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3. From what I have read at this and other sites, part-time MBA students are definitely thought of as second tier to both the school placement office and employers. I get the feeling that one should pursue a part-time degree only if they are using it to get ahead with their current employer. Those who really wish to switch careers should go full time. Is this correct?
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<p>I believe what is happening is twofold.</p>
<p>First of all, and most importantly, most of the value of the MBA is in the networking. By going part-time, you lose a lost of the networking value, because the students spend much less time with each other (because presumably they all have full-time jobs to attend to), and especially much less of the social time. Much of that networking bonding actually doesn't happen in the classroom - it actually happens in the bars and restaurants, or while playing golf or tennis together, and that tends to happen less with the part-time students. </p>
<p>The second big thing is, as you said, your access to the career office and to recruiters. Many employers, especially the 'prestige' employers such as the top consulting firms and banks, strongly prefer to hire only full-timers, and the career office often times has explicit rules providing prioritized access to the full-timers. Even when there are no explicit rules, there are often times many informal barriers. For example, recruiting slots, especially for the highly prized companies, are usually scheduled only during the daytime, when you would presumably have to be working at your full-time job. Many of the informal recruiting networking events will also inevitably occur during the daytime or other inconvenient moments. And the part of the lack of internships is also a detraction.</p>
<p>Look, the truth is, the MBA (like all degrees) is basically an 'exploding degree' in the sense that the value of the MBA is at its peak right after you graduate, and then declines with time. For example, 5 years after you get an MBA, employers aren't really going to care very much that you have an MBA. At that point in your career what will really matter is what you've been doing since you got the MBA. Hence, maximizing the value of the MBA usually means using it to get the best job you can right after graduation that will give you the best experience and the best career ladder. {Incidentally, that's why the top MBA students inevitably try to get into the top consulting or banking firms, because doing so will tend to maximize their return on investment on their degree}. An MBA guarantees you nothing. All it can do is provide you with opportunities. But if you don't take those opportunities, then you've basically wasted your time getting the degree. </p>
<p>Hence, some guy who has an MBA, even a mediocre one, and then has top-flight experience from McKinsey or Goldman Sachs is golden. However, somebody who has a top MBA, but then has a bad career with a bad company is not much better off than somebody who never got an MBA at all. Your bad career experience negates your top MBA. </p>
<p>That doesn't mean that part-time is always bad. Indeed, I think it is definitely very very good for certain people, and not just for those who want to stay at their company (for which I think it is actually perfect for). If you want to work at another company in the same field, i.e. switch from AMD to Intel or vice versa, then the part-time MBA may work. Obviously, if you can't afford to take time off of work, then part-time is extremely cost effective. Hence, it's a good option for the risk averse. Finally, I would say that going to a strong part-time program is clearly better than going to a full-time no-name program.</p>