Law Degree Losing Its Luster?

[Mevara]

It seems like currently the thing to do is get a MBA. I have tons of friends who are doing/did it.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by Mevara

It seems like currently the thing to do is get a MBA. I have tons of friends who are doing/did it.

Yea, I'll be going after mine soon. The MBA is "the new BBA," so it's becoming more of necessary degree than an "enrichment" one.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

Yea, I'll be going after mine soon. The MBA is "the new BBA," so it's becoming more of necessary degree than an "enrichment" one.

Have you come across graduates of online MBAs applying for jobs, and how they're perceived?

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Have you come across graduates of online MBAs applying for jobs, and how they're perceived?

It depends.

There are a few programs that are completely online (or 1-2 weeks on campus, and the rest online) that are awarded the same degree as the brick-and-mortar programs (ex. your MBA doesn't say iMBA or Onlien MBA). Those seem to be faring well.

The Devrys and UoPs of the world, though, still don't get much respect, from what I've seen.

ETA: At this point in my career, I'm probably more suited for a Professional MBA. For those, I've noticed people working while earning the degree, doing internships, and transitioning into an updated role post-graduation. Those who go straight through (ex. 5 year BBA/MBA) seem to have the same issues as BBA-only grads.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Have you come across graduates of online MBAs applying for jobs, and how they're perceived?

The problem with the MBA is that it is a generalist degree. In most programs, you have a class or two on each topic; lots of breadth, no depth. I think this general curriculum is useful for people with non-business degrees, because we learn a bit about finance, accounting, econ, etc., that we perhaps haven't had before. In fact, nearly everyone in my program was a scientist, engineer, or IT person of some sort, because of its location near lots of related businesses. Most of them were people who wanted to go from IT guy to IT manager or researcher to research manager or what have you. For these people, the actual program is far less important than just having the letters.

For someone with a BBA, they need to think a lot more about what they want to get out of an MBA, and really look for a program that specializes in that thing. Many schools offer the MBA with some sort of concentration, but you should still have a good idea of why you want the MBA and not the Masters in Finance, Masters in Econ, etc.

So, I happen to live in a city that has quite a few programs of both types; some are a good fit for general managers, others let you concentrate on one area of the business. The part-time programs are structured specifically for working adults, in both their scheduling and their curriculum. If, with all these choices, someone decided to do a DeVry or a Kaplan online, it definitely raises an eyebrow. For a hiring manager, it may not be a disqualifier, but it is certainly something to ask more about.