Types of MBA programs and popular MBA universities
MBA or a Masters in Business Administration is a popular course for many students as well as professionals. There are several types of MBA programs available today which can be flexible and allow a lot more people an opportunity to pursue this education. Let us look at these varied types of MBA programs and popular universities that offer them. Speak to a guidance counselor or an expert to help you navigate through your choice, if needed.
Full-time MBA
The duration of this type of MBA is around one to two years; the student can select what type of scheduling works for them and decide how many years they would want to dedicate to the course. This is a full time course which involves students to focus on the studies entirely leaving no room to work on the side. If you opt for the 1 year program, know that it will be extremely strenuous and you will have to balance your time well to be able to finish the degree in a hectic schedule.
Part-time MBA
This can be for 3 years or more, depending on how you are able to manage your time and classes. It takes almost double the time as a regular MBA because the classes are either in the evenings or during weekends while most of the students are also working side by side.
Online MBA
With the advent of digital space, education has also moved online and there are several online MBA programs. Now there are several universities who offer online MBA courses to their students, making it easier for a lot of people to consider applying for the course even if they are far away from the university. However, it needs exceptional time management skills and dedication to finish your course on time as often students prioritize other things over an online class. An online MBA from an accredited university now holds a lot of value unlike before when it was not considered to be a form of proper education.
Similar to Online MBA, there is distance learning MBA as well, which follows pretty much the same protocol and the participants are taught through videos and a virtual class.
Executive MBA
This is a program tailored for professionals who wish to pursue this management degree. Most of the classes are scheduled on a weekend which allows students enough bandwidth to attend the lectures and work on assignments. Since this program attracts experienced professionals, it also focuses a lot on subjects like communication, strategy, management skills and leadership. Since many professionals wish to pursue courses that help them in their career goals, a lot of companies also provide some financial assistance as well. You can even look to study abroad, which can help you build a strong network internationally and possibly explore international work options.
Popular MBA Universities
Stanford University: This is situated in Stanford, California and is known to be one of the top universities to get an MBA from. Their business school offers a very well structured MBA program and the annual tuition is around $74,706. However, there is financial aid available to those who need it. You can focus on specific areas like accounting, political economics, finance and many more.
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton): The Wharton MBA program is also a great program. It runs for two years with 20 months of classes and assignments and a 3.5 month long internship. Their classes are scheduled from Monday to Thursday and the weekends are usually utilized for assignments and exams. You can choose from several majoring options and set your goal for a bright future. The annual fee is about $80,432.
University of Chicago (Booth): The Chicago Booth School of Business offers an almost 2 year long MBA program; 21 month long. They cover topics like economics, statistics, sociology, psychology and accounting. You can explore any specialization that you would like and plan a future career in that field of work. They update their curriculum regularly, considering the global changes that are constantly occurring. The annual fee is around $73,440, however they do provide financial assistance to students with merit.
Northwestern University (Kellogg): Another popular choice of school, the Kellogg School of Management which comes under Northwestern University offers both full time MBA or Executive MBA degree. So this works extremely well for both working professionals as well as full time students. They focus a lot on leadership skills and also practical management skills that can be an asset in the real world. Annual tuition at Kellogg School of Management is about $75,000.
Harvard University: Undoubtedly one of the best schools to pursue your MBA degree from, Harvard offers a two year residential program but also has other options like online certificate courses, doctoral programs and even an executive program. They also have some summer programs which could be beneficial to MBA students from other universities who would like to get some more exposure and network out of their college campus. Their annual fee is approximately $74,000, but they also provide financial aid based on need and merit.
https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/programs/mba/academic-experience/curriculum
https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba-program-details/
https://www.hbs.edu/mba/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/programs/full-time-mba.aspx
https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/full-time
https://www.mba.com/explore-programs/mba-programs/types-of-mba-programs