The value of an MBA, why are we still discussing this after 10 years? By Tony

Image of a MBA graduate holding his diploma

I read an article from Smart Money magazine from 2003 about whether an M.B.A. is worth the time and money. At the time, I was in the process of deciding if I wanted to go back to school since getting a graduate degree had always been a long time goal of mine and my recent layoff gave me the opportunity to seriously think about enrolling. The article spoke with about some people who forged ahead and completed their M.B.A. degrees yet found themselves no further along their career paths. In short, no guarantees existed of a rapid rise up the corporate ladder in income and status which was associated with earning the degree in the 70’s and 80’s.

This does not necessarily mean getting an M.B.A. degree does not have its value. The article stressed the importance of having a strategy for applying what you learn in the classroom.

I decided to enroll and finished my coursework in 2005 by attending classes for 22 months. I learned a lot from my classmates and instructors but I am unsure if I fared better professionally even though my goal transitioning into sales and marketing from my engineering background was accomplished.

You would think in the ten years since the writing of the article the argument would have been settled one way or the other. Where will this all be in another 10 years when current holders of bachelor degrees will ponder whether to make the leap?

Will prospective M.B.A. students be asking the same question in 2023? Will the answer be different than the answer is today or 10 years ago?