christinalevinee wrote:
Hi, I am an electrical engineer with 8 years of experience, worked in power distribution, sustainability and renewable energy. I am planning on doing my MBA next year, it seems like a big commitment and wanted to see what others out there think. I am an energy guy, want to spend my life working in the energy field and specifically renewables “Solar, Wind and energy storage”. Currently thinking of applying to Booth for an MBA since I live in Chicago and Booth is, well , booth. My main concerns are the following.
1- Is it worth it for someone like me with energy interest to do his MBA at schools that focus on finance or marketing?
2- I plan to do this part time over 3-4 years. everyone tells me to do full time MBA , however if I got full time I can only afford to go to Urbana. Which route should I take?
3- Is there one year degrees out there in energy management that basically are MBA’s for people interested only in energy business.
My problem is that my end goal is to open my own business in 10 years, but I feel spending 150K now will make it harder to do that in the future. I have been a technical engineer till this moment, and I believe I can make a much bigger impact if I move into business. Any input is appreciated
There are several MBA programs known for their 'energy' offerings- Texas-based MBAs, Fuqua, Tuck, Darden and Haas come immediately to mind. However, if you are restricted about the location, then I'd rather you go to a top MBA program part-time. Urbana is not in the belt of energy action, so you don't have much to gain there either. You'd still be looking at resources in Chicago. So you'd rather go to bigger brand name colleges which have more resources. Now, while Booth/ Kellogg may not have a huge offering in the energy sector, you still need those skills in finance, marketing and strategy- especially as a business owner.
This advice also sticks because by virtue of doing a part-time course, you are not seeking an immediate job change after the MBA. So, you may as well join the best programs that exist
just FYI, came across Kellogg's courses related to energy:
https://kellogg.campusgroups.com/energy/home/