At a time of global economic uncertainty, MBAs from the best schools are the most attractive to employers. During a boom, almost any MBA is employable.

As for earnings, most full-time MBAs who pay their own way and attend a good school can reasonably expect to recover their fees, subsistence and lost salary from their enhanced earnings in under four years on a one-year full-time MBA, and an average of five or six years on a two-year program.

Three years after earning an MBA from a top school, graduates can earn three times their pre-MBA salary. Even an ‘average’ MBA will earn an immediate 40% extra.

In a recent report by Forbes Magazine, business professionals who had graduated from some of the nation’s top universities reported that their salaries had nearly tripled within five years of graduating from their MBA program. With results like the, the answer to the question of whether or not an MBA is a good investment is a resounding yes.

————————————
About Online Degrees Today.com

Check out our entire selection of online accredited universities at Online Degrees Today including programs such as mba degrees, business degrees, accounting degrees, business management degrees and more.

MBA Loans
There are a number of loan programs available to MBAs. Check to see if you are eligible for government-subsidized loans. Also, the GMAC has started the MBA LOANS program.

Scholarships
MBA programs have scholarship monies available for applicants fitting particular profiles.

Employers
Sometimes employers can be convinced to help support the costs of MBA programs. You may be required to work for a certain number of years for the employer after graduating in order to repay their assistance.

Savings
Many students fund part of their MBA education out of their personal savings.

Tax Breaks
Some of the money you spend on your education may qualify you for tax breaks.

Grants
A number of organizations provide grant money for students. There are a number of grant directories available in print and on the Internet.

Students who are interested in finding funding for their graduate education should start by contacting their school’s financial aid office. They should be able to give you some idea of where to start on your search for funding options.

Over 94 percent of Harvard MBAs had received at least one job offer by graduation day, as did 93 percent of University of Virginia at Darden MBAs. Over 80 percent of Columbia’s second-year MBA students were reported to have secured post-graduation employment by February. Dartmouth’s Tuck School reported a 30 percent increase in the number of employers recruiting on campus this year.  87 percent of UC Berkeley at Haas students had one or more job offers by graduation, with those who accepted positions reporting an average bases salary worth almost $103,000 and an average signing bonus worth over $20,500.

The most popular specializations among employers right now seem to be consulting and investment banking — something to keep in mind for next year’s potential MBA students.

“The field of finance is hot right now and the job outlook is expected to stay strong,” says Business-Programs.com. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accounting jobs are expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations, and various accounting jobs will grow between 8 and 16 percent by 2014. The median pay for an accountant is currently $41,100.

A marketing bachelor’s degree or MBA can lead to a lucrative career. According to CNN Money, median pay for a marketing specialist is $52,400; for a marketing analyst, $56,900; and for a marketing manager, $89,200. These positions usually require a bachelor’s degree, and an MBA in marketing could mean earnings much higher than the median.

Managing a nonprofit organization (median salary $55,100) or becoming a community organizer (median salary $30,900) can be tremendously fulfilling and often allows for flexible hours to accommodate the needs of family members. An online bachelor’s degree or MBA in management can increase opportunities and salary in these fields.

Business-Programs.com is a database of online business programs and schools. Additionally, they provide visitors with an extensive library of articles that are related to business program study.

1. University of Chicago
2. NYU (Stern)
3. Northwestern (Kellogg)        
4. UCLA (Anderson)
5. Michigan
6. Berkeley (Haas)
7. USC (Marshall)
8. DePaul
9. Maryland (Smith)
10. Babson

The following things were considered to determine these rankings: opinions of individuals from top MBA reporting firms, opinions of graduates of the program, recruiter perspectives, incoming student qualifications, graduate professional success, and the curriculum ideologies.

————————————
About Online Degrees Today.com

Check out our entire selection of online universities at Online Degrees Today including programs such as mba degrees, business degrees, accounting degrees, business management degrees and more.

Other major schools, including the University of North Carolina and Georgia State University, also sometimes make room for talented executive M.B.A. applicants who never finished college. “They almost always turn out to be wonderfully engaged students,” says David Forquer, the head of Georgia State’s executive program. “In 1998, our one nondegree was our top student and is now quite senior at a major company.”

Students without formal education may also consider earning business management certificates instead of going straight into a top MBA program. Educational certificates are commonly available online and can serve to give a student quite a bit of education in a specific area of business.

————————————
About Online Degrees Today.com

Check out our entire selection of accredited colleges online at Online Degrees Today including programs such as mba degrees, business degrees, accounting degrees, business management degrees and more.

• Does getting an MBA allow you to pursue a career about which you are passionate?
• Does getting an MBA allow you to do something at which you can achieve excellence? Does it allow you to do something at which you are naturally talented?
• If you answered yes to the above two questions, does getting an MBA allow you to pursue a career that can financially support your lifestyle?

Students should remember that earning an MBA degree can offer such benefits as an increased salary, increased career options, refined business skills, and networking opportunities. On the flip side, some business professionals argue that education is not a substitute for experience and that MBA classrooms focus more on the analytical side of problem solving than the application of problem solving.

The test is like this: you have two essays at the beginning of the test. One is an analysis of an argument and other is analysis of an issue. Each is a half an hour in duration.

The third section deals with verbal ability. You have reading comprehension and sentence correction exercises. Don’t underestimate this section. This section is perhaps the toughest of the test.

The fourth section of the test deals with quantitative ability. Knowing basic algebra will make you able to deal with this section. However, preparation is the key.

The best book to prepare for the GMAT is the “Official guide to the GMAT” by ETS. It is a pretty pricey and bulky book, but it is excellent practice material.

The test is computer generated and will ask easier or harder questions based on whether or not you are answering questions correctly. Correct answers to harder questions will earn you a higher score than correct answer to easier questions. GMAT scores over 700 will increase your chances of getting into an Ivy League b-school as well as increase the potentiality of you receiving financial aid.

Advantages

• Specialized knowledge: The main reason for pursuing a joint degree should be if the knowledge acquired from the additional degree will be useful in your chosen career. Employers will certainly question why you chose a joint degree and it is important that you can articulate how a joint degree has added to your skill set.
• Smaller time commitment: Joint degree programs are often a year or more shorter than if you pursued both degrees separately.

Joint Degree Disadvantages

• Compensation for the additional investment: Even though a joint degree requires extra time and money, don’t count on it resulting in an increased starting salary. Many companies will treat you compensation-wise as they do other MBA candidates.
• Joint applications: A joint degree usually means applying to each program separately. Be prepared to justify to the school how you think a joint degree will be of benefit.

Other disadvantages are that a joint program takes longer to complete than a regular MBA degree program, so students will not graduate with the other members of their class. Furthermore, they will not have as many elective classes to take, so their ability to take classes outside of their specialization will be lower.

————————————
About Online Degrees Today.com

Check out our entire selection of online accredited universities at Online Degrees Today including programs such as mba degrees, business degrees, accounting degrees, business management degrees and more.

Have a really solid and complete application file. List down all your qualifications and your work experience in a way that complements them. Do NOT leave any part of the application form blank.

The essay that is required with the application should be written sincerely and should be so compelling that the person reviewing your application finds it tough to put your essay down.

Prepare for your GMAT test beforehand so as to have a high GMAT score in your application form.

The letters of recommendation with your application should stand out from the others.
Remember that only as little as 20% of all applications received by MBA schools, are actually considered further for the next stage in the admissions process. So make sure that you do the best possible job with your application so that it goes on top of the ‘in’ pile and does not get relegated to the ‘out’ pile.

If you are lucky enough to get an interview, keep these tips in mind. Be sincere in your answers — remember that these people do this every day and will know when you’re just saying what they want to hear. Additionally, stress team work. MBA programs as well as the field of business in general rely heavily on a person’s ability to work with people.