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.