My manager recommended an MBA

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by x-ray beams, Sep 17, 2006.

Loading...
  1. x-ray beams

    x-ray beams New Member

    I never really considered going for an MBA, not until Yesterday during a meeting with my manager. I mentioned I wanted to continue my education and he recommended I go for an MBA. I'm currently an engineer w/ a BSEET for a large company. My company will reimburse $10K per calendar year and I wanted to take advantage of that. This idea of going for an MBA is fairly new to me, but I can see where it can prove useful for an engineer who wanted to switch careers in the future, get into a management role, or to just be more effective as nowadays you have to think more like an entrepreneur and have the marketing, financial, and HR skills to go along with your technical skills.

    My concerns are that my degree is not a traditional EE bachelors, would this make it more difficult for me to get into a good online MBA program?

    I just need some feedback and ideas to jumpstart my thinking and hopefully help me arrive to a decision soon on which program and what steps to take.

    Thanks!
     
  2. Felipe C. Abala

    Felipe C. Abala New Member

    If my interpretation is correct, your boss has something waiting for you in due time. He might have seen your potential to take greater responsibilities that would need knowledge/skills other than technical/engineering.

    Looking at some (if not all) professional engineering associations, they encourage their members to pursue management/business related programs (MBA, executive management training programs, etc.). For them, an engineer with management/business skills could be most effective in managing technology or technology-based enterprise.

    Myself as an IE & IT practitioner, I find it easy to manage my technical teams as well as undertand our business clients drawing knowledge/skills from my technical (engineering & IT)background and business knowledge derived from an MBA degree. I'm not an excellent manager, but could manage finances, personnel, operations, projects, and above all clients. Understanding customer's/client's need/requirement and responding to it is one of the keys to business success.

    If I where you, I'll take your boss' suggestion, unless you're thinking of becoming a professor someday (then take MS/MA in your field, and eventually PhD).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 17, 2006
  3. jeepnbeep

    jeepnbeep Member

    What schools are you considering?

    What factors do you look for in a school (i.e. flexibility, easy admission, time it takes to complete program, etc)?

    How is you G.P.A?

    Have you taken the GMAT?
     
  4. jeepnbeep

    jeepnbeep Member

  5. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    This is not a problem with the Heriot-Watt MBA. Their MBA is very flexible, and you can "Pay as you go" so you only have to pay for one course at a time. If you don't like it, you don't have to continue.

    Their website is www.ebsglobal.net
     
  6. Also, are there restrictions around how your company will reimburse tuition? Does the school need to be Regionally Accredited?
     
  7. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: My manager recommended an MBA

    Edowave:

    I am not sure if I converted the euros correctly, but my rough caculations are the following:

    Herriot-Watt MBA - 9 courses
    $970.50 plus $121.50 exam fee for each course
    total fees = $8,734.46
    Plus exam fees for 9 courses = $1,093.50
    Grand total = $9,827.96

    Is that about right?

    Abner
     
  8. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Whoa, no. Current Heriot-Watt rates are $1400 U.S. or 800 British pounds (about $1500 U.S. at current exchange), plus 100 British pounds per exam (about $190 U.S. at current exchange). The grand total, at the presently more amenable U.S. dollar rate, would be $14220 U.S.

    "EBS," their website notes, "subsidises the distance-learning course fees (but not the examination fee) in certain regions of the world to reflect local economic conditions, for example in sub-Saharan Africa, China, Vietnam and Indonesia."
     
  9. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    Boy, I was really off on that one. Thanks for the info.



    Abner
     
  10. Fortunato

    Fortunato Member

    With $10K reimbursement per year, I'd think you would be an excellent candidate for the University of Wyoming's online MBA program. It's a 30 credit hour program at $540 per credit, so it fits well within your budget, admission is somewhat competitive but not back-breakingly so (GMAT is optional, in fact), and the school has a solid reputation. Almost all the profs are active in either consulting or research, and you will be learning from the same folks as the on-campus daytime MBA and undergraduate business students. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you!

    UW Executive MBA
     
  11. x-ray beams

    x-ray beams New Member

    jeepnbeep: My GPA is a 3.3/4.0 and I have not taken the GMAT, nor have I done much research on this as this idea of going for an MBA just came up a couple days ago. I would like the program to be fully online, I can probably do a couple of visits to the university if needed. I want a solid program from an accredited university that will be covered w/ the $10K/year my company will provide. Is the GMAT required by most programs?

    edowave: Thanks for the link!

    guitarmark2000: The program must be taken at a regionally accredited college or university, other than that the approval is at the discretion of my manager.

    If you were in my position (BSEET in large corporation with $10K/year reimbursement w/ the only restriction that the university is RA), which online program would you choose?

    I'm aiming to have a decision by next week and get the process started. Thanks again and I really do appreciate the help.
     
  12. x-ray beams

    x-ray beams New Member

    This program does seem to fit my criteria. I will look into UW some more and would appreciate feedback on this program from others, thanks!
     
  13. Daniel Luechtefeld

    Daniel Luechtefeld New Member

    I've seen no reason for you to be concerned about this. Professional grad programs accept a wide variety of undergrad degrees. Provided your grades were decent, your EET degree shouldn't put you at a disadvantage relative to EE holders.

    Of course, some MBA programs require leveling courses/bridge programs for applicants lacking a background in accounting, economics, finance, statistics/business calculus, etc.

    Occasionally, in reviewing the prospecti of my investments, I'll look at the credentials of the fund managers. Of those who actually possess MBAs, I'd say about half of them have undergrad degrees in areas completely unrelated to banking or finance - history, poli sci, etc.
     
  14. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    It should not matter if you have a BSEET or a BSEE when looking at MBA programs, you could have a BA in Lit if you wanted. Since oyu have 10K per year, which is quite a bit, what are you looking for in a program? Easy of admission, name recognition, higher accreditation (AACSB), speed of program?

    You should know what you want before you start to look. There are hundreds of choices.
     
  15. Tim D

    Tim D Member

    What is your criteria...U of Wyoming is a solid program. If we knew your criteria, we could better recommend a suitable program.
     
  16. jimnagrom

    jimnagrom New Member

    NCU has an MBA, is regionally accredted and is a candidate for the AASBC. Grad tuition is $475 (less if you are military or retired military). Link is www.ncu.edu

    MBA Specializations include:

    Learners who complete at least 18 graduate semester credits in a single area of specialization at NCU (not counting fundamental courses) may elect to have the specialization recorded on their transcript and diploma.

    Applied Computer Science

    Business Quantitative Methods

    Computer and Information Security

    Criminal Justice

    Electronic Commerce

    Financial Management

    Health Care Administration

    Homeland Security

    Human Resources Management

    International Business

    Management

    Management Information Systems

    Management of Engineering and Technology

    Marketing

    Organizational Leadership

    Public Administration

    Sports Management and Leadership
     
  17. Tim D

    Tim D Member

    NorthCentral University is not or ever has been a AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)canididate. It is not even a member(you must be a member to go through the accreditation process).AACSB is considered the premier B-school accreditation.AACSB Member Institutions

    NorthCentral is however a candidate for ACBSP.[[url]http://www.acbsp.org/index.php?module=sthtml&op=load&sid=s1_001] The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs[/URL]
     
  18. jimnagrom

    jimnagrom New Member

    Yeah! Yeah! That's it :D
     
  19. PhD2B

    PhD2B Dazed and Confused

  20. x-ray beams

    x-ray beams New Member

    Tim, this idea of getting an MBA is really new to me. Other than what I've mentioned, what specific information do you need so that you can better recommend a program?
     

Share This Page