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I'm surprised education is even mentioned. Every MBA I know has always stated the real value of the degree was for the network is provided[1]. A general managem

I'm surprised education is even mentioned. Every MBA I know has always stated the real value of the degree was for the network is provided[1]. A general management degree would naturally be useless in a world that increasingly values specialization. From this perspective, MBA programs are just expensive signaling, or even a luxury good. As usual for elite education, these who meet the strict and competitive entry requirements are highly talented individuals, so the programs real value to employers is the sorting they provide by filtering from a large set of candidates. [1] I have a PhD, but I work and know many MBAs. My father, wife, and several former bosses have been MBAs. Very capable, but none mentioned much value in the degree program.

throwawayhhakdl 7y ago
That tends to be true for high end MBAs. For mid to low tier... eh. It’s not really clear what the value prop is besides some signaling of interest and familiarity with the basics
dangus 7y ago
Why is there no value in the general knowledge and coursework itself? There are people getting MBAs that started from literally zero business knowledge. Let's say a Computer Science major, who has now worked in the industry writing code for 10 years, wants to move into management. Where would that person get any business knowledge if not for that course work? How will that person relate to the aspects of the business that management needs to be aware of without the kind of basic accounting, finance, and legal coursework that is part of a typical MBA program? Sure, someone who is already on the business side with a lot of experience in that area may not get any value out of an MBA.
- mdorazio 7y ago
  There is value in the education, but it’s the exact same education you can get anywhere. Go to a community college and take statistics, economics, accounting, finance, and maybe a couple interest classes and you’ll have roughly the same academic exposure for a tenth of the cost. You don’t need an MBA program to learn business fundamentals.
  - dangus 7y ago
    Compare the curriculum for yourself. An MBA program at a reputable business school has more elective and specialization options, along with a higher level of difficulty. It's not accurate to declare that Community Colleges have no difference in curriculum to a respected graduate business school (and they do not cost 10x more, that is an exaggeration). Cleveland State University MBA: https://www.csuohio.edu/business/sites/csuohio.edu.business/files/MBA_One_Sheet_2019_May2.pdf https://www.csuohio.edu/business/sites/csuohio.edu.business/... Cuyahoga Community College Business Administration Degree: http://catalog.tri-c.edu/course-descriptions/badm/?_ga=2.24156730.1457488063.1572963438-1937443682.1572963438 http://catalog.tri-c.edu/course-descriptions/badm/?_ga=2.241... At Cuyahoga Community College, do you see any electives like Lean Six Sigma, Supply Chain Analytics, or Medical Care Organization?
- michaelt 7y ago
  > Why is there no value in the general knowledge and coursework itself? There's a bunch of things a manager needs to know - but: 1. Some things in the course won't be applicable to your industry. 2. Some things in the course will be presented very credulously, while industry practitioners may have a different view of them. 3. Some things in the course are vital skills, but can't be usefully taught in a classroom. 4. Some things you'll already know. Depending on your experience before the course, and where you're planning to end up after the course, after you eliminate 1-4 there might not be much left :)

throwawayhhakdl 7y ago

That tends to be true for high end MBAs. For mid to low tier... eh. It’s not really clear what the value prop is besides some signaling of interest and familiarity with the basics

dangus 7y ago

Why is there no value in the general knowledge and coursework itself? There are people getting MBAs that started from literally zero business knowledge. Let's say a Computer Science major, who has now worked in the industry writing code for 10 years, wants to move into management. Where would that person get any business knowledge if not for that course work? How will that person relate to the aspects of the business that management needs to be aware of without the kind of basic accounting, finance, and legal coursework that is part of a typical MBA program? Sure, someone who is already on the business side with a lot of experience in that area may not get any value out of an MBA.

mdorazio 7y ago
There is value in the education, but it’s the exact same education you can get anywhere. Go to a community college and take statistics, economics, accounting, finance, and maybe a couple interest classes and you’ll have roughly the same academic exposure for a tenth of the cost. You don’t need an MBA program to learn business fundamentals.
- dangus 7y ago
  Compare the curriculum for yourself. An MBA program at a reputable business school has more elective and specialization options, along with a higher level of difficulty. It's not accurate to declare that Community Colleges have no difference in curriculum to a respected graduate business school (and they do not cost 10x more, that is an exaggeration). Cleveland State University MBA: https://www.csuohio.edu/business/sites/csuohio.edu.business/files/MBA_One_Sheet_2019_May2.pdf https://www.csuohio.edu/business/sites/csuohio.edu.business/... Cuyahoga Community College Business Administration Degree: http://catalog.tri-c.edu/course-descriptions/badm/?_ga=2.24156730.1457488063.1572963438-1937443682.1572963438 http://catalog.tri-c.edu/course-descriptions/badm/?_ga=2.241... At Cuyahoga Community College, do you see any electives like Lean Six Sigma, Supply Chain Analytics, or Medical Care Organization?
michaelt 7y ago
> Why is there no value in the general knowledge and coursework itself? There's a bunch of things a manager needs to know - but: 1. Some things in the course won't be applicable to your industry. 2. Some things in the course will be presented very credulously, while industry practitioners may have a different view of them. 3. Some things in the course are vital skills, but can't be usefully taught in a classroom. 4. Some things you'll already know. Depending on your experience before the course, and where you're planning to end up after the course, after you eliminate 1-4 there might not be much left :)