Thinking about earning a master’s degree in business administration?

There’s a lot to consider. A good place to start is to imagine what life after earning your MBA can look like.

Having new career options is probably the first benefit that comes to mind. But there’s a lot more than that to life after MBA.

It’s like a gateway to a whole different lifestyle, offering you an exciting new skill set and new ways of looking at the world.

In other words, it’ll give you a lot more than a string of letters after your name!

Life After Earning Your MBA

Start at the end of the story of your career. Imagine you’re in your retirement years. Looking back, this is how your MBA changed your life.

1. YOUR CAREER PROSPECTS IMPROVED

As soon as you earned that degree (and even as you were earning it), doors to many new career paths opened up for you.

Companies valued the skills and knowledge that you gained from your MBA program. Those three letters said you were capable of leadership positions and promotions.

You had your pick of some of the hottest jobs like:

• Business operations manager
• Financial manager
• Human resources manager
• Information technology (IT) manager
• Management consultant
• Marketing manager
• Medical and health services manager

Or maybe you decided to start your own business? (It’s your story. Tell it your way!)

2. YOUR EARNING POTENTIAL INCREASED

The salaries that came with those managerial positions were enticing. You were immediately capable of competing for pay that was significantly higher.

As of 2021, the median salary for people with bachelor’s degrees was about $75,000. Pretty good. But the median offered to MBA graduates was much better, at $115,000.

That was just your starting salary. The job turned out to be a great opportunity, and in just two years’ time, you were making over $133,000!

3. YOUR NETWORK GOT BIGGER

Starting in your business internships, you had opportunities to meet a diverse group of professionals from several different industries.

That helped you build a life-changing network of contacts. These professionals (some of whom were your instructors in the MBA program) became:

• Mentors who showed you the ropes in their industries.
• Supporters who cheered you on and kept you going.
• Referral sources, as they helped you make connections with others.
• Coworkers when you went to work for their companies.
• Lifelong friends, in some cases!

Your professional network was a huge part of life after earning your MBA. These people gave you the confidence you needed to excel in your career.

4. YOU BECAME A LEADER

You took courses in leadership, strategy, and management that helped you develop the knowledge and skills you would need to step into leadership roles.

That knowledge turned out to be more than great items to list on a resume to get your foot in the door. You often recalled the concepts you learned to help you get through difficult situations.

You started out with a grasp of leadership. Over time, you became the leader you always wanted to be!

5. YOU BROADENED YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Looking back, you’ve gained a lifetime of experience in every facet of your business. And it was your MBA program that gave you those first experiences.

You already had a good grasp of a few aspects of business administration, but your MBA program covered a lot more ground. It was your first exposure to areas like:

• Accounting
• Business Communication
• Business Ethics
• Business Strategy
• Data Analytics
• Economics
• Finance
• Leadership and Management
• Marketing
• Operations

It opened your eyes to everything it takes to run a business. Beyond that, you gained a better understanding of how our economy works and how our society is built.

Without a doubt, you gained a whole lot more than an increased salary!

Bethany College: Before and After MBA

No matter where you are in your educational and career journey, take your next step toward earning your MBA degree at Bethany College!

Our MBA “4+1” program works like this:

• First-year students can earn an MBA in just five years (four years of undergraduate study + one year of graduate study).
• Of course, if you already have some college credit, you may be able to earn your MBA much sooner!

We’re here to help you tell the story of an exciting career starting now and for many proud after-MBA years to come as a Bethany College alumnus.

For more details, learn more about Bethany’s MBA program here.