1 Year MBA Programs

by Andrea Miller

An MBA is a graduate level degree that can be earned in less than two years.  Today, students can pursue business degrees in the traditional on-campus format as well as online.  Those who wish to pursue an MBA are usually individuals who work in the business environment and want to advance their career opportunities. Those who earn an MBA are able to pursue a wide variety of career options since the course work is applicable and relevant to almost every aspect of the global marketplace.

Many schools provide MBA programs that are 100% online.  With no mandatory log-in times, students can study and attend class on their own time and within their individual schedules.  For this reason, earning an MBA online is becoming a practical avenue for working adults. Online MBA’s are now commonplace and completely acceptable to potential employers.  An online MBA does not differ from an on-campus degree and the diploma reads the same as one earned from an on-campus institution.  Online MBA’s are more flexible and are designed to enable busy adults to obtain or complete their degrees while still maintaining full-time employment and family commitments.

In addition to online MBA’s many institutions are now offering an accelerated 1 year MBA program.  There are many advantages to the 1 year MBA option.  First, since classes are accelerated and students finish is less time, the cost to students is usually less.  Also, many times the reason a person is seeking an MBA is because of a promotion or new job opportunity.  Obviously, the faster a person receives his or her MBA, the faster the new promotion or job can start.  This means that the individual can advance their career and earn more money in less time than the traditional online MBA degree which can take up to two years.  Since the 1 year MBA program is accelerated, the workload is heavier than with the two year method. Students need to be sure that they will be able to handle the increased load and that it will fit into their lifestyle before they make the decision.

Schools Offering 1 Year MBA Programs include: Cornell University, Northwestern University, Emory University, University of Florida and Babson College.  A 1 year MBA prepares students for careers within the financial or operational aspects of business.  Financial based business careers are a good fit for students who have superior analytical skills and excel at math, while operational based business careers lean toward those who demonstrate excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.

Those with an MBA typically earn 25% – 50% more than their counterparts who only have a bachelor’s degree.  Those who graduate with an MBA degree will be trained to take key positions in fields such as Human Resources, Marketing, Sales, Public Relations, Advertising and virtually any business-related field.  MBA holders even go on to CEO and CFO positions within various fields.  There has never been a more convenient time to pursue a 1 year MBA degree as the number of schools offering the 1 year format are increasing.  MBA candidates are sure to be in demand with potential employers.

With an accelerated business degree students can enter a virtually any workplace as the vast majority of career choices involve business principles to either a great or small extent.