Does an MBA Degree Give You A Degree OR Do You Gain Knowledge?

Obviously the first question which comes to mind when one is considering an MBA is, will the degree just help me to get a great job or will it help me to perform the job well. Imagine a scenario where a student lands a job in a large organization and the job even though at fresher level still requires a certain amount of basic managerial knowledge. What will the student do if he or she did not attend classes and instead chose to do some last minute studying to complete the exam? A student who has not got the right exposure or adequate knowledge during the program is setting himself or herself for failure at the workplace!

The whole reason organizations pay a lot of money to MBA students is to get knowledge workers who can be decision makers and problem solvers from the word `go’. An MBA degree gives one the advantage of landing a job, but it is knowledge that ensures that the person can perform the job efficiently and thereby sustain and grow in his or her career.

But the fact to be remembered is that an MBA does give one a degree. A degree is the first step to landing a job of one’s choice and for freshers’ this is the only information they can add to their CV. Obviously, great organizations will look for qualifications first. Even within the large spectrum of MBA degrees, depending on the job profile and the organization one chooses, where or in which university the MBA was procured can also be a deciding factor. Therefore, one of the key factors to be kept in mind is to choose a good and recognized MBA school. The other key advantage of choosing a good school is, the faculty and curriculum will be on par with the best international schools and will ensure that the student does not just study to get a degree but gains actual knowledge to ensure his success in the workplace.

Protyush Banerjee says a student who is doing his MBA from Hult International Business, Boston Campus, that he chooses this particular university for the simple reason that it is a one year course. “Also,” he adds, “there is global rotation options at no extra cost in a one year curriculum – Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai. Students are posted in a Fortune 500 company for 4 -6 weeks in the one year curriculum and work with professionals in strategizing future growth deliverables.”

A good MBA program is structured to include practical lessons like case studies and many of them require an end-to-end business plan to be written by the end of the program. These practical lessons along with group discussions and interaction with faculty ensures that the student is gaining exposure to practical work related issues and is equipped to perform the job that the MBA degree is sure to get him.

To summarize, while an MBA degree is adequate to get a job, it is knowledge which will ensure that the person can perform his duties satisfactorily without fear or lack of confidence. A smart knowledgeable worker is what an organization looks for when hiring an MBA student and this can be achieved only when the student has looked at the program from the angle of `gaining knowledge’ and not from the angle of `gaining a degree’.