Did you get your MBA?

Discussion in 'Professional Trading' started by Joe, Sep 25, 2005.

Did you get your MBA?

  1. Yes

    22 vote(s)
    35.5%
  2. No

    37 vote(s)
    59.7%
  3. I should have, it would have helped me alot.

    3 vote(s)
    4.8%
  1. Joe

    Joe

    Where did you go to school for BA and MBA?
    Was it worth it?
    Was it a requirement to get your current occupation?
     
  2. Norm

    Norm

    I got an MBA from Cal State Fullerton. It was not a requirement for my job. However, I think that it gave me a better understanding of business, and that can only help with trading.

    For me, it was worth it. However, this depends a lot on exactly what you want to do with your life. It can help a lot in some professions, very little in others. If you want to run a business (of your own or for others), then I strongly recommend it.

    If you want to be employed based upon having an MBA, go to the best school that you possibly can. It does matter.

    If you are going just to learn and improve youself, then which school you pick is not as important as how much effort you put into the program.

    Good Luck!
     
  3. 9th Gate

    9th Gate


    I "earned" an MBA in finance from Rutgers (NJ). Has not paid off yet, but may someday ? I got it to try and help me for a transition into the finance industry.

    Negatives:

    1. Cost - I billed $40k to my previous employer. Would not have paid on my own. Schools also will collect tuition from part time students, but will not help you find employment, your on your own.
    2. Finance classes are not geared towards trading or practical applications, they are still pushing that Efficient Market Theory nonsense. Will not help with trading at all. If anything it will set you back.
    3. Did not like the fact that out of the 20 classes you needed to complete the program, only 6 could be in your major finance. So I would recommend doing a quant degree or financial engineering program vs MBA for trading.
    4. Teachers still pushing read the book, memorize, take exam way of learning vs practical problem solving in the real world way of learning.
    5. You need a degree from a top school, in others words, pay a top school alot of $ - like a 100k to get a job. An educated man's bribe, illegal in most other applications.
    6. I am now unemployed and feel like alot of companies feel I am over qualified or would leave a job sooner If I don't like it. In addition, they may feel I want too much money, in other words over educated for alot of positions.

    Positives:

    1. I took 2 classes in small business finance, wrote business plans, small business accounting, business plan software, and venture capital financing, etc. If I ever need to use this skill to create a plan I'll be able to write a good one.

    Hey Joe, in the end its up to the individual. I went school with alot of people who couldn't balance a check book let alone raise capital for trading, create a trade plan, and trade.

    Good Luck.
     
  4. getting MBA right now. Is it helping with trading? So far no, and I don't really see it doing it either. Maybe it will help with investing. There need to be practical courses on trading/investing because it is getting so huge that even joe shmoe in marketing is doing his own investing.

    Here at UT, we don't have classes, we have modules, and I thought it was that way at rutgers, too. Our modules are project/case study based, so very little memorizing. We don't have much homework in the traditional sense.

    However, for the immediate purposes, none of this is relevant.
     
  5. bjb1963

    bjb1963

    Everyone has their MBA now. It doesn't carry nearly the same weight it did just 10 years ago.

    I would only bother getting one now if it were from a top 20 program. That is if you expect it to pay off in the real world.

    Otherwise, don't waste your time.
     
  6. MBA is useful as a ticket to get into the finance industry. However, if you are already working for a ib or a fund, it is really not worth the time and money. It is most useful for career switchers. (like myself)

    MBA can get you to the trading desk, although I don't really see what is the relationship between trading and MBA. (other than sales, because sales people need to interact with clients and soft skills can help).

    I currently in Columbia MBA right now. I traded my "prop" before and still doing it currently.
     
  7. Well, lets see, I didn't get an MBA but I helped my wife get hers - basically tutoring her through several classes. Her MBA was from a good school and was useful IMO. The work was not hard however - I did the stuff in my sleep even in the most difficult quant classes.

    Oh Yeah, I basically have a PhD and have taught at a couple of top universities.

    Point 5:
    You are EXACTLY correct. MBA fees are outrageous and are a way to control people and put up barriers to entry. I would never pay a dime for an MBA - if it were free to me then I might do it if my employer required it.

    Point 6:
    Recruiters increasingly could care less that you have an MBA: They only care about your MBA if it is in addition to fairly extensive (3-5 years minimum) focused industry experience.
    Without the experience the value of even the most expensive MBA is limited as an entre to a job through the university.
     
  8. Ardit13

    Ardit13

    I would agree with the thoughts that (1) an MBA is only "worth it" if you go to a top 15 (or so) school or if your employer pays for it, and (2) an MBA can put you in a position of appearing "overqualified" in many situations.
     
  9. Got mine 12 years ago from London Busness School -- top 10 worldwide from what I remember. Resulted in an immediate doubling of salary and a faster career track. Of course, they "only" cost $20K in tuition at a private school back then.

    Back in the day consulting firms would offer 1 year's fees as a signing bonus. It was a good time to get in.

    Relationship to technical trading: none. If you want to do fundamental or special situations analysis then it would be useful.

    My personal opinion is that good math and programming skills go a lot further in this field than an MBA -- unless you are on the sales side.
     
  10. mahras2

    mahras2

    instead of an MBA its better to get a MA or PhD in mathematics or finance.
     
    #10     Sep 28, 2005