AN MBA degree is regarded as significant because of all the attributes, benefits and advantages associated with it.
Firstly, having a degree will set the degree holder apart from others in the job market.
An MBA graduate is the kind of person who will have all the necessary skills to make the organisation they work for successful.
Even though the curriculum for every MBA degree is different, there are some similarities between them.
The significance comes from the fact that a graduate will have good leadership and management skills, they are good at managing difficult situations and resolving conflicts.
They are good at financial management, they are capable of promoting and maintaining a positive image of the company, and they are also able to excel when it comes to the management of human resources in the organisation.
The second factor that makes having an MBA degree significant is that it involves individuals having specialisation in a certain management field, thus, making them experts.
An MBA graduate can be an expert within the sphere of management, international business, strategic management, finance, marketing, operations management, IT management or even human resources.
This kind of specialisation produces individuals who are gifted and valuable assets to the organisation they work for.
The next factor that makes having the degree significant is that the graduate will get the opportunity to obtain a high salary when they begin working in the job market.
Individuals with an MBA degree can secure high-ranking positions in the workplace and these include positions of business operations manager, marketing research analyst, management analyst, human resource manager and even top executive positions.
The presence of job security as well as high salaries make owning an MBA degree significant in the present-day job market.
Another factor that makes having an MBA degree important is that an individual will be able to gain knowledge when starting their own company from scratch.
The degree programme equips individuals with the skills, knowledge and competencies they require to become successful entrepreneurs. This can assist individuals when they start their businesses.
Having an MBA degree also provides an excellent opportunity for individuals to widen their business acumen and perspectives.
An MBA student will gain new perspectives on their area of specialisation and it will expose them to different ways of doing business and engaging in management activities.
The degree will almost certainly widen the perspective of MBA graduates, thus, enabling them to widen their potential and capabilities.
An MBA degree also creates greater awareness on the part of an individual when it comes to the international market.
Having it would put an individual in close contact with other people from around the world, such as other students in an MBA classroom.
These students can bring about different perspectives on the international economy and workplace, and can also share their experiences as well.
Besides learning from their MBA professors, students would also be able to expand their knowledge base of other industries across the world through communicating and engaging with their peers in the classroom.
Another important significance of having an MBA degree is that it would result in an improvement in communication skills.
There is no doubt that effective and fluent communication skills are fundamental skills required by professionals to achieve success.
Communication can be regarded as a soft skill in contrast to hard skills such as construction, but it is still valuable.
The degree would assist graduates in sharpening their verbal and written communication skills.
This allows them to explain, discuss and convey important concepts to people they are interacting with at various levels in an organisation.
All this helps to ensure that everyone can work together successfully to achieve the mission and vision of the organisation.
It also results in better time management for graduates.
Earning the degree is tedious and requires students to juggle various extracurricular activities with their MBA course activities.
As a result, students usually become challenged when it comes to time management, which would usually result in students being able to implement strategies that allow them to manage their time effectively.
All of this results in more efficient time management, which is a valuable life skill.
It is also worth mentioning that having an MBA degree will result in students having engaged in a lifelong learning process.
The lessons learned while earning an MBA degree at Berjaya University College extend way beyond the time they spend in the classroom.
Besides getting access to world-class education and knowledge, MBA graduates will also be able to participate in various extracurricular activities at Berjaya University College and this allows them to interact with other students resulting in the creation of strong relationships.
The various stakeholders in the MBA learning process can provide present and future support at various stages of the professional and personal lives of MBA graduates.
This would help them remain viable, relevant and competent in their professional and personal activities.
Dr Akram Al-Khaled is Senior Lecturer/Head of MBA Programme, Faculty of Business, Berjaya University College. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
