At its core, a decision to pursue an MBA is a decision to take ownership of one's career. We hear often from students about the desire to explore and to move their careers forward in new ways. They also tell us they want to have greater impact and refuel their passion for work—perhaps find even more meaningful work. They want to hone their leadership skills.
Why go to business school? Here are a few reasons shared by students in the Evening & Weekend, Full-time, and MBA for Executives programs at BerkeleyHaas
"Prior to business school, I worked in the education sector. After four years in my last role, I started to seek outside opportunities and found other employers were looking for a more professionalized skillset. I knew I needed an MBA if I wanted more career optionality. In the long term, I want to do nonprofit M&A and integration, helping nonprofits deepen impact." — Farah Dilber
"Being a Student Always includes setting a good example for my children when they see me doing my homework while they are doing theirs. Knowledge is one of the few things in life that gives you more the more you share it with others." — Zeeshan Mokarim
“While my medical background gave me knowledge and experience with healthcare, I knew that an MBA would help me understand parts of the puzzle that I didn't have exposure to in medicine. Deepening my knowledge of finance and economics will help me in creating thought-out strategies to create and implement healthcare reform." — Kate Mansalis
"What I want to do is build something from scratch, or help someone else do this. Whether it’s a happy customer or a great product, the process of building something yourself is the most rewarding." — Ricky Tan
"I want to focus my career toward a position where I can have a greater positive social impact on my community. Berkeley-Haas is hands-down the best school in that sector. It not only offers great classes on the topic, I’m forming networks with companies and individuals who are committed to social impact.” — Ijeh Ogbechie
"A popular misconception is that you go back to school when you are in a lull in your career. What motivated me was exactly the opposite. I feel I reached a peak in my career and wanted add to my skills without leaving the industry. I also wanted to learn from people with an expertise in this region, because being in the Bay Area gives you such a cutting edge in technology." — Kas Farsad
"It’s important to learn from other professions and sectors. Otherwise, you run the risk of talking in circles and never getting out of your pigeonhole. I’m getting an MBA to be a more well-rounded professional." — Amelia Kusar
"Prior to Haas, I worked in advertising and marketing, and a lot of what I did was tactical with day-to-day client service, project management, and execution. I realized I wanted to do something that was close to the core of the business and help shape the vision and long-term strategic decisions." —Ekene Anene
If you're considering an MBA, we invite you to compare the three MBA programs at Berkeley Haas.
And if you're looking for more reasons people might choose to go to business school, check out these posts: