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A Majority of MBA Grads Want Lifelong Learning, Study Finds

MBA grads are looking to continue their education post B-school.

A new study by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and Business Graduates Association (BGA) polled 2,110 MBA grads and found that more than a third have accessed lifelong learning post-MBA from their B-school. Lifelong learning opportunities are defined by AMBA & BGA as courses, modules and other initiatives related to MBA study that graduates can complete or attend after completing their MBA and throughout their careers.

“Business changes continually, as do individual career paths, so in a volatile world MBAs must keep abreast of evolving trends and issues constantly, and make sure they are nurturing and enhancing the skills they need continuously, in order to succeed in their career trajectories,” David Woods-Hale, Director of Marketing and Communications at AMBA & BGA, says.

LIFELONG LEARNING 

The B-school landscape has evolved over the years to offer students more options to the MBA including flexible and cheaper degrees. But lifelong learning has also been an option that’s seen a growth in demand amongst students and grads.

Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School are a few of the top B-schools that have recently begun adding certificates and lifelong learning to their program offerings. At HBS, lifelong learning consists of alumni access to exclusive insights, training, and support from faculty and the fellow alumni community. Whether through case discussions or virtual programming, HBS alumni are given a variety of resources to continue learning well past graduation.

The AMBA & BGA study found that almost three quarters of surveyed MBA alumni who had taken part in postgraduate lifelong learning opportunities from B-schools said they were either ‘very satisfied’ (32%) or ‘fairly satisfied’ (41%), with what they had completed or attended.

Amongst lifelong learning opportunities, MBA grads seem to be most interested in tech-related refreshers. The most popular topic cited by respondents was data analytics for managers (47%), which were closely followed by digital strategy (45%). Other popular topics among survey participants, included strategy execution (42%), global leadership (41%), and global strategy (39%).

POST-MBA SATISFACTION

Despite the growing demand for lifelong learning opportunities, a majority of MBA grads appear satisfied with their careers post-MBA.

71% of the MBA grads polled by AMBA & BGA were either ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’ with the impact that their MBAs had had on their careers to date.

When asked to reflect upon their MBA experience and what areas could be improved upon, 54% of grads said they would have liked ‘more networking opportunities’; 37% would have liked ‘more knowledge and skills specifically to help them start a new business’; 34% would have liked ‘more content on how to run a profitable business’; and 31% would have liked ‘content that was more appropriate to the industry in which they work’.

“If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that business continuity and success depends on leaders who know what they want to achieve and understand how they can make a difference in the world,” Woods-Hale, of AMBA & BGA, says.

Sources: Association of MBAs, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business School

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