From Music to Management Consulting - Advice?

Hi,

I am trying to break into management consulting (MBB, Big 4 and the like) and looking for advice on a Master's degree.

I hold a BA degree in Music and Music Technology (GPA 3.96 though) from a non-target university. I changed direction before graduating and secured an internship at Rolls-Royce. Over the past 5 years I advanced through the ranks, made it to management and earned a PMP and a Six Sigma Black Belt qualification.

The "Education" section on my resume is not very impressive and is quite a deterrent to elite firms, so I would like to make up for it. I am interested in broadly defined business and management, but also have been working on Digitization and Data Science projects, so considering that too.

COST AND TIME MATTER - I currently can't afford an elite MBA and can't stop my career for 2 years, so looking at distance / online learning.

What Master's Degree would you recommend? I have found the following options:

Arizona State - Online MBA Johns Hopkins - Flexible MBA (this is getting expensive) George Washington - Online MBA (expensive too!) Harvard Extension School - Master's in Data Science or Master's in Management Georgia Tech - Master's in Manufacturing Leadership, or Master's in Analytics University of Pennsylvania - Computer and Information Technology Columbia's MS in Technology Management really hits the spot, but it's fully on campus :/

Any help would be much appreciated.

6 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Which firms are you applying for which won't give you the time of day?

Honestly, I would think Big 4 and boutiques would be interested in you given your PMP and black belt now that you are a mid-career professional. Feel free to PM me your resume if you'd like me to take a look at it. I think something else might be going on there since I've come across people who majored in psychology, romance languages, etc. and work for major firms.

MBB will be a struggle, moreso because of your lack of top-tier MBA. They would continue to be a struggle if you went through any of those programs.

 

Vel distinctio voluptas ipsam voluptate sunt dolore fugiat voluptates. Aperiam qui ipsa et totam amet.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey & Company 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (52) $246
  • Engagement Manager (114) $233
  • Manager (171) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $137
  • Senior Consultant (355) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (576) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (392) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1164) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (640) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”