Ask Stacy Blackman

Dear John,

Many MBA applicants hold other graduate degrees, so it is not uncommon. Having a master's degree is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage in the admissions process; it is simply another piece of your application that will be included in your evaluation. The important thing for you to do is convey your rationale for why you want an MBA and why this is the right time in relation to your past experience and future career goals. You note you want to make a change into marketing--what happened that brought you to this realization? was it something in your professional experience? Even though you might not have formal education in marketing, I would suspect there are aspects to your current (and former) jobs that are marketing oriented. If you can effectively convey how you arrived at your rationale for business school and why you need an MBA to achieve your future goals, then you will not appear to have entered into your previous master's program haphazardly.

Good luck,
Lisa

Dear D,

Having performed at a higher level in your graduate coursework will demonstrate your commitment and motivation to academically succeed. If you earned the master's degree while working, it can also show your ability to manage your time. So, it will help mitigate your undergraduate GPA to some degree. However, your GMAT will still be a critical data point to evaluate your ability to handle the business school curriculum. Likewise, you will also want to address your GPA in an optional essay if possible.

Good luck,
Lisa

Dear Jared,

While I don't disagree with your rationale on changing jobs prior to applying to an MBA program, I do think you have a few options you should thoroughly consider before entering a MS program. Remember, your GMAT score is only good for 5 years, so it is likely you will need to retake the GMAT for your future MBA applications unless you plan to only work for 1-2 years after your MS program. If that is your plan, then I think you need to really step back and determine what you want to do and what makes the most sense before investing more time and resources.

First, you can try to make the switch without earning a MS degree. It will be challenging and require lots of networking on your part. Likewise, you will need to be very focused in what you are pursuing--consulting and investment banking are very different. Second, you could proceed as you planned and earn a MS, but you will still face the same challenges in landing a job coming out of the program. The only additional benefit you will have (beyond the extra knowledge) is the support of a career center you might be able to leverage for your networking. Finally, you could go right to an MBA program. IF you do not know what you want to do, then this is NOT a valid option. But, if you do know where you want to take your career, then it might be worth a look as earning a MS degree now will mean you will have to explain later (in your MBA apps) why you need the MBA on top of the MS to achieve your career goals.

Should you decide to go with option 2 and proceed to a MS program, then you need to pick the program that matches what you want to do. If it is banking or another finance career, then a MS in Finance is the right option. If you want to do consulting, then you have more options based on what kind of consulting you want to do. There are MS programs in human resources, management information systems, marketing and real estate, to name a few. Basically, you need to take a long-term view of these choices and see how they relate to one another. MBA admissions committees will be looking for you to offer a solid rationale on each choice.

Good luck,
Lisa