Timothy Strickland ⋅ Frederick, MD Defense Health Agency ⋅ 10 years experience

Jeffery,

Looks like the EMBA vs MBA has been pretty well discussed. I'll only add two things. You don't mention that you plan to transition out of the Navy any time soon. If you plan on retiring then I'd suggest you go with a program that works well with your Navy career and you can complete in a reasonable time. To get the most impact for promotion/officer package you need a completed degree.

If you are planning on transiting out soon. You may want to consider where you would like to work and what you want to do post Navy. MBA's can be a dime a dozen in certain areas of the country. They can also be mandatory (if unwritten) requirement for some positions. If you stay in the technical field (sounds like your work history/undergrad degree are in this area) then an MBA (executive or otherwise) won't help much till you reach the mid to higher level ranks. Just things to consider.

Good luck.

Timothy

Jeffrey Bradley ⋅ Goose Creek, SC U.S. Navy, Petty Officer First Class ⋅ 8 years served

I want to thank everyone for your reaponses. I am definitely taking all advice into consideration. The two programs I am considering are the online MBA from the W.P. Carey Business school at Arixona State University, or the EMBA program from the University of Tennessee.

Keith Van Sickle ⋅ Menlo Park, CA Tensilica ⋅ 25 years experience

An MBA does a couple of things. It gives you training that can be useful in your career (but depends on the job) and it is a credential that can open doors.
As others have noted, the value of the credential varies a lot by where it comes from. The most valuable credentials are from national-level "name" schools. The next most valuable are from schools that may not be well-known nationally but have strong regional or local reputations. And, more importantly, which have strong local networks. So one thing to consider is where you plan to work and whether there is an MBA program in the area that is particularly valuable to have on your resume.
Beyond those considerations, I don't think there is a big difference in MBA and EMBA from a credentialing point of view.
As for the educational value of the degree itself, you will need to think about where you see your career going and whether this will really help. It's a big time and cost commitment and isn't for everyone.

Joe Paschall ⋅ Madison, AL nLogic, LLC ⋅ 26 years experience

The above are all good comments. I chose a weekend MBA thru Boston Univ myself because it was a "regular" school vice "online degree". It took me almost 2 years, and I barely finished it before hading back out to sea. When I transitioned 6 years later, it was useful just as something on the resume to differentiate me from other military peers. However, as some state above, the MBA alone is not going to take you from Sailor to "Businessman". In fact, I would say that the MBA is not really particularly useful at any level below Division Manager/VP. If I were in your shoes, I would concentrate on accruing a handful of certs relevant to whatever industry you have military-related experience in. Certs can help you transition to a solid position, from which you can then work your way into management, and THEN get an MBA if it looks like you have opportunity to advance to a level that it might be useful. There are a lot of folks with MBAs who are working positions in which they cannot use that degree - there are way more MBAs than there are VP positions. I think the MBA pipeline is really lucrative for younger folks coming straight out of college who can then hire on with consulting firms at $50k and work their way up thru 70-hr weeks to management positions. Those of us coming out of the military - especially with MBAs a few years old and/or from online schools - have to get hired based on other experience.

Drew Schildwächter ⋅ Wilmington, NC Salesforce ⋅ 8 years experience

Jeffrey: an MBA is really useful, even necessary for some jobs. It is not for others. If you can make it happen then an MBA probably won't hurt, but neither will it be a panacea (there are many unemployed folks with MBAs).

To wit, I believe that some companies care where your MBA came from, but those want it to be from a top tier school (HBS, Stanford, Wharton, etc.). In terms of utility, most MBAs not from a top tier school are probably equal: EMBA or MBA (the difference generally is a general degree or one with a focus in specific area). I agree with Don though, and would recommend that you avoid the online-only for-profit schools.

I would give it some thought if you don't know where you want to go post-Navy in terms of employment. The right degree is always the best degree.

Best of luck.

Don Hammond ⋅ New York, NY ⋅ 25 years experience

Hello Bradley,

Your question doesn't necessarily produce an exact answer but in general, most companies do not show a partiality for or against EMBA versus MBA programs - you shouldn't have any worries - as the overall program materials are quite similar while only the attendance and time frame for completion differ.

However, any good company will absolutely show a preference based on the actual origination of the degree - i.e. the actual institution providing the degree. A pretty simple rule of thumb, if they don't have an actual campus and you had previously never heard of the school... you might be wasting your time and money.

I hope this helps, and as always, thank you for serving.

Regards,
Don Hammond

John Green ⋅ Cary, NC Information Technology ⋅ 40 years experience

Hi Jeffrey -

MBAs in general are over-rated and carry less value than a defined skillset. Having an MBA credential puts you in the same boat as many other job seekers and does little to differentiate you as a potential employee.

What is more important is : what you offer to a potential employer than other job seekers do not offer. For example, take a look at the Robert Half salary guides here :

http://www.roberthalf.com/workplace-research/salary-guides

If you were a SME in IT, you could possibly pull down more than $200k on your first job after the Navy. IT might not be your forte, but you get the idea. An MBA in HR might be lucky to get a job approaching $100k. Skills are where its at in this global economy. Find some area of interest you like and become the best, most knowledgeable resource in that field.

As an MBA, what does that qualify you to do ? Become a manager, and have direct reports mostly. Thats not real exciting in and of itself. However, if you were the expert in - say - Marine Propulsion and Cavitation, then went to work for Lockheed Martin as their Aegis cruiser program manager for $200k, thats a different story.

You see my point? The real crux of the matter is : what in addition to your MBA will you specialize in ? An MBA credential by itself is not worth very much. The specialization of your knowledge is what the market is clamoring for.

Good luck.
JG