Can I finish a top-level MBA in less than 2 years?
Short answer: Yes, especially if you’re not working full-time, and/or if you choose the right top-level program, happen to have extra time and find ‘hacks’ to make the most of idle time, you can take 3–4 classes per semester including summers, and finish the credits you need to graduate in less than 1.5 years. Along with this, if you make sure you still budget time to learn from other students/clubs and really focus on networking, recruiting, interview-prep with a proven coach, you’ll save time and achieve your real goal from a top-level MBA: being able to get into a lucrative career that you’ll enjoy.
Long answer: Here’s a 6-point checklist, the first 2 of which are most important and the other 4 are just ways to use your time well. Also, see this list of 4 top-level MBA programs that allow you to waive the GMAT/GRE requirement, saving you 3–4 months you would have spent on those exams.
1. What are you really trying to get from the MBA?
Too many friends went through MBA, even top-level MBAs (and law schools), thinking the classes and “networking” with other students will get them the job they want.
Not true.
It is your ability to get interviews *and* to pass those interviews — which takes serious preparation, ideally with a proven job interview coach — that will enable you to actually land jobs, esp. those in the $180k-$280k starting compensation range common among top-level MBA grads. The MBA program you’re in — if it’s a top level one — just increases your chances of connecting with most of the top recruiters/firms, which is just a starting point.
2. Are the trade-offs of less time/thought on recruiting/interviewing worth the 6 months or so you’ll save?
Think about the trade-off you’re making:
Because of the heavier class load you’ll take each semester, and assuming you are working while doing the MBA, you might have less interaction with classmates and student clubs (i.e. less outside-of-class learning from workshops, corporate presentations, boot camps, etc.), less time with family/friends, more stress balancing life/work with school and possibly less time and thought to spend on connecting with recruiters/hiring managers and less time to work with a proven interview coach to really polish up your interviewing, etc. which you’ll need to maximize your chances of getting the job you want.
3. Are you working full-time and have family commitments after work?
If so, take it slow and take 2–3 classes a semester, ideally including summer, and finish in 2 years flat. But if you can shift your commitments around, get up early or sleep late to do readings/homework, then you can take more classes.
Think: would taking extra classes at the cost of less family time and sleep, and suffering at work, be worth saving about 6 months out of a 2 year program?
4. Did you have a business-related major in college?
If so, MBA classes will just pretty much be a review of what you learned in college. Most of the harder concepts (accounting, finance, statistics classes) won’t be brand new to you, so you’ll have more time to focus on networking, recruiting, interview prep with a coach, etc…and to take extra classes per semester.
Although you might also want to take data analytics and advanced financial modeling classes and other classes to fill your skill/knowledge gaps which could be challenging as some new ideas/skills require time to understand/practice. I took these and other classes because they filled my knowledge/skill gaps esp. as some of those skills are needed in the post-MBA jobs I wanted to land.
If you didn’t have a business-related major or didn’t work in a business environment after college, then just take 2–3 classes a semester so you can focus on understanding the content and doing well in classes, in addition to networking, recruiting and interview-prep.
5. Do you find “hacks” on how to optimize your time?
Do you realize that you can (re-)listen to recorded class lectures and other content at 1x, 1.5x or 2x speed while you’re out for a walk, relaxing, on a drive, or in bed before going to sleep? And that by doing this, you can save the time you spend at a desk to do more quant-heavy or ‘hands-on’ work such as accounting, financial modeling in Excel, etc.?
Do you realize that you can do class readings on your phone or on printed paper that you can “actively read”/mark up while you’re waiting at the barbershop, on a bus/train/plane ride, etc.? (Be sure to get ear buds or ear plugs to screen out noise and to focus on deep reading/understanding)
These are some quick examples and if you’ve figured out ways to do some work during your “idle time” and use your focused time only for activities that require them, you will likely be able to get more done.
6. Will your target graduation date/timeline work well with application, interview and start dates of the firms you’re aiming for?
If the companies’ timelines are earlier and that’s what is motivating you to try to finish early, remember that you could also consider applying during the next round or next hiring season.
If the timelines are later, then rather than try to finish classes earlier, your time is better spent networking, talk to recruiters/hiring managers and practice interview answers with a coach to be fully ready to ace the interviews you get.
A wise person once said that you’re in an MBA program to land a top job that positions you for future success, not to take the classes. So when in doubt, prioritize maximizing chances of landing a great job vs. just finishing classes.
