Different types of MBA

I hear of different types of MBA, i.e. full time, part time, executive, online, etc. Is there any difference in what is learned, or difference in value of the degree?

  • Some selective schools do not offer P/T, which is usually done through evening courses.
  • Executive MBA students are usually sponsored by a company and the program tends to be more expensive and geared to mid-level executives in business. Those classes sometime occur every other week or with a Saturday class.
  • P/T is great if you have a job you like with an employer who provides tuition reimbursement.
  • I don't know about the on-line programs.

I did my MBA P/T while working in banking and joined a top officer development program at the best bank in the same city. Others in my ODP class had gone F/T to Emory, Vanderbilt, UT, Rice, etc. The value for me was very well worth it since I got a 44% pay increase and matched salary with the rest of my class. How you do it depends on your goals. My prior employer paid tuition, fees, books, incidentals through reimbursement, except for the last semester, since I was leaving. By doing it this way, I got my MBA for less than $2,000. (I would have stayed at the old company but the next level job reported to an impossible manager.) If you want to do management consulting, investment banking, etc., look at what your target hiring firms are seeking in recruits.