Five Reasons to Get Your MBA

Many early and mid-career professionals consider pursuing a MBA, whether on a full-time or part-time basis. Although attending business school takes time and money, an MBA provides substantial return on investment, as it can both boost your short-term career prospects and contribute to your long-term professional growth.

Here are the top-five reasons to get your MBA:

1. You Want to Make a “Power Pivot”

No, we’re not talking about Microsoft Excel! The full-time MBA program at Boston College is ideal for professionals who wish to change industries or start new careers. Our applicants have an average of four years of work experience, and most are aiming to either move laterally in their field or change industries entirely.

The program’s flexible academic structure is designed to help you pivot. In Year One, full-time MBA students take 13 seven-week classes and three one-week modules in everything from Marketing to Operations Management. After finishing this rigorous coursework, candidates apply their new skills in competitive summer internships. In Year Two, students take electives to further specialize in their new industries.

2. You Wish to Grow Your Career

If you wish to grow your career at your current company or within your industry, consider BC’s part-time MBA program. Our part-time students often take one to three evening classes per semester, allowing most to finish their MBAs in three to four years. While the full-time program is ideal for students who wish to change careers, the part-time MBA is a great investment for those seeking higher positions at their current companies or within their industries, as well as those looking to bolster their resume long term.

BC’s part-time MBA program is designed for early and mid-career professionals. Each academic year, we welcome an entering class of approximately 200 part-time MBA students. On average, our admitted students have around five years of work experience and undergraduate GPAs of about 3.3. However, it’s important to note that these statistics don’t tell the whole story and that the BC admissions team evaluates all candidates holistically.

3. You’re Open-minded About Your Career

BC offers a generalist MBA, which means that you have the flexibility to explore careers in myriad different fields. We offer business classes in a wide range of topics, including Asset Management, Global Management, and Marketing. BC MBA students can choose from over 150 electives. This will allow you to specialize in specific topics after you’ve mastered the fundamentals, gotten a taste of multiple new industries, and finalized your career transition plans.

Imagine you’re a marketing professional who wants to switch careers and work in corporate finance. You could do a specialist MBA in Finance, but you may also find yourself locked into a program and career that’s the wrong fit. Our generalist MBA gives you the time and exposure to different fields to make an informed decision about your career.

4. Your Want to Learn Data Analytics

Data analytics is one of the hottest skills in the business world. As published in QuantHub, a recent report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) found that 85% of companies will have adopted big data and analytics technologies by 2022. WEF also found that 96% of U.S. companies are definitely planning or likely to hire new employees with data analysis skills. If you’re going back to school, it’ll pay to learn data analytics!

The BC MBA program offers a Data Analytics Sequence comprising three courses: Model Building, Management and Data Skills, and In Practice. Because this sequence is designed for students without any experience in data analytics, you’ll have the chance to fully develop critical skills.

5. You Want to Maximize Compensation

Ultimately, salary maximization is the main reason why most people earn an MBA. At BC, we pride ourselves on helping MBA graduates secure excellent jobs at dozens of elite companies. For the full-time MBA Class of 2020, the average total compensation was $120,334. Our starting salary is higher than the national median MBA salary of $115,000.

As the U.S. and international economies recover from the global recession caused by Covid-19, demand for MBA graduates is projected to increase. In a recent survey, GMAC found that 90% of corporate recruiters expected the demand for business school graduates to increase or stay the same over the next five years in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. In 2021, 37% expected demand to increase and 55% expected it to stay the same, up from 30% and 62% respectively in 2020.

There’s one statistic that should convince any professional to earn an MBA. GMAC found that on average, MBA graduates earn $115,000 annually and those with a bachelor’s degree make just $65,000. Over 35 years, that’s a difference of $3 million in career earnings.

If you’re interested in the BC MBA, please connect with our graduate admissions team, attend one of our virtual admissions events, or email us at bcmba@bc.edu.