<p>I'm currently a junior at the University of Florida and i'm studying Electrical Engineering. I love engineering and electricity with a passion but i also like money, and i don't mean it in a vague way, i mean that i like economics and finance and that kinda stuff, it's really interesting to me. I want to if possible, when i graduate get a job with Lockheed Martin and in the future i want to start my own engineering firm. But i don't wanna go to Grad school for EE anymore, before i did, but i changed my mind. I want to either do an MBA or MSE (master of science in entrepreneurship) which are offered here. I'm kinda more inclined towards the MBA because it's more known i guess, but if i decide to go that route i'd like to look into other colleges, possibly up north. I'd like to get our point of view on this. I don't wanna work forever and having my own technology company has always been my dream but i need to start somewhere so is the MBA the better choice? do i get paid more for having that? i'll appreciate your answers.</p>
<p>Do not go for the entrepreneurship degree. The best, and some would say only, way to learn how to run a business is to actually do it. I took a class on entrepreneurship and it was a complete waste of time. I can’t imagine sitting through a year of that. Also consider the cost of another degree in terms of tuition and lost potential wages.</p>
<p>An MBA is the better way to go, but NOT right after college. First off, you need full-time work experience to be admitted to top programs. Even if you got in, you would be at a huge disadvantage for recruiting. Companies looking to fill entry-level jobs would consider you overqualified in most cases. On the other hand, you would not yet have the skills and experience that employers looking to hire MBAs require. </p>
<p>On pay - generally, the distinction is made by position, not higher pay in the same role. If you have work experience and an MBA you should get a more senior title and earn a higher salary.</p>
<p>What kind of work experience are we talking about? i have full time work experience, not in an engineering or financial field or anything but i do. And i will be doing an internship next summer with an engineering firm (havent decided which one yet, thoungh) one of my friends is in an MBA program, he went in rigtht after his bachelors, you don’t think it’s a good idea? i mean i wourked for a bout 3-4 years before going back to college. I’m 24 now, ill be done when im 26 and im thinking about the MBA seriously.</p>
<p>Sorry - it wasn’t clear that you worked before college. Depending on what you have done, you may be qualified for MBA programs. Where did you work and what did you do?</p>
<p>I have worked for call centers mainly doing customer service. I have worked for a couple medical companies also doing sales and insurance verification. I’ve also worked in retail.</p>
<p>You need 2 to 4 years in your profession after your BS degree before applying to a top MBA program. </p>
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<p>Gotcha, so like if i do internships while i’m in school i should have a chance? i was thinking of doing it upnorth NYU, or Upenn or Columbia, i know those are tough but i think by th time i’m ready to decide what i wanna do i’ll have the grades and experience to back myself up.</p>
<p>Getting into the programs you mentioned is going to be really tough. Internships probably won’t be substantial enough for you to be admitted out of school. That said, if you want to apply during your last year of undergrad, you should. The worst that could happen is you lose time and the application fee. </p>
<p>MBA programs care a lot about the quality of experience you have. Work in call centers or retail isn’t what Wharton looks for. If you did well, were promoted quickly, and managed people within a call center or store, that would be a more compelling story…</p>
<p>Spending a couple years at a place like LMT will help if you want to apply down the road. I think that would give you a decent chance at Stern and an outside shot at Wharton or CBS. How good are you at taking standardized tests? A high GMAT score would do a lot to help. High grades never hurt either.</p>
<p>True, but i have heard of people who have gotten into an MBA program right after college. My friend goes to UCF and he got in right after college, he had some exp. working with Lockheed but not 2 years or more. I guess it depends on the school? My school And to be honest, i never took the SAT or ACT, i only took like a college placement test and did pretty good and put me ahead a few classes, but i think that i can do well on the GRE or GMAT. by the way how does the GMAT differ from the GRE?</p>
<p>I just looked up the GMAT and it says it’s for business? does this mean i have to prepare myself somehow from a business perspective??? I’m an engineering student!</p>
<p>Schools have VERY different standards. Yes - you probably could get into an MBA program at the University of West Mississippi or Camden State right out of school. </p>
<p>The GMAT is similar to the SAT/ACT/GRE. It tests math and verbal skills. No business knowledge is required.</p>
<p>The difference between UCF v NYU, UPenn or Columbia is like night and day. It is very rare for someone to be accepted into a top MBA after 1-2 years of work experience. That is why the average MBA student at top MBA programs is between 28-30 years old. </p>
<p>Having a business degree is not a requirement for your MBA.</p>
<p>I agree with commentcomment, and I’m sorry to say that the sorts of MBA programs that routinely accept folks right out of undergrad are not the sorts of prgrams worth going to. I’d really only do that if it’s a part-time program and one’s employer is paying for it. Otherwise, they are wasting their time since an MBA from a non-top school is not well-regarded and won’t “buy” you much. </p>
<p>In terms of getting into a top school, I’m afraid that I agree with others that your previous call center experience might not entirely fit, though if you had any <em>leadership</em> experience there…that is, did you end up leading a team, or changing a policy that made a positive impact on the whole company, or…something signficant like that? If not, then…you won’t get much “credit” for that experience. </p>
<p>And 6281597 is right about the GMAT – it’s very similar to the SAT or GRE; it’s a standardized test with basic math/verbal skills. It’s more about learning how to crack its puzzles as quickly and accurately as possible. </p>
<p>There should be free gmat practice tests online. Take one to get a sense of what the questions are like. </p>
<p>On a final note, an “MSE” seems like a complete waste of time…“MBA” is more marketable since it’s broader. “MSE” will make any big company think twice about hiring you (“is he serious about working here, or is he going to jump ship in a year to start his own company? is he going to steal our ideas and our people to start his own thing?”) so if you ever want to work at a Big Company, then I would strongly recommend AGAINST it. </p>
<p>However, I do have to say that I loved and got a lot of value from the entrepreneurship classes in my MBA program, unlike another poster here. I don’t think you need an MBA to become an entrepreneur, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no value to it. (though admittedly, you can probably do other things with your time and money during those 2 years that would bring you closer to successful entrepreneurship!)</p>