Berkeley Haas part time

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I was wondering what peoples’ general impressions were about this program. Attending business school has always be on my list of “things to do before I die”, but I’ve decided that it’s not worth quiting my current job. Berkeley is the only reputable business school with a part time program where I live, excluding EMBA programs.
My practical motivations for attending a part time business school are as follows:
1) Gain knowledge that would be useful for work and to stave off intellectual atrophy
2) Meet more Bay Area professionals in finance, or in different industries (it seems that all my business contacts are in New York…)
3) Diversify my resume in case I need to change careers one day
Out of these motivations, 3) is probably the most important. I would be very interested in hearing your opinions about the usefulness of having a Haas MBA 5 to 10 years after graduating.
My employer might subsidize part of the costs, but it will be only a small amount - probably < $10k. (If it were free, I would definitely do it)
Does anyone have useful experience to share? Thank you in advance for your input.
 
When I completed the CFA program, my employer offered to pay for my part-time MBA at UCLA, I applied and got accepted (like anyone who applies to a part-time program), but then opted out at the last minute and re-paid my employer the tuitions paid for the first semester.
I met my “teammates/professors” and figured that I would have had to sit through 100 hours of PowerPoint BS just to get 1 hour worth of useful information.
If you look at it as a small insurance policy just in case you find yourself in the street, I guess it’s a valid investment of time and money, but other than that, it’s probably a waste of both.
 
that’s a very negative comment. First of all, the statement that anyone who applies to a part time MBA program is accepted is completely false. Second, it seems to me that you don’t have an MBA, so can’t comment on it’s usefulness or value… the poster was specifically asking about feedback on the berkeley program. I can’t comment as I didn’t go there, but from what I’ve heard, it’s an excellent program.
 
Well, I do appreciate all the input. If people feel strongly what it’s a waste of time, it’s useful to hear that.
 
HMW are you in the Bay Area? If so, are you down to study? I went to Cal and what I can tell you about Haas is that you have access to some very smart and experienced profs there. Oliver Williamson still teaches I think and he won the Nobel in 09. I took a class from him and its real interesting stuff. Berkeley is a real intellectual place though, its really fun if you are interested in learning and not just picking up a degree.
 
DoubleDip Wrote:
——————————————————-
> that’s a very negative comment. First of all, the
> statement that anyone who applies to a part time
> MBA program is accepted is completely false.
> Second, it seems to me that you don’t have an MBA,
> so can’t comment on it’s usefulness or value…
> the poster was specifically asking about feedback
> on the berkeley program. I can’t comment as I
> didn’t go there, but from what I’ve heard, it’s an
> excellent program.
I have yet to meet someone who has failed to get into a part-time MBA program.
Berkley and UCLA are not so much apart in terms of rankings. Off-course Berkley is probably better but not by a huge margin.
I gave my personal opinion about my experience. If you have an MBA don’t feel insulted.
 
mo34 Wrote:
——————————————————-
>
> I have yet to meet someone who has failed to get
> into a part-time MBA program.
>
> Berkley and UCLA are not so much apart in terms of
> rankings. Off-course Berkley is probably better
> but not by a huge margin.
>
> I gave my personal opinion about my experience. If
> you have an MBA don’t feel insulted.
While PT programs are generally less selective than full time programs, most people who apply to good PT programs are still rejected. For instance, UCLA/Berkeley PT acceptance rates are around 40%/25% vs. 28%/12% for their FT programs. I guess you just have a talented circle of friends (or at least friends that are in the top 30% or so of part time business school applicants).
Interestingly, US News ranks UCLA above Berkeley where PT programs are concerned - not that I’m saying that US News is a foolproof measure of business school quality. The selectivity differences suggest that most people would still prefer Berkeley’s PT program to UCLA’s.
>Bizbanker:
I have no doubt that Berkeley has great professors and students. To be honest though, I am more concerned about access to professors and advanced classes. At my undergraduate institution, for instance, a confident student could sign up for PhD classes if they wanted to. This sort of freedom would be very important to me at business school, so I’m a bit concerned that I’d be forced to follow a fixed class schedule.
Thanks for the offer to study. I have to decline though - I’m a really bad study partner. Trust me on this.
Anyway, thanks everyone for the responses.
 
AT UCB you can sign up for PHD classes and it is encouraged to take courses outside the standard curriculum. You have access to one of the best econ departments in the world especially for economic policy. My experience there is only that you may not get access to classes that are filled too quickly but as a grad student that shouldnt be a problem. I signed up for a class with O. Williamson after I graduated just for fun and they had no problem with me not being a current student. Undergrad, totally different story though.
 
BizBanker Wrote:
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>
Hmm. That’s good to hear. Obviously, some research is required on my part.
 
I live in the Bay and looked at all of the local part-time programs (I wouldn’t consider a full-time program at this point due to opportunity cost). My impression was that Berkeley would be value-added for most career fields – it’s an excellent school – but not for finance. It seems to have a relatively weak finance curriculum and brand, and the number of alums on Wall St. West was pretty small from what I could tell looking into the program. And since I think it’s unlikely you would learn anything really useful at any MBA program (PT or FT) for working on the Street, it seemed like a school to pass on.
Just my two cents, but I think if you want to get ahead on the Street, your best bet is to plow that extra 20-30 hours a week (or more?) that you would spend studying esoteric concepts that aren’t related to finance into actually practicing the skill you want to be good at in a current finance job – follow some stocks, practice some heavy duty accounting, practice modeling, etc. Of course, if you can’t get onto the Street, that’s something else, but I doubt Berkeley PT will get you there.
Personally, the only school I would consider in the Bay is Wharton West, and that would strictly be for the brand and the ability to tap into the best or second best finance network in the world (Harvard might be better, I’m not sure), and nothing else. The education at these programs is “very good” in the strictest academic sense of the phrase, but is a joke in the real world – they don’t teach you to produce alpha, they teach you to think like the herd.
 
I am not sure what your current job is and how exactly an MBA will add value, which I hope you have given a thought to it already. One of the essence of a top tier MBA is so that you can easily change careers at the end of the program.
I graduated from Haas at Berkeley as an undergrad, so my comment may be a little bias.
While at Haas I worked on projects with really bright full time MBA students with tons of background and work experience. I have had the opportunity to listen to myriads of leading VCs, CEOs, and the likes on campus. Coupled with this there are many nobel laureates with whom you can directly learn from. I cannot say enough about ths institution in terms of academic excellence. I do not believe in rankings, but if its any indication the US News ranks MBA program at #7 and the undergrad progam at #2 for 2009.
You mentioned that you are doing it part time, and this probably is the way to go if you are going to stick with your current employer. Otherwise, I would request a transfer to full time in the 2nd year so that you have plenty of opportunity to network and attend job fairs. All bulge bracket firms, top tier mgmt consulting firms, a number of VCs, private equity, hedge funds, big money managers, etc. are all represented at Haas.
No one really knows what the value of any MBA might be after 10 years. But if history is anything to go by, as a Haas alum, I get access to employer databases, alum contacts, networking opportunities, etc. And I think MBAs get lifetime placement services.
Go Bears!
 
Thanks for your responses. I appreciate all the detail. With respect to bromion’s comments, I agree that Haas appears to be stronger in non-finance things compared to finance things. For me, that’s sort of the point, though. I’d like some sort of backup plan in case I need to get out of financial services one day. Wharton SF is an appealing option, but it would be something for me to consider once I am a bit older. Applicants with less than 8 years of experience require full company sponsorship, which I am unlikely to get.
Sujan, that’s definitely good to know. I have no doubt that most high tier MBA programs usually lead to great learning and career opportunities. The question for me is whether the time and $$$ are worth it, given that I am not looking for a career switch. That’s a personal decision of course, but outside opinions certainly help.
 
I got an EMBA from a top school. Cost is a factor if your employer is not paying for it, but you make so many friends/connections I doubt if very many people regret it. Many people successfully use it for a career change. If you are not looking to switch careers now then wait until you are or your employer pays for it. I’m a big believer and increasingly you will see the EMBA impact on the FT-MBA market place
 
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