A Masters in Business Administration, or an MBA as it is more commonly known, is an advanced business degree that can be earned by students who have already earned a bachelor's degree in business or another field. MBA degree holders are attractive to employers for their ability to address uncertainty, solve problems and think critically. Earning an MBA may lead to a higher salary, a position in management, and marketability in an ever-evolving job market.
Why Get an MBA?
If you majored in business, math, political science or journalism, an MBA may bolster your career by developing sound management skills. In addition to finance, business and marketing disciplines, the NCU MBA program teaches you to see things from a management perspective, including how to deftly identify problems on a company-wide level and how to make effective decisions. What company wouldn’t be interested in someone equipped with such skills? Your MBA may open the door to a variety of careers such as jobs in accounting, marketing, technology, international business, healthcare, law, education, and engineering.
A recent study of MBA salaries from BusinessWeek found that the median base salary for MBA grads is $105,000. The BusinessWeek study stated that median cash compensation over a 20-year period, for all the schools in the study, was $2.5 million.
What Kinds of Jobs are Available with an MBA?
If your bachelor’s degree is in computer science, mathematics, engineering or economics, your MBA might lead to the position of an operations research analyst. You’d be using statistical data to pinpoint and solve problems within a company related to any level along the way from the production line, to service and sales, and even manage supply chain logistics. Specializing in production management or operations management while in school would only increase your appeal to potential employers.
If your bachelor’s degree is in finance, accounting, economics, statistics, your MBA concentration could be in finance, which might lead to a career as a financial analyst where you’d help companies evaluate financial data, study current business and finance trends to help make sound recommendations on the strengths and benefits of different investments.
Perhaps the fast-growing field of information and technology management is more your interest. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field for operations research analysts will grow 27% by 2026, far faster than average for all occupations.
A bachelor’s degree in business, management, economics, accounting, finance, marketing, political science, or psychology might be valuable as a Management Analyst/Management Consultant. You’d study a company’s organizational structure and provide valuable feedback on ways to improve the organization’s management structure with an eye toward increasing profitability and efficiency. Having a few years of hands-on experience in business operations would also be a real plus once you start your job search.
Information Technology (IT) Managers are in demand as businesses today live and die on their technological agility. IT directors manage their company’s technology systems, including computers, software and hardware, phone systems and more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field for computer and information systems managers will grow 12% by 2026, faster than average for all occupations.
With a bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising or journalism, you should consider your MBA concentration in Marketing. It’s a key position in almost every company. After all, it is their image to the world. You could oversee the marketing department and work with other department heads on budget planning, contracts and marketing campaigns. You’d assist in performing market research, analyze findings and develop strategies. Marketing managers also identify markets for their company’s products and services and estimate the demand for those products and services.
How about the medical field? There’s more to it than doctors and nurses. Positions such as a Health Services Manager oversee the operations of healthcare facilities from hospitals, medical practices and clinics. They manage finances for the organization, ensure that the facility is compliant with any new regulations or laws, and organize all records for the facility.
And then there is the amorphous title of entrepreneur. It may not sound like an MBA is necessary since, after all, you are the boss doing the hiring. But having advanced business knowledge is a key factor to success when starting your own business. An MBA with an Entrepreneurship concentration in particular will help prepare you to start, finance, grow and manage a new venture. Mastering these vital skills helps set your new business on the road to success.
Why NCU?
If you are thinking of going back to school for your MBA, NCU can help working professionals earning their MBA and develop new skills in business and management to enable them to move up the corporate ladder. Because an MBA is a degree with many applications, it can may open up many job possibilities. And unlike many other degrees dedicated to furthering one’s studies in specific disciplines, an MBA is open to degree holders from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Few universities can match Northcentral’s uniquely flexible approach to earning a Master of Business Administration online. NCU removes the restraints of traditional MBA programs by offering the ability for students to start any Monday instead of waiting for traditional semesters. The online courseroom means you can attend class anytime throughout the day, rather than rearranging your day around a class schedule. Featuring our mentoring approach to learning, you’ll experience one-to-one, individualized interaction with our professionally-seasoned, 100% doctoral faculty. NCU’s online MBA program has no GMAT or GRE exam requirement.
Imagine earning a high-quality MBA in only one year. The NCU Accelerated MBA program can help motivated students succeed. In this 100% online program, you should expect to devote 30-35 hours per week to study. You will be required to organize your time efficiently and meet stringent deadlines. The Accelerated one year MBA is not an alternative program, but is a scheduling option that can be applied to any MBA specialization.
Northcentral University offers an MBA program with a wide range of degree concentrations for you to customize your education to your career interests. Contact us through the form below if you'd like to learn more about NCU’s MBA programs.