Many entrepreneurs start their own business with little to no industry-related qualifications. Unlike most types of employment, starting your own business can be done without any previous professional training or experience. This makes it a great choice for anybody who was unable to go to college, get an MBA, or somebody who majored in an entirely different subject at college only to find that it wasn’t actually what they wanted to do with their life. This is where online MBA programs are valuable.
Indeed, you’ll find that many successful entrepreneurs actually dropped out of college to pursue their business career, proving that you don’t need to have graduated to build a successful brand. In fact, there’s no guarantee that studying a business-related major will land you a successful career in the industry or propel your business idea to success.
However, with that being said, there comes a time for many entrepreneurs where they find that their lack of knowledge and training is holding them back. What do you do if you want to take your business to the next level but aren’t sure how? Perhaps you’re finding that your lack of professional business training means that you’re taking longer than you’d like to understand different aspects of running and building your brand.
This is where investing in some professional training for yourself can come in handy. And the best news is that even if you’re lacking in previous qualifications, experience of running your own business can make you a great candidate for studying for an online MBA program. Here are some of the best reasons to pursue an online MBA degree as an entrepreneur.
What are the benefits of online MBA programs?
Online MBA programs have been growing in popularity for some time, as working adults increasingly realize they need more advanced education to pursue the career opportunities they want. With COVID-19, even students in traditional, brick-and-mortar programs have been forced to take their classes online. There’s never been a better time to enroll in an online master’s program.
But even if you have access to a traditional program in your area, going back to school online may still be the better option — especially if you have a family to care for or other responsibilities that you can’t put aside for a year or three to complete a master’s program. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why more students are choosing online master’s programs.
1) Get Access to More Programs
Not every school teaches the same degree programs, and you might find that none of the universities in your local area offer the master’s program that you want. Or, maybe they have a program in your field, but you don’t like that program — perhaps you’re not impressed with the faculty, you’re getting bad reviews from current and former students there, or you need more flexibility to continue attending work and caring for your family.
When you go back to school online, you can choose from quality master’s programs at universities around the world. Many schools, like Penn State and Carnegie Mellon, offer world-class degrees online. You can study under any professor at any institution in the world, and access a degree program that isn’t locally available, or just get a higher quality of education that you might at any of the schools closer to your home.
2) Study When Your Schedule Allows
Not everyone can afford to drop everything to go back to school full time for a couple of years, but that’s what a traditional master’s program takes. If you put off going to grad school in favor of starting a career or a family, or both, you need an online program that gives you full control over your work-life balance.
Online master’s programs are designed with the needs of older, non-traditional students in mind. They’re designed so that you can watch lectures, read course materials, and complete assignments at any time of the day or night that works for you. Need to work on homework during your lunch break at your day job? Have to get up early or stay up late to get quiet time away from the kids? No problem — with an online master’s, you can fit your studies into your schedule wherever you have a gap.
3) Cut Those Incidental Costs
Going back to school online isn’t cheap — tuition tends to cost just as much as it does for brick-and-mortar classes. But you can still save big on incidental costs.
For one thing, when you go to school online, you don’t have to incur the costs of moving, putting down a deposit on a new apartment, and perhaps renting out a home you own. You also won’t have to pay for gas or public transit to get to classes, campus parking fees, and other incidentals.
4) Study from Anywhere
Do you live in the middle of nowhere? Do you travel a lot for work? Do you need to take an extended vacation abroad to see family every year? No problem — you can take your online master’s classes from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection.
5) Personalize Your Experience
Different people have different learning styles. Some people learn better when they study in groups, for example, while others learn better studying alone. Some people need to learn through hands-on experience, while others learn best by reading and writing about a subject.
No matter what your learning style, you can easily adjust your online learning experience to suit it. Need a study group? Coordinate with others in your cohort to arrange virtual study meetings. Need peace and quiet in order to focus and get anything done? Online learning is perfect for solitary learners. Since lectures are recorded, you can watch and listen to class materials as many times as you want, and information will be presented in a range of formats to accommodate more learning styles.
If you’re thinking of getting a master’s degree, why not go back to school online? You’ll enjoy greater flexibility, lower costs, and more academic opportunities, and you’ll still have plenty of chances to network and forge connections. Enroll in an online master’s program today and see what all the fuss is about.
