One-year MBA programmes have progressively gained popularity in several countries. However, as prospective students seek more concentrated courses and less costly choices to expedite their careers, demand for the accelerated MBA has surged over the previous decade.
While a One-Year MBA isn't for everyone, it is becoming more popular among prospective students for a variety of reasons.
Career Prospects
Because a conventional summer internship is not required for individuals continuing in their current jobs or sectors, the One-Year MBA may be the ideal answer for those wishing to expedite their current career path. The One-Year MBA offers a faster road to senior positions in finance, consulting, marketing, technology, and a variety of other industries. It is also the chosen MBA degree for students sponsored by their employers or entrepreneurs who need to swiftly establish a foundation of business concepts in order to expand their businesses.
The rigorous structure of an accelerated MBA allows students to concentrate on putting what they learn into practise in order to accelerate their current career trajectory and advance into leadership positions after completing the programme. Although one-year MBA programmes include fewer electives than full-time MBA programmes, electives are often utilised for career exploration and are not required for people progressing in their current areas.
Changing Career Directions
The One-Year MBA is also a viable option for career changers. While it may hinder a transition into certain businesses (such as those who employ only from an internship pool), it may be a doorway for people with transferable skills wishing to move into a related field. For example, salespeople who want to go into marketing, engineers who want to move into technology product management, and researchers and regulators who want to get into the healthcare sector.
Faster Return on Investment
The apparent benefits of a One-Year MBA include the shorter time to completion and lower cost. By completing the programme in one year rather than two, you will spend less time away from your job. The opportunity cost of being absent from your job is greatly minimised, and professional advancement (sometimes resulting in a greater compensation) occurs in half the time. In addition, one-year MBA programmes are less costly than full-time MBA programmes. For One-Year MBA students, this means a faster return on investment.
Myths about the 1-Year MBA
One of the common misconceptions about one-year MBA programmes is that the lower cohort size means a smaller network. This may be true at certain business schools, but it isn't true elsewhere. Despite the fact that your accelerated MBA cohort will be smaller in batch size, you will develop deeper and more strong connections with your classmates, forming a trusted, lifetime network and a strong support system. One-Year MBA students may form a strong network throughout the business school via common electives, leadership development programmes, and co-curricular and social events. In addition, the small class sizes equate to a personalised experience with direct access to faculty experts to assist with learning.
Finally, there is a prevalent misconception that a One-Year MBA is a diluted MBA degree. Although it is a shorter academic programme, it is also a more rigorous one, with all of the learning opportunities of a regular full-time MBA packed into just one year.
It isn't for everyone
Make no mistake: One-year MBA programmes will not outnumber conventional two-year Full-time MBA programmes in terms of curriculum offerings or demand from prospective students. They aren't for everyone, either. The program's rigour might be intimidating. Furthermore, the program's high-touch approach, which is a result of lower cohort sizes, is not a suitable match for people who want to be a little fish in a huge pond. The cheaper cost, shorter timeline, quicker ROI, and greater impact of an accelerated MBA degree may be an excellent match for people wishing to advance their current careers or shift into a related profession or business.