<p>I haven't got an engineering degree yet, but I'm planning on going for an MBA a couple years after I graduate. I was mainly wondering if the school you get your undergraduate degree at makes a difference or not when applying to an MBA program. And does having an engineering degree make it any easier or harder to get in. Also, about what gpa do you usually need to get into a program at the average state university (something like ASU or san jose state). Thanks for any replies.</p>
<p>your work experience is more important than the name of your undergrad school in MBA admissions…</p>
<p>why are you planning to get an MBA already?</p>
<p>Just a goal</p>
<p>Goals are good! But they are fluid and might change. My son fully intended to do engineering + law but changed to engineering + ms/mba. Who knows, maybe law will come later on. Regarding your question: from what I can tell, undergrad gpa, gmat scores and experience are all important. Most engineering grads have an additional advantage of having worked in a semi-professional capacity via co-ops or internships. Also, successful engineering students I know in mba programs are having no problems academically.</p>
<p>Your work experience, GMAT score and then your UG GPA will be the main factors driving MBA admissions. </p>
<p>One thing you might want to look at is whether your future company (when you get a job) will pay for some of your MBA–MBA’s don’t come cheap and companies might contribute anything from none to 75%.</p>
<p>Yea that’s one of the reasons I want to get an MBA after I get a job rather than before.</p>
<p>Well keep in mind that most MBA programs won’t allow you to even apply until you get work experience. There might be a few special programs (Harvard 2+2 comes to mind) but you will be 4-5 years out of school before you are eligible for an MBA.</p>
<p>Other programs you can look into are dual degree (MBA/MEng) programs.</p>
<p>Actually, your undergraduate school does play a significant role in your admissions. That’s well known. However, it’s only one of many factors. For example, if you have an 800 GMAT or a letter of recommendation from the CEO of GE, no one will care where you did your undergraduate work. However, if you’re an “average” applicant, it will factor in. All else being equal, Wharton is more apt to accept a Harvard undergrad than a UMass undergrad.</p>
<p>Engineering undergrads do get a boost in MBA admissions. The analytic skills of engineering translate well to business, and business schools like the varied backgrounds of engineers and economists. If we once again consider all else to be equal, an engineer is viewed more favorably than someone without an analytic background (say an art history major).</p>
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<p>If you are even considering an MBA before working, I would caution against the degree as it indicates that you do not understand the purpose or process. </p>
<p>(the exception would be a very well informed student with a very specific goal, such as i-banking)</p>
<p>G.P brings up a good point–you need a concrete reason to get an MBA.</p>
<p>Within engineering companies you’ll notice that most of the managers aren’t MBAs but just engineers (maybe with M.Eng or MS) who worked their way up the career ladder.</p>
<p>As with any degree, an MBA doesn’t dictate your career path. Sure, it might give you a bit more credibility for a finance or management role but the degree isn’t always necessary.</p>
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<p>Actually, I doubt that’s true. Few MBA programs actually enforce strict rules about who can and cannot apply - heck, some MBA programs (such as, shockingly, HBS), don’t even require that you graduated from college (see: Blake Gottesman). I am personally aware of only a handful that actually bar anyone from actually applying who lack work experience.</p>
<p>The issue is that while you can usually apply, you are unlikely to actually be admitted, particularly at the top programs. The programs are perfectly happy to cash your application fee and then reject you, thereby lowering their admit rate and hence increasing their perceived selectivity.</p>
<p>Sakky is right–you can apply to Medical school without the MCAT but you still got that near 0% acceptance chance. </p>
<p>To be a strong candidate you need work experience.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info. G.P Burdell and nshah9617, I realize you don’t need an mba to go into management. My dad only has a bs in mech and is a high level manager. But I thought if I wanted to go into management later in my career, it would be a plus to have an mba. But aside from that, I am interested in business and want to learn about it. And from reading some university websites, it looks like some require you to have work experience, but not all.</p>
<p>No problem Norris just remember that each industry/field has their own nuances about what is “needed” to be a manager. I have found that in engineering companies (mainly Big Oil) the choice to become a manager is 7-10 years away from your start date and is a gradual process. When you start your goal is to learn the industry and make sure that you are damn good (technically) at your job. At the years go by you can start branching out and taking different roles but don’t be in a rush to have X position–there are many people who move into management too quickly and stop growing. Your boss can help you with your career growth but most of the managers have go to their positions by just taking different opportunities that come by. On the flip side, I know some engineers that just wanted to go into management for the higher pay check but don’t really the people skills to make it work either.</p>
<p>While there is no fast track program for management an MBA isn’t always needed. Try looking into leadership/development programs when you graduate.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. I’m not looking for ways to work my way up quickly or anything. I just want to work my way up eventually. Like you said, I think I will want to learn the industry and the business well first and make sure I don’t get ahead of myself or anything. Anyways… thats a long ways down the road, but I guess it doesn’t hurt to start thinking about it.</p>
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<p>It’s not quite that extreme. There is still a chance - albeit small - to be admitted to a top program without work experience. Every year HBS admits some students right out of college.</p>
<p>Unless you have a near 800 GMAT, a near 4.0 GPA from a top school, and an established relationship with faculty, your chances for HBS without work experience is near zero.</p>
<p>That’s the problem with a lack of work experience is that you automatically knock yourself down a rung on the ladder. Someone who might get into Wharton with reasonable work experience ends up at Penn State straight out of undergrad. A person that might get into Penn State with some work experience ends up at Drexel right out of undergrad, etc.</p>
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<p>No, I wouldn’t go that far. There are people who do get in without anything near the credentials you cited. </p>
<p>What I do suspect is that those people had very strong connections (although not necessarily faculty connections). Again, Blake Gottesman got in, and he freely admitted that not only did he have nowhere near a top GMAT score or GPA, he didn’t even have a college degree.</p>