Category — Online Degrees

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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