Honors programs at big universities

cobrat
Fri, 06 Jun 2014 23:13:36 +0000

UA has UFE which is geared toward leadership, CBHP which is geared toward research, STEM MBA which allows STEM majors to earn their MBA during a 5th yr, dept honors (varies by dept), etc.



I really wouldn’t consider this a great selling point considering everyone I know who is a hiring manager or HR person in STEM would regard an MBA without much/any post-college work experience with great skepticism at best and sometimes possible concerns the fresh young MBA holder expects to start out in a higher level position even though he/she has little/no working experience as most his/her fresh BA/BS only grad counterparts.

In most cases, an MBA only becomes an added plus if it comes after the holder has taken a break of 2 or more years in the workforce before going off to an MBA program.

Moreover, not all MBA programs are created equal and there are plenty of MBAs…especially from non-elite schools who are underemployed or unemployed in this economy.

Also, in some quarters of the tech industry, having an MBA…even a STEM oriented one isn’t going to impress employers as much as having a BS and/or a reasonably rigorous MS in a STEM field.



And for a kid coming in with significant AP credit, it may even be possible to get a B.A. and an M.A. in the same four years that it would have taken just to get a B.A. at the elite college.



As with the MBA, not all MA/MS programs are created equal.

While those from some colleges’/programs are impressive and will allow you to hit the ground running in a few professions, many others don’t really add much…especially if there’s little/no relevant work experience behind it or one’s entering a field where the pedigree of one’s degree/alumni social networks matter much more.