MBA, like any graduate course may be considered 'finishing school'.

My firm will not let anyone into senior management regardless of how experienced they are unless they have completed a graduate degree. Taking the time and effort to complete an advanced degree says more about the character of person than doing the exact opposite.

1D

I respectfully disagree. It might say something about their drive or ambition but I don't think it says a single thing about someone's character. There are people who sweep floors for a living who have more character than people with advanced degrees or other designations. Character is character regardless of education or social status. You don't earn it by going to finishing school.

By sacrificing a steady paycheque in favour of more noble (and expensive) higher learning, one reveals true character. I said nothing about earning character (you did).

1D

Not really, if the student has a family who has to suffer for his actions. Or at least the "nobility" is not solely his/hers. I'm sure many families can work out on a cost/benefits basis whether it's worthwhile for one of their wage-earners to get an advanced degree, but it's not a decision based on character.

I still don't understand how that proves character? It just says that the person is in the position to be able to afford to take time off. Good for anyone who betters themselves through continuing education but what about the person who takes the same year off but decides to volunteer in a third world country or the person who gives their time to a local cause at home each week year after year? Do they have noble character as well despite not earning a degree?

How many Enron executives had the extra degrees but still made ethically bad choices? What about the child who turns in a lost wallet to the police department with all the money and cash still intact? What about the single mom working 2 jobs to make ends meet and feed her kids and couldn't ever fathom having the money to take one course at community college let along a higher degree? How about the people who take in children with disabilities and give them a loving home? The list can go on and on (looks like it did too ;) )

I went to school with far too many people who felt a higher education made them more important than those who did not have one. They were elitist and it makes me really ill to encounter people like that. Someone who has earned a degree earns more money and I don't have any problems with that. People earn my respect by how they treat others not what their pedigree says.

Any time that anyone, with or without a degree, is discounted as a human being then we all loose. If we are in a position to help someone who needs it then do it for no other reason than you can, not because there is a ROI involved. The world would be a much better place if this happened more often IMHO.

Jackpot, I branched out after the first paragraph and it's not intended to flame you :)

On a lighter note here is what FedEx thinks about MBA's :D

Your Company is missing out on some very good talent with that approach;people w/o those grad. degrees and who are ambitious will not stay with the company. Imagine if BMO did that,Matthew Barrett would never have made it.
I wouldn't want to work for a company like that...too many asses to kiss and too much BS going on I'm sure.

I'm not an MBA type so don't always pick up those vibes,must be that humour in the office course I missed :D

I'll bet he threw a breaker doing it.

To each their own opinion. You all raise many interesting and important points that merit equally as much discussion.

Value is in the eye of the beholder. Like many things in life, an MBA takes time and effort.

1D

Absolutely, and it's the variety of opinions that help us all to think more, just like a good MBA program ^

Again, no argument here. I also agree with you that it is a BIG commitment to go out and do this whether through 1 year off or part time. I think that is what many people appreciate about getting one.

The following is a rather extremist view on MBAs

One of my uncles, a sort of wealthy business person (due in part because his parents left him the family business) never finished university (he went part way through undergrad business school and left as academics are not his thing)!!

According to him (he dosen't seem very bright himself), the main reason why his business got even more successful was because he hired someone with an MBA (he even insists the management team all have MBAs)!

It seems as if that there is always this "priviledged class" (people like my uncle) who happen to be wealthy or have inherited business/wealth from their parents (and who might not necessarily have university education) and HIRE people who have an MBA to take care of their business.

He pays these people quite well (thats why the people who are working for him got an MBA in the first place!) and uses them any way he likes. According to him, the MBAs are just like his slaves (highly paid slaves) and are a bunch of "suck ups" who wants a piece of his pie (for helping him bake the "big pie").

From what it seems, those who want to get an MBA are just merely a bunch of folks who want to be "highly paid slaves" to a "wealthy boss" (who uses the criteria of "MBA" in his job descriptions just because he things they are smarter).

A few posts mentioned the importance of going to a good school. How do the Canadian schools stack up? Specifically, how are:CrampedInY.

[Edited to add York]

I thought "Schulich" at York was one of the best?!

I would take any ranking of MBAs with a pinch of salt, but I think the FT ranking is the most comprehensive and global (read: non-US schools are included).

Here it is:

http://rankings.ft.com/rankings/mba/rankings.html

Rotman first in Canada, then York.