The Advantages & Disadvantages of an MBA

Some students choose to pursue an area of study further after graduation from college and move on to earn a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). When deciding if earning an MBA is the right route, a student must weigh out the advantages and disadvantages to decide whether pursuing an MBA is the right move for his future.

Career Advancement

Graduates who have earned an MBA have the clear advantage when being considered for career advancement opportunities in their jobs. This degree allows the student to get a good job after graduation as well as accelerating the time it takes to advance and earn pay increases. Graduates with an MBA also are more likely to reach the top jobs in major corporations. This degree will allow the student to appeal more to those companies with which she will interview with after graduation.

Flexibility

An MBA is not a degree that is specific to just one industry or area of study; it is a general business degree that helps students to gain a better understanding of the business world in any field. People with this degree are trained to hold managerial jobs in large corporations or start and run their own business. The degree teaches managerial skills as well as the inner workings of any successful business. All of these skills make students an appealing candidate for potential employers.

Recession-Proof

As industries grow and change, some jobs become obsolete or the demand for workers decreases while other jobs increase in demand. An MBA is a degree that will always be useful for positions in many different fields, offering job security to students who choose to pursue it. Businesses will always want managers and other office workers who know how business works and are able to effectively use their skills to make the business successful, especially when there is an economic downturn.

Cost

One of the biggest disadvantages of pursing an MBA is the cost associated with the degree. Some students have already taken out student loans or paid large amounts of money to earn a bachelor's degree. These students may not be able to borrow more or may be out of resources to pay for any further education. They could enter the workforce and earn their MBA as they work, but this will take longer, and if the MBA will not positively impact the career they are choosing, it will be money wasted.

Distance Learning

Some MBA programs are offered online or through other distance learning programs. These programs, while convenient and flexible for students, do not offer the networking and face-to-face contact that is crucial for earning and using an MBA. The business world is built on networking and being able to deal with people in person. Online distance learning often operates through email, chat rooms and podcasts. These elements are also useful to the MBA student, but do not offer personal interaction. For some students, the lack of networking and face-to-face contact does not hurt their opportunities, but others need this personal contact to develop their skills.