sample admission essay

Getting a Master’s Degree in Business Administration seems to be an “automatic requirement” for many people in the corporate world these days. But knowing how to determine the prestige of an MBA program and choosing where you want to get your degree takes some careful planning and decision-making on your part. Otherwise, you could just be holding a degree (an expensive one at that) that won’t open too many doors for you.

Program Types

You can choose an MBA program depending on your situation in life. Taking up a part-time master’s degree may be better for working professionals who are available only at night or weekends; or you make enroll in one that requires you to be a full-time student for two years on average, if you can dedicate two years to learning. Distance education is available, where the class doesn’t meet on a fixed basis and the learning pace depends on the student. If you’re a non-traditional student , your needs may also differ. Executive programs will be better suited for those managers who have been at their jobs and just want to master high-level skills and strategic management.

School Rankings

Among those schools that you could go to, determining the prestige of an MBA program that they offer is fairly easy. Go with schools that garner respect from others in your field, because it doesn’t matter if you have a master’s degree if it comes from some unknown school nobody even heard of. One way to determine the prestige of an MBA program is look at your school’s ranking among others in a list, like the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) . Top schools on this list are there for a reason, and that’s because they really do offer programs that have a “global” appeal.

However, if you’re looking at an MBA degree as mostly a way to get promoted within your current organization, then an MBA program that has local cache would probably do the job. Again, determining a degree’s value depends on your intended purpose for it.

MBA Faculty

Another thing that is essential in determining the prestige of an MBA program of a particular school is the credentials of the faculty teaching the course. Former/retired CEOs and distinguished authors will be excellent gauges on the quality of the program a school offers. That’s not to discount managers and other people, however, because they will have valuable hands-on experience that they can pass on to their students.

Successful Graduates

The alumni of an MBA program will also be able to help you choose a program that is right for you, and you can see how closely their experiences parallel with your goals for getting an MBA. The success that they’ve had in their field will also be an excellent gauge determining the prestige of an MBA program.

Company Preferences

If you’re eyeing a career with a particular company, look into their history of employment and see the experiences they’ve had with graduates from particular schools. Companies will have preferences when it comes to their choice graduates of a particular school because of the good experiences they’ve had with these individuals, or because their board members are all from the same institution. This can greatly influence your choice of school.

Career Management

An MBA program should have a career management aspect, and these functions should have input on what they have to offer for your career. This function should also include feedback from students who have completed their courses, to be used a way to constantly improve their curriculum according to the changing times. This aspect on how to determine the prestige of an MBA program will also help you define your choices more sharply, and see if what they have matches what you need from an MBA.

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