Deciding to study for an MBA is a big step for aspiring managers. Is pursuing an MBA program at a business school abroad a good choice? Are the financial investment and the entry requirements justified? All in all, is an MBA degree worth it?

If you’re preparing to enter the competitive business world of today, we believe it is.

So, what can you do with an MBA? An MBA will offer you a wealth of advantages, especially when it’s from a well-regarded business school. Getting a high MBA salary after graduation, landing a management position, developing a strong professional network, or even becoming your own boss are just a few of the advantages of studying an MBA degree abroad.

Need to know more? Here are more top reasons to start studying a Business Administration degree:

 

8. MBAs are challenging but not difficult to graduate

 

Many potential students ask if an MBA is too difficult for an average student. The easy answer is “most likely not”. But, as you’ll probably learn during your MBA, your attitude makes up over 50% of your professional success, anyway.

So, it’s also possible you’re not asking the right question. Rather than asking if an MBA is too complicated, you can try to develop new ways of looking at the things you consider difficult and take them as challenges or problems to overcome. That’s how a professional businessperson would look at it.

In short, an MBA is as difficult as you make it, and is as rewarding as you invest in it. In the business world, there is rarely any handholding. You either develop into a competent business expert or are surpassed by the competition.

Here are a few class examples that are usually included as part of the curriculum of an MBA degree. These may offer you an insight into how difficult you might find the learning experience for an MBA:

–Accounts for Managers

–Managing Business Environment

–Organizational Behavior

–Managerial Economics

–Financial Management

–Marketing Management

–Operation Management

–Business Law

–Human Resource Management

–Operational Research

–Strategic Management

Most international MBA degree are English-taught. Make sure you demonstrate your language proficiency by taking an English test: PTE Academic, IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT.

 

9. You can study an MBA part-time or online

 

The main benefit of studying an online MBA degree is obviously convenience. You might be busy with your work, or you are simply involved in other activities which are important to you. This doesn’t mean you cannot expand your knowledge about business and management. Online MBA programs are very flexible. You can study at your own pace and access lectures and course materials whenever you want.

Online MBA courses are also accredited. We’re living in a world where studying online receives the same recognition as on-campus education. Just check the accreditation of your MBA degree or university before enrolling, to make sure you don’t run into a scam. Spotting the difference between a genuine Business degree and a fake one shouldn’t be too hard once you do your research.

Online MBA tuition fees are lower. Another advantage of studying online is that you’ll only have to pay the tuition costs. Moving abroad would involve other expenses like accommodation, transport, and visa expenses (might not be the case; it depends on your nationality).

If you want to develop your business knowledge but don’t have a lot of time, you can choose a part-time MBA program, next to your job. Studying a part-time MBA will increase your study duration from 2 to 3 years, sometimes even 4 years, depending on the type of MBA you choose.

But a part-time MBA gives you the space to keep earning while studying and not having to put your personal life on hold while taking an MBA. Part-time MBAs may offer weekend classes or may have flexible hours, so you can fine-tune your studies to fit your schedule.

 

10. MBA degrees accept older students

 

Is age 30 too old for taking an MBA? What about age 40? As a reference, you should know that the average age of incoming students at Harvard is 27, but more than 10% had 7 or more years of experience. Columbia and UCLA Anderson both welcomed students in their 40s. In Europe, schools such as LBS, INSEAD, HEC Paris and Cambridge Judge have an average age of 29.

The good news is that business schools do not consider age as an essential factor in the admission process. An important criterion is the full-time job experience, and older students have plenty of that because they’ve been on the job market for longer. Usually, the main reason why there aren’t more MBA students in their 30s and 40s is not the age restriction from universities, but that not many of them are applying.

It should be clear to you what your goals are for taking an MBA degree, as you should convince the admission committee that you are motivated to study the MBA and you have a long-term plan in which you believe. Also, if you have good GMAT scores, there should be no problem with the fact that you’re older than the average MBA student.

You may consider taking an Executive MBA that also has a higher average student age. EMBAs are more oriented towards career progression than on a career switch and also have fewer networking opportunities dues to less time spent with colleagues.

 

About the author:  Alexandru Pop has a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and a Master’s in Psychology and is the Senior SEO Specialist and editorial manager of Studyportals. He has been writing for Studyportals since 2014.

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