13 Benefits of Getting Your MBA Degree

If you have completed your undergraduate degree and are interested in the world of business, an MBA can give you an edge that will enhance your success in your career and beyond.

What Is an MBA Degree?

MBA stands for Master of Business Administration. An MBA is a master’s degree designed to help business professionals advance in their field and gain a deeper grasp of various skills during the course of their program.

There are many types of MBA degrees, including:

• Accounting
• Cybersecurity
• Finance
• Health Systems Management
• Leadership
• Marketing
• Project Management
• Sports Business
• Strategic Human Resources Management

Each MBA hones in on specific elements of business and works to develop mastery in those areas.

10 Benefits of an MBA Degree

You may be wondering, “Is an MBA worth it?” It takes hard work, dedication and time to earn an MBA. However, the many advantages of having an MBA make completing the degree a worthwhile endeavor for many professionals. Explore the following benefits of an MBA:

1. Establishing Your Professional Credibility

There are many ways to enhance your professional credibility and image. An MBA effectively establishes you as an expert in your industry. The MBA is among the most respected degrees available to business executives and future leaders of the corporate world.

MBA students gain the necessary skills and self-confidence to pursue higher-level positions in businesses, companies and organizations. When you earn your MBA, you receive not only technical training in skills such as project management but also leadership training that can prepare you for a leadership role in your company. You emerge better equipped to understand a wide range of job responsibilities, allowing you to build a satisfying career.

2. Benefiting From Professional Networking Opportunities

It takes a community to build a successful career. Specifically, it takes a strong professional network to find the career opportunities you are looking for.

An MBA degree program will introduce you to invaluable networking opportunities. In fact, some students enroll in an MBA program primarily for the purpose of building a professional network. During your studies, be proactive about reaching out to your peers and instructors. Build meaningful, working relationships with them that you can tap into long after you graduate.

3. Acquiring Stronger Communication Skills

The ability to communicate clearly in a professional setting involves much more than just choosing the right words. Effective communication means understanding your audience and adjusting the tone of your message accordingly. It involves recognizing and using non-verbal conversational cues and applying active listening skills in addition to speaking persuasively.

While you are earning your MBA, you will have ample opportunities to polish your written and spoken communication abilities. You will graduate with a keen understanding of how to convey meaning effectively to a diverse range of audiences.

4. Cultivating Self-Discipline

Earning an MBA requires many hours of hard work, especially for active professionals balancing their education with a job, family or other responsibilities. Even if you choose to reduce your work hours, you will need to manage your schedule carefully to accommodate classes, studying and assignments.

Of course, the flexibility of earning your MBA online can make your degree more readily achievable. However, self-discipline is still essential to succeed in the program. The self-discipline you acquire as an MBA student will be of value to employers and will serve you in many areas of your life long after you graduate.

5. Developing a Broader Worldview

Meeting new people enables you to benefit from their ideas and perspectives. The typical MBA degree program is filled with students from diverse backgrounds who come together to exchange ideas. Keep an open mind during your studies, pay attention to the approaches and ideas of others, and you will learn from the insights of your peers and instructors.

6. Asking Better Questions and Thinking Critically

As an MBA student, you can learn the importance of thinking critically and asking better questions. Asking questions can allow you to better understand material that is presented and form logical conclusions when given multiple ideas. A master’s degree empowers you to ask these questions which in turn leads to critical thinking.

7. Strengthening Your Resume

To be promoted from some positions, a master’s-level education is necessary. With an MBA, those promotion doors open for you, along with the option to apply for outside positions that require a graduate degree. An MBA enhances your professional resume and shows employers that you have skills that are of great value in the workplace. In addition, since a master’s degree takes time and effort, an MBA is a sign of commitment as well as competence.

8. Finding Desirable MBA Degree Jobs

Not only does an MBA open up opportunities for promotion and strengthen your resume, it also qualifies you for a variety of higher-level MBA degree jobs. If you notice that the jobs that appeal to you are all held by individuals with master’s degrees, this may indicate that now is a good time to advance your education. Some of the MBA degree jobs available to MBA graduates include:

• Executive
• Entrepreneur
• Director
• Manager
• Business leader
• Chief executive officer
• Director or vice president of operations

9. Embracing a Sense of Accomplishment

Earning a master’s degree is an accomplishment; the degree is a testament to your work ethic and commitment to knowing your field. Because of the sense of achievement that comes with graduation, the degree is more than a stepping-stone on your path to success. It also represents a memory and a part of your life that you can look back on with pride.

10. Preparing for Success in a DBA Degree Program

Some MBA students intend eventually to go on to earn a doctoral degree. An MBA can prepare you for even greater success if you choose to pursue a DBA degree. Many universities require students to have a master’s degree before they apply to a doctoral program. If you think you may be interested in seeking a DBA degree, earning an MBA is a good place to start.

If you are unsure what MBA emphasis is best for you, considering what kind of doctoral program you might want to apply to may help you decide. For example, if a DBA in marketing interests you, an MBA in marketing can take you a step closer to that goal.

11. Exploring New Skills and Specializing in Your Area of Interest

MBA programs are devoted to imparting new skills. Each MBA program provides students with knowledge about a specialized field of study. For example, an MBA program in cybersecurity explores the following skills:

• Developing business strategies
• Decision-making
• Designing enterprise security infrastructure
• Business growth planning

All the skills taught in MBA courses are related to the business world. These skills equip you to try new things. If you are considering starting your own business, an MBA program can provide you with an understanding of how to build that business. If you have a new strategy you want to implement in your current career, an MBA can help you develop your ideas.

12. Growing Professionally and Personally

One of the most meaningful perks of an MBA program is the opportunity to grow. Through MBA classes and projects, students can grow as professionals. Habits formed during the program, such as time management, collaboration and a strong work ethic, not only refine professionalism but also encourage personal growth.

An MBA program is a chance to allow yourself to grow. MBA courses do more than promote flourishing careers. For those who are willing to learn from the experience of earning a degree, the skills and knowledge they develop apply outside the workplace as well. For example, the process of earning an MBA in Sports Business leaves you with leadership skills that become apparent as you interact with others.

13. Leading Others in Your Field

Although efficient leadership seems to come naturally to some people, it is actually a skill that takes developing. A master’s degree nurtures leadership skills and prepares you to lead others in your field of study. An MBA goes beyond an undergraduate degree to give students the experience they need to thrive in managerial and executive roles.

In an MBA degree program, students find out what it means to be an effective leader in the corporate world. Students also emerge with the preparation to manage various institutions.

Grand Canyon University’s Colangelo College of Business offers many online MBA programs, such as Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Leadership and Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Marketing. If you are interested in exploring our other degree programs or learning more about our master’s degrees, click on the Request Info button at the top of your screen.