Should I get a generic MBA or go on to get a "concentration"?
Asked by JoeCool
I need help deciding if I should add a specialty to my MBA or just complete the core MBA program. For background, I have about 20 years of IT, product management, and web experience. I am finishing my MBA online. I will also obtain a PMP certification, which carries strong weight in the marketplace. I will likely pursue work as a project manager and product manager. I can choose the core MBA course track, or take two more classes ($4,000 and 3 months more) to get a concentration in Technical Management. There are two classes to add the Technical Management concentration, but they do not teach anything new, just have you create an IT proposal using your MBA course knowledge. Is the concentration of Technical Management so strong that I should spend the 3 months and $4,000. Or, knowing that I will get a PMP certification, is the TM concentration unimportant in terms of jobs and $$?

Best Answer:
Just do the core MBA...you already have a major (bus admin) and this concentration thing is just a revenue enhancer for the school.

I would put the PMP and a MBA over just the MBA concentration. PMP does carry weight but don't get pigeon holed into believing that it makes you a good manager. If you can get actual specialized certification like a CCIE or something that backs up the fact that you understand the technology and how to deploy it then you will have something. There are lots of PMs out there and PMs with PMPs. There are very few good technical PMPs. Most of the others are meeting schedulers or someone that tosses out "critical path" in meetings that take the program manager title to mean more than what it is....
Answered by David B