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Ok so i have decided to go back to school and i already have a degree in a liberal arts field that i am not happy with. While many people have told me that the degree doesnt matter, i looked for jobs in houston and i only found a couple of jobs that would take any degree, the majority of them wanted a degree in either business administration, public administration, or engineering. So here is my question. I can either go back and get my bachelors in economics(i love reading on the subject and i have been paying close attention to the debt ceiling debacle) or i can skip all that and do an online mba from a decent school.
The reason why this is even a question is one, i am not that great at math and 2. i have never taken an online course before and i am little intimidated on the math section. The college i was thinking about going to was texas a@m commerce. I tried to find some reviews or information as to how well that online program rates but i could not find any.
yes the ba will be cheaper, the classes are around 800-900 dollars, are local and there are less classes.(between 13-14) The MBA does not have an option for a specialization in econ, its either a general MBA or you can pick a minor and the only minor that gets my attention will be international business, the hours are different, if i do a general mba it will be 48 hours(16 classes) and with the minor it will be (18 classes). The classes for the MBA are about 1000 dollars a piece.
i thought about that as well but the closest school that would do that is like 2 hours away and i cant be away from home nor do i have reliable transportation so that really would not be an option at this point
I wouldn't bother with a second BA. Waste of money. You already have a BA and it's likely with the right combination of internships & networking, you'll land a job without going back to BA. Use your network- beg someone to give you a chance to intern and get relevant work experience on your resume. That's worth more to an employer than a specific degree unless you want to go into a really specialized field like energy trading or accounting.
I also wouldnt bother with an online MBA as the #1 benefit from a MBA program is the network you build with professors, classroom speakers (who are industry executives) and your classmates. Without coming to campus and interacting in person and on projects & in study groups, it's going to be nearly impossible to reap this MBA "perk." the online programs are ok for someone mid-career who plans to stay with current employer but needs the MBA to get promoted. That's about all they're good for.
I would choose neither based on what you have said
IMO, an Econ degree won't get you much further than your current degree as far as majors go - it's a great major to have in that it shows analytical ability, process reasoning, etc ... however, they are mainly soft skills that are developed - using actual "economics" in your post graduate life isn't likely and I'm not sure for the added cost that it will demonstrate to employers more relevant skills than whatever your current degree may present
As far as MBAs, TurtleCreek makes a godo point about the networking aspect of MBAs.
IMO, MBAs are best for those who know exactly what they want to do and will use the MBA as a path to get there, gain the knowledge, network, build reputation, etc. It is an expensive investment and one that will pay off.
I would not advise to go out and get an MBA in an effort to boost your resume and then try to figure out what to do with it
There are some reputable online MBAs - however, the best will either integrate some sense of community (like calling students to campus for a specific project, videoconferencing, etc) or will be geared more towards those who are curently on a tract and need to get specific information/skills more than to build a network ..... say you are going for a promotion with your current company but the positions above you require an MBA
Also, with any graduate degree, IMO, it's best to have at least some work experience as it will shape your classroom time
As far as math - there is a bit of a disconnect .... business math isn't like math major math or engineering math
Economics doesn't require a ton of true math
However, the founding principles of math & economics really aren't that far apart
If you can succeed with economics you can succeed with business level math - at their core the thought process isn't that different ..... working through a buy/lease decision, doing capital budgeting, looking at operational efficiencies, running statistics and many of the other math type skills you will use aren't that far off from building an economic model and some of the charting you'll be required to do
Are you in the Dallas area? - if economics and the current conversation is interesting to you have you tried to get in with a financial firm?
There are plenty within the Dallas area. Insurance also has a pretty strong foothold in the area and many companies will hire and train. Major isn't super important, but focus to detail, analytical skills, etc are very important ....... if you have the sense to complete an economics degree or MBA you should be able to at least get a foot in the door and advance up with a company before incurring the expense.
Once you are in you can always continue your education
I can see where the MBA may not be as good of an idea, and considering im not that good at math, i do like "visual aids" so i can see where that might be a problem.
I do disagree with both of you about not getting a second degree, not only did i check the workforce website for my area and the houston area, i even checked monster.com, craigslist and indeed.com. I got to page 4 of indeed.com before i finally got frustrated and gave up. The degrees wanted were either nursing(for nursing jobs), engineering, computer science or business administration. I only saw maybe a total of 3 entry level postions and that was it. If a position did say Ba or Bs and i went down to the experience section then that part killed me. They usually wanted 3-5 years experience which i do not have. I just dont see how NOT going back to school and majoring in business admin in a sub-field that i like(economics) would be bad for me. The title of the degree would be BBA in Economics and since the job fields are not specifying(with the exception of accounting) i would be able to join the corporate world.
another degree will not give you 3-5 years experience
also, if there are only 3 entry level positions how is another degree going to open up more entry level opportunity?
I could see maybe making you more qualified for that position
Maybe I made a false assumption from your original post - what is your current degree?
Is it a certificate program, an associates, etc?
I read it as if you had a bachelors in a liberal arts field and were looking to add a 2nd
If the doors are closed because of no bachelors, I could see getting one in a concentration that you like ... but also have a plan for where it will get you, what industry you want to land in, etc.
The first question is "where do I want to go" .... the second question is "how do I get there"
Also don't be afraid to look directly on corporate webpages
In the insurance industry I see real quickly the following jobs that could be relevant that are showing as posted:
Travelers:
Account Executive - Richardson
Claim Rep Trainee, Auto Physical Damage - Richardson
Account Manager/Underwriting Assistant - Houston
Account Executive, Small Commercial - Richardson
Chartis:
Customer Service Rep w/training - long term contract - Houston
Underwriter Trainee Program - Dallas (starts 8/22 so still time to apply) - Position Description (http://careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/client_zurich/external/jobDetails.do?functionName=getJobDetail&jobPostId= 95506&localeCode=en-us - broken link)
Also, keep in mind what is listed on qualifications might not be true to what will come across their desk or where they will settle on .... if a company has a training program they may not need the 3-5 years experience, but put it in an effort to grab the best candidate
Sometimes you can fit the job if you fit most of what they are looking for as opposed to every item on the checklist
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