MAOL, MS/MBA Degree Question

[MichaelDoesMarketing]

I finished my degree at UMPI - BLS, double minor management and political science.

I'm looking for next step recommendations on what to do about my graduate degree. Is staying at UMPI for the MAOL worthwhile? For reference, I work in marketing as Digital Strategist, I'm far along in my career but would like to achieve a higher role and also plan to start my own agency. I'm torn between an MBA w/marketing concentration, MAOL, or something like ASU's MS in Digital Strategy. 

I was able to easily complete 10 classes at UMPI with plenty of time left and I feel like I have a good groove and understanding of navigating UMPI but I don't want to get the MAOL if it's not going to open the doors I want it to. 

I'm just curious to hear where other people went, or what they did for their graduate degree. Was UMPI enough to get you into a more exclusive school? 

I'm open to any and all suggestions, as I've looked at multiple schools already but am just undecided at the moment. 

TIA.

[Jonathan Whatley]

If competency-based works for you, WGU has an MS in Marketing with option in either Digital Marketing or Marketing Analytics.

[MichaelDoesMarketing]

If competency-based works for you, WGU has an MS in Marketing with option in either Digital Marketing or Marketing Analytics.

I was looking at that exact program as well. My only reservation is that marketing changes so fast and I don't want my degree to become irrelevant, (not that I specifically think a Digital Marketing degree would) but it is on my list of options. I like competency-based for sure but I'm open to anything.

[Duneranger]

I finished my degree at UMPI - BLS, double minor management and political science.

I'm looking for next step recommendations on what to do about my graduate degree. Is staying at UMPI for the MAOL worthwhile? For reference, I work in marketing as Digital Strategist, I'm far along in my career but would like to achieve a higher role and also plan to start my own agency. I'm torn between an MBA w/marketing concentration, MAOL, or something like ASU's MS in Digital Strategy. 

I was able to easily complete 10 classes at UMPI with plenty of time left and I feel like I have a good groove and understanding of navigating UMPI but I don't want to get the MAOL if it's not going to open the doors I want it to. 

I'm just curious to hear where other people went, or what they did for their graduate degree. Was UMPI enough to get you into a more exclusive school? 

I'm open to any and all suggestions, as I've looked at multiple schools already but am just undecided at the moment. 

TIA.

UMPI is regionally accredited but it's not going to turn heads at competitive or exclusive MBA schools. Hopefully, its reputation in the future won't slide as more students try to enroll. This forum is often biased but folks getting a BA in a couple of months might raise some eyebrows with admissions folks as they review transcripts. Sounds like you have a solid career already which helps.

That being said I don't think you will have any issues getting into an average MBA program. There aren't a ton of CBE grad programs though. and solid "exclusive" programs are pricey.  Personally, I don't see the purpose of a MAOL aside from govt but that's just me.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, life is full of learning opportunities and since you're wanting to go into business down the road, why be torn between two programs? If you're looking at both of these, do one after the other... MAOL first (assuming you only need the 9 courses because you did the overlapping 3 courses available for the BAS/BLS) and then the MBA with Marketing concentration. Two sessions at UMPI would be $4300 (if you missed the 3 courses, it's still possible to get it done in time). One session at WGU is $4955. Both combined would be 1 year and under $9K for the two...

[MichaelDoesMarketing]

Hmm, life is full of learning opportunities and since you're wanting to go into business down the road, why be torn between two programs? If you're looking at both of these, do one after the other... MAOL first (assuming you only need the 9 courses because you did the overlapping 3 courses available for the BAS/BLS) and then the MBA with Marketing concentration.  Two sessions at UMPI would be $4300 (if you missed the 3 courses, it's still possible to get it done in time).  One session at WGU is $4955.  Both combined would be 1 year and under $9K for the two...

Do you think it's possible to finish a Master's Degree in one term at WGU? Doing the MAOL and a MS at WGU does sound like a viable option.

---

I finished my degree at UMPI - BLS, double minor management and political science.

I'm looking for next step recommendations on what to do about my graduate degree. Is staying at UMPI for the MAOL worthwhile? For reference, I work in marketing as Digital Strategist, I'm far along in my career but would like to achieve a higher role and also plan to start my own agency. I'm torn between an MBA w/marketing concentration, MAOL, or something like ASU's MS in Digital Strategy. 

I was able to easily complete 10 classes at UMPI with plenty of time left and I feel like I have a good groove and understanding of navigating UMPI but I don't want to get the MAOL if it's not going to open the doors I want it to. 

I'm just curious to hear where other people went, or what they did for their graduate degree. Was UMPI enough to get you into a more exclusive school? 

I'm open to any and all suggestions, as I've looked at multiple schools already but am just undecided at the moment. 

TIA.

UMPI is regionally accredited but it's not going to turn heads at competitive or exclusive MBA schools. Hopefully, its reputation in the future won't slide as more students try to enroll. This forum is often biased but folks getting a BA in a couple of months might raise some eyebrows with admissions folks as they review transcripts. Sounds like you have a solid career already which helps.

That being said I don't think you will have any issues getting into an average MBA program. There aren't a ton of CBE grad programs though. and solid "exclusive" programs are pricey.  Personally, I don't see the purpose of a MAOL aside from govt but that's just me.

I think I would be able to mitigate that talking point with admissions bc I already had a full college degree basically before starting at UMPI. I was only a couple credits shy but needed to take 10 classes to meet their grad requirements. Is MAOL not really that applicable to obtain higher level business positions? I see a lot of mixed reviews about MAOL degrees so I'm torn.

[Pats20]

Hmm, life is full of learning opportunities and since you're wanting to go into business down the road, why be torn between two programs? If you're looking at both of these, do one after the other... MAOL first (assuming you only need the 9 courses because you did the overlapping 3 courses available for the BAS/BLS) and then the MBA with Marketing concentration.  Two sessions at UMPI would be $4300 (if you missed the 3 courses, it's still possible to get it done in time).  One session at WGU is $4955.  Both combined would be 1 year and under $9K for the two...

Do you think it's possible to finish a Master's Degree in one term at WGU? Doing the MAOL and a MS at WGU does sound like a viable option.

---

I finished my degree at UMPI - BLS, double minor management and political science.

I'm looking for next step recommendations on what to do about my graduate degree. Is staying at UMPI for the MAOL worthwhile? For reference, I work in marketing as Digital Strategist, I'm far along in my career but would like to achieve a higher role and also plan to start my own agency. I'm torn between an MBA w/marketing concentration, MAOL, or something like ASU's MS in Digital Strategy. 

I was able to easily complete 10 classes at UMPI with plenty of time left and I feel like I have a good groove and understanding of navigating UMPI but I don't want to get the MAOL if it's not going to open the doors I want it to. 

I'm just curious to hear where other people went, or what they did for their graduate degree. Was UMPI enough to get you into a more exclusive school? 

I'm open to any and all suggestions, as I've looked at multiple schools already but am just undecided at the moment. 

TIA.

UMPI is regionally accredited but it's not going to turn heads at competitive or exclusive MBA schools. Hopefully, its reputation in the future won't slide as more students try to enroll. This forum is often biased but folks getting a BA in a couple of months might raise some eyebrows with admissions folks as they review transcripts. Sounds like you have a solid career already which helps.

That being said I don't think you will have any issues getting into an average MBA program. There aren't a ton of CBE grad programs though. and solid "exclusive" programs are pricey.  Personally, I don't see the purpose of a MAOL aside from govt but that's just me.

I think I would be able to mitigate that talking point with admissions bc I already had a full college degree basically before starting at UMPI. I was only a couple credits shy but needed to take 10 classes to meet their grad requirements. Is MAOL not really that applicable to obtain higher level business positions? I see a lot of mixed reviews about MAOL degrees so I'm torn.

Go for the mba. I wouldn’t do the MA for soft or broad skills. Get an MA or MS for specific hard skills in a tech or bus environment

[MichaelDoesMarketing]

Just curious how it was? Looking for insight as to time expectancy, difficulty, course load, etc.

[bjcheung77]

MBA = Business Admin, MAOL = Organizational Leadership, Masters in whatever is in that particular subject area. Get this, some programs or degrees have overlapping courses that are used towards their MBA and MSML, or MBA and MS Sales Management, or something somewhat similar. Really, it is what a student desires, needs, wants, to progress further, or to get ahead in any profession, it doesn't have to be specific to one degree, there are some people who have a Masters in History but they're the director/VP of something completely different industry, like telecom.

Whenever people ask me what they should get, I tell them, it's what they need or really want. MBA is a generic degree for business admin who want to get into management. Organizational Leadership is a management/leadership degree with a focus, it's not generic, it's a more specific area of business. People get MS Management as they want to be in that management role, it's the same deal, it's more specific than a generic degree. This is true for MBA with concentrations, it's just geared for one industry.

What you should do is, decide on a degree, go for it. Don't overthink, any masters will do better than your current Bachelors as it shows progression. You can tell it as it is when people ask you why you took MAOL vs the MBA, you're trying to focus in Organizational Leadership side of the business, you want to have a more applied yet specific degree than a generic MBA, even MBA's have Organizational Leadership or Management, as a concentration. You do you, not let someone dictate what you need...

[Pats20]

MBA = Business Admin, MAOL = Organizational Leadership, Masters in whatever is in that particular subject area.  Get this, some programs or degrees have overlapping courses that are used towards their MBA and MSML, or MBA and MS Sales Management, or something somewhat similar.  Really, it is what a student desires, needs, wants, to progress further, or to get ahead in any profession, it doesn't have to be specific to one degree, there are some people who have a Masters in History but they're the director/VP of something completely different industry, like telecom.

Whenever people ask me what they should get, I tell them, it's what they need or really want.  MBA is a generic degree for business admin who want to get into management.  Organizational Leadership is a management/leadership degree with a focus, it's not generic, it's a more specific area of business.  People get MS Management as they want to be in that management role, it's the same deal, it's more specific than a generic degree.  This is true for MBA with concentrations, it's just geared for one industry.

What you should do is, decide on a degree, go for it.  Don't overthink, any masters will do better than your current Bachelors as it shows progression.  You can tell it as it is when people ask you why you took MAOL vs the MBA, you're trying to focus in Organizational Leadership side of the business, you want to have a more applied yet specific degree than a generic MBA, even MBA's have Organizational Leadership or Management, as a concentration.  You do you, not let someone dictate what you need...

I agree. You do you. Good advice. 
What degree to get depends a lot on a persons long term goals. Just keep in mind that long term goals have a tendency of changing for most people.