Decide for Yourself: Is an MBA Worth It

Is an MBA worth it? According to Mehta, the greatest benefit of an MBA degree is the relationships students forge with their classmates and faculty.

Nirav Mehta is the associate director for MBA admissions at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, says

“The MBA degree’s real value comes from membership in a lifelong learning community. It access to the alumni network,” Mehta wrote in an email. “The overall network serves (as) an active source of personal and professional support. The connections that one makes through the MBA program can be life-changing. These relationships help to facilitate career transitions long after graduation.”

Is an MBA Worth It. What Classes Are Included in an MBA

An MBA typically includes courses in accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behavior, economics, management and business ethics.

The breadth of the MBA curriculum is something that James Reeves – a consultant who advises companies on how to confront environmental, social or governance challenges – says he appreciated his MBA experience at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He says the MBA program he completed in 2013 offered him exposure to multiple aspects of business and didn’t pigeonhole him into a specific career track.

Reeves adds that someone who wants to become a subject matter expert may be frustrated by the fact that an MBA covers so much material, but the variety of courses was a selling point for him. He says his MBA provided a big-picture understanding of business and is useful as he consults with CEOs, the C-suite and members of boards of directors.

Horan says that a top-notch MBA program will not only offer theoretical lessons in how business works, but also experiential learning opportunities where students do meaningful business projects for actual companies.

Horan is a brand strategist who earned her MBA at NYU. She says that during her MBA program she worked on a marketing campaign for a chocolate company. It needed to increase sales during the slow summer months. She says such projects help MBA students gain real-world skills.