The Value of the MBA: Erika's Story

Erika Drummond lives in Columbus, OH. She studied finance and business as an undergrad. Then, after spending about a year-and-a-half working in finance, her employer recommended that she pursue an MBA and even offered to pay for most of it. She is also one of those people who simply loves to learn.

She applied to the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business Part-Time MBA program. Though she didn't have much work experience at that point, other admission requirements were successfully met. She was fortunate enough to be accepted into their Evening MBA courses.

Four years later, working full-time during the day, and taking classes at night, her degree was finally finished. She was able to apply her knowledge in her job, as she learned it. When asked about the benefits of having an MBA, she said, "Having an MBA from the University of Michigan has definitely opened doors for me. Not only did it help me think more critically, but employers have recognized that I am a driven person who can balance conflicting priorities since I was able to juggle a full-time job and earning an MBA at the same time."

She also notes that when she was laid off three years ago, she was able to use her network of friends and colleagues from her MBA program to successfully land another job.

For Erika, getting an MBA earlier in her career has worked better for her, though she says that timing is going to vary from person to person. She also felt that getting her MBA in person was better than going for an online degree. "I benefit from learning in person so an online MBA would not have worked for me."

The evening MBA program also had benefits as students were required to collaborate with each other on projects. "U of M focused heavily on group projects so that prepared me well for teamwork that presents itself in my everyday life at work. I learned the fundamentals of finance and business in undergrad, so i can't really say, "Oh, wow, grad school made me so much smarter in business." It did help me think more critically and it was an amazing experience to be challenged by such an intelligent peer group."

Erika has considered returning to school to pursue a PhD in organizational behavior, to become a professor. But, "I'm just so darn happy in my career right now it's not a burning desire."

Drummond, Erika. Email interview. 14 August 2010.