Graduated from UIUC MSM, moving on to MBA

[Kjnova]

Thank you for sharing your experience , I am accepted for iMBA as PAT , I have low GPA , I was wondering why it takes 72 Hours thats alot for that reason , do you think its better for me to go for MSM first and then stack to the iMBA ? or go straight to the iMBA , which one do you think its better route if you have to redo it again and why ?

I think each path has some pros and cons. I am glad I did MSM first, because it allowed me to have a master's sooner, which especially mattered in my case because it let me do some adjunct instruction sooner. Part of my semi-retirement plan is to be an adjunct, so getting some experience in that realm earlier seems like a plus. It also meant that when I applied for jobs in the meantime, I could list a UIUC master's degree, which may have helped. I ended up not changing jobs during this time, so I guess it didn't concretely help, but it gave a sense of security.

So, I'd say the main pro is you get a master's degree sooner.

The cons are not that severe, but they are worth mentioning. The first is, the MSM has 9 classes, of which 2 are quant; the MBA has 18 classes, of which 7 are quant. This means if you do the MSM without doing quant electives, you will enter the MBA needing 9 more classes, of which 5 are quant. That is, more than half of your classes in the second year will be quant.

You can plan around that, but, it's something to be aware of.

The second con is that it complicates applying for transcriptable grad certificates. It is possible to do so, but all coursework has to be done either entirely in MSM or entirely in MBA, even though for most purposes, all of the classes are viewed the same way. In this specific way, they are not, and it's a little harder to meet requirements entirely in one program or the other. Then again, who really needs a grad certificate once you have the master's?

In sum, I think MSM and then MBA worked out for me, but some people may prefer the simplicity and commitment of going straight into MBA.

Oh, I should also mention, if you are admitted to MBA, you cannot do MSM as part of MBA. You would need to leave the MBA program, apply to MSM, enter and complete MSM, then apply again to MBA. Despite how closely related they are, rules are rules, and at an official level, they are different programs with separate admissions decisions.

As for the 72 hours, bear in mind that each class is 4 hours (not 3). It is 18 classes. It's a healthy, rigorous program that covers all of the traditional MBA topics. But, it's not an especially long program (I will finish the MBA less than two years after starting at UIUC, and that is common). If the classes counted as 3 hours instead of 4, it would be 54 hours.

By the way, that entry method you are using is a great option. I am really proud of them for offering that. It won't really slow you down. All of my sessions except one were two classes, anyway, and if you are motivated, I'm sure you can do better than what they require for full entry into the program, which if I recall is a B average. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!