Waived Courses vs. Better Program

[Portercat]

Hey there, I need some advice and right quick on 2 Part-Time MBA programs since the fall semester is creeping up. I got into two schools in my area and one is much better in ranking than the other (both are AACSB accreditted). The one with the better ranking is Villanova.

Weird thing though, Villanova's Undergrad B-school and Part-Time MBA are ranked really high; but their regular full time MBA is not ranked (?) in BW. That doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, the "lesser" school will waive 4 of my previous courses from an earlier technical M.S. that I hold. Villanova is not willing to waive any of my previous course work.

The lesser school will be 14 courses to completion, and Villanova will be 19+. Any advice? I am a mid-career professional, not too young (38) and have serious family priorities (3 kids in sports, school, etc. and a demanding job).

[Scottie@VeritasPrep]

You did not mention why you are pursuing an MBA at this point in your career. However, the bottom line is that you need to choose the school that will best meet your goal. For instance, if you plan to transition into a new career, then you should make sure the program is strong in the areas in which you want to concentrate. Additionally, you should research the recruiting history to get an idea of companies that hire from each program. If, on the other hand, you are simply enhancing your general business skills but plan to stay in the same company/career path, choose the program that best fits your lifestyle and that you can actually complete.

[Portercat]

Thanks. At this point I am looking more just to enhance my business skills, and continue on generally the same career path. I did not know the recruiting information is available (other than what is available in the brochure).

Any thoughts on why a Part-Time program would be ranked so high (#11), whereas the full time version at the same school is not ranked at all? What does this indicate?

Thank you!