Is Part-time MBA Program Worth It?
Any resume that mentions the attainment of an MBA feels a little bit more weighty. If you’re looking to begin a career in the corporate world, this precious academic qualification will make potential employers take your application more seriously.
If you’re no longer a full-time student, a part-time MBA program will be your best bet for obtaining this qualification. In this way, you can attend your lectures during after-work hours or on the weekend. Some learning institutions offer students programs to do some of their classes online.
The fact that you will not be in class for only two hours a day or four hours a week means you will take longer than a full-time student to complete your MBA. Whereas a full-time student can be done in a year, you could take up to three years to complete the course as a part-time student.
Even so, students will find that the MBA is worth it, as the three years will fly by very fast.
Fast Track an MBA
If you would rather not take that long, you have the option of fast-tracking your MBA program. There are a number of ways you can do this. You can take more than the minimum number of units in a semester. Before you begin your course, you can confer with an advisor who will give you pointers on how best to compress your learning time.
While there are undeniable benefits to being done with your MBA in the shortest possible time, there are a few drawbacks.
Finishing your MBA early means you have more time to engage in other pursuits. However, it also means you will need to begin repaying your student loan earlier.
Pouring any spare moment into your fast-tracked MBA program, you may soon find that you are devoid of social life. With your weekends fully booked with classes and assignments, you may not have time to attend weddings or engage in social activities. If you don’t have time for significant life events, you likely won’t have time for campus co-curricular activities.
The fact that you will have less time to complete all the course requirements will mean you have a heavier workload. Having a heavier workload and limited time to study will increase your chances of failing. But there are ways to mitigate the chances of this occurring.
One of them is preparing yourself well for any tests you will face. This should begin with the gmat test prep that you need when enrolling for your MBA. This test has four sections, each testing a different part of your academic aptitude. Without adequate preparation, one can quickly fail this costly test.
After making it into your desired business school, whatever test prepping you used will be required even more. It is wise to adopt active learning techniques in this effort instead of simply cramming information into your head to pass exams.
Full Time or Part-time?
Studying your MBA part-time is about the only way to do so if you’re a busy professional on a 9-to-5 schedule. It allows you to boost your academic profile without sacrificing the attainment of solid work experience.
Several employers even sponsor employees looking to develop themselves during their spare time. Arguably, part-time students who are working professionals will be keener on the MBA course content as they will have more immediate opportunities to apply it practically.
You may also be keen on a part-time MBA as you can see directly how it can improve your chances of promotion at work. An MBA may also position a part-time student for managerial positions in other organizations. If you’re hoping to make a career switch, an MBA may be the springboard you need.
The only downside of doing your MBA as a part-time student is the time it will take you to complete compared to full-time. A focused full-time MBA student will ordinarily take less than two years to complete the course. A part-time student will take twice as long depending on the lecture hours they’re taking and how quickly they work on their project.
Opportunity Knocks
Part-time MBA programs are an excellent opportunity for professionals to bridge a knowledge gap their current role requires or prepare themselves for a managerial role.
That MBA could present a window of opportunity for you to grab that long-awaited promotion. It could also be the stepping-stone for you to move on to greater things with a different organization.
