Which Route To Go?

Discussion in 'Business and MBA degrees' started by JoshD, Sep 16, 2018.

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  1. JoshD

    JoshD Well-Known Member

    I will finish my MBA from an AACSB-Accredited university in 2019 and was debating which route to go next. I have always been intrigued by the thought of a PhD because I have always loved research but I am also considering a MS in Business Analytics. Some may not care as much as myself, but AACSB-Accrediation is a must. That being said, which route do you think would benefit me most? I would enjoy being a professor but I would also enjoy being a business analyst.. I am torn.
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Lots of people think they would enjoy being a university professor. It's not clear to me that the day to day realities of that job live up to people's fantasies but in any case, with a freshly minted MBA you really don't have a great shot at getting that teaching job. Very competitive. My advice: get a job, get some experience, stay current with research, take a shot at writing a paper for publication. Within a few years you'll likely know if you want that PhD or not.
     
    JoshD likes this.
  3. JoshD

    JoshD Well-Known Member

    That is great advice. I currently work for a bank but it is a smaller financial institution so nothing like Bank of America. I would really enjoy a business analyst position. That said, the Data Analysis course I have taken was GREAT but I feel I would benefit from a more in depth program hence the Masters in Business Analytics option.
     
  4. Taxing

    Taxing New Member

    You haven't provided enough information to get real advice. How old are you? What is your undergrad degree? What are your in interests? Right now a PhD in a business subject can provide a great career as a professor. Most areas are well paid with accounting and finance at the top.

    A PhD in a business area at an AACSB accredited university will cost you 3-5 years of full time study. Tuition will likely be covered by a graduate assistantship which will also provide a stipend of 20K to 35K a year. Depending on your school and your specialization, you will have a 9 month salary of $130K to $230K. Most schools will also have summer support which can range from another $15K to 2/9ths of your salary. This paragraph is my understanding of the accounting and finance phd market. Other business concentrations will generally have lower salaries.

    Business analytics is the new hot topic. It is today what information systems was 20-30 years ago. To teach business analytics most schools are going to look for a PhD in a business area and a statistics, computer science, or math background.

    I do not think adding a masters in business analytics to an MBA will add value in the academic or non-academic market. Adding a minor (if available) to your current MBA will provide the same credential for employers. Employers want business people that understand analytics to translate; however, they are still more likely to higher someone with a computer science, math, or statistics background to perform the analytics.
     
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  5. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Of course, since we're talking about DL degree programs none of this applies. Anyways . . .
     
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  6. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    To the best of my knowledge, there are no AACSB Ph.D. programs that are offered via distance learning. There are, however, a few hybrid AASCB DBA programs.
     
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  7. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I was specifically referring to the idea of grad assistant ships which are routinely available to on-campus doctoral students and never available to DL doctoral students.
     
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  8. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    Point taken, but that's not entirely true. Some universities do offer graduate assistantships to online students. The University of Wisconsin @ Platteville, for example, offers grad assistantships to students in their online master's degree in criminal justice. Similarly, the West Chester University of Pennsylvania offers graduate assistantship to students in their online doctorate in public administration. To the best of my recollection, UW Platteville allows students to fulfill their grad assistantship work requirements from a distance while WCU of PA requires on-campus work.
     
  9. Veem

    Veem New Member

    I have no advice to give, but wanted to commend you on your ambition! You can never be too educated. Truly in the minority!
     
  10. Trek

    Trek Member

    A DBA might make the most sense if you are ready to commit. If not, I don't think a whole Masters makes sense. How about a graduate certificate?
     
  11. JoshD

    JoshD Well-Known Member

    I am also considering this option. Wharton, Harvard, Cornell, and a few others offer some interesting certificates. I am looking into a couple of them.
     
    Trek likes this.
  12. Taxing

    Taxing New Member

    My paragraph started with "A PhD in a business area at an AACSB accredited university will cost you 3-5 years of full time study." I felt this conveyed I was not referring to DL.

    Since making that comment, I have found that the AACSB accredited KSU DBA is now a distance PhD program http://graduate.kennesaw.edu/admissions/apply/program-information/dba.php. Oklahoma State also offers an Executive PhD in Business https://business.okstate.edu/phdexec/. Neither has scholarships or stipends and tuition is approx. $100K+.

    The information on stipends I provided was to help OP do a cost/benefit analysis of a full time on campus PhD. Here is a list of most of the AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS accredited DBA programs https://www.dba-compass.com/knowledge/accreditations-for-doctor-of-business-administration-dba-programs/.
     
  13. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Thanks for your clarification. Sometimes these misunderstandings occur but since this site is specifically about distance learning we typically understand that people are seeking DL/online degrees unless they specifically say otherwise. We understand that the world of campus-based degree programs is different in many respects but these differences are typically irrelevant in most cases. While there are certainly exceptions, most of our members are working professionals who can not put their lives on hold to attend traditional campus-based classes. Some prefer programs offered by non-local schools, some even enrolling in colleges outside their country of residence. This creates special problems that campus-based students rarely need to consider.
     
  14. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    Did you see this new thread?

    https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/unc-greensboro-online-phd-in-business-administration.53148/
     
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