2020-03-23 Bloomberg Businessweek

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN WEE FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

◼SOLUTIONS BloombergBusinessweek March 23, 2020

Employerswilloftencoversomeorallofthecostofan

acceleratedMBA,whichis aboutthesameasa traditional,

two-yearprogram,becausetheyhaveholestofillin man-

agementandnotimetowaste.AmberLee,whoworksin

NewJerseyfora defensecontractorsheprefersnotto

name,gotpartofhertuitionreimbursedforanonlineMBA

throughTexasA&M.Shefinishedit inDecember,never

havingsetfootontheCorpusChristicampus.“I heardit’s

beautiful,”shesays.

Therearecampus-basedacceleratedprogramsaswell,

includingthatoftheUniversityofFlorida.SandraRayo

Orozco,scheduledtograduatefromitsWarringtonCollege

ofBusinessin May,saysthetimemanagementshe’shad

tolearnis “honestlythebesttrainingformynextjob.”She’s

slatedtoentera programtobecomea generalmanager

ofwastemanagementcompanyRepublicServicesInc.in

KansasCity,Kan.,aftergraduation.“Eventhoughmydays

arequitebusy,they’rebynomeansundoable,”shesays.

ZoomingthroughanMBAis easierif othersaredoingit

withyou.“Whenyou’regoingthroughyourninthRedBull

andyou’rebeatingyourheadagainsta whiteboard,you

getdelusionalandyoustartbeingfunnywiththeother

students,”saysGeorgeFernandez,a recentgraduate

ofWarrington’son-campusprogram.“Thosearelifelong

bonds.”�PeterCoy

In a hurrytogetyourMBA?Somebusinessschoolsallow

studentstoearna degreein a yearorless—abouthalfthe

timeofa traditionalU.S.program.(One-yearprogramsare

alreadypopularin Europe.)Peoplewho’veracedthrough

theacceleratedprogramssaytheyrequireintensefocus

anddon’tallowtimeforextrassuchasinternships,butthey

canbeidealif speedis yourthing.

EmanWarraich-Gibson,a 33-year-oldsocialworker

inNewJersey,startedheronlineMBAstudiesthrough

FitchburgStateUniversityinMassachusettsinMarch

2019 andfinishedherlastcoursethatDecember,less

thanninemonthslater.Shemanagedtopulla 4.0grade-

pointaverageandwonthegraduatestudentleadership

award,allwhileworkingfulltimeasthechiefclinicaloffi-

cerofIntegrityHouse,a networkofsubstanceabusetreat-

mentcentersbasedin Newark,N.J.She’salsoraisingtwo

youngchildrenandthanksherhusbandfordoingmostof

theparentingwhileshestudied.

“Someofmypapersweredefinitelysubmittedtwo

secondsbeforemidnight,whentheyweredue,”Warraich-

Gibsonsays.Buttheacceleratedprogramsuitedher.“I

justdidn’twanttospendforever”gettingthedegree,she

says.Shealreadyhada master’sdegreeinsocialwork

fromColumbia,whichshealsoearnedwhileworkingfull

time.“I liketojustcrunchthroughthings.”

AnobviousquestionaboutacceleratedMBAsis whether

youcanbecomea truemasterofbusinessadministration

in a yearorless.Administratorsoftheschoolsthatoffer

themsaytheansweris yes—andpointtoexternalvalida-

tion.AACSBInternationalaccreditsmanyoftheone-year

MBAprograms,alongwithtraditionalprogramsatmostof

thetop-rankedbusinessschools.FitchburgState’sMBA

is accreditedbytheInternationalAccreditationCouncil

forBusinessEducation,whichis stilldemandingthough

consideredlessprestigious.“Foranytypeofadultlearn-

ing,it’swhatyouputintoit. Thequalityis definitelythere,”

saysBeckyCopper-Glenz,deanofgraduateandcontinu-

ingeducationatFitchburg.

Onereasonacceleratedprogramsmanagetogosofast

is thattheygenerallyadmitonlystudentswho’vestudied

businessasundergraduatesandarethusabletoskipthe

entry-levelcourses.Somealsodispensewitha concentra-

tion—aspecializationsuchashealth-caremanagementor

businessanalytics—thoughin someprogramsa student

canchoosea concentrationandstillfinishin 12months.

THE BOTTOM LINE Business schools are increasingly offering MBAs in a

year or less. The degrees are popular with those eager to spend less time in

school and more getting on with their career.

Accelerated programs target candidates

who’ve previously studied business

The One-Year MBA

● Warraich-Gibson