MBA for working professionals

MBA is one of the most versatile post graduate degrees out there in the edu-verse. Not just because it caters to practically any candidate from any background who has and is willing to cultivate his management and leadership skills, in general or specialized fields. But also to any candidate at any stage of his professional development.

The MBA degree also comes in various options that makes it possible for working professionals to pursue an academic bend to develop their career, while also pursuing a career at the same time. Those are the options we will be discussing in this article – MBA for working professionals.

That is,

Executive MBA which offers a part-time curriculum to mid to senior level professionals.
Classes are held on particular weekends or days pre-scheduled for a short duration. Candidates can arrange the time-off from their employers in advance without seriously disrupting their work.
Part-Time MBA which offers a weekend, or evening, option to working professionals at any stage of their career.
Held over weekends or evenings, the curriculum is designed respecting the professional commitments of its students. As a result though, part-time program students take a longer time than their traditional full-time MBA compatriots to cover the same coursework.
Distance MBA which is MBA in a correspondence format doesn’t require a physical classroom presence. This includes Online MBA which provides the benefit of pursuing the degree at ones’ own pace, virtually.
Classes are often held live online, or taught with pre-recorded lectures that are available to students enrolled in the program. Reading and other necessary material are sent over mail or virtually. Usually, progress is tracked using timed assignments or projects.

Each option carries its own merit when compared to the traditional full-time MBA format. But there are certain disadvantages, as expected and we will talk about the pros and cons before meandering into the best options for MBA for working professionals which also allows them to purse their career simultaneously.

Pros and Cons of MBA for Working Professionals

We have already talked about the difference between a traditional full-time MBA where either fresh out of school or professionally experienced candidates choose to dedicate the entire program time to the degree.

In that context, MBA for working professionals is a degree pursued in conjunction with a full-time employment or other commitments.

So, what could go wrong in such an arrangement? Let’s explore.

Advantages of MBA for Working Professionals

Continuity in career

The biggest argument in favor of EMBA, Online or Distance MBA, or Part-Time MBA, is the ability to continue ones’ profession while managing the degree on the side.

Not wavering from current job commitments also means that the students needn’t put themselves through the uncertainties of job search upon degree completion. They can continue with their jobs and aim for bigger better roles within the same organization.

Cost Saving

As a second advantage of “keeping your job” as an MBA student who is also a working professional, you will have much less dent on your savings as compared to a full-time MBA student.

Making a good buck while also shelling out the large pennies in tuition helps to ease any financing burden. In fact, a lot of EMBA graduates have their degree sponsored by their companies. Thus, alleviating the need for spending the rest of your working life paying off any student debt.

Flexibility

Part time contact sessions, whether classroom or distance, also take care of any issues with having to scramble for time within other job commitments. Most distance or online MBA programs can be easily tailored to ones’ requirements.

Whether one wishes to follow a slower and longer path to a degree, or wrap up the courses on their convenience is often totally managed by the MBA candidates themselves.

Disadvantages of MBA for Working Professionals

Time Management

This is a big concern for full-time employees who have to also juggle personal and MBA commitments in the same 24/7 schedule like any other. If time management is not your forte´, you should seriously reconsider your decision before going back-to-school.

What’s the worst that can happen? You can end up losing your credibility as a sincere employee and at the same time have very little takeaway from the MBA program you are looking to base your professional development upon.

Absence of classroom experience

MBA thrives on peer-to-peer interaction and networking. As a weekender MBA student, you will have limited opportunity to interact. Even less so for distance or online MBA students. This is a major disadvantage for professionals who are looking to expand their expertise through knowledge sharing.

Reputation among employers

Except for the popular EMBA programs, that have their own headhunter following, most correspondence, online or part-time degrees generally make less impression on recruiters as compared to traditional programs.

This is especially true if you have obtained a degree from a not-so-famous b-school off-campus. Accredited and well-reputed b-school off-campus programs still manage to turn heads, albeit probably less than on-campus ones.

– How do employers view online degrees?

Top MBA for working professionals in India, Canada, USA, UK, Australia

We certainly can’t do justice by including every reputed MBA program for professionals, here in the tables below. Instead, we will list a few among the top available in India, Canada, USA, UK and Australia.

MBA for working professionals in India

Business School/Program	Program Type	Contact Sessions
ISB PGP Pro	Executive MBA	Alternate weekends & Online modules. 2 weeks of campus visit
ISB PGP Max	Global Executive MBA	1 week every 4-6 weeks for 15 months
IGNOU MBA	Distance MBA	Printed, Audio Visual, and online course material. Duration 2-5 years
IIM Ahmedabad ePGP	Online MBA	Online sessions for 2-3 years
IIM Calcutta Executive Education	Management Development Program (MDP) – Part-Time Long Duration Program (LDP) – Distance	MDP – 3 days to 3 weeks of classroom sessions LDP – Online plus short on-campus sessions
Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning	Distance Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (PGDBA)	Distance format over 2 years

MBA for working professionals in Canada

Business School	Program Type	Contact Sessions
York University Schulich (with Northwestern’s Kellogg)	Executive MBA	Every 3^rd weekend for 18 months
Queen’s University Smith (with Cornell’s Johnson)	Executive MBA	Every 3^rd weekend for 18 months
Western University Ivey	Executive MBA	4 days a month or 15 months
Rotman School of Management Morning/Evening MBA	Part-Time MBA	Twice a week for 32 months
Queen’s Smith School of Business Accelerated MBA	Part-Time MBA	Alternate weekends for 12 months
McGill Desautel – Professional Part Time MBA	Part-Time MBA	Weekend classes over 28 months

MBA for working professionals in USA

Business School	Program Type	Contact Sessions
University of Pennsylvania Wharton	EMBA	Alternate weekend for 2 years
University of Michigan Ross	EMBA	Once a month for 21 months
Duke University Fuqua	Global EMBA	8 weeks over 18 months
University of Chicago –Booth, Evening/Weekend MBA	Part-Time MBA	Evening and weekends in 2.5 to 3 years
Northwestern University – Kellogg, Evening/Weekend MBA	Part-Time MBA	Accelerated: 1–4 years to graduate (average time is 2 years) Traditional: 1.25–5 years to graduate (average time is 2.5 years)
University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg	Online MBA	–
Indiana University, Kelley	Online MBA	–
University of North Caroline, Kenan Flagler	Online MBA	–
University of Florida, Warrington	Online MBA	1-2 years
Northeastern University, D’Amore-McKim	Online MBA	2 years

– Part-Time MBA at UCLA and Berkeley Haas

– UCLA FEMBA part-time MBA interview questions

MBA for working professionals in UK

Business School	Program Type	Contact Sessions
University of Oxford Saïd	EMBA	16-18 weeks in 22 or 24 months
Warwick Business School	EMBA	Evening or weekends for 2 years
University of Cambridge Judge	EMBA	Weekends and 4 week block over 20 months
Durham University Business School	Online MBA	2 years
University of Bradford School of Management	Distance MBA	2-4 years
Imperial College Business School	Weekend MBA – Part-Time	1 weekend every month for 21 months
Imperial College Business School	Global Online MBA	2 years

MBA for working professionals in Australia

Business School	Program Type	Contact Sessions
Melbourne Business School	EMBA	17- 4 day modules over 18 months
Melbourne Business School	Part-Time MBA	2+ years
AGSM at UNSW Business School MBAX	Online MBA	–