Like a lot of people, I’m thinking about going back to school for an MBA. I don’t have the money or time to dedicate to a top tier school, so I’ve been looking at WGU’s MBA in IT Management. It’s accredited. Time and cost-efficient.

My primary concern is not prestige or the connections from school like some others I’ve heard. I just want to know if I went this route, would I still be able to check that MBA box and open the door for higher starting salary if I made a jump?

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In most cases the MBA will need to be from a ‘target’ school in order to achieve the higher compensation level (target Mba programs usually have an agreed upon starting comp with firms that recruit at them). If the MBA is non-target, then getting the higher comp would be up to the individual candidate to negotiation themselves

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Depending on where you are in your career, your current salary, region where you work and professional experiences, an MBA might not be worth the opportunity cost.

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I always hated the ‘other’ field. Went to LBS and work in the US. It’s a top global program with strong US alumni presence and some recruiting pages only list American schools…

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Likely not worth it. But it depends on your goals. Look at where you want to be in 5 years and see if those companies/people actively look for top tier MBAs. If not, you might get away without one.

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I disagree with a lot of the folks posting. I do have a well ranked MBA, which suited my needs well. However, my experience is that there are a ton of folks with an MBA that are doing well and just needed some masters degree to check a box. Some big firms I’ve worked with require a masters to move up, but don’t care where it’s from. If you’ve thought out where you want to be and this meets your needs, go for it, you don’t need a ranked MBA to learn.

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The big jump in starting salary is usually due to MBA recruiting. I don’t know anything about WGU but ask a lot of questions about how they handle career services and what their placement percentages and starting salaries are. Really prod them on those.

Some schools treat different MBA types differently. For example, evening or executive students may not be able to participate in full time recruiting at some schools.

An MBA is worth it if you maximize it. Career services and recruiting relationships at the school are as big a part of the “experience” as the education.

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I’ve seen this story so many times. Unless it’s a top tier program any strong brand won’t care. You’ll end up taking time out of the market for minimal return. Smaller shops may value it more but boutiques will be the same way

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Just think of it like this, they have a 100% acceptance rate - why would any company care, it’s not necessarily just a prestige thing. You get out what you get in - getting into a stop
Tier MBA program is tough work, especially with a job and then completing it with a respectable GPA is even harder. This is why it demands higher salaries, if you get one of these online degrees they just don’t mean anything

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People chase prestige because it generally translates to higher pay due to signaling effect.

Never heard of WGU - might as well do the cheapest online MBA if the goal is to check the box.

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Look at University of Florida Online. Good school, good program, not a top 10-15 prestige or anything but still very respectable.

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It will not increase your pay like other MBAs but it checks the box for most jobs especially govt jobs….if you are good and the job you applied requires an MBA then it will work for you ….WGU mba itself will not help you a lot…. If you are getting admission at other high ranked school then go for that ….if not then WGU MBA has good value for money and go for it

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I have my MBA from this school, and got it in 74 days. It’s great for a resume builder, but it did nothing to get me into consulting. My wife is a manager at one of the big 4, we have a lot of connections through friends and her top rated MBA program, and I still couldn’t get hired.

Go to WGU for IT related degrees, not business. Want an MS in data analytics to pair with your mba? Get the MSDA from WGU, go somewhere with a good network for an MBA or it’ll be a waste.

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