What’s an MBA Degree? 

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most versatile and sought-after graduate degrees — but what is an MBA, and what does it stand for? Earning an MBA degree can equip you with leadership, strategy, and financial management skills that open doors across industries. In fact, nearly 40% of Fortune 1000 C-suite executives hold an MBA, highlighting its value for career advancement. 

As a general graduate degree, the MBA provides an interdisciplinary focus that prepares students for today’s dynamic business environment. Beyond business fundamentals, students gain expertise in strategic thinking, leadership, communication, and problem-solving, all skills that are in demand across sectors. 

People choose to study for MBA degrees for a number of reasons. Some are looking for career advancement, while others want to grow or start their own businesses. Still others want to make a transition from a more specified field into the broader realm of business. Regardless of their goals, an MBA provides students with a varied education meant to build new skills in all areas of business, including leadership, communication, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and global management.  

Many MBA programs also give students the ability to specialize in fields that require additional, nuanced skills, such as healthcare, entrepreneurship, education, and organizational management. In these MBA programs, students build specialized skills tailored to the context of their chosen industries. 

Although the overall MBA is a general degree, some students are looking for more specific courses of study that align with their fields and their goals as professionals. In these cases, students may simply concentrate their course sequences on a particular field of business, while others may go the extra step and earn specialized MBA degrees that denote their areas of interest.  

Popular MBA concentrations are usually more academic in nature and include studies in general management, international management, strategy, consulting, marketing, and finance. Specializations, on the other hand, tend to be industry-specific, and include popular options such as healthcare management. For those seeking a leadership role outside of traditional business contexts, Sage also offers an organization management master’s degree program that focuses on similar skills in a broader organizational setting. 

An MBA is one of the most flexible and diverse master’s degrees that can be earned. Unlike specialized graduate degrees in academic fields like math and science, there are few (if any) course prerequisites for an MBA, making this the ideal graduate degree for anyone who already holds a bachelor’s degree. 

In terms of work experience, the options are incredibly diverse. Students come from all types of backgrounds to study business, and most usually have at least five years of working experience. In fact, one of the most valuable aspects of earning an MBA is the opportunity to meet other students who come from diverse work backgrounds and from industries as varied as state government, non-profits, health care, manufacturing, and service-based organizations. 

The flexibility of earning an MBA goes beyond the classroom. This comprehensive degree equips graduates with skills that are easy to transfer into most industries and levels within them. For more experienced employees, an MBA may help them move up into senior management, while graduates who are still early in their careers can use their MBAs to get into a promotional track. Of course, there are some fields where having an MBA is more common than others, offering graduates more career opportunities. These include the following: 

Studying for your MBA at Russell Sage College is an excellent way to enjoy all the benefits of this flexible and diverse degree in a way that fits into your life. Our unique flex-MBA study plan allows students to take courses in-person, via live stream, and online, as needed. These options make it easy for busy professionals to work their MBA studies into their schedules.  

At Sage, we also focus heavily on real-world experiences, allowing students to learn through case studies, discussions, and a capstone project that pairs them directly with businesses, nonprofits, or government agencies. Our small class sizes, full-time teaching faculty, and payment options are designed to further help students at all levels achieve their MBA degrees via a quick, convenient, and affordable way without sacrificing quality. 

A: Students interested in pursuing an MBA from Russell Sage College should start with the RSC graduate school application. In addition, the MBA program requires official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, two letters of recommendation, a one- to two-page career goals essay, and a resume. Because Sage offers a flex MBA program, we follow a rolling admissions policy. This means there are no admissions deadlines, and students can start their studies at Russell Sage at any time of the year. 

A: Yes! As part of our flex MBA model, Sage students have the option of taking their classes in one of three formats: in-person, via live stream, and asynchronously online. There is no need to commit to one format. We designed these flexible methods of learning with working professionals in mind. At Sage, MBA students can easily fit their classes into a model that fits their schedules and accommodates the types of last-minute changes that are inevitable in the busy working world. 

Want to learn more? Check out what is a flex MBA?   

A: Absolutely. The MBA is an extremely flexible degree that helps students build skills that are critical for career advancement, such as communication, problem-solving, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Regardless of your industry — even if you choose to change fields in the future — the skills and connections you build while earning an MBA will apply to your work and help with career advancements. 

A: No! Students from all types of educational and career backgrounds regularly pursue MBA degrees. This is because an MBA is considered a general graduate degree that allows students to study many different areas of business, management, and operations to build skills that apply to a variety of different fields. Although it is not a requirement, MBA students typically come to their studies with some work experience (generally about 4 to 5 years). However, those pursuing their MBAs full time generally have less work experience than those pursuing their MBAs part time.⁶  

A: MBA programs range from 36 to 60 credits, which can take anywhere from one to two years of full-time study to complete. At the School of Management at Sage, our 36-credit part-time MBA program takes students three years to complete, on average. 

Advantages of a Flex MBA at Russell Sage include competitive tuition (even compared to public universities), an efficient timeline, and an easy application process (no GRE or GMAT required!).

If you’d like to learn more about the Flex MBA at Russell Sage College, email [email protected] today!