Archive for February 11th, 2012

February 11th, 2012

8 Things to Ask Yourself Before You Sign Up for an Executive MBA Degree

Identify eight things to ask yourself to determine whether you are ready to commit to an executive MBA degree.

Executive MBA students are expected to be extremely committed and driven individuals.  An EBMA course puts a lot of strain on its students, not to mention on their immediate family members and friends.  Hence, it is important to ask yourself the following questions before you sign up with any school for the next semester.

Do you have a stable support system? An EMBA course, on top of your daily routine, can drain you physically, emotionally and spiritually.  It is important that you have the complete support of your family, friends and colleagues to help you out in whatever way they can.

Do you have at least five years work experience? Most executive MBA schools require a minimum acceptance requirement of five years work experience although some programs might require less.  If you don’t, you might want to look into a conventional MBA degree instead or wait a couple of more years and gain that all-important work experience.

Do you have good time management skills? Executive MBA programs allow students to go about their daily management duties while studying part-time on weekends or evenings. It would be advantageous if you can strike a balance between work and study.

Do you have a thirst for knowledge? Due to the intensive nature of an EMBA program, you will often find yourself a victim of information overload. You need to have the ability to focus during class discussions so you can immediately practice its application at work the following week.

Are you eyeing a career in management? Don’t let an EMBA be your default move if you are experiencing any career difficulties. Executive MBA programs are way too expensive and stressful to be put to waste if a career in management is not really what you want.

Are you looking to create business and personal connections? The key to a successful business are good networks of connections so do not turn down any opportunity to meet new people. Executive MBA courses provide you with the benefit of studying together with students from all over the world encouraging the development of personal and professional relationships.

Are you willing to make the financial investment? It’s a reality you have to face that advanced degrees are very expensive, add to that transportation costs and other miscellaneous expenses you need to deal with. Although you might be burdened with expensive student loans, the rewards will be potentially lucrative.

Are you committed to yourself and your company? The EMBA is not only your burden to bear but it’s a shared endeavor between you and your company. If you can’t make the commitment to yourself, do not waste your time or your company’s resources.

Signing up for an executive MBA course might be the best career move you could make for yourself. You’ll be able to move up the ladder or make the transition to management from a more technical role.  Moreover, you gain the essential skills needed to help you in your entrepreneurial and life goals even after you leave the corporate world.

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February 11th, 2012

Levels of Online MBA Admission Requirements

Get to know the spectrum of online MBA admission processes and how it affects prospective students.

Simply put, some online MBA admission requirements are stricter and more competitive than others. It is generally your responsibility to find out the requirements and decide whether the chances of being accepted at any institution are worth the effort.  Besides, you do not want to waste your time and effort going through demanding paperwork only to realize you are not accepted.

What are the online degree MBA admission requirements? Before going into the specifics, you have to know that there are three levels of admission processes – low, medium and high standards. It is best to study the admission requirements of every online school you are interested in and how these could affect your future career.

Online MBA schools with low admission requirements accept about any applicant so long as the applicant has a bachelor’s degree.  On the other hand, schools with medium admission requirements still have a high percentage of applicants that get accepted but applicants have to pass more hoops to meet the requirements. Compared to ‘median’ programs, schools with high admission requirements are definitely more selective, requiring applicants with a longer list of specific requirements.

Among the for-profit schools with low admission requirements are University of Phoenix, Jones International and Capella University. These three schools do not require interested students to take the GMAT nor do they oblige applicants to have much more than a bachelor’s degree to be accepted. However, while these schools do not require GMAT scores, some schools require all new online MBA students to earn one-credit MBA introductory courses.

In terms of undergraduate degree requirements, these schools stipulate that prospective students’ official transcripts should specify a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Seemingly, these schools all have requirements that give applicants a very likely chance of being accepted. However, the truth is, their online programs are not any easier than those MBA degree programs with more stringent requirements.

Online schools with median admission requirements often specify that students should take the GMAT but do not stipulate a specific score to be achieved. They also require a number of years of work experience and other general requirements such as an essay, an interview, recommendation and resume. Some schools that belong to this category include Florida State University, University of Massachusetts, Portland State University and Regis University.

Schools with high admission requirements have very similar requirements with the difference that their admission requirements are more detailed. To translate, you need to jump through several hoops to be accepted. Some schools with more stringent requirements are the University of Florida, Indiana University and Penn State World Campus (these schools have some of the highest tuition costs).

Applicants are evaluated individually. Some special considerations are given to professional experience and achievements, as well as the potential for career growth and advancement. Other considerations include academic success and verbal skills evident in the application essay and admission interview.

In general, many online MBA schools with high admission requirements offer lock-step cohort programs that only accept a specified number of students each term. The program administrators serve as gatekeepers who counsel applicants on their chances of being accepted before they go through the whole admissions process. However, whether the school has high or medium admission requirements, it all depends on the school.

Nowadays, many MBA students are searching for programs that allow them to keep their jobs while earning their graduate business degrees. As employers and students become more aware of the availability of quality online MBA programs, the competition could be tougher for being accepted to ‘high’ or ‘median’ schools. Also, it could mean that schools with low admission requirements will continue to have an increase in the number of applicants.

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