To MBA or Not to MBA?: A Frequently Asked Question

As the director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Communication at Southern Illinois University and professional career coach, students and other professionals frequently ask me about graduate school.

I will write another post in the future about graduate school in general with focus on the costs and benefits of continuing education.

In this post, I want to look at the Masters of Business Administration, or MBA. Because I teach business communication, many students I know are considering this as one of their post-undergrad options. I am not necessarily in favor of this degree nor am I opposed to it.

As with any decision, it should be made be considering the cost, benefits, and alternatives. Therefore, I have pulled together some of my favorite sources of information on the perennial debate: "To MBA, or not to MBA."  

The Debate

There is a debate in Entrepreneur magazine between Thomas Robertson, the dean of Wharton School, and Henry Mintzberg, professor at McGill University.

• Is an MBA Still Necessary?

The MBA has been on the decline and most programs are shifting to only offering the degree online.

• The Demise of the Full-Time MBA - Forbes

There are a lot of certification programs and online alternatives worth considering. If the goal is to have and show to others that you have the right knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), there are many ways to do that these days.

• Affordable MBA through University of Illinois on Coursera >> iMBA
• altMBA by Seth Godin
• Example of certifications demonstrating appropriate KSAs: Project Management Professional (PMP), SHRM Certification

Desire 1-on-1 Consultation?

If you are a current student in the Department of Communication Studies at SIUC, you can book an appointment and meet with me for free. Otherwise, I am happy to discuss my services and prices with others.

Students >> Book Online

Professionals >> Contact me

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