WGU MBA vs UofM MBA

jeli

I have an important decision to make and I'd welcome some opinions. I work for a stable employer and have no plans to leave in the near future. My employer offers tuition assistance with a lifetime max reimbursement of $21,000, plus capped at an annual disbursement of $5,250. Since they offer the assistance, I thought, why not get my MBA?

I am currently employed as a project manager in the IT department. I oversee IT initiatives only, although I am PMP certified and qualified to lead non-IT projects as well. I live in Ann Arbor, and work in downtown Ann Arbor. UofM is a huge name here. While I cannot possibly afford to go to UofM's main Ann Arbor campus ($125k for an evening MBA...who pays this!?), UofM Dearborn offers an entirely online MBA much more reasonably. My best-case number is $26k, and worst-case is $29k. This is over the max my employer reimburses, and I think I would have issues spreading out the course load to stay under the $5,250 annual cap.

You might think it sounds silly, but UofM is a big deal in Ann Arbor. It carries prestige, and there is almost an expectation in the area that you went there. The question is not "where did you go to school?", but rather, "did you go to Michigan?" UofM is where I want to go.

BUT, the whole point of even considering an MBA is that it is paid for by my employer, and I will have a hard time staying under the annual max reimbursement. So I started researching more affordable alternatives (Ferris, Central Michigan, University of ND, West Texas A&M) and finally learned about WGU. I love the concept of competency based education, I could be done much quicker than a traditional school, and it is significantly cheaper. On paper, I think it makes sense to attend WGU. But the allure of picking UofM is hard to ignore. I could finally say "Yes, I went to Michigan," or I could whip out my M-Card (the student ID) when buying groceries for my discount, or converse with locals using my umich.edu email account. Typing this makes me feel silly and petty, these things should not matter, but I can't ignore the culture they have built here.

Am I being stupid for even considering UofM when WGU would be paid for 100%? What would you do in my position?

ITSec14

Who are you going to be getting the best education from? That's the important question. Michigan is known for it's outstanding business programs and only having to pay a little more out of pocket doesn't seem too bad, especially since it's a well respected name. It seems pretty common for businesses in a particular state to hire more grads from in-state schools too.

I don't know enough about WGU to really comment on them, but I've always been more of a proponent of traditional schools. I feel like going to a school that has acceptance requirements = more credibility. Like I said though, I don't know enough about WGU to really have a true opinion on them.

ITSec14

Also, UM's Ann Arbor MBA program is really expensive because it's pretty much the best non-ivy league program in the country. At a previous job, one of our C-level's had his MBA from there and the alumni network is very exclusive.

TranceSoulBrother

I'm going to WGU and can't deny their value even as some instruction can be eventually improved (which school doesn't?)
Yet, other factors will always come into play like you stated for UofM. Don't discount that school if you're getting a significant assistance from your employer. Why not invest in your own education?
If you're looking for cheaper alternatives with good names, try U Texas of the Permian Basin near Odessa. It's an AACSB accredited U of Texas MBA for around $10K...or you could invest in your own life and spend a little bit and enjoy the "prestige" of a UMich email address in Ann Arbor.

Hatch1921

Hi Jeli,

I recently completed the MBA ITM degree through WGU. The program was challenging and I walked away feeling my time/money was well spent. I shouldn't say money... as like you... my company pays out $5250 a year towards education. I can't speak to UM and the MBA program. If you think it will help you career wise... then go for it...even if you pay a little out of pocket. I believe my degree from a state school here in AZ helped me with securing this position. Now... if you are disciplined ( I wasn't lol) and can throw a ton of time at the WGU degree... you can knock it out fast. I've read posts where people complete the degree in 6 months or less depending on time/effort they put in... or even a year. I paid $3300 a term and then reimbursed @ 80% of the cost minus taxes. Once I completed the degree... the 20% was paid out. I might have paid $2500 out of pocket for the degree... I'd have to go back and do the math.

The degree program (for me) was much harder than the going to school in the traditional brick and mortar setting during my undergrad. With WGU... you really have to understand and apply the material...or you will not pass the exams or papers.

With your PM experience... you should be able to accelerate the program...


I'm not sure if this helps or not... lol... but.. the WGU program was/is worth going through IMO. If you have any questions about the coursework or the WGU experience... feel free to reach out.

Good luck.
Hatch

jeli

I appreciate the comments. Hatch, why did you elect the MBA:ITM and not the standard MBA, or the MS:ITM?

I discovered a line of text in the tuition table that is pushing me further away from UofM:

500 level and above courses in COB are assessed an additional $200.00 per credit hour

Assuming all courses have this additional fee, this change moves my best-case number to $32k and worst-case to $40k. The goal of this endeavor is earning a free MBA, and I do not think I can continue ignoring that UofM fails my goal. Barring a radical change, I think WGU is in my future.

jdancer

@OP,

I'm in similar situation. While I don't deny the allure of a B&M school, I just don't have the time to sit my ass in class for the hours it takes and the drive time included. So, I concluded, I need to find an online solution.

My deal breakers were:

1) Must be AACSB accredited
2) Must be a 100% non-profit institution
3) Must be 100% online
4) Must be around $10K total since I will be paying for it out of pocket (my employer does offer tuition assistance but I want finish my studies in one year).

So, I browsed this list https://www.geteducated.com/online-college-ratings-and-rankings/best-buy-lists/best-buy-online-masters-mba-aacsb and looked at Business and MBA degrees

I've settled on two schools. I'm already taking prerequisite MBA courses at the community college which is way cheaper than the graduate level.

If you are still still set on a MBA school with name recognition, may want to take look at UIUC online MBA for around $22K https://onlinemba.illinois.edu/

mzx380

A lot of similarities between myself and the OP. I'm an IT PM for my company and oversee complex agile projects and am currently enrolled in the WGU MBA ITM program. IMHO, professionals should seek to complete graduate study to set themselves apart from other candidates in what is an increasingly difficult job market. While its not mandatory to go to an elite B-school for your degree, it definitely helps. If you feel there is value for you to go to one school in your area over WGU and the cost difference to you is nominal, then I say go for it. If the difference is large, then go with WGU as it will definitely challenge you enough that you will have gained something out of it.

Hope this helps.

Hatch1921

jeli wrote: »

I appreciate the comments. Hatch, why did you elect the MBA:ITM and not the standard MBA, or the MS:ITM?

I discovered a line of text in the tuition table that is pushing me further away from UofM:


Assuming all courses have this additional fee, this change moves my best-case number to $32k and worst-case to $40k. The goal of this endeavor is earning a free MBA, and I do not think I can continue ignoring that UofM fails my goal. Barring a radical change, I think WGU is in my future.

My BS was is in Information Technology Management.... the MBA aligned with my previous coursework... while building upon it. With the MBA ITM degree... I figured this opened up more opportunities job wise versus ...say the MS.... or MBA. You cover the MBA /management classes while still staying somewhat on the IT side of things... if that makes sense? I'm currently pursuing the PM route... I've been on the tech side for a few years and want to give something else a try

Hope this helps?

Hatch