California State University, Chico

How long is long enough?

When it comes to an MBA course, how long should the duration be? Is a year long enough? Are 2 years too long? Should one do their MBA along with their work and stretch it to 3 or 4 years? What is the magic number of months that ensures that an MBA course gets its full due?

Of course it depends on the candidate, but many schools believe that 2 years is perfect for a good program that has general management and areas of concentration or specialization. In the 2 years, one can start with core courses in general management, bring everyone to speed, skim the surface of many subjects and find one in which their interest lies. Then over the summer they can pursue an internship in that field. Depending on their level of commitment towards the subject, they can specialize in it in the second year and have the whole year to gain in-depth knowledge and application know how from experts.

Some colleges feel that 2 years is too long to stay away from the corporate world for financial and career reasons. Hence, they offer 1 year programs. Mostly, the candidates in these courses have a clearer idea of where they are going or at least they think they do at the beginning. They have a solid amount of work experience and have already done the skimming. Of course, this option does not allow for summer internships and the candidate has to dive right in to the corporate world after just 10-11 months of academia.

And then there are some colleges that offer working professionals weekend and evening classes. These could stretch to any amount of time, but most of them are completed in three years. Thought the most difficult form of an MBA, it also ensures that the candidate stays on the job, keeps abreast of the corporate world and does not create a gap in their resume. And in this economy, having a job and keeping it could be a priority.

As a solution to all of this, some colleges have a 15 or 18 month program. This looks to be the best option for three reasons:

1. You can study at your pace. If you manage to finish the course work in 15 months, you can start work the very next day or you can stretch it out to 18 months.

2. Summer internships would be like a dry run for a final job placement. All the things you learnt from the internship can be applied almost immediately to your work.

3. You need not invest 2 years of your career in to an MBA. 15 months is short enough to not get seriously cash strapped, but long enough for you to undergo a rigorous MBA program.

Of course, if you cannot leave the corporate world for any reason, a good executive or online MBA can be your option. And if you do not even have your evenings or weekends off, then this MBA may be your best option: http://www.fastcompany.com/mba/node/98?video=1