What do you think I should do about getting my MBA degree in grad. school?
Hi all! I just turned 29 years old and I really would like to earn my MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree. I could go back to my former college, beautiful Frostburg State University (FSU, here in Maryland), which is where I earned my Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and get my MBA in two years time there. However, I'm now at an age to where moving back into an on-campus dorm doesn't really appeal to me anymore. Living at school for college/grad. school is really designed for 18 - 24 years old. I lived in a dorm from 26 - 28 years old and I had a great time, made lots of friends and all. I really love to socialize and partying with people (especially with younger single girls-hahaha), but I just think I'd feel very awkward living in a dorm from 29 - 31 years old the next time around. However, I could also enroll in the University of Phoenix's (UOP) MBA program. I just don't want people to think that I got my MBA degree "online" because I don't ever want to do that. As it turns out, they offer both online and traditional in-the-classroom courses, which I think is very cool. The class requirements to graduate are also very similar to FSU's MBA program. If I go the UOP route, I can work full-time and make some good money, live at home, pay for no housing costs, pay for no campus meal plan, and I could also work too. I really wanted to go back to FSU to get my MBA but, given my current circumstances, I think the UOP route would be the best way for me to go. If I was 22 years again, I'd go back to FSU for my MBA in a heartbeat. I'm single, never been married, and I don't have any kids. With all this information, what do you think I should do about getting my MBA degree in grad. school? I really have no one to talk to about this for advice. Any responses would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Notwithstanding its in-class courses, UOP is an on-line university. Your degree from a real brick-and-mortar university will be much more highly regarded. Go to FSU. If you don’t want to live in dorm (few graduate students do) then get accomodation off-campus.
Go eat a tangerine!
I’d say go to FSU as in The Florida State University. You said your single, the social life is amazing. The school ranks in the top 25 MBA programs and has a 90 something percent job placement within 6 months. Housing is extremely affordable (off campus). For example I live in a 2 floor townhouse with 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, full kitchen, living room, dining room and pay $900 a month in rent. A lot of grad students have aids to split houses and townhouses so you can pay is low as $300 a month at some places. Especially the market with the way it is there are numerous steals in the area.
If you want to work while going to school, go to the University of Phoenix.
And about the guy who said 90% have jobs within 6 months. That is not true, not putting down FSU at all, but only 90% report to have jobs. About 50% don’t actually report back. Which basically means they don’t have jobs, or they don’t have jobs in the related field.
Same goes to any school.
Do a little research first. What sorts of careers are you hoping for after graduation? Talk to the HR departments of a few of those employers and ask how they regard on-line degrees vs brick and mortar schools that you attend. If the consensus is that it doesn’t matter where the degree is from (unlikely,) then you are good to go.
The whole reason brick and mortar schools are rated in top 10 best or top 50 best, is that they are the best rated on criteria such as the quality of the instructors and the hire rate of graduates. You never see on-line schools on these lists.
Back to the nuts and bolts issues, if you go back to the Maryland school, it should be easy to find an off-campus apartment and just as easy to find another grad student to share expenses. You should be able to work at least part time. (Most MBA programs offer night and weekend classes for working professionals.)
You need to get the best education you can afford and the one most likely to help you get the career you want.
(PS. If you do decide to live at home, then you are old enough to chip in with household expenses to your folks. They may not have said anything, but no parent plans to support a 30 year old child, and at some point, they need to be saving money for retirement.)