A master’s degree has become a valuable tool for career advancement. Many people are returning to school to acquire a master’s degree to get a salary raise, a job promotion, or a senior role in their industry. Over the years, an online MBA has become the most demanded program in the US.
The demand for entry-level positions is high, but the need for people to fill in higher-up roles is even greater. MBA programs are vital for helping people get to where they can fill in these high-paying positions. It’s one of the most exciting opportunities for students to find in today’s industry.
A master’s degree increases your knowledge, expands your skills, and prepares you for more advanced career roles within or outside your field. Some people enroll for a master’s degree immediately after graduation. In contrast, others prefer to wait for a couple of years and gain work experience before moving forward.
Enrolling for a master’s degree immediately after graduation allows you to learn with your peers, and you can focus better as you are young and energetic while having plenty of time to study. However, this does not mean that you should turn down any job offers that come your way. An online master’s program makes it easy to start the journey even as you look for a job. You can eventually move on to a more viable and higher-paying job after you attain enough experience through your master’s degree.
On the other hand, a lot of people enrolling for online master’s degrees are already working. Gaining some work experience before going back to school for continued education has its perks. Whether you go back for an MBA degree after two, three, five or 10 years is your choice. You have a better view of the job market and can make a solid career choice. By this time, you already know the career path you want to take, so you will benefit more than a recent graduate.
According to research, many Americans prefer online MBA programs to the traditional MBA option. Last year, 45,038 students enrolled in online MBA programs, while 43,740 others enrolled for the traditional MBA. While the number seems narrow, it is clear that the online education option is here to stay.
Whether you just completed your undergraduate degree or internship, got your first job, or have been stuck in the same position for years, Kettering University Online is an example of a program that could accelerate your career growth. Prepare for a better job by learning more about an online MBA and what it entails.
While it’s true that completing an online MBA may feel different from completing an undergraduate degree on a university campus, earning your MBA online has its benefits. You may find it easier for you to get your MBA through an online program than if you tried going elsewhere to reach your goal. Here’s a look at why earning your MBA online is a smart idea.
Expand your opportunities for success
The MBA degree program remains the highest-enrolled master’s program globally. This is because the program opens up advanced career opportunities in every industry. As a professional in your field, you stand better chances of serving in senior management positions if you have an MBA than without one. The number of people who have master’s degrees in business administration is less than those who have bachelor’s degrees, and businesses will want to support those who have more educational experience.
Every industry requires a manager who understands business operations and can use various interventions taught in an MBA class to turn the organization around. In addition, an MBA program has many specializations that prepare you for multiple careers in the business world. Whether you want to get a promotion, earn a higher salary, change your job or become your own boss, an MBA is one of the fastest ways to achieve your career goals.
The assortment of specializations you can find in today’s MBA programs is vast. You can specialize in fields such as supply chain planning, general management, healthcare management, operations tending and global leadership. You can review what field of work interests you the most and go forward.
Save money
Online courses allow you to study anywhere. You do not need to travel to the university to attend a class, submit an assignment or take a test. You do everything wherever you are, whether at home, at work, on holiday or while traveling. The advantage of studying anywhere is that it saves you the money you would have used commuting or fueling your car. You won’t have to spend thousands of dollars on room and board at a college campus.
Some universities have embraced technology and are carrying out all their operations online. However, others have digitized only a few functions, such as admissions and a few classes. Fully digital universities such as Kettering University Online allow you to do everything online, from admissions to exams. And with the changing times, don’t be surprised to receive an invite to virtual graduation!
Due to the little investment in physical classrooms and professor facilitation and a lack of dorms and other housing options to run, these digitized programs are significantly cheaper than the traditional ones. This is why an online MBA is a more viable option for people, especially when you’re trying to enter the workplace.
The money-saving benefit of an online MBA program is also useful for people who are entering the workforce. You might think that you have to hold a high-paying job to afford an MBA education, but it’s easier to go forward without having as much money when you enter an online program.
Save time
People waste a lot of time in traffic. Commuting from home or work to school can consume a lot of time, especially if there is congestion on the road. The online MBA has become popular because it allows you to study in the comfort of your home. You don’t have to rush to different physical locations for classes either, as the classes will come to you instead.
Nothing will stop your plans because you can join a class and turn in assignments from wherever you are. This flexibility makes it a suitable master’s degree option for working professionals who want to advance their careers without disrupting work.
Multitask
Traditionally, professionals who wanted to pursue further studies had to resign or take a leave of absence, while students had to defer their studies after getting a job. Thankfully, this is now a thing of the past. You can comfortably do a 9-to-5 job while pursuing a master’s degree program. Thanks to the flexibility of online degrees, you no longer have to make huge sacrifices to your current lifestyle to pursue further education. You can earn your online MBA while pursuing other goals and interests!
The online study process also helps you learn how to multitask and manage your studies the right way. It is easier to manage your studies when you know how to keep your time in check.
Better job opportunities
Advanced career paths are only available to professionals who have invested their money and time in continued learning. Acquiring a higher academic or professional credential puts you on the path to a promotion at work, salary increments and better career opportunities. An online MBA allows you to earn more credentials, increase your work experience, and gain teamwork experience with other students throughout your online course.
For example, your MBA can help you go further in the human resources industry. Instead of working as an HR associate, you can become an HR manager. The position entails handling employees and operating HR processes such as payroll and employee policies. The position pays more than a standard associate role, but it’s only open to those who have more educational experience. Your MBA will be the key to going forward and finding great opportunities in this industry.
Embrace technology
Online students use advanced technology to attend classes, submit assignments and do exams. Universities invest a lot of money and time developing these online programs and training students on how to use them. An online course exposes you to various technologies you can use later to advance your career and prepare for remote opportunities locally and globally.
Your online studies can expose you to things such as video conferencing, social media communication, online video and audio recording, and cloud-based collaboration tools. These are assets you may require at various times during your working career. Working with these technology features while studying for your online MBA can help you go forward with your studies.
A necessity for many career opportunities
Whatever course you pursue, you can ensure that it aligns with your career interests. An MBA is one of the most versatile degree programs because it prepares you for career advancement in whichever field you wish to enter. Whether you’re looking for better job opportunities in your industry or advancing your career in a business-related field, an MBA will never fail you.
A major part of why so many people study online MBA programs is because they want to make more money in some of the best-paying jobs in the industry. While these jobs are in various fields, they are all alike in how they provide greater opportunities for people to make more money and be profitable in their lives.
For instance, you might need to go through an online MBA program to become an accountant. Online programs can be useful for accountants, especially as so many accountancy studies will require you to use various software programs.
You could also go through a program to become a health center manager. Health center managers work in nursing homes and clinical settings where they oversee the daily operations. An online program can help students learn how to manage many computer-related processes in a healthcare center. A manager can learn in an MBA program about how to prepare work schedules for different healthcare workers, how to facilitate communication between nurses and doctors, and other tasks surrounding how a center works.
An online study program will help a prospective marketing manager learn how to review different marketing concepts while developing new programs. Meanwhile, a logistics manager can learn from software about how to prepare a supply chain and use the necessary software to keep a chain operational.
Online MBA studies are also essential for people aiming to become sales managers, consultants, investment bankers, business operation managers, financial analysts or project managers.
Many of these jobs are exciting to explore, as the potential for you to earn large amounts of money is great. For example, a sales manager with an MBA in sales or marketing can earn an average annual salary of $132,290. Meanwhile, an investment banker can earn an average of $131,419 a year with an MBA.
Even the lowest-paying jobs with an MBA are still highly profitable. An average project manager will earn an annual salary of $77,181.
As you can see, every industry needs online MBA graduates to help with senior management roles. Earning one will give you not only a better job but also better pay.
You’ll also have more duties and power over your position as you’ll be in an industry where you can do more. You could be a business operations manager who handles a company’s daily operations and manages hiring practices, for example. You could also become a consultant who helps companies identify unique opportunities for work and how to get the business moving forward with many tasks.
It is exciting to see how an online MBA can help you enjoy exciting work opportunities. The business administration field is extensive and includes many ways to succeed in life. An online MBA program can enable you to grow your skills and boost your job prospects.
