Wondering how long it takes to get an MBA?

There are many different MBA programs to choose from these days.

If you are considering returning to school for your master’s, you must first consider your ultimate career goals and choose a program that will help you obtain them.

A main consideration for many students for choosing a program is:

How long does it take to get an MBA?

The answer is not a simple one, however. It will depend on if you choose to attend classes the traditional way, on campus, or if you decide to go with an online MBA program.

On-Campus vs. Online MBA Programs

On-Campus MBA Programs

On campus programs are generally very structured. Classes are held at a specific time and place. In addition, there are usually only four quarters or two semesters each academic year.

This means that you can only take a specific number of classes each year. If a required class is only offered once a year, you could find yourself waiting for it to come around again. This causes traditional, on-campus MBA programs to take two or three years to complete.

Online MBA Programs

If you are wanting to earn your MBA in an even shorter amount of time, you may want to consider an online program.

When it comes to online degrees, the time required varies by university, but you can assume that it will take you from 11 months to 24 months to complete.

Not only are the Online MBA program lengths shorter, but you are no longer tied to a geographic area for your studies. Universities such as Northwestern and Purdue now offer online MBA programs. You can even attend the University of Oxford in England from the comfort of your home in the United States.

Compare Online MBA Degrees:

• Accelerated Online MBA Degrees
• Online MBA Degrees – General
• Online MBA Degrees – Accounting
• Online MBA Degrees – Human Resources
• Online MBA Degrees – Management
• Online MBA Degrees – Marketing
• Online MBA Degrees – Finance
• Online MBA Degrees – Healthcare Administration
• Online MBA Degrees – International Business
• Online MBA Degrees – Public Health
• Online MBA Degrees – Entrepreneurship
• Online MBA Degrees – Project Management
• Online MBA Degrees – Sports Management

Accelerated MBA Programs

In addition to on-campus MBA programs and online MBA programs, there are also accelerated MBA programs that can allow you to complete your MBA in just one year!

Programs lengths vary from university to university, but most accelerated MBA programs can be completed in 11-16 months. These programs have condensed or shortened quarters. Instead of a 12 week quarter or 16 week semester, these programs offer classes that last from 6 weeks to 8 weeks. This allows you to take more classes throughout the academic year. Not too shabby.

Dual MBA Programs

A number of universities now offer dual MBA degrees online. These are typically designed for students who want to combine their desired master’s curriculum with business courses.

Some common variations include combining an MBA with a Juris Doctor or a master’s of public health, although there are many other options available.

Many students shy away from this route because they fear it will take them twice as long to complete their degree. Actually, that is not the case. A dual MBA is typically completed in about two years, the same amount of time as a traditional, campus-based MBA. It is important to note, though, that classes are fast paced and extremely challenging.

Summary

Getting a masters degree is an important step to enhancing your current career or changing careers. Regardless of your intentions, it is important to keep in mind that it is impossible to advance in certain fields or even be considered for a position without your masters degree.

Ready to explore your options? Compare accredited universities offering MBA programs online:

Searching for online degrees from accredited colleges?

Attending a school that is regionally or nationally accredited is vital to ensuring that the education you receive is worth your money as well as your time.

Unfortunately, online education has become a breeding ground for diploma mills, fake schools, and fraudulent degrees. Diploma mills will go out of their way to create fake accrediting institutions to back-up their claims so they can offer you so-called “diplomas” at a fraction of the price that it costs to attend a real school (and without ever attending class).

While that may sound like the most cost-effective way of earning your degree, you will find that your degree will be worthless in the eyes of potential employers.

Accredited Universities offering accelerated classes

• Walden University – 8 week online classes
• Liberty University – 8 week online classes
• Ashford University – 8 week online classes

Accredited Colleges vs. Diploma Mills

Unlike diploma mills which promise the world and offer you nothing, online degrees from accredited colleges can help you qualify for a promotion, get a raise, and even attend graduate school at an accredited university.

Just because you can’t see your classmates in person, doesn’t mean that you are not receiving a proper education and that you are being “ripped off”. On the contrary, online degrees from accredited colleges do exist, and there are a number of them available to students all over the world from prestigious public and private schools!

How to Determine if an Online Degree is Accredited

There are a few ways to determine proper accreditation. In the United States, proper accrediting institutions are determined by the United States Government and the Department of Education.

The easiest way to discover properly accredited schools is by consulting the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

They have an online database of all legitimately accredited institutions and a list of those who do not meet accrediting status.

This database also includes online degrees from accredited universities. The CHEA is a non-governmental organization committed to the quality assurance of higher education institutions.

There are two ways a school can be accredited: Regionally and Nationally. Regional accreditation is given to schools by region, regardless of the degree programs they offer.

There are six Regional Accrediting Institutions:

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

There are also 52 recognized national accreditors that provide accreditation to schools regardless of location, but based on degree programs offered. The most recognized national accreditors include:

• Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
• Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)
• Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT)
• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET)
• Council on Occupational Education (COE)

Ready to find an online degree from an accredited university?

Compare top schools offering accredited degree programs and classes now.

Behavioral science courses can pave the way for you to choose a specialization. The specialization that you choose will depend on whether you are interested in the individual or in society as a whole. For those who are interested in the former, some specializations to choose from for your behavioral science courses are cognitive theory, social psychology, and ethology. For those who are interested in the societal or group aspects of behavioral sciences, some specializations to choose from are anthropology, organizational behavior, memetics, and others.

By taking up behavioral science courses, you open up yourself to many career opportunities. With a behavioral science degree, you can work for the government or in any private company. You can even go into consultation or do freelance work. Behavioral science degrees also give you a chance to pursue research or become an educator.

Some positions available for those with this degree are criminal profiler, anthropologist, criminologist, corporate coach, social worker, economic analyst, market researcher, and many others. And because there is a wide range of jobs offered to those who take up these courses, pay also varies greatly. For those who end up in the academe, earning a 6-figure income is very much possible. For those in social work, average pay is $48,000 a year.

What is Behavioral Science?

With a behavioral sciences degree, you will investigate and examine how human actions affect relationships and decision making. The field studies the motivations that compel people to take certain actions. There are two distinct focuses, communication strategies and decision processes and social science.

What to Expect

A typical behavioral sciences degree program will blend many traditional humanities courses with coursework in your chosen specialty. Specialties include social psychology, management science, anthropology, and organizational behavior. Regardless of the specialty a student pursues, all students will develop the same skills, such as professional ethics, data analysis, project management skills, and interpersonal communication skills.

Career Opportunities

The typical career path with a behavioral sciences degree is social work and counseling. However, there is a high demand for graduates’ skills in the business world to help companies unearth new ways to rise above their competitors. As a clinical psychologist, graduates go on to help mentally and socially disturbed people in many different fields such as law enforcement agencies, services, and factories. Other popular jobs for graduates include social worker, economic analyst, criminologist, and occupational therapist.

With the number of specializations you can choose, your career options are limitless. In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for behavioral science professionals are expected to grow faster than average in the next ten years. With a behavioral sciences degree, you can tap into this fast growing and rewarding career.

When you earn a masters degree online, it does not mean that you will be getting a low-quality education. Many schools and universities today that offer masters programs are accredited by the proper educational agencies. This means that their curriculum is top-notch and they have teachers that are dedicated to helping you learn an impressive degree.

Deciding to earn a masters degree online will also not limit your choices when it comes to programs. If you know where to look, you will be surprised to know that online programs are offered in business, nursing, engineering, religion, teaching, management, law, counseling, English, finance, human resources, marketing, social work, public administration, and many others.

Your job outlook after you earn a masters degree online will be considerably brighter. If a bachelor’s degree can help you gain entry in the industry, a masters degree is your way to advance in the company or organization you work for. This is because masters programs offer advanced instructions in courses related to your field. You will be taught leadership aspects of the discipline, making you more than qualified to become a team or project manager. With promotions becoming easier to reach, an increase in salary is also possible once you earn a masters degree online.

But if you choose to up one of the 2 year degree programs, you can consider taking up an associate degree. An associate degree is much like a bachelor’s program in a way that they can help you gain entry in the field that you are interested in. The only difference is that bachelor’s degree programs offer more in-depth instructions compared to the associate 2 year degree programs. Still, if you are looking into earning a degree fast, an associate degree is one of your top options.

However, it is still possible for you to take up one of the bachelor’s 2 year degree programs that many colleges and universities offer today. These 2 year degree programs can be in any discipline. There are accelerated bachelor’s degrees in health care, education, business, computer science, art, and many others.

If you already have your associate or bachelor’s degree and you want to pursue graduate studies, you can do so with accelerated master’s programs. Accelerated master’s programs also take only 2 years to complete. Many colleges and universities offer them. They also have many disciplines for you to choose from. Some examples are MBA or a master’s in Education. Much like standard master’s programs, you will be able to choose an area of study or specialization when you enroll in an accelerated graduate program. This specialization will depend on your field or what is available.

An on line master’s degree in finance or an MBA in finance will give you all the required skills and knowledge to handle bigger responsibilities in a company’s finance department. With an on line master’s degree in finance, a student will gain in-depth knowledge in investment analysis, global finance, risk management, banking, and others. Since this is a graduate degree designed for future top managers, coursework will involve advanced training in accounting, statistics, economics, on top of the finance subjects. Research and analysis of various financial situations will also be given importance.

Aside from the many things you will learn from an on line master’s degree in finance, the earning potential it offers is another reason to enroll in this program. Typically, an MBA attached to your name will mean a pay increase. Many MBA graduates will tell you that their pay experienced a considerable increase after earning their master’s degree. With an on line master’s degree in finance, you can stand to earn up to $125,000 a year. And if you choose to take up a doctorate in business, you can earn a lot and have more career opportunities offered to you.

With a masters degree, you will have the professional skills and knowledge to have a competitive edge in your field. You can also expect to earn more over the course of your career than if you stopped your education at your bachelors degree. Even with all of the benefits, you may feel you don’t have the time to commit to a long masters degree. Rest assured, certain programs will allow you to get your masters degree in one year.

Types of Masters Degree Programs

As you are researching schools that offer a masters degree in one year, you will have to decide what type of degree you are wanting to pursue. The most common are the Master of Arts, the Master of Science, and the Master of Business Administration. There are many specializations you can choose from as well. For example, MBAs can be earned in information management, organizational leadership, and international business.

Types of Accelerated Programs

• Competency Based Degrees – You may be able to earn your masters degree in one year by choosing a competency based program. These programs allow you to take assessments in order to save you from taking classes where you already have knowledge in that subject area. These programs are typically self-study or online.
• Degree Completion Programs – If you are just a few credits short from completing your degree, you can earn your masters degree in one year by enrolling in a degree completion program. These are designed to help you finish your degree in the least time as possible.
• Flexible Degree Formats – Many universities are starting to offer flex programs. These programs allow students to take courses both online and on-campus. This accelerates the program allowing students to complete their degree in minimal time.

In order to best choose a program for your needs, it is important to research universities that offer accelerated programs. The courses will be fast paced and challenging and will require you to remain focused. With the right program and some hard work and determination, you may be able to earn your masters degree in one year.

There are two types of bachelor degree programs offered in the world today. These are Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. An accelerated degree on line can be a BA or BS program. Each of these types usually take 4 years to accomplish but you can have your BA or BS in only around a couple of years if you take up an accelerated degree on line.

As mentioned above, many industries require their entry-level employees to have a bachelor’s degree. It goes without saying that bachelor degrees are offered in many disciplines. Some of these are Advertising, Art & Design, Business Administration, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Education, Health Sciences, Human Resources, Nursing, Public Administration, Theology & Divinity, and Web Design & Development. You can earn an accelerated degree on line in any of these disciplines. Bachelor degree-holders are needed in big corporations, in the government, in your local Church, in schools and universities, in hospitals, and many other workplaces. Without these bachelor degree-holders, many industries will not run they way they should.

A bachelor’s accelerated degree on line is more than perfect for starting a promising career in whatever field you’re interested in. The accelerated method of instruction is done by accepting life or course credits, offering dual degrees (with masters), rolling admissions, and having shorter breaks between semesters.

Why Get an Accelerated Masters Degree?

Getting a masters degree is an important step in your career path. By earning a masters degree, you will gain both professional skills and a competitive edge in your chosen field. In some industries, it is unlikely that you will advance to higher positions without a graduate degree. Earning potential varies by field. However, the difference in earnings between those with a masters degree and those with a bachelors degree is considerable.

Masters Programs

There are many accelerated masters degree programs available depending on your interests. The programs vary depending on the university and the field of study. Typically, students take advanced courses, write a thesis, and participate in an internship or practicum.

Depending on your field of study, a masters degree may qualify you to begin work in your career. However, some fields will require an additional certification or license, such as in the teaching and counseling fields. In other fields, a masters degree is considered the highest, or terminal, degree available.

Accelerated Programs

Accelerated masters degree programs are designed for the working professional. Typically, all courses are online, allowing students to choose a study schedule that suits their lifestyle. Be ready for an intense commitment, however. Accelerated programs will require you to remain focused and on track. If you have the drive, you can earn your masters degree in an average of 10 to 15 months.

It is best to comparison shop for the accelerated masters degree program that best suits your needs. The courses will be fast paced and challenging. With online programs, however, you will be able to apply what you learn directly into your current position.