MBA- Ole Miss vs Univ of Memphis (Atlanta: how much, schools)

[EastCoast2GA]

If you had to choose between these 2 schools, (Ole Miss and Univ of Memphis) which would it be? Just want to make sure I make the right investment. I hope to work in Atlanta after graduation so it would help to know which school has the better reputation.

[Mishap]

How much money are you going in on it? Honestly I'd say neither if you have out of state tuition or are quitting a paying job. I'd only consider those schools if there's a full ride or your employer is sponsoring and you have an exit plan in place. They aren't exactly HBS and that's still a lot of money on tuition for not amazing returns on average salary. An MBA from a regional/small school often doesn't have any name cachet and diploma mills churn out billions of MBAs every day so there's rapidly diminishing returns from 2nd-3rd tier schools even though they're cheaper. If you plan on staying local, then Ole Miss or Memphis are fine but just as GSU is decent in the Atlanta area, no one's heard of them outside the region unless they closely follow part time MBA rankings. Spending 40-50k+ and quitting your job for 2 yrs to make 60k is a terrible investment.

The best way to increase your salary w/ an MBA is to go into the recruiting pool of the school. There they have consolidated companies looking for MBAs to hire and want people w/ the given degree (why else show up on campus). So long as you're competitive, you have far more options than when you're submitting for jobs online and your MBA is just another box in the form to fill out.

I would say if you're looking to move to Atlanta anyway, consider Georgia State Robinson or possibly UGA Terry. Even better if you establish residency first and get a big break on tuition. Not sure how high your stats are but there's also GT and Emory. My firm pretty much only hires from those two for our ATL office (Duke/UNC as well) but our avg GMAT is ~700+ and we start everyone well into six figures.

[lorilove]

You should check with the recruiting offices of the institutions and find out what employers come on campus to interview. That will give you an idea if any of the local Atlanta companies heavily recruit from one over the other.

[gtcorndog]

Neither is particularly respected. There are a lot of MBA programs out there and many offer no ROI. You might want to consider whether the MBA will actually be beneficial to your career. You should really think long and hard about how much more money will you think you will make vs. the 2 years of lost income and tuition cost.

[PeteATL41]

If you want to land in ATL, why not go to one of the MBA programs in town? GSU, Tech, & Emory will all give you a reasonable ATL network and access to local companies who employ new MBA grads. By the way, all 3 have part time& evening options so you can reduce the opportunity cost of the degree.

[RoslynHolcomb]

I'd say don't bother getting an MBA unless you have an employer paying for it. Pretty much everyone has one now and they're meaningless.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb

I'd say don't bother getting an MBA unless you have an employer paying for it. Pretty much everyone has one now and they're meaningless.

I think they were largely meaningless (and often detrimental) before.

[Carlito Brigante]

Nothing with the name "Memphis" attached to it garners any respect these days...

[WhoDat2011]

I work for B of A and they reimburse tuition up to $5,000 per year and my previous company offerred that as a perk as well. It's a great way to go to school if you have the time.

[Mishap]

^I also took it as an unreimbursed business expense for the remainder not paid by my employer. Was an awesome $18k/yr deduction while it lasted.
MBA: The Mother of All Tax Deductions? - BusinessWeek

Once again an MBA's value is determined by how you leverage it. Putting it behind your name in your email signature, business card, and everywhere else doesn't add value and only makes you look pretentious since an MBA is not a professional designation. Using the Business school's career center, leveraging contacts, and building a network there does add value. If you can turn a U of Memphis MBA into a CEO of a F500, the MBA isn't what got you there. For the rest of us, the recruiters that come to campus, the alumni network, and your peers in the program are what help you. In my time doing an MBA, I was able to help one former coworker get a job at GE and another a job w/ my current firm.

If the school doesn't provide a well defined and supported post-graduation path, then there's little value to it. I tell classmates in the program behind me that they need to have a well thought out post-MBA plan. Very few companies hand you a fat raise/promotion just b/c you got an MBA these days (unless they paid for the MBA and then they probably have a clawback).

Why You Should Leave 'M.B.A.' Off Your Card - WSJ.com