Part Time MBA /// Duke vs Georgetown vs NYU
Hi everyone,
I am a healthcare consultant at a boutique consulting firm in DC. I already have a post MBA position and salary within the company. I am the only non-MBA employee in healthcare practices therefore my company wants me to pursue a MBA degree. I do not want to quit my job so I only consider evening, weekend or online MBA programs. My company will pay for my degree so money is not an issue for my decision. (3 year commitment)
I have no interest to change my industry but I might be interested in moving to a larger consulting firm in the next 3 to 5 years. I already eliminated 5 school and have 3 schools in my final list;
-
Duke – Cross Continent MBA
a. Advantages: 17 months program, The Health Sector Management (HSM) Certificate, Well-known brand
b. Disadvantages: Mostly online courses, limited networking opportunity -
NYU Stern – Weekend MBA
a. Advantages: Traditional face to face classes, Networking Opportunities, Well-known brand
b. Disadvantages: 3 years, travelling to NYU every weekend, big gap between part-time and full time program -
Georgetown – Evening MBA
a. Advantages: Traditional face to face classes, Networking Opportunities, Prestigious brand, Very well-known in DC area, smaller class size
b. Disadvantages: 3 years, evening classes during the weekdays
I visited all the schools and I really liked Georgetown program. I think that smaller class size will provide a better quality education. I also like NYU weekend program because it is very flexible. Work is very unpredictable so having weekend classes is a huge advantage. Duke simply has the best reputation and may able to open doors to a bigger consulting firms in the future.
I know the differences between full time and part time degrees. As mentioned before, I will not change industries. I plan to stay in my current role for another 3 years and learn more about healthcare analytics. Once my degree is completed and my 3 years commitment is over, I want to move to a bigger consulting firm such as PwC, KPMG or Deloitte. I probably will stay in DC area but may have chance to move Washington State. I already been contacted by larger firms but I do not want to move before completing my MBA program. Which program or brand name will open more doors to big consulting firms?
Did you look at Darden at all? They have a part-time MBA where you can take some of your courses in Tysons / Arlington I believe. What about Wharton's EMBA? The train ride back and forth is fairly short and easy, especially if your company is funding everything.
Of the programd you mentioned I'd recommend Fuqua or Stern. Georgetown MBAs are a dime a dozen in DC and I've been drastically underwhelmed in terms of those I've come across.
Thanks for your response.
I think Darden does not have a part time or evening MBA program. You probably are talking about EMBA and I am not qualified for it. I only have 3.5 years of work experience. Therefore Wharton's EMBA is also not an option.
I had a chance to meet several Georgetown former students yesterday and I am not very impressed. I think my final decision will be between Fuqua or Stern. My only concern with Fuqua is that 60% of the classes are online. I wonder how the program is viewed since it is a hybrid program? Did people ever consider it less of a qualification because it was partially online?
Did you look into UNC's online MBA at all? Usually I'd advise against those, but in your case it wouldn't be a negative.
As far as Duke's program being partially online - unless your diploma says "Online MBA" (UNC's all online MBA doesn't even say that) then no one would even know...or care.
I got admitted to UNC online MBA but do not plan to choose it since it is all online. Duke is partial online and you still have 12 weeks face to face classes. Should I consider it?
Both UNC and Duke will not say online MBA. It will be the same diploma as the full time MBA.
No online diploma will say you got it online, so this really comes down to your personal preferences and what you value the most in your educational experiences and location. I can read books myself all day, but I'd like in-person lectures so that would be important to me as well as the networking aspect.
One thing you didn't mention but should consider is that the caliber of your classmates (on average) will not be as impressive on the part-time programs as the full time programs at those campuses - this is true of any school so networking might not have as much value as you think (but still more value than online).
If you want to stay in healthcare, Duke is probably the best choice that certificate really gives you a leg up above your competition (it may or may not, I'm not familiar). I think these are all solid programs and an MBA from any of them will open doors for you. However, in Washington state I'm not sure that the difference really matters aside from the time constraint. (17 months vs. 3 years is a pretty large difference). If you're staying in DC, Georgetown is the best. Going to NC? Duke. NYC? NYU. Anything outside of those, any advantages will come from your network and any alums you've contacted.
I don't think you can go wrong here. I think this is a good, better, best decision. In my opinion I think Stern is Good, Georgetown and/or Duke are the better and best depending on the weight you've given to the other factors.
Good luck though! Let us know what you choose.
Thanks for the amazing feedback.
You highligted amazing points. Also, I talked to our leadership today and they prefer to traditional classroom experience to an online MBA. They also did some research about the programs. They really like the Georgetown program since all the evening classes are still taught by the full time program professors. I am still the decision maker but they recommended me to go to Georgetown.
I did not know it before but our firm has 2 Georgetown alumni (full time program). They both are senior managers and have high profile within the firm. They shared some concerns about the caliber of Georgetown classmates; Based on my understanding, there is a less competition between students and there are some very low profile students. However, they both agree that Georgetown MBA is rapidly getting better and it is a great opportunity. Based on the feedback I receive, Georgetown has an amazing reputation within this region. It is more well-known than Duke in healthcare in DC area.
I still did not make my final decision but I am leaning towards Georgetown.
Interesting (and lucky) situation. My quick take:
1) Stern: traveling every weekend to NYC would be a total no-go for me. I couldn't give up my weekends for 3 straight years.
2) Georgetown: I applied to the FT program. While I know lots of bright people there, but it can be hit and miss. However, they are very well-known for their PT program due to the top employers in the area, including non-profits and private sector. There are a lot of federal consultants in the program who just want to move up in their company. I think you might actually learn the most in this program due to the classroom face-time.
3) Duke's HSM is basically unparalleled. It's a small community of graduates that are in strong positions in the HC industry. I understand your concerns with network and online courses, but to me the network is much less important if you are basically getting the degree to check a box with your current employer. Sure you'll have fewer connections than if you went to MSB, but those connections might be higher-placed. You'll also have the entire Duke/Fuqua/HSM network to pull from.
To me it's a battle between Georgetown and Duke, and I'd give the edge to Duke seeing (1) the HSM specialization and (2) the less-pressing need of forming a network.
Thanks for the feedback.
I talked to my family & friends and everyone agrees that travelling NY for next 3 years is crazy! I believe that I can manage it but I think it does not worth.
I really underestimated Georgetown's reputation. I had a chance to talk to many people during the weekend and I was very surprised with reputation of Georgetown in DC area. I already met couple people from PwC and Deloitte and also learned more about the government contracting roles.
I still love the Duke program but it requires 12 weeks of residency in next 17 months. My employer does not like it a lot. Their concern is that it will reduce dramatically reduce my productivity and billing hours. However, they are still supportive.
Hey Georgetown PT MBA here. It looks like you did a campus visit and talked to some FT alumni but reach out to me if you might have any specific questions about the part-time program. Overall I think you will have a great time doing this program if your plan is to stay in the DC area and continue with your current employer. You will notice a big difference in class engagement and energy level going to class everyday in person versus doing it online (compare it to an online meeting vs an in person meeting for 3 hours). The school has done an awesome job to integrate the PT and FT programs in terms of academics, student clubs and recruiting. Besides investment banking, which requires the traditional summer internship, you will have a fair shot at any employer that comes on campus to recruit including the big 4 for their consulting arms. As you mentioned from your talk with alums, the culture is that everyone is very supportive of getting you to where you want to be professionally. Just be realistic and humble and people will support you in anyway they can.
I am by no means an expert, but I have only heard good things about Georgetown, so if I were in your shoes, I'd go with that program.
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