It is important to have the necessary educational and professional experience before applying for acceptance into any MBA program. How much experience a person needs depends upon the school they are planning to attend. While more prestigious institutions will require a higher level of experience, other institutions will not be quite so picky. Work and education aren’t the only factors that contribute to acceptance into a program. Having a well-rounded application that demonstrates proficiency across various fields is important as well.
Work Experience
The more competitive the school, the more work experience and prior knowledge you are going to need. It is important to have at least a year or two of related experience. According to Forbes magazine, if you haven’t gained any professional experience during undergraduate studies, it might be beneficial to take a year or two off in order to obtain some. For an MBA in marketing degree, experience in fields such as Sales & Marketing, Business Development, Distribution Management, or Corporate Sales would definitely be a plus. Having performed a job successfully is more important than any specific job title.
Top tier colleges usually require at least three to five years of work experience before considering admittance into their programs. In some cases, the field need not be directly business-related. The most important thing is to provide some insight into your specific leadership and/or teamwork skills. To stand out from the rest of the applicant pool, it is wise to show as much as you can about your abilities and work experience.
Education Experience
Anyone interested in taking graduate level courses should expect to have taken the appropriate undergraduate prerequisite courses. While it is not necessary to have an undergraduate degree in marketing, or even a business-related field, you will have to complete the required prerequisites before you apply to higher level courses. Information on what courses are prerequisite for a specific degree can be found on the website of the school you are applying to.
Generally, it is a good idea to make sure that your GPA is over the 3.0 mark. Selective colleges will probably want this to be much higher, while those that are less so would probably accept something slightly lower. If your GPA is too low, or if the appropriate undergraduate coursework hasn’t been completed, you can always take extra coursework before applying. It is not necessarily important what school you attend for undergraduate studies, as long as you package yourself well.
Precise Goals
An article by amnesta.net explains that it is important to have precise goals in mind when applying to any master’s program. You should have a good idea of what career path you wish to take. It is important to have a straightforward and coherent application that demonstrates you have the ability to not only work hard but are dedicated and responsible as well. If there are any weak points in your application, take the extra time to complete some preliminary steps to ensure that all of the issues have been worked out, especially since graduate applications tend to cost money.
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