University of South Carolina - Columbia The Moore School of Business

MBA, Accelerated (1 year)

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An MBA Degree

For whom an MBA is interesting

The first degree was successfully completed and everything is going well in the job, but somehow the challenge is missing. If you want to take a leadership position and specifically develop your skills in management, you could do this with a Master of Business Administration.

This special master is a generalist management degree. It is intended to strategically prepare students for a wide range of management tasks. You will learn how companies work internally, how teams work best and how tasks are distributed sensibly.

"The MBA is aimed primarily at non-economists who want to prepare themselves for a management job and want to continue their economics training," explains Detlev Kran, training expert and author of the book "MBA Guide".

Different study variants

An MBA course can be studied in different variants. The most common is part-time, where you attend study courses on weekends or during the week in the evening. Because some online courses also have to be completed at home, your own drive plays a major role in the decision for the part-time MBA course.

Basically, you should stay away from an MBA course if you only do it for the career kick and do not have any real enthusiasm for it. Part-time studies are tough and can only be mastered with a high level of self-motivation, as Frank Ziegele from the Center for University Development (CHE) knows. For the part-time MBA course, those wishing to continue their training should plan around two to three years. Alternatively, the MBA can also be studied full-time, in which case it takes about one to two years to complete.

Professional experience is the be-all and end-all

A university degree and experience in the job are basic requirements for MBA programs. "As a prerequisite, the guidelines provide at least one year of relevant professional experience," explains Kerstin Fink from FIBAA, an accreditation agency that is responsible for assessing study programs. However, some universities require at least five years in a company.

Among the business schools where you can get an MBA, there are many that are run by private companies and therefore the fees are often quite high. "In addition to the tuition fees, there are additional costs, such as travel expenses and accommodation at the respective university location," says Frank Ziegele from CHE.

And a top salary after completing your MBA?

It depends on the industry in which you work whether you really get a manager salary after graduation. It does not necessarily apply to the digital economy. "An MBA is more suitable for short-term salary and career optimization and also more at the beginning of your professional life," explains Martina van Hettinga from the personnel and organizational consultancy i-potentials. For the salary and long-term career opportunities in the digital economy, practical experience and a personality, which is mature and able to cope with the requirements of the respective role, count above all.

High salary jumps and in some cases even doubling can be expected especially by those graduates "who participate in an MBA at one of the international top business schools in full-time programs", according to the above-mentioned author Detlev Kran.