Maybe you've been weighing the pros and cons of pursuing a graduate degree for some time now. Many professionals question whether an MBA is worth the money before making the commitment. While having an MBA can open doors to new career opportunities, it’s natural to weigh the costs and benefits before enrolling.
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a prestigious graduate degree that equips professionals with critical business, leadership, and strategic management skills. Designed for individuals seeking career advancement, an MBA program covers essential areas such as finance, marketing, operations, and entrepreneurship. The value of an MBA remains significant, offering both knowledge and networking opportunities that can lead to leadership roles in various industries.
In your research, you'll come across many different statistics supporting how a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree can help launch your career trajectory, from the specialized and transferable skills you'd gain to the all-important networking opportunities it could yield. Key benefits of an advanced business degree like the MBA are entrepreneurial skills and the potential for career flexibility and advancement, which bring with them the potential for increased earnings as compared to those with a bachelor’s degree.
The MBA program at Bellevue University is known for equipping graduates with critical business leadership skills and the knowledge to leverage them in ways that will drive results for their organizations. Many professionals ask if having an MBA is worth it before enrolling, and seek advice.
According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), in their 2024 survey of graduates of management education, over 85% of candidates hold positive views of their experience and consider their investment in graduate business schools (MBA, MSM and other programs) as a positive return on their investment. *
Bellevue University's MBA program equips graduates with the specialized knowledge and skills they need to grow in their careers and offers over 15 areas of concentration to specialize in, including Accounting, Business Analytics, Cybersecurity, Marketing, HR Management, and Supply Chain Management.
As you analyze the personal costs and benefits, you may still ask yourself, is getting an MBA right for you? One of the best ways to learn about the pros and cons of graduate school is to hear from those who were once in your shoes. These three business professionals share how their MBA experience helped shape their careers.
Bellevue University alumna Christy Hayduk began her higher education endeavors by earning a bachelor's degree in advertising and public relations. But when she found herself working in human resources after graduation, she saw the value in increasing her qualifications and decided to go back to school.
That's when Hayduk found the Bellevue University College of Business. "I went back to get my MBA and take some additional courses that focused on human resources," she explains. One element that stood out about Bellevue University's MBA program was that its flexibility suited her busy lifestyle. "This particular program allowed me to work at my own pace, which was critical since I continued to work full-time and take classes in the evenings."
Hayduk completed her MBA while working at Valmont Industries, where she now serves as the Vice President and HR Business Partner of Global Infrastructure. Valmont has partnered with Bellevue University to offer employees the opportunity to pursue an MBA to build upon their leadership skills, awarding participants tuition reimbursement.
In addition to the flexibility it afforded, Hayduk enjoyed the MBA program at Bellevue University because of the emphasis placed on the practical application of business leadership skills. She wanted to be able to immediately put her newfound knowledge to work, and she found that Bellevue University allowed her to apply her real-life career experiences to what she was learning in her courses.
Today, she continues to apply the knowledge and skills she gained in the Bellevue University MBA program as she progresses in her professional life.
The program was very relevant to what I was working on daily, so I was able to apply my learnings as I went through the program. Having my degree has assisted me in furthering my career opportunities.
“I thought four years are going to pass whether I get my degree or not,” mused Doug Keipper, a graduate of the Bellevue University MBA at age 58. “It was getting harder and harder to find a job the older I got, and I didn’t want to be looking for a job at 60 with nothing to stand out. It took quite a bit of introspection to step up to the challenge.”
While working at Truist Bank, he learned they had a partnership with Bellevue University. “The bank I worked for had a program where I took the class, got my grade, filed my paperwork, they paid me, and then I paid Bellevue University,” he said. “It seemed like a no brainer.”
Since graduating in 2020, Keipper landed a new position as Vice President BSA/AML Officer at BankSouth. "I got a better job with a promotion and a pay raise,” he said. “I’m using the information I learned every day."
For Keipper, earning his Master of Business Administration online was vastly different from his undergraduate experience. "In my undergrad, a year of accounting was my largest pitfall because it was just so boring. Reading 40 pages of an accounting textbook was equivalent to getting a root canal," he said.
"In my master’s program, we had videos that showed and explained how the concepts and principles worked, and I could replay the parts I needed so I could learn at my own pace."
He also found the student advisors at Bellevue University helpful in succeeding on his journey. "I'm sure I wore them out making sure I had the right classes scheduled," Keipper said. "I had an insecurity that I would get to the end and find out I was one or two classes short because I took the wrong class." Together with his instructors and Student Coach at Bellevue, who helped him navigate his degree program—he made sure that didn’t happen.
Now, he's showing others what's possible. "Whatever roadblock, stumbling block or rejection you are experiencing, somebody has been there. At 58, I got my MBA. Whatever label you give yourself at 24, doesn't have to be the same label you have at 34, 54 or 74."
General Manager of the Union Omaha Soccer Club, Peter Marlette, was no stranger to educational pursuits. He holds a bachelor's degree in public policy and law, as well as a master's degree in sports management from the prestigious AISTS program in Lausanne, Switzerland. But there was still more he wanted to accomplish.
His role within the United Soccer League (USL) requires a lot of him, so if he was going to make the commitment to earn a master's degree, he'd need a program that would work for him. Marlette questioned, is having an MBA worth it, before making up his mind. His busy schedule made him hesitant, but Bellevue University’s flexible online format provided a perfect solution.
That's when he found Bellevue University. Marlette was thrilled to learn that the MBA program was offered fully online.
Being able to knock out my assignments during the random hours I have available in my schedule is really the only way I was going to be able to pursue another degree. My admissions counselor and adviser have been helpful from the beginning, making getting started at Bellevue University that much easier.
As the United Soccer League's Official Education Partner, Bellevue University actually awards scholarships to players and provides tuition assistance across the entire USL ecosystem to include club and league employees, as well as family members of staff, coaches, and players. Marlette maintains that this is an opportunity that's hard to pass up.
"I think anybody who qualifies in the USL should be seriously exploring this educational opportunity with Bellevue University. This is a great partnership and a phenomenal opportunity for League employees to pursue a degree they might not have been able to obtain themselves," he says. Marlette is grateful to have been given the chance to continue working in a role he loves while he expands his skill set to become a more informed, better-prepared employee of the United Soccer League.
As you seek to determine whether having an MBA is worth it for you, the stories of other professionals achieving their career goals after their own post-graduate pursuits can serve as a source of inspiration. And it's clear that Bellevue University is well-versed in partnering with busy professionals to provide the knowledge and skills they'll need to level up in their careers.
If you're eager to learn how you can set yourself apart in a competitive market, we’re here to help you learn more. Request information about the Master of Business Administration today.
*Graduate Management Admission Council. "The Value of Graduate Management Education: From the Candidate's Perspective," Page 18.
© 2025 - Bellevue University
