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MBAs can typically cost students anywhere from $50,000 to upwards of $200,000 for only two years of education.  However, for those students who simply want to supplement their business knowledge in order to make better decisions in their career, mini MBAs are now an attractive solution to this dilemma.  Mini-MBAs typically cost less than $5,000 and offer business professionals an insight into the program, as well as other career-driven students who need some business background in order to make informed decisions. 

Mini-MBAs developed as part of the executive MBA program and typically give students a condensed overlook of the program without delving too deeply into topics.  While this may not be enough for the business professional who wants to move ahead in the company, this is perfect for the person who wants to own his own business and does not want to have the burden of $100,000 school bills.  This has also become an appealing opportunity for students who have recently become unemployed and want to learn more about business for the fraction of the cost. 

Known as MBA Boot Camps in the past, Mini-MBAs have since found a new outlet for students who otherwise would not have the funds for an MBA.  These programs hold many valuable opportunities for students because they offer many students a peek inside the MBA world without committing themselves to the expense of a traditional MBA degree.  However, they walk away with the knowledge necessary to open their own business or make business deals with other companies.  Recently, people who have been laid off are looking to this degree to supplement their resume, using their severance packages to pay for the cost.

This quick program offers students the opportunity to gain an additional degree within a few weeks, which is incredibly appealing to the recently laid-off.  The days of the recently unemployed consist primarily of job-hunting (which becomes increasingly frustrating), and taking classes which supplement degrees is a more productive use of time and can earn many students a better job outlook for potential employers. 

While mini-MBAs have not been accepted by every part of the business community, they have provided many people the opportunity to gain a further education for only a fraction of the cost which in turn aids them in getting a better job.  Similar degrees will probably develop throughout different fields, as the economy slowly begins to resuscitate itself. 

The best business schools have traditional prided themselves on their ability to place their students in optimal companies upon graduation.  Recently, however, this has become more difficult to procure, and schools have been forced to look elsewhere to increase their rankings.  As a result, business schools have begun to offer more courses catering to independent businesses, eco-friendly companies, and the ever-expanding global community.  In this sense, international students can now earn business degrees from countries as far away as India. 

Dual-enrollment options have helped strengthen this program within many institutions, as international MBAs are now offered to students as an experiment for students who deal more with international clients.  Schools now have the flexibility to manage across international boundaries in a way that was previously unheard of.  By injecting globalism into their subject matter, business schools are now creating more opportunities for their students to work for international companies. 

Many schools have now reached out to students who already hold a background in international dealings and now how to speak a variety of languages.  As a result, these schools have looked into many third-world nations for students who show potential but do not have the money to attend a school within a Western university.  Online education has thus opened many doors for these students and has additionally presented them with one of the most profitable degrees any student can hope to earn. 

As more and more business schools have begun implementing international programs into their curriculum, many students have already begun this process on their own and have armed themselves with the knowledge of extra languages or the inner workings of global business.  Many of these new courses are additionally required first year courses, such as Stanford’s “Global Context of Management”, while other programs require students to take study trips into foreign countries in order to give them a taste of the international community. 

Global immersion classes have now swept the business school community, as students now enroll in classes that teach about the carbon market in Brazil and the potential of investment partners in China.  These subjects have become increasingly relevant in a world in which boundaries are becoming heavily intertwined and countries are doing business on a regular basis with each other.  It is a wonder that such courses were not previously required for introductory classes.  However, the best business schools now offer many “global immersion” courses in an effort to better prepare their graduates for the ever-changing business community; the days of a uni-polar world are now gone, as other world leaders have begun to emerge in the business context. 

B-schools have quickly become a new outlet for people across the country, differing from its previous conception that business school was only for those who wished to become a high-level executive.  B-schools now appeal to people from all degrees who simply want to start up their own business without hiring extra help.  This has become a quiet shift from the traditional notions of business school, but it has begun to dominate the appeal for the degree.     

Business schools are now helping students gain the confidence necessary to get out into the business world during a recession, regardless of what career they intend to conquer with their degree.  Many b-school degree programs now offer students sound advice in how to go about starting their own business and putting an MBA to good use.  With this type of career placement, students do not need to worry about layoffs if they are their own boss!  Furthermore, ingenious new business ideas are popping up everywhere, as students who have different undergraduate degrees are meshing these degrees with an MBA.  This has resulted in unprecedented independent business ideas. 

The appeal of MBAs and b-schools started when the economy began to take a downturn a few years ago.  Because there are a limited number of executive-level positions around the country which require MBAs, the program needed to rethink its direction.  As a result, students now pursue this degree not to become an employee, but rather to become an employer and an owner of their own business.  Many schools have revamped their degree program to cater to this new type of business student and the numbers of enrolled students have increased exponentially.  If anything, a downturn in the economy wills people to go back to school and get an extra degree, the most useful of which is currently an MBA or business degree. 

Additionally, students can now hone in on a dream to own their own business which they may have previously thought was impossible.  Business classes teach students how to become an entrepreneur and how to gain the funds necessary to start up a business from scratch.  Additionally, they teach students how to be creative with their endeavors and create a business that is unique in a niche that has not been tapped yet.  This dip in the economy has additionally spawned a new breed of students that are more risky: only a few years ago, most business students would not risk putting a huge loan of money down on a business endeavor by themselves.  However, this view has changed as students are now anxious to find a new form of income and they additionally have less to lose than the students of only a few years ago. 

B-schools have become a beacon of light in a dark economic world, presenting a new array of options for incoming students.  While this risk-taking behavior may not last long, it has led to a wide variety of independent businesses that have demonstrated the creativity that exists around the country.