Online Business and MBA Degrees

Salaries earned by graduates of MBA programs grow progressively. According to Graduate Management Admissions Council’s: “Overall, the typical graduate earned $48,000 before entering the MBA program and now expects to earn $75,000 in the first job after graduation–a 56% increase.” Depending on the number of years experience you have and which school you attended, your initial salary right after graduation can reach $130,000 plus bonuses.

A degree in business is perhaps the most useful online degree attainable. There is room to specialize within this field and refine your skills to see what you can bring to the business world. Areas to focus within this degree include sales, accounting, marketing, finance, human resources and management. You can find the new employment you’re looking for with an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or even a PhD online degree that you earn from an online school. Job placement depends on your level of degree.

Those pursuing a business degree typically specialize in a particular field of study. Many schools offer numerous concentrations within their business degree programs, from retail management to marketing and advertising, computer science, or even sports management. Many colleges and universities offer educational counseling prior to enrollment, to ensure students make an informed decision in choosing the business program that is right for them.

Online MBA Degree Overview

Advancing Your Career

An MBA can help you move up in your current job in regards to responsibility and/or pay. You might have to pay for the degree on your own in hopes of a promotion, but sometimes employers will encourage more education and reimburse your tuition costs.

An MBA can also increase job security with your current employer or within your current industry. If nothing else, MBA programs can provide good networking opportunities.

Gain MBA Value and the Benefit of an MBA in Regards to Networking Resources

While studying for your MBA you’ll be exposed to a huge opportunity for Networking. The benefit of an MBA Business school course affords the chance to engage in teamwork, and over the course of such an MBA program, you’ll undoubtedly develop significant relationships that should and will serve you well throughout your business career. And no matter which school you opt for, a network of alumni working at a wide range of companies are always at hand. This is useful for mentoring, job searches, and professional contacts.

Changing Your Career

Often getting an MBA can lead to a career change. An MBA is considered a management degree and can prepare you for upper management-level positions. Good management is needed in every industry, and an MBA can give you autonomy to move across industries. Also, many programs have specializations or are specialized in their industry focus (ex: Healthcare MBA). Getting a specific MBA can make you more marketable within that specialized area.

Employers are Sponsors for MBAs

As today’s marketplace evolves and becomes increasingly complex, many employers also benefit by balancing their need to retain good employees with their need to fill managerial positions. Candidates that possess advanced-level knowledge and skills are finding themselves the recipients of paid tuition for all the different variations of MBA programs.
In their “Corporate Recruiter’s Survey 2002,” the GMAC reports that: “59% sponsor employees for part-time programs, 43 percent sponsor for executive MBA programs, and 18 percent sponsor employees for full-time programs.”

Starting Your Own Business – A significant number of the students that pursue an MBA do it to eventually start their own business. While an MBA is not required to be an entrepreneur or to start a business, it can be a huge benefit.

The MBA, by its very nature, covers a broad set of business topics. It is good to know a little of everything if you own a business. There is no doubt that what you learn in an MBA program will be applicable to running your own business.

The MBA value will prepare you to do everything from writing a business plan to acquiring venture capital to launching an IPO. Be among the successful: research has shown that the failure rate for small businesses started by MBAs is about 50 percent less than the standard failure rate.

Developing Your Business Expertise – Earning an MBA will increase your business knowledge and add to your expertise. While some people do not have a specific career goal in mind, they know that an MBA will help them. An MBA is a very versatile degree. Most programs welcome and even prefer applicants with non-business backgrounds.

An MBA combined with just about any other field of study will enhance the degree holder’s business savvy or management skill within that field. An MBA is also acceptable if you plan on going on for a PhD. Most schools recognize it as a professional degree as well as an academic degree.

Employment Opportunities

Business careers include some of the following occupations, but the possibilities are nearly limitless.

• Financial management
• Accounting
• E-commerce
• Business and information technology
• Sales
• Project management
• Hospitality
• Human resources
• Purchasing
• Appraisers and assessors of real estate
• Business consulting

Skills

Business professionals need a wide range of capabilities, including:

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Knowledge of technology
• Computer skills
• Knowledge of finance
• Strong analytical skills
• Interpersonal skills