bonafide20

Hi all.....I had a question.

Some of you already know that I will be applying to Northeastern's MSA/MBA joint program. They have an excellent job placement rate and a very good accounting program for novices so taht's why I am paplying to them--the only business school on my list since work experience is not required.

Anyway, I am also thinking of applying ot NorthWESTERN's French PhD program with a Certificate in italian because I will probably get better funding and will have the chance to do more travel and language study. I ultimately would like to work in an environment that would allow me to use my langauge schools, but do not want to become a teacher. Their program take a diverse approach so that's why I am interested in it.

Now, if, hypothetically, I were accepted to Northwestern and decide to go there, woudl it be possible to then persue my MSA/MBA at Northeastern afterwards? The reason I woudl consider this is based ont eh fact that after I graduate fromt eh 15 month program form Notheastern, full tiem work is virtually guaranteed (unless you mess up big time at the internship) and after that, I can kiss my long term travel days goodbye. I don't know if I am quite ready to do that just yet which is why I would consider doign Northeastern first, plus I could better my language skills. The curriculum at Northeastern's Business/Accounting school is set in stone with no electives so I wouldn't be able to study language while there.

Is this idea nuts? Any suggestions? Has anyone here ever done a PhD then an MBA or Masters in a specialized business field?

Alexandre

It is actually quite common. My uncle is a professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan. In the last decade, I have heard of 4 of his PhD students who eventually got their MBA after becoming PhDs. One of them from the University of Chicago and one of them from Columbia. I am not sure where the other two got their MBA degrees from.

sakky

I know that MIT's LFM program (the dual-degree Master's in Engineering + Sloan MBA) brings in about 1 PhD in every class of about 50. For example, last year, one incoming woman had a PhD in Physics from Harvard. Two years later, another incoming woman had a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford. You'd think that somebody who already has an elite engineering PhD would have no interest in picking up an engineering master's, but LFM allows you to get that master's in some other engineering discipline. For example, you could come in with an EE background and decide that you'll get your master's in ME or ChemE or whatever.

Incidentally, the other way around has happened too - every year or so, 1 or 2 students will use LFM as a launching paid for their PhD. Usually these students will stay at MIT after LFM to get their PhD. For example, Randal Pinkett, who won the reality show Apprentice 4 (the one with Donald Trump), after graduating from LFM, stayed at MIT and got his PhD from the MIT Media Lab. Others have stuck around to get PhD's in engineering. Certain others have gone over to get doctorates at Harvard (especially Harvard Business School).

harvardguy

Is PhD in Business a super MBA?

sakky

No, absolutely not. An MBA is completely different from a PhD in business. An MBA is designed to get you an industry job. Business PhD programs are designed to produce future B-school professors, nothing more, nothing less. Almost all of your networking and your career services as a business doctoral student will be geared towards getting you an academic faculty position.