U.Buffalo Mini MBA

Hello,
I am thinking of taking this program as a warmup to the a full MBA program.
http://mgt.buffalo.edu/executive/ommba
This program cost $795.00 and a School of Management Mini MBA certificate is awarded upon completion.

I'd like to have your input:
Did anybody take this program before? if yes how was it?
How will it look on a resume?
Are there any similarly priced programs(or less than 3k)with better name recognition?
Please let me know.
Tthank you much

 

$795 for a 8-1/2 hour program with no-credit; In my opinion a better use of your money would be to sign up and start your first MBA class (then you can state on your resume that you are in an MBA.

 

This is a non-credit-bearing program, so anyone can enroll. It would be similar to taking some kind of personal enrichment program through a university extension program. I don't think it would carry much weight in the business world.

Why waste time and money on a program like this? If you are interested in an MBA, but aren't sure you want to commit to a full program, it would be better to enlist in a credit-bearing certificate program which can be transferred to a full MBA program at a later time.

 

Hi Pilot - I think that Ian and Terry have made some good points. Here's a certificate program that might serve you better

http://www.umassonline.net/degrees/CertFoundationsBusiness.html

It costs more but actually gives you credits toward an MBA = meaningfull.
I'm sure there are other such certs around, maybe less expensive.

 

Not to provoke any NA vs. RA debate here, but $800 will get you almost 1/2 way to a real MBA from Andrew Jackson University which may not be as useful as say an MBA from UMass, will certainly be better than a certificate.

 

Although I'm not sure I could pass muster with the quantitative and accounting courses, this is actually a possibility I'm considering. You can't beat the price, and an MBA will certainly look good on the resume!

 

I did the Tulane MBA stuff (www.tulaneu.com) many years ago to see if an MBA was for me. It was a good approach and will let you know where your strengths and weaknesses are. The Tulane stuff was much more expensive, so this looks like a good deal. (They have also changed the name of the Tulane stuff so it isn’t MBA~ish anymore, it used to be an MBA certificate and an Advanced MBA certificate).

Does a mini-MBA carry any weight in the business world? Probably not very much, but it would certainly break a tie all other things equal.

This looks like a safe way to see where you are at.

 

I'd have to agree with the others that if you want to do a full MBA in the next 3 years or so, then go with a certificate program that grants credit hours. If you don't think that will happen, though, then this program is a good choice. UB is a very good school, being the largest of the SUNY system, and having some business training will generally be viewed positively by hiring managers. Of course, it doesn't match a full MBA, but it does give you some additional level of credibility (when compared to nothing).

The fact that it's from UB and not an online-only school is a benefit.

 

I have just completed the Mini MBA at U of Buffalo I liked the delivery, content, format and price.
I am wondering which value it would have in the Job Market as well as the best way to present it in my resume.
You are input is greatly appreciated.
Best regards

 

No offense but are you trying to get us say that you did the right thing by taking the mini-MBA? Please read some of the earlier comments in this thread that responded to your original post. It's not going to carry much weight in the business world. It's not an MBA nor have you started working on one. I'd list it under continuing education or something like that. I don't think it's going to have any real value in the job market. Sorry.

 

Thanks for your input!
All opinions are greatly appreciated....
Friendly advice: avoid the anger it's not good for your health

 

friendly advice to pilot: it didn't seem angry to me. if all you're looking for is approval then you could stay home and talk to yourself. if you step out into the world and ask a question then you should be prepared to get all manner of answers. beyond all that i hope you're doing well and that your efforts push you toward your goals.

 

Thank you for you input; but frankly, I am asking a real question here, Mini MBAs are popping all over the internet and are offered by highly respected business schools; then obviously there must be a demand and a market for it; here is an example
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/rutgers_minimba_program_draws.html

Far from me to compare it to real MBA this not at all what I what I was trying to convey.

That being said I still would like to get people"s input on the value of these certificates in the business world....
Thank you much
Pilot

 

thanks for your reply but frankly, i'm giving a real answer here. there's no such animal as a mini-mba. it's a misnomer. if you want to call it a grad-cert or something else that's fine but the term minimba suggests something that's not true. these "programs" are not even close to being mba programs. i might let you get away with micromba but let's be serious, the term is a marketing ploy, not even close to reality. if you think it has value then that's great, but let's not make it more than it really is. want to make me a believer? want to push your point forward? show us the top 50 "mini-mba" programs in the country.

 

I'm very familiar with the Rutgers "mini-MBA". They are basically professional development courses that Rutgers re-branded. A mini-MBA is equal to about 3 graduate credits if you take a final exam(in the Rutgers program.)

What does 'the business world' think of them? About the same as any other professional development course from the same school, I guess. Doesn't hurt expand ones knowledge. However, I have heard some hiring managers with 'real' MBAs laugh at the term "mini-MBA." (One even saying "Do they give you a mini-diploma too?")

 

That's funny. I have the Tulane Mater Certificate in business management, and the accompanying 6 grad (or 9 UD undergrad) credits that ACE recommends for it. I liked the program, and I would encourage anyone who is unsure if business study is right for them, or who would like to engage in some business study but not ready for a full grad program to look seriously at these offerings from the big name business schools. Regardless of what others have said on this thread, it cannot hurt you.

The Tulane program helped me gain the confidence that I needed to enroll in an MBA program. No harm in that. The name of the program, whether "mini-MBA" or "Master Certificate" is not up to you, the student, but to the issuing school, so thrashing around about what's deceptive and what isn't is not a problem for you, the student, but for the University of Buffalo or Rutgers or any one of the dozens of schools who offer these programs. Of course,each of these business schools are more credible than the posters on this thread, myself included. Make of that what you will.

The other question was where to put such a credential on a resume? I list mine under "Training and Certifications" along with my other professional and technical certfications and registsries.

Good Luck!

 

If the school does not award academic credit for the certificate then it should not be listed on a resume under an Education or Academic heading. Perhaps Other Training, Continued Training, etc... would work.

I work with folks who continual list a "Masters" in Project Management on their resume when it fact it is a certificate with no academic credit. While the name of the program is not up to you, you are responsible for accurate presentation on a resume.

Hiring officials will make a distinction.

ACE recommendations are just that. Until the classes have been accepted and transcripted in an academic program the classes remain non-academic. I have many hours of continuing education that have ACE recommended undergraduate and graduate credit. I still list these as continuing education since they have not been transcripted in a degree program

I am, however, a big advocate of any continued education and have to agree that the certificate program may be a good way to sample the waters without penalty. If an individual should take academic classes and fail then these could become a burden later on.

 

And what is a mini-MBA?

 

It looks like we agree 100%

 

A professional development/executive education/continuing education program that is undoubtedly a cash-cow for Business programs all over the country.

The more I look at them, the more I think that they are a wonderful idea. Good for students looking for this kind of course, good for businesses looking to develop business skills in their organizations, good for the programs that collect fees with very little overhead and good because names like "mini-MBA" and "Master Certificate" clearly indicate to hiring managers that these are not academic credentials.

What's bad about any of this?