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Is an online MBA the right choice?

ABMD

Bullets don't fly without Supply
Having done the online MBA from a top 40 business school and subsequently interviewed with a range of companies and recruiters, the feedback I got was:
1. None cared that it was online.
2. The "better" the business school the more it's worth your time. The piece of paper with Harvard on it yields better results than Liberty.
3. The network gained is significant and can be very regional, plan accordingly. (I.e. if you want to work in the northeast corridor, an MBA from USD is less helpful than say, Penn State).
4. More current is better than less current. I.e. If you get one now, you may be transitioning to civlife 10+ years from now.

My own opinion:
- If you are serious about either, I'd pursue that down the road where the knowledge and network are more current, and you can better focus your studies towards your desired end-state and career field.
- In residence > Online, in terms of experience and networking. I'd try to find the best good deal out there that gets you in residence.
- Unless you are certain you're staying in 20, I'd avoid the NPS MBA and go to a non-DOD business school.


Everything mentioned above. Your best bet is to finish your Navy career THEN pursue an in-resident MBA. There is an LT in my unit that after AD affiliated with SELRES and using the GI bill to pay for school. From what he told me he also gets a housing allowance? Also, I agree with the MSF (Master of Science in Finance) route, that's what I did.
 

ABMD

Bullets don't fly without Supply
As a sidenote, as a previous manager in the Financial sector involved in the hiring process, I'd be wary of the Masters of Finance. A lot of schools treat this program as a high-margin, quick turnover program to bring in and spit out more tuition dollars. Employers in the private sector don't give a lot of credit for this unless the role is SPECIFICALLY for financial analysis - would not look at that Masters as 'MBA Lite.'

If you want to work in Finance (I-Banking, Asset Management, Corp Dev, etc) and have interest in getting a CFA I think the MSF is the better degree. You can focus on Finance specific courses and avoid all the Operations-like stuff and many of the courses, at least for me, were prep for the CFA. After getting my MSF and starting a family I had no desire to attempt the CFA.
 

Notanaviator

Well-Known Member
Contributor
If you want to work in Finance (I-Banking, Asset Management, Corp Dev, etc) and have interest in getting a CFA I think the MSF is the better degree. You can focus on Finance specific courses and avoid all the Operations-like stuff and many of the courses, at least for me, were prep for the CFA. After getting my MSF and starting a family I had no desire to attempt the CFA.

Yep concur. Especially if you’re wanting to do the CFA track.
 

LAMPS Ninja

I love LAMPS?
pilot
For those in the crowd with a family to support that can’t just stop working for 1-2 years during grad school, don’t worry about your internet MBA being viewed differently. An interviewer may piece together that you didn’t live near your school, but they’ll probably also notice that you worked full-time while completing grad school. It shouldn’t determine whether or not you get the job; that’s why there’s more to the interview.

I did the UF internet program while I was stationed elsewhere (to include a land-based deployment), and I am 100% certain that I’m in a better place now than I’d be if I’d waited until I left active duty to start it (graduated 2 yrs before leaving AD). Not only do I think it helped me get an interview I otherwise might not have gotten, I know for a fact that my civilian employer pays me from a higher pay table because of it, and they gave me a sign-on bonus because it was already done. To hiring managers and HR departments, a degree can mean more than just the academic curriculum. It shows that you took initiative to do something beyond your expectations at work, and more importantly, it shows that they can take a chance on you with a reasonable probability that you’ll work out. As somebody whose Navy experience is difficult to translate to much in the corporate world (not too many ships or aircraft out here), a grad degree is common language that is already translated to real world qualifications.

Long story short, if you have the time, means & resume/GMAT score to do an in-residence program at a top 10 business school, do it. If you want to be able to dive right in immediately upon transitioning to civilian life, a part-time program shouldn’t be overlooked. Do it while you’re on shore duty prior to getting out. Many schools offer both, and I haven’t heard of anybody’s diploma mentioning the words “internet” or “distance learning”.
 

Sam I am

Average looking, not a farmer.
pilot
Contributor
LAMPS Ninja, you're actually getting paid more because you're a Gator and not just another educated idiot from Duke. Just sayin'.
 

The Stork

Banned
Want to know a secret? You can goto harvard without a 5.0GPA, high SAT score, and 200 hours of volunteer work. https://www.extension.harvard.edu/
I bet you could make babies smile with that degree.

harvard-university-18.jpeg
 
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