<p>I am currently working on my undergrad degree in Management Information Systems. I know I want to get a more advanced degree but I'm not sure whether or not I should pursue something like a Masters in IT or Information Systems, or even MIS. OR if the better route would be go get something like an MBA to go with my MIS degree to kind of have as a background for future jobs/promotions and that kind of thing. It seems more diverse and useful than a regular graduate degree in IT/IS/MIS but I'm just not sure. I have heard it's best to work for a few years and then go back for an MBA but would it be worse if you got it after undergrad?</p>
<p>If anyone has any opinions, advice or experience with this particular degree I would appreciate some insight.</p>
<p>Yes.
[ul]
[<em>] You’ll get into a lower ranked MBA program without work experience than with work experience. Rank is everything for MBA programs and with few exceptions, unless it’s a Top 15-25 MBA program, it’s probably not going to payback (get an employer to pay for a night MBA instead). So unless you get into HBS or Wharton, it’s a good idea to get that 3-5 years of work experience.
[</em>] Having no experience in an MBA program will decrease your ability to learn. MBA programs aren’t theoretical programs, they’re professional programs. Without the business context to view the discussions and problems in the MBA courses, you won’t contribute as meaningfully to discussions and you won’t learn as much.
[<em>] Few MBA graduates have no work experience (and an internship does not count as “experience”). Graduating with an MBA and no work experience makes you one of the least attractive student to employers in your MBA program.
[</em>] Once you have an MBA, many companies that would normally hire you with your BS/BA/BBA will now not consider your application.
[li] The result of the above two is that you don’t have the experience for traditional “MBA” jobs, but you have too much education for traditional “BBA” jobs, leaving you in a gap.[/li][/ul]</p>