Calling all Moms: Get Your MBA Online

Earning an MBA Online Brings Opportunity

By Chris Nelson

Did your dreams of earning an MBA and making your mark in the business world fade to the background when you started your family?

Many women have put an advanced degree and career on the back burner as they raised their families. While it used to be that raising a family made it impossible to go back to school and earn an advanced degree, the growth of online learning has made it easier to plan for a career and earn the necessary degrees. With the help of distance education programs, it is easier than ever to balance life's demands while taking that step toward a rewarding professional career.

Earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can open many career doors and create a stepping stone into the executive world of business. MBA online degree programs provide the necessary learning and degree requirements in a flexible environment that caters to a busy lifestyle or family schedule.

According to the Sloan Consortium, of all schools that offer an MBA, over 40 percent offer the same degree online. This means that you can find a program that fits your needs, and you can choose from a number of prestigious colleges and universities. Online MBA programs are offered by hundreds of institutions, whether proprietary schools such as Strayer or traditional private institutions, including such notable schools as Utica College.

With an MBA online degree in hand, your career opportunities are greater now than they have been in recent years. According to a 2010 Corporate Recruiter Survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), published results indicate that corporate America is eagerly anticipating an 18 percent increase in hiring MBA-level candidates. This is the highest rate of growth since the survey began in 2002. The publication also notes that the compensation for MBA holders is up to an average base salary of $105,359. When benefits, bonuses and miscellaneous earnings are included, total compensation for MBA holders averages $122,463.

When it comes to the growth of the MBA field, women have been shown to possess certain personality traits that help them succeed. Men are traditionally tested as more quantitative and mathematical, whereas women typically tend to have more "soft" skills, which relate to organizational effectiveness and personality management.

"Relationship skills and the ability to work well across an organization, especially as globalization increases, will serve women well as they go forward," notes Edith Hunt in a September 2005 Wall Street Journal Career publication. Hunt is the Managing Director and Global Recruiting Chief at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. "Women understand their strengths," she continues, "and they go with them."

The educational options available through online MBA schools have created a flexible and easy transition for those interested in launching a new corporate career. With the additional opportunities for women to succeed in the MBA arena, there has never been a better time to earn your MBA and pursue the career of your dreams.