<p>I had posted a similar thread in the Business forum, but of course few people respond on there, so I thought I might have at least a little more luck in here.</p>
<p>My goal was to get a PhD in marketing with a focus on consumer behavior. I have recently found out that many of my private loans have changed their policies and will not defer past another year or two, and I don't see how I could pay on my loans and be in school for 4-6 years.</p>
<p>I was mostly hung up on the PhD because I wanted to be a professor of psychology (I have a BA in psychology), but my interest in marketing has since taken over and then I thought I'd want to teach that. But I'm starting to think I might enjoy working in industry in marketing instead, or pursue a PhD later in life when I decide I've had enough with industry. So since I found out about my loans, I started looking at MBA programs with a concentration in marketing, and I also see that some schools offer just an MS/MA in marketing without the business administration aspect.</p>
<p>My question is, does anyone know whether the MBA or MA/MS programs have better job outlooks? I don't think I would mind managing OR just being part of a marketing team. But I've read that MBA programs from lesser, unranked schools don't mean much anymore, so I thought maybe an MA/MS at a better school might have better job prospects? The course requirements seem similar, I'm just wondering which degree carries more weight when I'm looking for my first "real" job out of graduate school. </p>
<p>And yes, I know that fit is crucial. I've found some programs in PhD, MBA, and MA/MS programs that all fit into what I want to pursue. I just don't know which direction to head in. I don't want to find out that an MBA would get me jobs that an MA/MS won't, or vice versa. Perhaps there really isn't much of a difference, but I can't seem to get reliable feedback on this elsewhere.</p>
<p>Depends if you want to go more into marketing research/analytics (MA/MS) or everything else like advertising, consulting, etc. (MBA).</p>
<p>And really, the program matters moreso than the degree. You don’t go to bschool as much to ‘learn’ as you do to network and capitalize on networking and recruiting events. The curriculum for courses is fairly standardized for MBAs, and it doesn’t really matter if you’re being lectured by a research leader in the field or a competent lecturer–you learn the same things in the classroom.</p>
<p>You pay MBA tuition to really be a part of a strong alumni network and have access to a school’s resources.</p>
<p>I think (at least at all the schools I applied to) that most admitted students actually have some Masters (usually an MBA) and that they actually outnumber those with just Bachelors. I don’t really think there’s much of a causal relationship between obtaining a Masters and admission, but that’s just my speculation.</p>
<p>Do you mean admission to a PhD program with an MA/MBA? </p>
<p>The problem is, I think I would enjoy both the research aspect (hence my interest in the doctorate program), as well as the applied advertising/consulting aspect. </p>
<p>What I may end up doing is applying to some stretch MBA programs and then some MA/MS programs. From what I’ve read an MBA at a lesser program just won’t offer me much, since like you said, it’s more about networking. I may throw in some doctorate programs just to see what kind of aid I’d get, but I don’t think it would be enough to support my loans. At least I have quite a bit of time to think about it since I probably won’t apply until next year.</p>
<p>A research Masters doesn’t carry over to most doctoral programs, which means while it may open some opportunities right now, the coursework (and thesis) will be redundant if you plan on pursuing on a PhD with likely certainty. Two older students in my program were in their 3rd and 4th years at other PhD programs and still had to repeat coursework and take comps here before reaching candidacy.</p>
<p>MA/MS usually aren’t funded either, so it’s money out of your pocket along with the opportunity costs of foregoing employment. If a doctorate is a terminal goal, don’t waste time with redundant schooling.</p>
<p>I took a year off just to work (consulting) so I could help pay off some undergrad debt and make a down payment on a house before starting my doctorate and I’m glad I did that instead of getting a masters.</p>
<p>Well I am strapped by finances. I will not be able to pay on my college loans and attend a doctorate program right now, and they will not go into deferment while in school for more than 1-2 years, which is why I considered going for a masters-level degree, working in industry for a few years to pay off some of that debt, and then maybe pursue a doctorate. My current position doesn’t pay very well, so I really am not saving up a whole lot by working this past year. </p>
<p>I’ve noticed that a lot of MBA programs I’ve looked at offer tuition remission and stipends, and they are primarily based on undergraduate transcripts rather than impressive work experience. I probably have a much higher than average GPA since many MBA programs say their average admitted undergrad GPA is only 3.0-3.2. So I have been leaning more in that direction than a research-oriented MA/MS.</p>
<p>The only way I figure I could make it through a doctorate program is if I took out more loans to make payments on my current ones, which would just be awful in the long run and is not something I’d want to do. I’ve tried consolidating my loans but the few banks I could find that offer that wanted 2 cosigners, and I only have one, but she cosigned all of my current loans so it’s hurting both our credit.</p>
<p>Good schools (any really in the T30 or thereabouts) don’t give tuition remission for GPA.</p>
<p>The thing about MBAs is there is a very steep post-graduate pay differential from brand-name schools to non-, which is mainly due to the types of recruiters that come to those schools. If you go to a school with such a low average GPA (I know GPA isn’t a great predictor for MBA admissions, but typically those in the T30 are 3.4-3.6+) would attract recruiters from companies that don’t pay significantly more to justify 2 years of deferred salary (from not working) + any living expenses/tuition that you have to pay for out of pocket, especially if you’re only working for a few years before applying to doctoral programs.</p>
<p>If your finances are really in that bad shape, then take my advice with a grain of salt. It’s just that going to a non-name brand MBA is something that I don’t ever recommend to any of my friends, even if they’re going for free due to scholarships or employer subsidy/reimbursement. Doing well in a lesser MBA only gets you so far when the employers recruiting at your school aren’t cream of the crop; doing anything but exceptional will be a negative signal to doctoral committees since MBAs are really cakewalks in the level of effort and commitment that are required to do well. It’s really a Catch-22 since it’s a null-lose situation if you choose to attend most schools.</p>
<p>Also, in terms of employment, it’s completely full of elitism, schools (especially top schools) are sensitive to pedigree of one’s education. Upward trends are evaluated better than downward or inconsistent trends (i.e., unknown undergrad -> T5 MBA -> name brand PhD vs. Ivy undergrad -> unknown MBA -> name brand PhD). This is really relevant at name brand schools (or in marketing, any school considered an R1) as some people in this CHE thread pointed out (many professors and members of SCs):</p>
<p>I had a 3.75 GPA, so I’m not concerned about that. I honestly don’t think I would get into any highly ranked programs, and some are quite expensive to apply to. I went to a good school, but it wasn’t anything like UPenn, UVa, etc. - certainly not Ivy. Just a tiny LAC (Moravian College) with a roughly 60% admissions rate. And my job is just a “lead” position, they don’t give us the dignity of calling us managers even though we manage a lot. And it’s at a retail store, so nothing spectacular. Retail is easy to move up in due to high turnover rates, and I’m sure most people know that. So I don’t think my work experience would be overly exciting to highly ranked schools.</p>
<p>I saw Penn State was ranked roughly 35, I don’t know if that is too low to really mean anything, but I would think it’d carry some weight since it is well-known unlike other schools people have never heard of. They also offer tuition remission and stipends, but they aren’t as great as some of the other local schools I’ve looked at. </p>
<p>I do appreciate all of your feedback. I will just have to keep tracking the pros and cons of each option and apply to as many programs as I can and see where I get in.</p>