Why does the woman you describe even need an MBA? She's already established; already knows more than the courses teach. (She could be teaching some of the courses!)

She sounds like my wife, who is a high-paid HR consultant. Missed the degrees because she was raising a kid and working full time.

What she did instead was get certified in her profession — SPHR (senior professional in human resources).

Clients never ask her what degrees she has. They check her references, then ask, "When can you get started? How much will it cost?" She has more work than she can handle.

Why do the "Mommys" you are addressing need an MBA?

– Prestige? Well, maybe. Weigh the cost in time and money.

– Knowledge gained? I think specialized courses in the context of jobs or projects are more effective. Or for the big picture, do a program at U. of Phoenix or Golden Gate U.

– Credential required by employer? Maybe for a bizschool newbie. But if you already have years of experience and track record, and a potential employer would reject you because you lack some magic letters after your name, you don't want to work for that company anyway.

– Connections? This can be one of the most valuable things you get from school. But if you're in a work-study MBA program in your 30s or 40s, you may be running so hard you don't have time to nurture those connections. You may get better connections via professional associations.

I'm not anti-MBA (although it's clear to me that my real business education began after I got mine). It's just that for the woman or man you describe, I'm not convinced it's the best use of time and money.

mvh

http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/EMBA/

I went to Northwestern's 1 year MBA program. It was a long time ago (we used punch cards in the computer lab) but it made a lot more sense to me to go one year instead of two.

Steve

http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Ten-One-Year-MBA-Programs&id=648977