When Is the Right Time to Get an MBA?
The right time to get an MBA is when you can connect the degree to a meaningful goal and make a realistic commitment to the work. That decision involves more than age, job title or how long you have been considering graduate school.
Dr. Lynn Hunnicutt, Dean of the College of Business at Concordia University Chicago, encourages prospective students to think carefully about what an MBA could make possible. Instead of starting only with the question of whether to earn the degree, she suggests considering how the learning could change what you are able to do.
Start With What You Want the MBA to Make Possible
A specific goal gives the decision direction. You might want to move into a role that requires broader business knowledge, become more effective at leading people or understand an area of organizational decision-making more deeply.
Dr. Hunnicutt asks prospective students to consider what doors an MBA could open and how they might be different after completing the work.
The useful question is what capability you want to develop. Naming that capability makes it easier to compare programs and decide whether graduate business study is the right path for you.
Think About Skills as Well as Compensation
A potential salary increase is a reasonable consideration. Dr. Hunnicutt acknowledges its importance while encouraging students to think about what they will know and the skills they will gain.
Compensation can depend on factors beyond a degree, including role, industry and opportunities within an organization. A learning goal gives you another way to assess the investment.
For example, wanting to understand financial decisions or guide a team through change creates a concrete basis for evaluating the curriculum. CUC’s online General MBA is one option for professionals seeking a broader business foundation.
Assess Whether You Can Commit to the Work
Motivation needs to be paired with a practical plan. Consider what your schedule looks like now and where consistent study could fit.
Think about upcoming changes at work, responsibilities at home and the support available to you. The goal is to identify a workable period for beginning, rather than waiting for a moment when every competing demand disappears.
Program requirements and course planning also matter. Review admission and tuition information and ask an admissions counselor about current options before building your timeline around assumptions.
Know Your Why
Dr. Hunnicutt repeatedly returns to the phrase “know your why.” A clear reason for pursuing the degree can help students stay connected to the work when a course becomes challenging.
That reason should mean something to you personally. It might involve the contribution you want to make, the responsibilities you want to grow into or the kind of leader you want to become.
Try completing this sentence: I want to earn an MBA so I can become better prepared to ______.
If the answer is still vague, that is a useful starting point for further exploration. Looking at course topics and discussing your goals can help you sharpen it.
Choose a Next Step You Can Act On
Deciding when to get an MBA does not require resolving every question at once. Begin by identifying a goal, reviewing the curriculum and understanding the commitment.
If you are still comparing educational pathways, CUC’s article on advanced leadership credentials offers a broader discussion of MBA and doctoral options.
Then explore the MBA course descriptions and speak with an admissions counselor about how the program could fit your plans. A clear purpose and a realistic approach to study can help turn a general interest in an MBA into a more informed decision.
About the Contributor
Dr. Lynn Hunnicutt is Dean of the College of Business and Professor of Business at Concordia University Chicago. Her interests include decision-making and vocation.
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