Where to MBA

[lIQUIDATEDdAMAGES]

So I am seriously going back to school part time to get my MBA. I am just about six years out of school with a strong resume and now am back working at my family's business. I have a degree in engineering for my undergrad and solid operational work experience in our field. With that said I don't have much of a business background and the longer I stick around at our company the more I'm going to be dealing with business decisions rather than day to day operational ones. This is why I'm considering this undertaking. I am pretty certain that it will be a good financial decision in the long run.

So far I've narrowed it down to two schools in OC. Chapman and Pepperdine's Irvine campus. I have been accepted to both and like both of them. I have about a 20% scholarship to Chapman and none to Pepperdine which is already about 5k more expensive. I really like Chapman but Pepperdine does have significantly higher national rankings. The class sizes are also a little larger at Pepperdine. The $ difference with the scholarship equates to about 20k.

What say you Socal business people??

 

[hallett21]

No room for you to grow in the current family business?

 

[Richard.E]

My pops got his MBA from Pepperdine. I believe they had a more flexible program at the time, but this was 15 years ago.

I would go with the cheaper alternative if I were in your shoes.

 

[Ouderkirk]

So I am seriously going back to school part time to get my MBA. I am just about six years out of school with a strong resume and now am back working at my family's business. I have a degree in engineering for my undergrad and solid operational work experience in our field. With that said I don't have much of a business background and the longer I stick around at our company the more I'm going to be dealing with business decisions rather than day to day operational ones. This is why I'm considering this undertaking. I am pretty certain that it will be a good financial decision in the long run.

So far I've narrowed it down to two schools in OC. Chapman and Pepperdine's Irvine campus. I have been accepted to both and like both of them. I have about a 20% scholarship to Chapman and none to Pepperdine which is already about 5k more expensive. I really like Chapman but Pepperdine does have significantly higher national rankings. The class sizes are also a little larger at Pepperdine. The $ difference with the scholarship equates to about 20k.

What say you Socal business people??

I would look into the background of the faculty. See if they have ever been in business or if they are academics.

From my experience today's MBA's are not taught anything useful. The come to work with grandiose ideas that the learn in their classes that have little reflection to the world as it is.

 

[wzuber]

If I read his post correctly he's planning on staying in the family business and is looking to enhance his education for the benefit of running the family business well into the future. If I read that correctly I would chose Chapman. As he stated, they have a good curriculum/program and he doesn't need the "prestigious namesake" on his resume to impress anyone, he's already got the job.

 

[lIQUIDATEDdAMAGES]

No room for you to grow in the current family business?

The goal is to stay where I am at job wise. Just looking to get more of an understanding of the accounting, financial and management side of things...

 

[Babyback]

Did you look into USC's Marshall School of Business? They have an OC Campus near the Pepperdine Irvine Campus.

I'm partial to USC, but if you're going to pay the money for Pepperdine why not USC? The Trojan Family and network connections are the best in the nation.

 

[TCHB]

I would go to USC for the MBA.

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

University of Redlands has a flexible program. Pricey, but it does the job

 

[Singleton]

MBA's are not as valuable as they used to me. They got diluted when the economy went south and everyone went back to school in the early 2000's.
If you do want to go back, then look into the executive programs at USC and UCLA. Smaller schools will not do you any good IMO, since the program is only as good as the professors and the others students in the program.

 

[KevinR]

Here's another vote for USC.

I attended their Executive MBA program in 89-91', 11 years after my undergrad there. The EMBA program was designed for persons a number of years out of school and that had time in the business world.

I cannot vouch for the program now, but we attended alternate Friday's and Saturday's, all day. Worked out great with a job and family.

Just cannot say enough how much it helped up my game for overall business management in all relevant fields. I had two notebooks going each day. One for class, the other to implement immediately certain aspects I learned that day right into the business. This was not theory and la la land ideas, it was real world, right now issues and how to tackle them.

Whatever your choice you are making a great decision. Look into EMBA programs. They are better tailored to your situation than a green graduate of an undergrad program.

 

[Scott E]

If the plan is to stay at your current employer, family business, then go with the cheaper option as you are looking for the basics, not something that will wow a recruiter on a resume such as Anderson, Drucker, Marshall, or Wharton.

There are employers out there that are school snobs, my employer is a prime example, so if there is a possibility of needing/wanting to go to a different employer then I would suggest Pepperdine over Chapman and, as much as this pains me to say, Marshall over Pepperdine.

 

[lIQUIDATEDdAMAGES]

Thanks for the replies. I am applying to Professional MBA programs and not entry level ones. I only have 6 years work experience so I am a little short for the executive MBA programs. I think I am leaning towards Chapman but will be applying to a few SD schools for more options as our SD team at work is a little bent that they might be losing me for two years...As I am planning on staying where I am at job wise I am a little less interested in the well known high dollar schools. I'm looking for a good education but also bang for my buck. Networking would be nice too but isn't the priority.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Thanks for the replies. I am applying to Professional MBA programs and not entry level ones. I only have 6 years work experience so I am a little short for the executive MBA programs. I think I am leaning towards Chapman but will be applying to a few SD schools for more options as our SD team at work is a little bent that they might be losing me for two years...As I am planning on staying where I am at job wise I am a little less interested in the well known high dollar schools. I'm looking for a good education but also bang for my buck. Networking would be nice too but isn't the priority.

Networking may be what you are paying for at this stage of the game.

 

[Bobby V]

Thanks for the replies. I am applying to Professional MBA programs and not entry level ones. I only have 6 years work experience so I am a little short for the executive MBA programs. I think I am leaning towards Chapman but will be applying to a few SD schools for more options as our SD team at work is a little bent that they might be losing me for two years...As I am planning on staying where I am at job wise I am a little less interested in the well known high dollar schools. I'm looking for a good education but also bang for my buck. Networking would be nice too but isn't the priority.

Great..Thats all I need is another college kid telling me how to do my job... J/K Nolan..:thumbup:

 

[lIQUIDATEDdAMAGES]

Great..Thats all I need is another college kid telling me how to do my job... J/K Nolan..:thumbup:

Who needs networking when you already know Bobby? [emoji12].