Is an Online MBA Useful?

There are probably more online MBA programs than any other type of degree. There are a couple of reasons for this, there is a huge demand for them and they make a lot of money for the schools. There are however serious questions about whether or not an online MBA is worth the time and money that you have to invest to get one.

There was a time when an MBA was a guaranteed ticket into management, those days are long gone. There are now so many people who have them that there is now intense competition for management jobs. The result is that more and more people are pursuing an MBA so that they can join the competitions. Many of these people are choosing to do theirs online which may not be the best option.

The problem with an online MBA is that in most cases they will not make you as competitive as the other applicants who have one. It is already very competitive for graduates with those from Ivy League schools for example being much more likely to get good jobs than those from state universities. In most cases people with an online MBA will be even less competitive than the state university graduates.

Does this mean that you should not get an online MBA? Well not necessarily. There are times when it does make sense to get one. For example if you are already employed in a job that is likely to lead to a management position and require the MBA to move up it may make sense as there will not be nearly as much competition.

It might also make sense to pursue an online MBA if that is the only option that you have. You may not be as competitive as graduates of traditional programs but you will obviously be more competitive than somebody who has no MBA at all. Just keep in mind if you are going to go this route you are going to have to bring more to the table than just your degree if you want to get a good job, relevant experience will be particularly useful.

One last thing to keep in mind about getting online MBA is to make sure that you not spend too much money to get one. There are programs that cost more than a Harvard MBA and lead to a degree that nobody takes seriously, this is a huge waste of money. Your best bet if you are going to pursue an online MBA is to get one through your local state university. Remember with an online degree the reputation of the school is not likely to help you so choose the one that gets you a degree for the least amount of cost, there is no value to paying for a name.