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Is Online MBA really worth it?

Writer: Khushi GoyalKhushi Goyal

Updated: Nov 24, 2022


Shatakshi Sharma, St Stephens College, University of Delhi Graduate, ISB MBA, strategist to government of India, former BCG management consultant, advisor to tony blair institute, ivy league exchange student, LinkedIn Top Voice and co-founder of Global Governance Initiative

Career insights by GGI is a new series by GGI sharing hacks and tips around management consulting, MBA, product management and public policy.


In this GGI career insight, we will be sharing insights into: whether an online MBA is a good option for you.

 

Have you ever considered an online MBA? Or do you think an online MBA can get a package of 29 Lakh CTC?


Recently, a lot of players have come up in the ed-tech industry. They provide online MBA to young professionals.


In this career insight, we will do a 3 point analysis to conclude whether an online MBA is worth it or not.


1. Network


So, you must be wondering how your peers and network help your growth.


I did my undergraduation at St. Stephens College and my MBA at ISB Hyderabad. I have time and again, taken and provided help to those who come from the same institutions. It has helped me advance my career and work for organisations such as BCG and Tony Blaire Institute.


This means that the quality and diversity of your peers is going to be an extremely important deciding factor on whether you should do an online MBA or not.


2. Learnings


2.1 Synchronous Learning


So online MBA can be in the form of active or passive (like Coursera) teachings.


It is typically said that you learn better in an active and interactive mode. This is specifically in the case of acquiring business acumen and soft skills.


2.2 Asynchronous Learning


Then there are certain things that you may want to do at your own pace, which is asynchronous learning. This form of passive style learning is also important.

Thus, the best education systems operate at an intersection of both these types of learning.


At my own education venture, Global Governance Initiative, we have built an Artificial Intelligence-based learning and practising case interview preparation tool. This form of hybrid learning ensures that you are not entirely dependent on the institution for your growth.


If you are curious to know what are the necessary skills to excel in an MBA program, then check out my article here.


3. Return on Investments


I always maintain that paper degrees by themselves are futile.


Coming from a middle-class family in India, I can not justify paying a bomb for just a degree and no practical learning. Gone are the days when a simple degree could satisfy your ego or get you employment.


It is becoming very hard for MBA graduates to get promising employment. Thus, you should always connect with alumni on LinkedIn and ask if they gained employment after the program. Checking with the community is always the best method to understand the true value of what is marketed by these institutions.


You can check out my article on the reality of MBA packages here.


If you need more help getting into management consulting and product management, feel free to check out my education venture- Global Governance Initiative. We invite industry leaders to host Masterclasses and teach our students the hard and soft skills required to excel in their careers.

 

Author: Shatakshi Sharma, Co-CEO Global Governance Initiative, Ex-BCG Management Consultant, Former Policy Advisor, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change



If you are interested in learning about GGI's MBA Scholar program, you can learn here.



 
 
 

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which program is the best fit for me?

Global Governance Initiative is removing barriers to high-quality learning experiences. 

A. You can access free recorded MBA in 10 minutes series here on the Trinity which will allow you to directly learn MBA lessons in 10 minutes from an Ex BCG consultant on Strategy/Finance/Operations etc. free of cost. 

 

B. GGI MBA Scholars- Serves as a classic Alt MBA & Pre MBA, designed specifically for those who wish to pivot their career into management consulting, business strategy, and product management

C. GGI Impact Fellowship-  Serves as a classic experiential learning and work-study model, designed specifically for those who are exploring Plan B for Civil Services and looking to pivot their career into management/impact consulting and policy as you work on projects with mentors from MBB

D. GGI Policy Scholars- Serves as a classic Alt MPP & Pre MPP, designed specifically for those who wish to pivot their career into the public policy and development sector

 

2. How can I become a GGI Impact fellow?

You can apply directly to the Impact Fellowship Program.  The selection for the impact fellowship is more competitive than the Scholars program. GGI Impact Fellowship is our Executive Crème de la crème of the Global Governance Initiative network on "Wiggly". Through core Masterclasses, flexible curriculum, and impact consulting style projects - Impact Fellowship provides a deep dive into the world of social impact consulting, and international development. It is also more expensive than the Scholars program.  

3. What are the program fees?

Our competitors charge Rs. 3,00,000 to Rs. 7,00,000. So we decided to try crazy pricing. We are 80% cheaper than our competitor's price. We are doing this because we want to make high-quality business and policy education truly accessible to you all and disrupt the space. 

 

Or if you don't want to commit, we have no questions ask full refund policy within 6 days of enrollment payment, i.e. if you are selected ( we have <10% selection rate). Either way, you win. To get detailed pricing and information, it is accessible on our application page here

4. What are the program reviews?

Find the life after GGI stories here 

5. What are GGI Masterclasses?

We at GGI provide the world's most practical Live and Interactive 9 practical Masterclasses driven by CEOs and Top Industry Professionals. The 9 practical Harvard-style real case-driven practical Masterclasses come along with the GGI Scholars & Fellows Program and are built to help you pivot into your dream careers. They are- 

  1. CV Review & Case Interview Prep Masterclass, 

  2. The MBA for Impact Masterclass

  3. Management Consulting & Sustainability Masterclass, 

  4. Management Communication Masterclass, 

  5. Policy Consulting Masterclass, 

  6. Product Management & Tech Ethics Masterclass, 

  7. Impact Investing & Entrepreneurship Masterclass, 

  8. Data Analytics & Emerging Technologies Masterclass, 

  9. The Liberal Arts Masterclass

 

During the 9 hours, community members solve cases with the speaker and amongst themselves to build foundational business, policy, and product learnings. 

 

You can access all these 9 practical Masterclasses by applying for GGI MBA Scholars program here-

6. What are the hiring opportunities via GGI Programs?

GGI also has actively partnered with top hiring consulting/policy/product management partners such as Samagra Governance, Sattva Consulting, BCG Social Impact, Leading Tech Ventures in the space of social impact, consulting, and product management roles. 

 

These hiring partners trust the GGI selection and learning process because of which they periodically hire from the close community of the Global Governance Initiative! If selected, you'd be invited for sessions by our hiring partners periodically and invited to submit your applications by our employers. 

 

To become part of the special hiring pool, you can apply to GGI MBA Scholars Program here.

7. How can I work for GGI?

We are always looking for diverse young professionals adept with technology, content, media, and operations roles. If interested, please apply here.  If we are actively hiring and you are shortlisted, we will reach out to you automatically later. 

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