Hello, new to the forum, I have been looking around a lot at different online schools and programs and wanted to get some other opinions. I have approximately $14K to spend on graduate level education. I have narrowed it down to two programs, (However, I am open to suggestions) Stanford's Management Science and Engineering Graduate Certificate or American Military University's Masters of Management. They are very close to the same cost. The main question is a top 10 school's certificate vs an AMU Masters. Obviously, Stanford stands out on a resume, but it is not a masters degree. What is everyone's input? Thanks in advance. --Brian
How about something like a Master of Operations Management from the University of Arkansas? It's 30 credits, cheap (around $9,000), online, and accelerated with 8 week classes. It's offered by their engineering school and might be what you're looking for. It's free to apply, too. MSOM_Home | Operations Management | University of Arkansas
I don't know any specifics about either program (or your situation) but my general default position is that a Masters trumps a cert. Get a decent job and then let your company pay for the cert afterwards.
I look at things differently, as I agree that a masters trumps a graduate certificate 9 times out of 10; and nothing against AMU since they're a good school. However, anything with Stanford University bring instant recognition which is also advantageous. So I guess the question you really need to ask yourself is which one is more important to you, because you can't afford both for $14k if those are your only two choices. Why did you narrow your focus to these two programs? You could still find a master’s program with more name recognition in your price range if you hunt around. I know the University of Alabama or the University of Louisiana at Monroe are both extremely affordable. Or locate a graduate certificate program that you can complete now, and then roll those credits into one of their master's programs later on after you replenish the old coffers. Just food for thought. :icon16:
