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Going back to school....?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by NDub, Feb 16, 2009.

  1. KevinmH9

    KevinmH9 Active Member

    Not a bad idea to find a school that offers a dual JB/MBA program. They are popping up everywhere now and can be very useful for a profession in sports. Those programs, however, are VERY expensive, like $100,000+ expensive.

    I don't think we can totally discredit a degree in sports management, though. A degree is a degree, but it'll be your real-life experience that will make the difference in the end.
     
  2. STLIrish

    STLIrish Active Member

    Why not get an MBA?
     
  3. NDub

    NDub Guest

    I guess because if it's easier to get an associate's (if those gen ed and elective courses from my undergrad transfer to these, which they should b/c it's the same school) than an MBA then I should just do that. Plus, it's probably cheaper, too. Maybe I should talk to a guidance advisor in the Biz Dept.
     
  4. KevinmH9

    KevinmH9 Active Member

    Might not be a bad idea, NDub. When I was considering getting my MBA awhile back, I sat down with the program's adviser/chair and just got my feet wet as to what the requirements would be, how this would help me towards my specific career goals, etc. It never hurts to poke your head in the door and ask. Unlike your typical used car salesmen or military recruiters, they aren't going to sit there and feed you bullshit as to why you should apply to the program, but most professors that I've seen are truly out there to give you the best possible answer without sugarcoating it.

    I'm not sure if many people are facing the same problem as I do, but I know exactly what I want to do, but I don't know what kind of degree I need to get to do it. I'm willing to go to great lengths in order to get it, but lack of direction.
     
  5. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    There are few guarantees in life.

    One is that whenever a thread like this starts up, people will scoff at the very idea of returning to school, minimize the value of higher education, and act as if the cost greatly outweighs the benefits. Love those broad brushes, since, you know, every major in every college in the country is the exact same experience.

    Again, having a degree never hurts you (unless you're interviewing with one of those oh-so-cool people who refuse to hire people from certain schools). Not having a degree never helps you.

    That goes for post-grad education. If you want to change your situation and think further education might be a way, do the research, ask around to people who know, who also have done their own research and sought such a path. Then do what is best for yourself and your family.

    I finished my master's without paying a cent in tuition. Rent, books, etc. were my school-related expenses. I searched specifically for a place that had the right combination of academics, atmosphere and assistantships.

    (I also was lucky enough to have enough experience and recommendations to overcome my 2.67 undergrad GPA. It can be done).

    They are out there; it's a matter of where are you willing to go and what are you willing to do if you think further education will help you secure a better future for you and your family.
     
  6. Piotr - I'm always a little taken aback by the backlash toward higher educaiton on here, too, from the law school/business school bashing to the, "I met a Rhodes Scholar who graduated summa cum laude from Princeton and, let me tell you, she was an idiot!!!! I'd never hire someone from Princeton/Harvard/Northwestern/Missouri/Columbia/Syracuse/Stanford/Duke!!! NEVER!"

    Part of it is just Internet posturing, of course, combined by the fact that we're all a bunch of opinionated sports writers who are used to being blunt. And most of us have a bit of a populist streak, which would shock the Rush Limbaughs and Sarah Palins of the world who consider us all effete, Brooks Brothers-wearing Ivy League "elites." It's a blessing and a curse.

    But great opportunities are out there for every last person here if you're willing to put in the work and sacrifice some things for a couple years. The LSAT is more beatable than you think. GMAT, too. They just take work. And I know the people on here are hard workers. If you can put in 65 hours on the job every week for 40 hours pay, you can find the time and energy to study for the LSAT (or whatever else might float your boat) to open up doors for yourself.

    Set your goal high and go for it. Education yourself about the risks and rewards. That's what I did, and it paid off. I was accepted to places that would have laughed at me had my younger, more ill-informed, ill-prepared 18-year-old self applied there. And I'm going. Selling my house. Packing up the wife, the dogs and the child and taking the plunge. I know another person in the business who received a full scholarship to law school - he's got three children and is around 40, and is in school full-time, and loving every minute of it.

    Most of all, don't be afraid of change. Like Dylan sang, "He who is not busy being born is busy dying."
     
  7. I'm working right now on studying for my GMAT so I can enroll into an MBA program next year. It won't be easy, and it won't be cheap, but I'm confident that my prospects will be far better than with a journalism degree alone. This industry is clearly a sinking ship, and 20 years from now when I'm in my 40s (or 2 years from now when I'm in my mid 20s for that matter), I don't want to be in a position where I have to cross my fingers everyday and hope I can scrape by. I considered going for a teaching certificate, but decided that if I was to go back to school, it would need to be for a graduate program. That way, I would be going back to actually better myself....not just in an effort to find the escape hatch.
     
  8. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Good idea, devil. Bet moddy gets blasted with emails.
     
  9. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    You're ahead of me. I can't even get a rejection e-mail anymore.
     
  10. KevinmH9

    KevinmH9 Active Member

    Good call. I'm doing the same thing, but the school I'm looking at doesn't require you to take the GMAT or any sort of entrance exam. My goal is to get started on my MBA by the end of this year or early next year.

    I looked into the JD/MBA dual-degree programs but tuition alone you're looking at close to $150,000.
     
  11. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    To help Moddy...

    http://ncaamarket.ncaa.org/search.cfm

    I don't know if that is the best place to look, but I guess the classifieds of the NCAA News is not an option anymore.
     
  12. OTD

    OTD Well-Known Member

    An AA in business? Yeah, night manager at Burger King. An Associate's degree is mostly good for specific skills, like IT technician, nurse, etc. Business or English, not so much.
     
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