<p>To give you some background...I graduated from Wharton undergrad in 2008 with concentrations in finance and management. For the past 2 years or so I've been working in M&A (mergers and acquisitions) at a Fortune 500 company in the Bay Area. </p>
<p>Given the rigor of Wharton's UG program and its similarity to the MBA program I've never really considered getting an MBA for the following reasons:
1) The coursework would be very repetitive (i.e. I wouldnt really learn anything)
2) I already have the Wharton network (one of the few benefits of most MBA programs is the network)
3) I'm not really looking to switch careers (another reason many people pursue an MBA)
4) I was recently promoted to a post MBA position (no real financial benefit for me at this point to go and get an MBA)
5) It's expensive and I have to stop working for 2 years (given my current progression I think I could have a faster career velocity if I stayed and worked)</p>
<p>...so the only realy reason left to get an MBA is just to have a masters level degree. Personally, I think over the next few years (as it is somewhat true already) a masters level degree will become the new standard for senior executives. </p>
<p>Given the above I want to do a masters degree, purely for the title/marketability but don't want to waste my time/money on an MBA. Recently I found out about a program at Harvard's extension school which is a Master in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Management OR Finance...the program is very cheap (the cost could easily be covered by my firm's tuition reimbursement), I can complete a good part of it online and I can likely take a semester sabbatical to complete the required on-campus courses. </p>
<p>I think this accomplishes the goal of having a marketable masters level degree for the resume...at the end of the day the CV would list:</p>
<p>I don’t know specific details about the program, but based on my general Harvard/business knowledge, I don’t think the ALM from the extension school will be the “marketable masters degree” you’re looking for.</p>
<p>I’m not so sure you need any masters, if you’re coming out of Wharton. If you’re convinced that’s what you want - maybe consider an executive MBA (from HBS or elsewhere) or a more specialized/tangible masters degree (i.e. <a href=“http://mfe.haas.berkeley.edu/[/url]”>http://mfe.haas.berkeley.edu/</a> ).</p>
<p>thanks just<em>forget</em>me…here are some of my thoughts.</p>
<p>1). eMBA: I like the flexibility of the programs (i.e. classes in evening and weekends) and that fact that prestigious/brand name schools offer them, however, the cost is really expensive…~$150k compared to the ~$25k for the ALM program. </p>
<p>2). More Specialized Masters (MSF/MFE/etc): Most of these programs are full-time and only 1 year, which is better for me…however, i’d still prefer to not spend 1 year away from work…additionally the cost for these programs, although cheaper than eMBAs, are still in the ~$50-70k range. Lastly, I feel like if I’m going to do any masters degree i’d like it to be at a university with a similar or higher level of “prestige” from a name perspective as my undergrad and honestly few of those universities (i.e. Ivy+) offer these kinds of programs…only reason i say this is that ive noticed that in the “business world” having an advanced degree from a less prestigious university than your UG can sometimes lead to suspicion/questions/etc… (i.e. oh maybe they couldnt get in to X for grad school, why did they go there when they went th HYP/Wharton/etc for undergrad, etc.)…FYI I feel like this may be the case with the ALM program among those that actually know about it…among those who don’t, which is the majority of people, people will just know that you have a masters from Harvard (thoughts?)</p>
<p>3) Part-Time MBAs: Similar to the eMBA…i like their flexibility and some of the schools that offer them (i.e. Booth, Kellogg), cost-wise they are a bit cheaper than the eMBA (~$100-120k) but still pricey. </p>
<p>4) “Marketability of ALM:” Like i mentioned in point #2 i think that among those that are familiar with Harvard it wont be very marketable, however, with the vast majority of people I think it is pretty marketable. so-and-so has an undergrad from Wharton and a masters from Harvard…i feel that for $25k (all of which would be paid by my company) is worth it…</p>
<p>I feel like this thread makes me look like a prestige whore but i’ve come to realize that in the real world honestly all that matters are relationships and the ability to sell/market yourself (well and performance to back it all up )…and i think that in my situation if i can get my company to pay for a classes so that at the end of the day I can have “Harvard Univerity” on the CV then it may be worth it in terms of ROI (both $, time, effort, etc.) </p>
<p>I live in MA and Harvard extension does not have prestige, if that is what you are looking for. </p>
<p>Furthermore, the degrees are not in any particular subject, but are a generalized “degree in liberal arts”, which signals a lesser degree, to many. The BLA and MLA degrees are so named in order to signal that it is not a degree from Harvard University’s “regular” programs, the ones that have selective admissions. These degrees also signal a less cohesive program of studies, in my opinion.</p>
<p>As an undergrad adult learner, I chose UMass Boston over Harvard extension. I don’t really care about prestige, and the classes there were excellent.</p>
<p>There are a gazillion online, low-residency and night school options for management. If you are going that route, you might still want to do an MBA and check into other options.</p>
<p>Won’t your company pay for your master’s, or at least help out?</p>
<p>If I were you, I would try to do an MBA program at a reputable school, and try to get financial aid or fellowship or company help. Or work for a few more years and see if you really need it.</p>
<p>compmom - thanks for the feedback…in all honesty i already know that having an advanced degree, particularly an MBA, is not going to be of much value in my career. Plus i dont want to waste 2 years in which i would most likely advance further if i stayed at work. Maybe i just won’t get anything for now…honestly the only reason I even thought about this program was b/c 1) it’s cheap, 2) it doesn’t seem like much work, 3) i don’t have to invest too much time, and 4) most employers dont know the difference btw a Harvard University MA and ALM…I figured that the ROI on the degree would be pretty good…low cost & time commitment and at the end of the day my bio gets to say “whartongrad08 received his bachelors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a masters from Harvard University.” I dont know…that still sounds pretty good…lol. </p>
<p>polimax - I doubt any employer would think this…even if they knew that the ALM from Harvard was from Harvard’s extension school. Their first thought would most likely be oh this person completed a degree for working professionals at Harvard…nothing more…not OMG this person must be an idiot because they went there when they could have done a part-time program at UC Berkeley. Plus I think listing a 3.7 GPA + 770 GMAT + and my quick promotion velocity (i’m 24 and have already been promoted to a post MBA position at a top 10 tech company) will pretty quickly kill any thoughts about a 1.5 GPA.</p>
<p>I do agree there may be a stigma of sorts attached to doing it at the Extension. Not necessarily fair, but at least around here, that would be the reaction. If others disagree, I would be glad to hear it, on your behalf, and don’t want to affect your decisions too much with my opinions!</p>
<p>Not a compelling reason. About the most a new master’s degree will do is get you one promotion or new job, but the business world cares much more about what you know and what you can do than what’s on your resume. If Wharton already gave you all you need, the opportunity costs of pursuing a master’s are hard to justify. But it might be good to get advice from your boss or other senior people who know you. They might think there’s more you could learn.</p>
<p>opensecret - totally agree…and i would go as far as to say that in the business world all that is important is who you know and how people perceive you…as long as you have the performance to back it up. That’s why i really have never considered an MBA…i feel like it prob wouldnt add much to my CV or to my career development. I think the only benefit it would have would be if i decide to switch companies…it may allow me to apply for positions that require a masters level degree…but at the end of the day experience and connections may trump this and allow me to get the job anyways…hence my current stance…i figured this would only help in those circumstances.</p>
<p>I think you’ve got a pretty well thought out take on the issue. My question to you is - do you really want to work for someone who can’t tell the difference between a “cheap/easy” ALM and an HBS MBA?</p>
<p>I can’t say that every person whose hired me has been a genius, but I’m sure they all would have taken a couple of minutes to Google or ask about the degrees I’d received, if it wasn’t one they’d seen before.</p>
<p>that’s an interesting question…i would say that most outstanding/top tier managers would take the time to look it up if it was something they hadnt seen before (like you said) but any really good manager wouldnt look upon this negatively as your formal education doesnt really mean that much in the grand scheme of things. The education portion of a resume means so little…people just look at it to check the box kind of thing…what matters more is work experience. Managers will look at it and be like oh X candidate has degrees from some top tier school…thats nice but what did they do…or Y candidate has degrees from pretty avg schools but wait look at all they’ve done…they are more of a fit. i would say that even a lot of outstanding managers just glance over the education piece of the resume and focus most of their attention on experience. </p>
<p>So to answer your question…I would want to work for someone who would look at a resume and evaluate it for how much of a fit it is with the job description, company culture, etc. as opposed to someone who cared more about the degrees or schools that you attended or GPA as honestly I’ve come to learn that your formal education doesnt really mean much in the grand scheme of things in the business world…it’s just a box people check and a filter (i.e. degrees from more prestigious schools INITIALLY open up doors to better jobs as top companies filter by “prestige”). </p>
<p>Hence I only want to get a masters so that it opens up the door to more opportunities that many times require a masters level degree to even apply…a masters from harvard…even though its from the extension school would serve this purpose…people would see a masters from Harvard and it would allow me to land an interview (and honestly i think that outside of boston and outside of the actual harvard community you prob wouldnt see the stigma associated with the degree that you see coming from those communities).</p>
<p>This feels like too good of an arbitrage opportunity…haha. :)</p>
<p>whartongrad08–Very well said. To many people are paper chasing and have no clue that
what really matters, in the real world, are the qualities of the candidate and the ability
to deliver. As far as the ALM is concerned, I would give it a thumbs up for the reasons
that you state. As far as any “stigma” is concerned, outside of Boston I have never
encountered it and would say that even in Boston it is only amongst a certain “type”. </p>
<p>Despite what the (now well worn) naysayers might say, it is one of the best
legit arbitrage opportunity out there.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: From a very satisfied HUES grad.</p>
)…and i think that in my situation if i can get my company to pay for a classes so that at the end of the day I can have “Harvard Univerity” on the CV then it may be worth it in terms of ROI (both $, time, effort, etc.) </p>