Earning Your MBA: What to Expect

You've decided to take the plunge and study for your MBA degree. Graduate school can be challenging, rewarding, and fun. Here's what to expect, and some tips for succeeding in your MBA program.

By Karen Lawson
karen.lawson@mba-business-schools.com
MBA-Business-Schools Columnist

If it’s been awhile since you went to college, you’re probably wondering what to expect when studying for a graduate business degree. As with undergraduate study, your college experience will involve traditional practices combined with technological innovations. A significant development of today’s MBA programs is that it’s now possible to earn all or part of your MBA degree online.

Many people decide to earn an MBA as the result of a desire to specialize in their current careers. MBA programs frequently include opportunities to focus on a particular area of business such as accounting and finance, executive leadership, or human resources. Your combination of work experience and academic achievement can help guide your choice of specialty.

Graduate study differs from undergraduate study in that you’ll have more decision-making ability. You’ll work with academic advisors and probably will select a chair for your graduate committee. You will arrange a suitable course of study with your committee, taking into account both the requirements needed for graduation and your special interests.

Graduate study emphasizes self-directed research and writing. As an undergraduate, you learned about a wide variety of subjects; in your MBA program, you’ll be able to develop that knowledge while researching specific areas of business and management.

Time management is essential to success in earning a business degree. If you are currently working full time, even part time graduate work can require much of your “spare” time. If you have a family, it’s important to be realistic about how much time you’ll have for research, writing, and study. Both traditional classroom attendance and online MBA programs require a great deal of time for research and writing, as well as meetings with your committee.

An MBA program requires a commitment, but the rewards make it all worthwhile. Earning a graduate business degree is a major step toward personal and professional achievement.

Karen Lawson is a freelance writer whose interests include topics in higher education and the arts. She holds an MA degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Posted on March 20, 2007 at 10:30 AM

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