Value of Indiana's mba - Is it really worth the 2 weeks residence and $40k when a solid (i.e. Umass, etc) degree can be had for half the price with out the travel. What do yall think?
Depends--I'd say the two weeks residency is nothing. The Kelley MBA being a top-25 program will obviously open more door for you than UMass, considering that Isenberg hovers in the 60-70 range and is not truly top tier. The Kelley MBA requires 48 credit hours, while UMass requires more like 40 (37 + an additional introductory course). That may or may not be a plus for you, depending on how you view it, as employers in the know will realize that your degree from UMass was about half a semester to a semester shy of Kelley. As for $40K, I though they were $750 per credit hour for a total of $36,000, have they raised it or were you rounding up? It's really not THAT much more than UMass. I would also consider the following if you're looking for a ranked U.S. DL/DT MBA that doesn't completely break the bank, as does Duke (though Purdue's not exactly cheap): Purdue, Florida, UT-Dallas, University of Denver. Nebraska-Lincoln (the Cornhuskers) is also a very good value, and Ball State, which has one of the top entrepreneurship programs in the country according to the USN rankings, is dirt cheap. If you're willing to go overseas, Warwick, Aston, Manchester, UoL Imperial College and Royal Holloway, and Henley MC are also solid alternatives. Doctor Gavin Kennedy, who posts on this forum, could also give you insight into his favorite program: EBS, which has a good reputation, high standards, and a reasonable price.
So you don't get the idea that I consider my present school to be cut from inferior cloth, I don't. The coursework is rigorous and the school is recognizable and well-regarded, but I harbor no illusions that it's entirely on par in the minds of academic employers--the only ones with which I concern myself--with the Kelley School at IU. If you matriculated here, though, you'll not be sorry, the quality of fellow students is outstanding--MDs, PhDs, MSs, MAs abound.
