Choose an MBA Program
Before selecting a school, you should focus first on your goals, then visit classes and talk to students and program alumni

When you are looking for a Master of Business Administration program, your research needs to start with you and your objectives, rather than with the programs offered at various universities.

"You need to have very clear goals," says Dan Fogel, dean of the Charlotte MBA program of Wake Forest University's Babcock Graduate School of Management. "If you think you just want to learn about business, you're not going to get much out of it."

There are several reasons for wanting to earn an MBA. Be sure you know which ones are motivating you, advises Karen Geiger, a leadership development consultant and a faculty member of the McColl Graduate School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte.

Are you seeking the credentials an MBA provides? Or are you looking to broaden your business network? Do you just want to get a well-rounded view of business?

If you're a prospective MBA student, Angelina Corbet suggests that you identify your knowledge gaps -- areas where your skills need to be strengthened, be it in marketing, developing strategy, international trade or financial issues.

"Programs focus on building different competencies, so match your knowledge gaps with the appropriate program," says Corbet, president and founder of The Mobius Co., a locally based coaching and career consulting firm.

Once you have determined what you want to get from an MBA program, it's time to research the programs themselves. Geiger recommends searching Web sites and attending open houses on campus. Ask questions and get a feel for the faculty, the students, the school and the program. Set up an interview, sit in on classes and talk with students and alumni.

As a small-business owner, you should also find out whether the MBA offers a focus on small business and what kinds of programs it offers that are geared to your particular needs.

That can include courses or concentrations in entrepreneurship and small business, special networking opportunities, in-depth relationships with fellow students and faculty, or the way classes are taught.

"Find out if other small-business owners have been there, and ask them if they found the program helpful," Geiger says.

As you shop around, there are other factors to consider, she adds. What kind of schedule do you want -- an intense, fast-track one or one that's flexible but takes longer to complete?

What about the costs and the possibilities of financial assistance, scholarships and fellowships? Will you be able to interact with faculty members? Does the convenience of the location matter to you? How important is the school's reputation?

Fogel also recommends learning about the program's accreditation.

For example, although online MBA programs are flexible and allow students to complete their studies at home, they are not accredited, and you can't transfer the credits, Geiger says.

"You get the knowledge, but you miss out on the networking, integration of classes and the contact with professors and fellow students," she adds. "Just because you have the knowledge, it doesn't mean you know how to apply it."

Having an MBA does not guarantee success, Fogel says. "It's about leveraging your degree -- seeing how other people apply the principles to their business and using your opportunities to network."

Also, keep in mind that changing programs in midstream isn't easy, he adds. "Switching programs is hard and expensive, and you often can't transfer your credits."

Bea Quirk is a Charlotte-based free-lance writer who can be reached at beawrites@aol.com.