I have a slightly skewed perspective, but I spent four years working at a Wall St. firm, and discovered that, while many people in finance have MBAs, the best f

I have a slightly skewed perspective, but I spent four years working at a Wall St. firm, and discovered that, while many people in finance have MBAs, the best frequently do not. The placement even worked that way: an analyst out of college gets a two-year contract in banking or trading, then the bank makes a decision. The chaff gets thrown away, the mid-range is sent to an MBA program and returns at the associate level, but the best stay on for a third year as analysts and then immediately become associates. This doesn't address the question very well, I suppose, and obviously people outside of finance get MBAs. I feel that, at the end of the day, an MBA program is what you make of it. It can be a valuable networking opportunity. It can be two years off from working full-time. If you're thinking of going into it to learn about derivatives and accounting, then I suspect you're better off learning it on your own.