<p>I am currently an MIS (management information systems) major with offers from fortune 10 companies. I have the opportunity to pursue my masters of MIS with just one extra semester of school. </p>
<p>My end goal is ultimately to attend a top ten MBA program. Will having that masters under my belt help me stand out, or is work experience still the biggest factor for admissions? </p>
<p>I would see if the job offers can delay your start date after you’ve completed your Masters. However, most MBA applicants have Bachelors and Masters and no, you will not stand out having a Masters. Job experience and progression still trump everything. What happens if you have no job after your Masters?</p>
<p>Job experience and personal skills are what makes one stand out when applying for a [one-year</a> MBA](<a href=“http://www.thunderbird.edu/one-year-mba-option]one-year”>http://www.thunderbird.edu/one-year-mba-option) program. It would be great if the company could offer you the job once you graduate.</p>
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<p>There is an “indirect” effect in some situations.</p>
<p>For example, I work as a software engineer for a major defense contractor. A MS Computer Science is equivalent to about 2 years of work experience. In that regard, if you could work full time for 4 years and complete a MS Computer Science part-time in that time period, your career progression would be equivalent to 6 years in an actual timespan of 4 years. You will essentially have gone from an entry level engineer to a technical lead in 4 years if you manage your career well. Since most defense contracts offer a very generous work/life balance, completing the MS CS part time while working full time is not hard. In fact, that’s what I’m doing. </p>
<p>On top of that, I still have a part time career in the Army National Guard as a commissioned officer and that’s another whole different animal in terms of career progression.</p>