The Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA) is designed to introduce students to the various areas of business such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, and operations management. The degree is one of the most sought-after graduate qualifications by employers in the private and public sector alike, and graduates who possess an MBA gain a strong skill set that is transferable across industries and fields.
As you prepare to embark on this challenge, you must be aware of the prerequisites. These generally come down to your specific grade point average, graduate admission test scores, and previous academic or professional work you have accomplished. However, there are also the more general prerequisites – a readiness to learn, a motivation to succeed, and a commitment to the task at hand.
First Things First: Are You Ready?
The advantages of earning an MBA are numerous, and it is increasingly desirable to obtain this degree in order to professionally advance in many industries. First and foremost, it is important to know what is ahead of you in terms of time and commitment, and what you can expect to gain. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you ready to learn more about how businesses work, what motivates a person’s behaviors, and how to adopt varied approaches to reaching goals?
- Are you prepared for the challenge of acquiring new professional skills, knowledge, and strategies?
- Are you open to trying new personal styles of tasks like management, teambuilding, and problem-solving?
- Do you want to take your career to the next level?
If you can answer yes to these questions, you are well on your way to starting the exciting and interesting adventure of earning an MBA. Motivation is everything, so your desire to learn and challenge yourself is a great start!
Know How You Can Benefit from Earning an MBA
Being clear on what the MBA will bring you will ensure that it is a project to which you are willing and able to commit. Below are some of the benefits of earning an MBA degree.
Managerial Skills, Business Expertise, and Entrepreneurial Acumen. The knowledge and skills you gain from an MBA program provide you with expanded managerial skills that ultimately make your leadership techniques and your work itself more effective. These skills lay the groundwork for handling workplace situations pertaining to management issues, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
Through your MBA training, you gain not only skills that improve your ability to effectively carry out core duties of your job and the mission of your organization. In addition, whether you are a seasoned professional hailing from a non-business background or a young graduate with little or no work experience, having an MBA in your arsenal gives you an added advantage.
An MBA provides you with a certain business savvy along with a specific and in-demand skill set which is essentially a practical and hands-on training for dealing with business problems in the real work world. If you choose to go out on your own, you can put these skills to use as an independent entrepreneur running your own company.
Job Security Even in a Tough Economy
During your MBA coursework, you will be required to learn skills that enable you to handle complex business situations. Completing your MBA degree assures that you have transferable skills along with the capacity to handle complex situations that come up in tough economic times. This knowledge can considerably elevate your value to the organization – which means that even during recessions, the demand for MBA graduates remains high.
Excellent Networking Opportunities
The old adage is true: it’s not just what you know, but who you know. The people you encounter in an MBA program may be valuable professional contacts down the line. Today’s study buddy may be a potential client or employer in the future, so establishing friendly relations during an academic program can mean having an established network of business contacts and referrals.
Career Boost
Using the expanded knowledge you gain through an MBA program can allow you to move up the company hierarchy quickly, often giving you expanded responsibilities and the better job titles and higher salaries that go along with them. MBA graduates with specialized skills are often able to find out about business opportunities as they occur, or receive a promotion over colleagues who do not possess the MBA skill set.
Leadership Training
An MBA program molds you into a highly qualified leader, whether you choose to pursue a career in the private or public sector. The specialized abilities and leadership qualities you acquire through an MBA degree gives you a tangible competitive advantage over other candidates or colleagues. Given a choice of similar candidates without an MBA on their CVs, most leading business organizations prefer to hire candidates with MBAs for top management positions.
Opens Paths for Career Change
An MBA can be a great move if you are considering switching career paths. The transferable skills that MBA graduates acquire through their studies are a big asset when switching careers or sectors – employers know they can rely on MBA graduates to have certain knowledge and skills regardless of what their specific job experience may be.
Specific Prerequisites for MBA Candidates at Florida National University (FNU)
- You must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- You must provide official transcripts of your undergraduate studies.
- You need to have earned an undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 or above.
- If your undergraduate GPA is falls lower than 2.49 on a four-point scale, a GMAT score of 400 and above or a GRE score of 900 and above is required.
- You must be capable of demonstrating adequate writing skills as measured by an initial writing assessment – in this case, an admissions essay.
- You must have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
- You must complete an application for the FNU Graduate Program.
Why wait? If you desire to move up in your chosen career and are motivated to do what it takes to get there, an MBA is a great way to broaden your career horizons and earning potential. Contact a Florida National University advisor today – we are here to help you build your future!
