Well guys, I'm back after a long time away. Work has kept me busy (as well as paying of those student loans!) I'll be more active as I explore my further education options. Hypothetical question: Given a choice between a Doctorate at one of the usually mentioned RA schools (Nova, UoP, Walden, etc.) or an MBA at Stanford, which would you choose to pursue first? The person I'm asking about has a company benefit to get the previously mentioned MBA by distance with minimal residency (and a partially reimbursed tuition.) This person already has a Masters degree in Computer Science. Which would offer the most bang for the buck? Obviously Stanford has name recognition, but the doctorate also comes with the benefits of, well, a doctorate! Just curious on the thoughts of others in the community.
From what I'm told it is for a specific employer affiliated with the school. Just to be clear, I cannot confirm. I was just trying to give advice based upon the information that I was given.
That's what I thought and found through my research. I just wanted to make sure with Ellis. Thanks both. I found out though that they have a nice Master's in International Studies. A friend of mine just started on it but at $4500 per course (CA resident discounted price apparently - normally $5500), it's not cheap by any means. I'll think about it later on down the road.
I concur; a MBA or other Masters from Stanford is ridiculously superior to a doctorate from Nova, UOP etc. As true in corporate America as it is in academia.
Easy decision. If this a real option, go for the MBA. It's one of the best MBA programs in the country. The only other programs in the country even close to them are Harvard, Wharton and Sloan. The network he would be plugged into would simply be amazing.
A little more detail: (Had a good conversation a few minutes ago) The offerings though his company have changed. (And so may some of your recommendations here) The MBA program is apparently no longer offered. In it's place is an Master of Science in Management Science and Engineering offered though the Stanford Center for Professional Development. His company will reimburse him up to $6k per year. The program cost is over $80k. Even for Stanford, not sure about the return on that investment. (For an MBA maybe ...) I'll yield the floor to feedback.
If it was a MBA I would shell out the extra cash and never look back, but the Stanford program is through their equivalent to an Extension School or School of Continuing Education. Right or wrong, those schools at very elite universities can get a bad wrap from some people. I still think the Stanford name is much stronger than the other universities you mentioned, but it is for a lower-level degree. I don't know the cost on those proposed doctorates, but if they are substantially less money I might go for the doctorate.
Tiger, We might not have mentioned HES in this thread but its western sister gets the same beating now? I'm not a DL guru by any means and I don't skim every ranking list out there, but if we're gonna give HES a pass because it's linked to a great university and we understand that its course offering is no less in rigor and validity than the other Harvard colleges, then the Stanford SCPD should stand the test too. They have numerous corporate partnerships in the computer science and engineering fields. They're far more expensive than HES and presumably deliver a rigorous program of study. I have a friend of mine who graduated from Berkeley and who's in our of their grad programs and it's kicking her ass. I think that these schools have consistently proved their academic validity (talk of grade inflation and some occasional "bad" teachers notwithstanding) to denigrate their degrees. I'd go to Stanford SCPD than UoP/Walden any day of the week if given the chance. YMMV.
Hey Soldier, I'm absolutely not knocking the program. Look at my signature, I've taken courses at HES and it is rigorous. I'm not questioning the program at Stanford, I am only saying that programs housed in schools of continuing education/extension/professional studies at elite universities sometimes take a beating by the general public.
