I am a music teacher looking to get out of education. I loved studying music in college, but I find myself incredibly unsatisfied teaching. Part of the reason is the kids (I like to move fast and I don’t like excuses) and part of it is the lack of potential for salary advancement. If I stayed in education I can see the next 35 years drag by, teaching the same things every year until I retire. In short, music is best suited to be a hobby for me, not a career.
I am interested in a career in finance. My dad is a former commodity broker and I’ve got a lot of interest in the financial world, but I’m a little unsure how to proceed. Basically right now my plan is to take 8 online classes from my Alma mater for the next year while I work. These 8 classes are prerequisites to get admitted into the undergraduate business school, but they are also the prerequisite classes to get into the MBA program (or at least most of them.
Basically, do I get a Bachelors in Finance to build a foundation in the field and then get a job and work for an MBA later on
-or-
Have the 8 prerequisite courses be my foundation, take the GMAT, and work for an MBA
Keep in mind, I do have a Bachelors in Music Education, so I don’t have much experience in the business world.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
If you already have an undergrad degree, I’d go right to the grad-degree option. Most MBA programs allow you to specialize. You can specialize in finance at that time. The only exception is if it’s much, much cheaper to do the undergrad business school. I’m guessing this isn’t the case. Get your MBA and get into the fast track!
Here are a few factors to consider:
The MBA program is going to be very expensive. The under grad program will most likely be cheaper and will give you a better foundation and more practical business knowledge and skills. You won’t fool a perspective employer by jumping straight to the MBA program. This will not fast track your career. One look at your resume and they will see that you didn’t do your undergrad work in a business concentration. This combined with the fact that you have little to no experience in the business world will get you an entry level job at best which won’t pay enough to justify the high cost of the MBA. Any employer worth working for would not be dumb enough to trust anything higher than an entry level experience to a person with no actual real world business experience regardless of what three letters are behind their name.
Just some food for thought. You should also check out this article which breaks down the pros and cons of an MBA and who an MBA is right for:
https://the-undergrad.com/2016/08/04/why-you-shouldnt-get-an-mba-why-you-should-get-an-mba/
Joe Earl, www.the-undergrad.com
I agree with getting the undergrad degree in finance. I’m not a fan of online degrees for people who haven’t worked in the field and would benefit from the services of an internship office and the availability of on campus interviews. Would your undergrad online coursework be taken from a local university that has good placement services?
Plus one for the undergrad degree. MBA really is best when built on a foundation of business experience.
Would you be attending in person once admitted to the program? i.e. You’re only doing the prerequisites online?