Category — Business Schools

Interested in business school? Looking for a school that will further your career? Not sure where to start or apply? Want to go to one of the premier top business schools in the world? Here’s a sampling of 10 of the best business schools around, both public and private, from around the United States.

Harvard Business School — Harvard University | Cambridge, Mass.
Choose from an MBA along with PhD programs in areas such as Accounting and Management, Health Policy Management, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, Technology and Operations Management and more. Learn more at http://www.hbs.edu.

Wharton School — University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Penn.
Choose from a standard MBA or an Executive MBA. Wharton also offers an MBA/MA program in Global Business with advanced language training. Learn more at http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba.

Chicago Graduate School of Business — University of Chicago | Chicago, Ill.
Choose from a full-time MBA, night and weekend MBA, or an Executive MBA. Chicago Graduate School of Business also offers a PhD program along with executive education and the Summer Business Scholars Program. Learn more at http://www.chicagogsb.edu.

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Guest article by Hans Christianson

It’s your first day on the job. You have mad skills. You’re armed with the latest technology. And you’re dressed to impress — clad in jeans, an unbuttoned shirt and crocs. Sound too good to be true? It’s not, if you have an Master of Business Administration in Digital Media.

The MBA in Digital Media is your all-access past to the entertainment world. Film, music, gaming, television and interactive media — you name it. You’ll build a solid foundation in business theory and concepts. And you’ll also take your education outside the classroom with internships, projects and industry events.

Learn to Speak Their Language
You have the latest idea. It’s going to revolutionize how movies are distributed. Or it’s going to save the ailing recording industry. If you could only get someone to take you seriously. That’s where the MBA in Digital Media comes into play. You’ll learn how to speak the language of business. You’ll be able to join in the conversation.

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Guest article by Lela Davidson

Considering an online MBA? Six-figure living may be mere months away, but before you check out the overwhelming number of offerings, get clear on your motivations. Start by asking yourself these questions:

1. Don’t I have something better to do?
Unless you’re after a position in an MBA-mandatory field, like investment banking, you’d better have a good reason. Articulating your motive will help you maintain momentum throughout the program. Plus, employers when ask, to make more money is not your best answer. Will an online MBA really increase your income? Or would you do better with a strategy of on-the-job advancement? Do your homework before signing up for more homework.

2. Who am I trying to impress?
All MBAs are not equal. You won’t land a job on Wall Street with online cred. However, if you lack hard skills like financial analysis, chances are good the online MBA will hold your spot on the executive track. Consider only accredited schools. Then look at reputation. There’s a huge difference between a traditional school like Texas A&M that also teaches online and proprietary, or for-profit schools. Phoenix and Capella may provide a comparable education, but B-School is all about branding. Then again, for non-business undergrads, a less prestigious MBA, paired with work experience, is often enough.

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With so much talk about the looming recession and challenges ahead, getting a business degree or MBA might not be on your mind right now. Not to mention the hype about billionaire high school and college dropouts like Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the controversial Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. You might be wondering if it is still worthwhile to devote your limited resources, time and energy to a business school.

Sadly, there are a lot of misconceptions about business schools and their impact to your personal and professional life. Below are the major reasons why you should consider attending a business school now:

1. Finish just in time for economic recovery. Many will find this insight strange but if you look closely you will understand its logic. In fact, it is erroneous to assume that business education follows the economic cycle. On the contrary, it is counter-cyclical. According to the Financial Times:
   

   When economic conditions are favorable, potential students may worry that if they return to school, the economy may have turned down by the time they try to return to the job market.

   Instead many students aim to start their course close to the onset of a downturn, hoping their graduation will coincide with renewed growth. This is why applications tend to increase when future prospects worsen.

2. Edge over competition. Expect the job market to be more competitive as the recession continues. Naturally, employers will be more selective in hiring new employees for they want to maximize their limited resources. Sorry to say they will not go for average Joes. Instead, they will be keen on employees with either extensive work experience or superior education background. This is where a business degree comes very handy. Even if the economy is good, your business degree or MBA will give you an unfair advantage for faster career advancement.

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If you’re headed towards business school, you already know it can be expensive. The Sallie Mae also just announced that they will no longer give private loans to students who have low (below-prime) credit scores. These days, with credit cards being sent to dogs (really), it’s not hard to fall to the temptation of easy credit at some point and then find negative marks on your credit report. You’ll have to rebuild your credit, but what do you do in the meantime, especially if you’re already in school or have been accepted?

Here are some tips for alternate ways to fund your business school degree that won’t leave you scared of debt when you graduate.

1. Loan from family. Money from family/ friends is often easier to gain than from other sources. The typical downside is that unresolved money issues often divide families. You could make things more official by having loan papers drafted, which include a clause that you pay some sort of percentage return. So your loaners get something in return for their investment in you. On the other hand, if you’re undisciplined in paying off debt, this is a bad idea. So, then, is going to business school.
2. Awards. Many schools offer awards to students with top marks. Check your college’s website for awards, scholarships, grants, etc., then check with your college counsellor. Don’t forget that in the United States, there often really obscure grants/ scholarships that have the oddest acceptance criteria, but which you might qualify for. The downside is trying to find such awards.
3. Government or military assistance. This falls into a vein similar to awards, but funding comes from the government or the military, rather than schools or private organizations. The downside is that to qualify, you often have to be in a “minority” group, such as a veteran, disabled, single parent, etc.
4. Work part-time. Many students have worked their way through college. It’s quite a common practice. But if your marks are high, you might even land a department job as an assistant to a professor. This does not always pay more than some outside job, but it’s very good to have on your resume. The downside is that some departments only let full-time students work 10-20 hours. You have to weigh out the pros and cons. [Read more →]