As a busy professional at a top company—or as a recent graduate trying to balance internships, practicums, and the ongoing job hunt with other responsibilities—hitting pause on your life to pursue a full-time MBA or Masters of Finance might seem like a dream, or a luxury. You can’t seem to take the time off work, or the demands fromyour job, family, parenting, and similar obligations make going back to school simply unrealistic.
However, know that you can gain the skills and experiences of an MBA while balancing your busy lifestyle by enrolling in new and exciting part-time programs. In fact, leading business schools like Wilfrid Laurier University are now offering combined MBA and MFin programs for professionals who want to improve their career options,but without putting everything else in their lives on hold.
Pursuing an MBA and MFin on a part-time basis — taking courses on alternating weekends with your summer months off for holidays — is a more popular route to success than you might think. According to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, 42 percent of MBA students in the United States were enrolled in a part-time program in 2010. Only 24 percent were in enrolled in a full-time, two-year, traditional-style program. The remaining 36 percent were divided between full-time and part-time distance learning, executive education, full-time accelerated, and part-time, off-campus degrees. And while such a prestigious double designation would normally take four full years to complete, options are available to fast trackthe program to just over three.
Earning both an MBA and Master of Finance at the same time is an extremely competitive option for the most ambitious, hard-working students. Receiving an MBA in 2015 and beyond means gaining a wide range of leadership skills, preparing you to become the type of person who can unite disparate parties and really drive a team to success. Moreover, it gives a solid summary of each element of business fundamentals, including accounting, marketing, economics, and analytics. These are reinforced by an applied research project that prepares students for demanding consulting tasks. When you choose to pursue a part time MFin with Laurier as well,you’ll receive the skills you need to land a rewarding position in investment or asset management with a top financial institution. Your intensive courses will prepare you to write and pass the rigorous CFA designation exams, which are the gateway tests to receiving the Chartered Financial Analyst credential and to your career in finance.
Combining these indispensible designations means you’re always going to be a cut above the competition, and your career prospects will broaden (and brighten!) in ways that would otherwise be unimaginable. Just imagine—in just over three years, you could have two of the most sought-after business and financial degrees in the world. And by taking them on a part-time basis, you wouldn’t have to sabotage your hobbies, family life, day job, or other important responsibilities.
Take the time to get to know the exciting part-time options for graduate studies today. Remember that in just a matter of months, you could find yourself in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, surrounded by some of the best minds in finance, arming yourself with the knowledge, experiences, and practical skills that can make you a true corporate asset.
