Are you ready to move beyond an undergraduate degree? Does your schedule and study habits make a traditional program unappealing? If you said 'yes,' you're not alone.

Online graduate degrees are forever increasing in popularity, and the MBA is the hottest of the hot.

But is it worth it? This excellent article offers opinions on that very subject, along with advice on how to succeed in an online program.

The author feels that 'brand name,' traditional MBAs are a waste of money for the most part, and that students and professionals can receive the same benefits by pursuing an online degree.

Some helpful advice:

What do you hope to get out of the program? You wouldn't get a root canal just for the heck of it. Yet, many people sign up for MBA programs before they ask themselves some really hard questions about where their careers are headed. The clearer your focus, the higher the odds you'll end up where you want to be.

Do you have an outmoded view of online programs? Technology is changing everything at work. And to be effective today, increasingly you've got to communicate with co-workers you rarely see, work in virtual teams and conduct effective online research. Ironically these are all skills that you'll hone in an online MBA program. Many people still have a bias against online programs, but as time goes on they seem better suited to the actual skills we need to be effective at work today.

Thanks to author Bob Rosner for shedding light on this subject.

And if you'd like more help, try out the Idiot's
Guide to Getting Your MBA Online.