics, medicine or the empirical sciences. It is possible to get a very soft MBA degree, if one does not pay attention to the quality of the program or if one timidly opts for the weaker electives. Financial accounting is useful in a way that a course in "Business Ethics in the 21st century" is not (well, for a non-psychopath!). I simply wanted the OP to factor this into her calculations.

And, when you make a billion dollars, don't forget to set aside money for the "Uma321 Insitute for Scientific Research"!
-)

 

And all Engineering/medicine degrees are created equal?

 

So, JAG, how many people do you know who would seriously defend that proposition?

Well if it absolutely must be clarified, no, they are not, duh, obviously, but to deny a hierarchy of intellectual rigor is willful.

I am referring to 'content' not the 'degree'. What constitutes a sound basic education in engineering or medicine or mathematics at a given level can be established with some degree of rigor. Rigor in science is relatively easier to establish, assess and maintain. It is also entirely possible for any reasonably intelligent individual to figure out the foundation required for expertise in any sub-domain within these fields.

I am trying to encourage a young aspirant, to reach as high as she can, to realize what she referred to as her 'dream' and warn her away from the softer end of revenue-generating programs for universities, that's all. It takes relatively modest research, effort and planning to pull oneself up into a top-15 program rather than a middle-of-the road MBA program. My sole aim is to encourage an exploratory foray in that direction. The quality of the cohort in such programs is worth the effort.

 

Wow, MBA sounds awesome!!!!

Seems like you are in a tight situation though. Fortunately, lot of Management types who make it to the top started out with Scientific Degrees and worked their way upwards through their sheer guts and determination.

While education on paper is great, sometimes, experience, and smarts, especially if you want to go for business, are the best things.

Did you hear of Project Management Professional certification? A lot of people in management positions have taken this exam. It is 4 hours, but if you have the determination, I believe there is no mountain high enough!!!

Here is a book to get started, it is from Head First series, it will keep you motivated: Head First Labs from O'Reilly Media, Inc. :: Head First PMP

Best of Luck!