Gabelli Dean Interviewed by NBCNews About Value of MBA

Donna Rappacioli, Dean of the Gabelli School of Business was recently interviewed by NBC news on whether or not a MBA degree is still a good investment. Dean Rappacioli explained to NBC how although MBA applications have decreased in general, and the need for two-year on-campus programs have changed, getting a MBA degree is still better for your future career goals.

Dean Rappacioli addresses the issue of the declining value of an MBA in her interview. She explains that although the number of people getting a MBA degree has declined, the value of the degree has not. ” What we are doing at Fordham is marrying the important technical skills but also the soft leadership skills,” Rappacioli said. “Employers tell me every day, that they need people who can solve problems, people that work in team, people that are really comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity; and these are the things that we have built in to the curriculum.”

The over all decrease in MBA applications is an issue that MBA programs are facing. One report done by the Graduate Management Admissions Council explains that there has been a decrease in applications for full-time, part-time and online MBA programs. The report says, “since 2009, applications to U.S business schools failed to increase in volume, and 59 per cent of those MBA programs reported a decline in the domestic application pool.”

NBC asked Dean Rappacioli what she believed is driving the decline of MBA applicants. The Dean explained that people are more concerned with the cost of the programs and the belief that the return on invest is much lower than it was before. She said, “You have to look at the long period, not just salary but the quality of life and if you do that kind of discounting, you will see that it really is worth it.”

The rest of Dean Rappacioli’s interview can be found here. More information on the MBA programs the Gabelli School of Business can be found here.

regions: New York City

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