Why Obtain an Mba

Why return to college to pursue an MBA
MGT/521
October 8, 2012
Jill Hagist

Why return to college to pursue an MBA Should I go back to college after all these years? I asked myself this question many times over the years. I actually feel like I wasted many years pondering this question. There never seemed to be enough time, enough money, and enough energy. Certainly there where enough excuses not to return to college to pursue my MBA. I have always felt like I am too old to return to school. According to "Taking the Next Step" (2012), the amount of people that are returning to school has and will dramatically increase. “When I got a graduate degree at 30, I was far older than most of my peers. But mature students are the wave of the future. By 2007, more than a third of people studying for an associate’s or higher degrees were 25 and older. By 2017, the ranks of these older students are expected to grow 20 percent, according to the US Department of Education”. (para. 1). I have been working for the past twenty five years in my field and have always wanted to return to college. I thought about my decision many times during the years. I always regretted not taking the time to return to college. Family and friends have said to me why do you need this degree so late in life? Some have said why spend the money? I personally feel that I could do more within my field and have interests that extended beyond patient care. I have become more interested in the health care field as a business. I have found new interests in how the industry works from a financial arena. The healthcare industry including Medicare and Medicaid are popular topics of interest at this time. This is the area that I presently work in, so I feel that this is the opportune time for me to seek an advanced degree. In addition to my MBA, I have included a second major, an MSN (Master’s Degree in Nursing) so I will have the opportunity to capitalize on both areas making me more marketable. I have seen many nurses today returning to college to pursue advance degrees whether it is in business or the clinical area. I have noticed within my field more and more healthcare professional’s getting advance degrees in business and law. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics "Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Overall, job opportunities for registered nurses are expected to be excellent. Generally, registered nurses with at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) will have better job prospects than those without one”. This is especially true at a time when the economy is struggling. One would not think that there were layoffs in the healthcare industry, but there have been many hospitals that are closing and reimbursement rates are diminishing. Healthcare is relying more and more on nurse with advanced degrees to perform jobs that were filled by physician assistants and doctors. Healthcare is ever changing and with the economic conditions of today, healthcare is especially vulnerable. The other issue of returning to college was cost, the time commitments and time constraints that come along with being an older student. The additional responsibilities of having a full time job, a house and children have been determining factors on my decision. Although, with the introduction of online learning some of the time constraints are lifted so returning to college has been made easier than ever. Certainly in this economy school definitely presented a problem for me since, I presently have a son in college too. I have managed to pay for his college and have found a University that is cost effective for me to return to college at the same time. As stated in the article, Back to College (1998-2012),”Re-entry or adult students (also called non-traditional students) are generally age 25 or over, with ages ranging from 25 to 69 at many colleges and universities. Re-entry students are often female; but men are returning to college in record numbers to update professional skills and further career advancement. Some may never have attended college or started college and then stopped because of personal, financial, or other reasons and want to go back to fulfill lifelong dreams or potential. Economic reasons are a strong factor: students want to change careers or update professional credentials. Some adult students continue to work while returning to school while others attend part-time. It is never too late to go back to school”. (para.1). My final decision dawned on me as I began to think about the twenty more years of work that I have in front of me and the regret that I would have for never having pursued this degree. Now there are no excuses, I am looking forward to pursuing my master’s degree so I can better myself. I refuse to be saddled with regret that I did not accomplish the goals that I had set for myself because life got in the way. I have decided to take the glass half full approach and think about returning to college in this way, I have at least twenty more years of work ahead of me not that I have already worked for the past twenty five years. I have decided to live my life to the fullest without regret. In the end, it really came down to the argument and inner dialogue I had with myself. It didn’t matter what everyone else had to say, I had to answer my own question and that question was do I really want this? The answer to my question is yes. There are no more excuses.

References
Taking the Next Step. (2012). Retrieved from http://http:www.boston.com/business/articles.com U.S Department of Labor. (2012-2013). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/career-guide-to-industries.htm Back to College. (1998-2012). Retrieved from
http://www.back2coller.com/library/faq.htm

References: Taking the Next Step. (2012). Retrieved from http://http:www.boston.com/business/articles.com U.S Department of Labor. (2012-2013). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/career-guide-to-industries.htm Back to College. (1998-2012). Retrieved from http://www.back2coller.com/library/faq.htm