Two years ago, Kathy Baker’s career was going to the dogs–and cats. The West Virginia native had moved to Chicago several years earlier to work for an upscale pet food company and later a trendy pet boutique, but she knew her heart wasn’t in retail.
So the 31-year-old Wrigleyville resident decided to quit her job and take on a full load of classes in the MBA program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with an eye toward a new career in sales and marketing consulting. But Baker, who was scheduled to complete her degree in December 2003, switched to a part-time track last summer to squeeze in a year-long course.
For many MBA aspirants, deciding between a full- and part-time schedule is a tough choice, even as more business schools expand the flexibility of their programs, blurring the line between the two.
Baker, who graduated from Colgate University in 1995, said that when she started the program, “I was looking for something comparable to an undergraduate experience. I took all six core courses in the first semester.”
She now takes only eight hours of classes a week and works about 35 hours a week as a graduate assistant for UIC’s MBA program and as a bookkeeper for Barker & Meowsky, her former employer.
It was an easy transition, Baker said, because most of her classes include both full- and part-time students.
“There’s strong interaction here between part-time and full-time students,” said Baker, who now will be in school through May. “It’s a good opportunity to take advantage of both of these groups’ strengths.”
For some, choosing between full- and part-time is easier because giving up an income isn’t an option, or they’re committed to staying with their company full time, said Bill Kooser, associate dean for part-time MBA programs at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
With a part-time track, students keep their day jobs–and paychecks–and attend classes in the evening or on weekends for up to five years. It’s a juggling act, but one that has its advantages.
Part time more practical
“In a part-time program, you have the opportunity to apply what you are learning in the classroom to the job immediately,” said Kooser. “You can take issues and problems from your workplace and bring them into the classroom for conversation.”
That’s one of the reasons 30-year-old Stacey Naffah, who works in advertising sales for People magazine, chose the part-time program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
“I really enjoyed my career, and I wanted to keep gaining experience in my field and also keep an income,” said Naffah, a Lakeview resident.
“And the resources [available in MBA classes] are incredible. If I met somebody in my class with really interesting insights, I could call them the next day [about a work situation]. Or I could get help from a professor. There’s a great value in meeting smart people who work in all different companies and fields within Chicago.”
Adding online course offerings to the mix, as some business schools are doing, can also make it easier for part-time students to combine work and school..
In fact, UIC launched its first fully online MBA program last fall. It enables students to take the business school’s regular MBA courses online, including videotaped lectures and discussion forums, according to Michael Jedel, executive director of MBA and professional development programs for UIC.
Another option for some part-time MBA students is an executive MBA program, which usually meets on alternating Fridays and Saturdays. Most are geared to company-sponsored students who need to add general management skills to advance. These programs offer the chance to graduate in two years or less.
For MBA candidates who want to embark on a whole new career, though, experts say it makes more sense to head back to school full time for the one to two years of coursework usually required.
“A full-time MBA program is a better option for career switchers,” said Daphne Atkinson, vice president of industry relations for the Graduate Management Admission Council in McLean, Va. “They need the internship that typically happens between the first and second year [of an MBA program] to build a professional bridge between who they were before and who they want to be after the MBA.”
Full-time program is intense
Jedel agreed that the intensity of a full-time MBA program can help career changers make valuable new business contacts, because students tend to form closer bonds with each other.
“A full-time experience is much more total immersion,” said Jedel. “Part-time [programs] tend to be students rushing in and rushing out.”
Jedel added that full-time MBA programs are also more likely to admit a student who doesn’t have much work experience, as long as his or her academic record is strong.
Yesenia Hernandez, a 31-year-old MBA student at the University of Chicago, chose a full-time program for her second master’s degree after combining work and school when she earned an advanced degree in public policy several years ago.
“It was a question of wanting to focus 110 percent on the effort of going to school,” said Hernandez, who left a human resources job in investment banking to start school last fall. “The whole process [of earning an MBA] is 24/7, with no time to really take a breather. There are study groups, [company] recruiters, studying until 2 or 3 in the morning, and extracurricular activities with other MBA students on campus.”
Full or part time, whatever an MBA student opts for ultimately has to make sense for his or her career path.
“Most people spend a lot of time thinking through the decision to go back to get an MBA,” said the University of Chicago’s Kooser. “It’s a big investment of time and money. Take advantage of all the resources available.”
