Okay, another question for the board. If you were seeking an MBA in classroom, fanny in the seat, which of the following would you choose: 1) AACSB school, but unranked in any category for any reason, and had "average" local reputation. 2) non-AACSB school, but consistently ranked top 20 or 30 in the northern region as a Masters University by US News, great local reputation. Let's assume that teaching is not aspiration, where AASCB usually comes into play. Pug
This does not seem like a likely scenario. What top 20-30 ranked grad school is not AACSB accredited? I would go with the AACSB accreditation assuming everything else was equal. I am curious to hear what the 2 schools are though...
I think a lot of schools are top 20-30 in the regional Masters category, since that category generally consists of smaller schools. If one is going to consider rankings at all, I think it is a mistake to rely on an entire school's overall ranking instead of using the subordinate unit's ranking.
I agree with the AACSB accredited school, it's a sign of quality that will go way beyond local rankings....
There are actually 4 schools in question, all local (Maryland): 1) Frostburg State University - AACSB, unranked business school, ranked as a 3rd tier Masters University 2) University of Baltimore - AACSB, unranked business school, ranked as a 4th tier Masters University. 3) Mount Saint Mary's - non-AACSB, ranked #30 in the northern region as a Masters University. (not eligible for business school ranking by USNWR) 4) Hood College - non-AACSB, ranked #18 in the northern region as a Masters University. (not eligible for business school ranking by USNWR) Of the four, Frostburg probably has the weakest reputation. Both Mount Saint Mary's and Hood are considered outstanding. No one really knows about Baltimore. Mount Saint mary's offers the most convenience BY FAR (5 minutes from the house, 8 week sessions, etc.). Pug
Since teaching is not a factor I would go with the high ranked regional masters university. AACSB is rarely ever relevant outside of academia. Most people outside of academia have ever even heard of it.
The problem with that is that Business Week and USN&WR only rank AACSB accredited schools. Some very good schools simply do not qualify for AACSB accreditation for reasons that have nothing to do with academics. Frostburg is AACSB, but is known locally as very average. I've known several people who went to Frostburg because they couldn't get into other institutions. On the other side of the coin, 90% of freshman at Mount Saint Mary's say that "The Mount" was either their 1st or second choice. Pug
I would choose whatever MBA program met my needs regarding scheduling, costs, instructional delivery methods, curriculum and course contents. I would be confident that whatever program I chose would help me advance my career to a point where which school I attended would not matter. (For many, that is right now.)
First off, didn't you ask pretty much the exact same question in June? If you're planning to use the MBA degree to do the sort of jobs you "need" an MBA for (which is to say, management consulting, investment banking, some mid to senior level industry roles in marketing and general management), the people doing the hiring are going to understand what AACSB accreditation is and why it's important. If you're looking to round out your technical or functional experience with a business masters to prepare for a management role, then it's probably less critical that you choose an AACSB school. Personally, I'd choose an AACSB program regardless.
And this is related to why you might choose Mount St. Mary's for graduate study how? If you want to get a degree from "The Mount" so that you can wear the sweatshirt and cheer for the team, that's cool. I chose the University of Wyoming over Excelsior and COSC because I wanted a name on my resume. There's no shame in that. However, if you're trying to compare the b-schools, a good place to start is the admissions requirements: 1. Hood College: 2.75 cumulative undergrad GPA 2. Mt. St. Mary's: 2.75 cumulative undergrad GPA -OR- 500 GMAT -OR- 5 years of work experience 3. Frostburg State: 2.75 cumulative undergrad GPA -AND- 400 GMAT 4. University of Baltimore: Competitive rolling admissions, requires recommendation letters, personal statement, and GMAT score (can be waived with previous masters degree or 3.25 undergrad GPA and 5 years work experience). No minimum GPA stated. Looking at the admissions standards, I'd say the "prestige" degree is the University of Baltimore. They're the only program out of the four with an admissions committee instead of a checklist. Also, according to their website, they run their MBA program in conjunction with Towson, and allow you to take courses at both schools, as well as online. Between the two schools, you'd have access to a network of over 40,000 MBA alumni. To put that in perspective, my school (Fuqua) has only 12,000 living alumni. Just my opinion, but I don't see how you choose any of the other three programs over this one.
Thanks for the comments. The reason other schools are being considered along with the University of Baltimore is because locally, Baltimore has no name at all. Honestly, I've lived in Maryland my entire life and I had never even heard of this school until a year ago. Most people here in Maryland have never of this school. When it is mentioned they usually say, You mean UMBC?" I'm not sure how much weight I'd put in UBalt's admissions committe either. They still waive the GMAT with a 3.25 GPA or 5 years experience. I agree that the admissions criteria looks better on paper, but I'm really not sure there is much difference. Howver, I do think there is something to be said for the UB/Towson joint issuance of the degree. They just started that a year ago. I really appreciate the detailed look you gave to these options. Since your preference would be UBalt, do you think the degree is worth $10k more than Frostburg (the other AACSB school). Pug
I asked a similar question back in June, but not the same one. Some of the questions I ask are for me, others are for my wife. I'm asking more questions as specific school choices get narrowed down.
I'd have to say yes, honestly. I think that you'd find that the Baltimore/Towson program is going to attract a higher caliber student that Frostburg will, and in my experience, much of the learning in your MBA program will be from your classmates. I know financial considerations are always important, but if you can afford it, go for the UB/Towson degree. I think when you look back in 10 years, you'll be glad that you did.
