LU or NCU for MBA?

Discussion in 'Business and MBA degrees' started by curtisc83, May 25, 2012.

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  1. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    I am about to finish my BS in IT at Westwood College in October and want to get a MBA. Westwood is a NA school and frankly I wish I never attended. Whats done is done but moving forward I want to get a MBA from a RA school that accepts a NA undergrad. I am currently working in Afghanistan as a DoD Contractor so attending something local isn't a option. On top of that my internet isn't exactly the most robust.

    My two options are Liberty University (LU) and Northcentral University (NCU). NCU's MBA in Management Information Systems (MIS) is around 18k using the current tuition rate. LU's MBA with no specialization is just 9k. I get a veteran's discount so all the credit hours are 250 dollars per.

    So my question is which one should I go for? I am going to stay in the IT world but feel that a MBA in MIS might be better then a General MBA. But then I think its about twice the cost of the one from LU. I've heard that most employers don't care about what type of MBA you have just that you have one. At the same time since I am in the IT world I see job postings that want someone with a Masters in a CS or IT field. Would a MBA in MIS be a safer bet since its part MBA part IT degree?

    Maybe I'm over thinking this whole thing. But I figure someone on here might have some great advice to give me.
     
  2. I'm not sure how far an MBA would get you in your field but between the two I would choose Liberty University. I'm assuming you checked the admission to determine if an NA degree would be acceptable. I recommended Liberty primarily because of cost and physical location. LU is a candidate for ACBSP accreditation. They are pretty military friendly. I just started my first two classes in the MBA program. A lot of my classmates are military. With LU, be prepared to have a lot religious aspects integrated into the program. If that's not something you can handle then you probably want to stay away from it.
     
  3. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    The MBA would be more of a check box so I can move up in my company. I just feel if I get a Masters in IT how much more would that really help. A MBA might round me out since IT degrees tend to have little to no business courses. Not sure if thats sound logic if it isn't feel free to correct me. And yes they will accept all my NA credits.

    When you say physical location do you mean its a B&M school vs a virtual school? I don't care if all the courses have a religious twist.
     
  4. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    NCU, definitely. Here is why.
    With NCU, you can work really hard and get ahead of weeks of coursework in one week if you want. You can work while you have an active and reliable connection and wait to upload your assignments as your mentor grades them. NCU assignments are weekly and consist of research papers or powerpoints or quantitative papers for statistics etc.
    Also, the dual MBA/MIS is a great option. You can market your degree however you want.
    If you want some of the syllabi for each course let me know and I can send them to you privately. The syllabus pretty much is the course.
     
  5. dl_mba

    dl_mba Member

    I would sincerely advise you to stay away from .com schools if you have another choice. Looks like LU for you is cheaper and is a respected B&M school. You can also look at MS Management from Texas A&M Commerce with an IT option. It is a B&M school and AACSB accredited. Your degree will be respected everywhere without any doubts.
    Texas A&M University-Commerce: MS in Management
     
  6. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    I have seen you on another degree forum. You have a MBA in Applied CS from NCU and are working on a PhD from NCU as well. If I remember correctly then you did your MBA ultra fast. So career wise has your NCU MBA helped you?
     
  7. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    Any reason why you feel its best to stay away from .com schools? One fear of mine is a for profit school .com or otherwise could be bought out at anytime. Or what if a virtual school goes belly up. Of course with the the world being more and more connected that may never be the case. I do like the idea of LU but some people have some bad opinions of it. Look at this link Bill Maher: Liberty University Is Not A Real School be sure and read some of the comments. I have already looked into the school and know almost every comment is nonsense. But it does make me wonder if a employer saw LU on a resume would they be turned off by it.
     
  8. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    It has helped my career. The study of business enables an engineer like myself to better understand the business reasons for the projects I work on and the systems I architect. The NCU MBA will hone your research and writing skills quickly and you will exit the program with knowledge of business research and practice. Things are going very well for me at work right now and the MBA, as a credential, complements my resume, skills, and certifications well.
     
  9. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    Quick question - why those 2 schools?

    Check out Get Educated.com's listing of online MBA's by price:

    Online Degree Search Results: 347 Accredited Online MBA Degree Programs | GetEducated.com

    I know that you have an NA degree - but if you find a program that you like, consider petitioning for an exception.

    Good luck!
     
  10. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    The format of the online courses are one of the reasons I picked those two schools. I could add in APUS but I don't like that you need proctors. The reason thats important is because lack of bandwidth. A school is not going to be able to remote into my PC. For one its a DoD classified network and the internet just isn't fast enough.

    In my humble opinion few schools are actually really good at online. LU has a massive amount of military personal out here attending. They have built there online program to cater to deployed military personal. Most cater to stateside civilians with a solid internet connection and no limitations on using a proctor.

    Thank you for the link. Its a tad overwhelming to say the least. SOOOOO many schools.
     
  11. jokeruh

    jokeruh New Member

    I am not sure how familiar you are with Bill Maher or the Huffington Post, but I would not base any decision in my life upon what Bill Maher says or what the Huffington Post links. You should research both before you base any of your decisions on what Bill Maher says or what the Huffington Post links.

    Only a minority take either of these (Maher and Huffington) seriously (remember that Maher makes a living as a joker teller). The vast majority understand their (Maher and Huffington) biases and world views. I suggest you research my statements and take that info into consideration before you allow their (Maher and Huffington) opinions to influence you in any way.
     
  12. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    Typical liberal bs.

     
  13. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    If it were me, I would go with LU. Cost, delivery of program, willingness to take NA BA's for entry into their graduate programs are all positives tipping in their favor. Depending on which part of the U.S. you decide to work in, a degree from a Christian university could actually be a plus.
     
  14. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    I am in Afghan right now but never plan on living above the Mason–Dixon Line. Currently I "live" in Austin, TX when I say live I have a house there with all my stuff in it to include my wife....LOL. I assume a LU degree would be well received anywhere below the Mason-Dixon Line.
     
  15. skidadl

    skidadl Member

    University of North Alabama will accept you NA degree.
     
  16. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Both are RA schools and both are unraked MBAs. NCU's MBA might be more appealing because the concentration in MIS but Liberty is more credible because it has a campus and is not for profit.

    If you are planning to do a PhD for future at a better school, I would do the Liberty MBA mainly because it would be more credible.
     
  17. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    Between, I would recommend for Liberty University simple reputation and B&M school. But I also recommend you to find a school with AACSB accreditation...
     
  18. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    It seems that LU is getting more votes then NCU. I think NCU has a certain allure to it over LU. Might be the large assortment of MBA flavors. I was told by a friend that's a Project Engineer a MBA in Project Management is a good way to go. LU offers a MBA in Project Management. So I think I might go with LU for a MBA. I think everyone's opinion has been very helpful thus far. If anyone has more to add please do it just might help out the next guy with a similar question.
     
  19. Toranoko

    Toranoko New Member

    In your case, I think a critical question is "do you plan on staying with DoD related work?". If that's the case, your current (apparent) experience is the thing that will get their attention (doing IT for a classified network in theater) and other DoD certs (clearance, all those DoD IT certs you're required to get, ...) will be more important for your IT resume' than an IT masters. In that case, a "general" MBA might give you the breadth to be more competitive or move into more managerial roles (assuming you want that).

    If you're planning on moving outside of DoD work, then the IT degree may be your best bet ... though even there your experience will count for something. If you are thinking about an IT Doctorate at some point, or any other doctorate for that, the choice would make a difference as well.
     
  20. curtisc83

    curtisc83 New Member

    I do plan on working for the DoD for a long long time. Or at the very least a GS position stateside that requires a clearance so mine will remain active. Hmmm much to think about.
     

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