Help! High Rank $$$ MBA or Low Rank $ MBA w/High Rank Certificate

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by dstrains, Jul 20, 2010.

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  1. dstrains

    dstrains New Member

    Hello all - I just spent 30 minutes typing a detailed post only to click send and end up at login page with all data lost. Ugh! So here goes attempt #2 albeit with much less detail. My apologies.

    Background:

    Late 30's, BA in Govt/Minor in Spanish from UT-Austin, been working full-time since I was 18, I've done outside sales, operations assistant to health club, last 7 of 10 years spent as admin assistant and later buyer for life science research organization, last 3 years as purchasing manager for biotech company, and now promoted to operations manager. The company I work for now is very fast growing and it's time for me to enhance my skills and value to the company by pursuing an MBA. Unfortunately time does not allow me to attend full or part-time on campus, hence my interest in the distance learning option. Also, I have no plans to leave the company or pursue a career outside of the operations/supply chain realm.

    Key Points:

    Seeking an online MBA with focus on Supply Chain/Operations management
    Seeking a well respected/recognized program
    Seeking a program that won't break the bank. Under $30k all told
    GMAT waiver - not a deal breaker, but would be convenient.

    Candidates:

    Arizona State University - This would be my top pick if it didn't cost $60k. Tier 1 school and ranks in the US News top 30 MBA programs and top 5 in Supply Chain. They also offer a certificate in Supply Chain Management that pretty much covers all the related courses offered in the MBA program.

    Northeastern - Tier 1 and ranked around #64 in US News and offers a Supply Chain/Ops concentration, although not nearly as robust as ASU's. Also GMAT can be waived. The main drawback is that it's even more pricey that ASU.

    Texas A&M-Commerce - Very, very inexpensive for residents, which I am. Around $12k all told. Heard some good things about the curriculum, although no concentration in Supply Chain offered. GMAT waiver offered. Unranked school though.

    UMASS-Amherst - Tier 1, ranked around #100 or so, heard good things about program and professors too. No concentration offered and tuition is around $28k. They also allow you to take 2 classes before applying, which might be beneficial to help offset any potential application weaknesses.

    Colorado State University - Not sure of ranking, no concentration, and tuition around $25k. GMAT waiver offered.

    Looking at the above, and my financial situation over the next few years, the fact that I still have undergrad student loans to pay off, and that my employer has no sponsorship program in place, the idea of picking a lower-cost lesser known school and supplementing that with the Supply Chain certificate from highly-ranked ASU sounds very appealing to me. The choice is, which school to go with? Or how much does it really matter?

    Right now I'm leaning towards UMASS-Amherst for reputation and name recognition, but Texas A&M-Commerce for budget and GMAT waiver.

    What do you guys think? Does mixing a lower ranked school with a highly ranked certificate sound like a good plan? Of these, which one would you go with?

    Thanks!
     
  2. davesaint

    davesaint New Member

  3. xkaperx

    xkaperx New Member

  4. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    In your situation - hands down...Texas A&M Commerce.

    1. The school is AACSB accredited.

    2. The price is right.

    3. You live in Texas. You don't need to explain the degree. For instance, I live in Wisconsin. If I had an MBA from The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (AACSB accredited), I wouldn't have to explain why that choice (low in-state tuition) vs. going out of state.

    4. If you heard good things about the curriculum, chances are your employer has also. That's a plus.

    I wouldn't stress much about the lack of supply chain management courses; take as much operations management as you can get your hands on and you will be just fine.

    Shawn
     
  5. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    Look at Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. All of them would offer enough electives in the area you're interested in to build your concentration in the area of supply chain management or you could do a certificate from another school. All three programs are below your price point.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 20, 2010
  6. dstrains

    dstrains New Member

    Thanks for the replies so far. The Indiana-Kelley program looks good, but at $55k it's just out of my budget. They're supply chain certificate looks much less expensive than ASU's, but not nearly as comprehensive though.

    Indiana Supply Chain Cert:
    E730 Supply Chain Overview (3 cr.)
    The course provides an intensive overview of supply chain management including sourcing, manufacturing, distribution along with technologies and quantitative models used in managing supply chain. The course is delivered during the initial residency part of the program.

    E731 Supply Chain Management - Sourcing (3 cr.)
    This course concentrates on the important functions of working and managing the vendor base that supports the supply base. Students will learn about the design of cooperative arrangements between trading partners, as well as the new technologies like internet reverse auctions and e-hubs that are being employed for e-procurement.

    Arizona State Uni Supply Chain Cert:
    Operations and Supply Chain Management
    Covers contemporary management issues, including environmental, project and supply chain management; new product development; quality control; and TQM.

    Strategic Procurement
    Learn to apply principles, philosophies and processes of supply management to the purchasing management process on a global basis, with focus on the continuous improvement of the purchasing management system. (Prerequisite: Operations and Supply Chain Management)

    Logistics in the Supply Chain
    Focuses on critical issues for customer perception of supply chain performance, including inventory planning, transportation, warehousing, information technology and integrated logistics service. (Prerequisite: Operations and Supply Chain Management)

    Supplier Management and Negotiation
    Topics include selecting, developing and executing appropriate sourcing strategies and processes. (Prerequisite: Operations and Supply Chain Management)

    Supply Chain Design and Cost Management
    Strategic design and development of supply chains, with focus on cost-management tools applied to supply chain design and supplier management. (Prerequisite: successful completion of four other courses in the certificate program)

    I'll have to look into Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. As of now I think I'm torn between Texas A&M-Commerce and UMASS-Amherst. However, the cost of the Texas A&M program and the ASU certificate would equal the the cost of the UMASS program alone.

    Choices, choices. Please keep the suggestions and advice coming!
     
  7. PatsGirl1

    PatsGirl1 New Member

    Also Central Mich has one, I think. I know they have SAP and I thought they had Logistics and Supply Chain management.
     
  8. novemberdude

    novemberdude New Member

    This recent thread listed some other options for schools offering logistics and transporations masters degrees. You might find something interesting and supply chain oriented here.

    http://forums.degreeinfo.com/distance-learning-discussions/34875-ra-mba-transportation-logistics.html

    From your list Northeastern and ASU are out of your budget, and I personally can't see why you'd pick Colorado State over Texas A & M Commerce or UMass Amherst. So from your list I'd go either Texas A & M - C or UMass, and unless a ranked school is really important to you Texas A & M sounds like a winner.

    Personally, I also like Florida State's online MBA, although it may not fit your needs.
     
  9. dstrains

    dstrains New Member

    Some good points and I think I'm leaning towards the Texas A&M - Commerce program. From what I've been reading, most seem to think that ranking and reputation matter more for those starting a career or looking to move into another career, especially those in the financial and banking sectors. And as mentioned before, I've no plans to move Texas, from operations as a profession, and will only leave the company I'm with if it goes under, I get fired or laid off, or receive a local offer that I can't refuse. At my company's rapid growth rate, future prospects, etc. I'm in a great position to move into an upper management position in the next few years and an MBA will be a huge boost towards that. Finally, I think I might just be able to talk them into covering the cost of the program at its price point (a 20k+ program no, but $12k-ish I can probably make a strong case for).

    I'll still need to do some more pros and cons and compare TAMU-C to other reasonably priced Texas-based programs. But it sounds like going local is good option.

    Everyone, please feel free to continue to weigh in on the subject.

    Thanks!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 14, 2018

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