Got Your MBA? Now What?

MBAs are offered at thousands of campus schools--and as online degrees--around the world. But when you complete your degree, just what can you do with it, where can you go and what is your earning potential?

MBA Options

MBA degree programs offer students the opportunity to develop a multitude of skills that will help them in the business world as they begin as analysts and make their way to executive positions. With applications that extend beyond the business sector, MBA degree programs offer a path for many who don't have a plan, but who need practical business skills. For those who don't want to leave the workforce to go back to school, MBAs are widely available through online degree programs.

Most MBA degree programs offer students the opportunity to specialize in a certain area such as information technology or marketing. Additionally, most schools offer joint degree programs so that students can complete a MBA/JD degree or and MPA/MBA degree.

MBA Jobs

There are many employment options for MBA students once they complete their degree. Individuals are equipped to manage a small business or work for a larger firm as a business development associate, business systems analyst, or systems consultant. MBA graduates learn superior management skills in business school and therefore serve as managers in many professional settings.

MBA Salaries

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which administers the GMAT (the exam used to determine eligibility for MBA programs) reports several factors that help determine an MBA salary. They include, preexisting salary, industry, and function of employer, and the number of people managed and responsibility in their position before they complete their MBA.

Ultimately, an MBA degree at Harvard or Yale won't necessarily yield the highest salaries. Instead, students with solid skills and experience will be more likely to receive high salaries and get the best jobs. But what is the actual dollar amount a recent MBA grad can expect to earn? According to GMAC's 2003 Global MBA Graduate Survey, typical MBA grads "expect a 50 percent increase from their pre-MBA salary (to $75,000 from $50,000)."