Career Outlook With a Master’s in Business Administration

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Be Prepared to Lead in Your Career

As a Purdue Online MBA student, you’ll have many opportunities to put what you’ve learned to use in the context of real business issues. As a graduate, your advanced skills and knowledge will prepare you to step into a broad range of rewarding leadership and management roles.1

In addition, Purdue is one of the schools with the most graduates working at top Fortune 500 companies,2 which means you’ll join a well-connected, talented and successful network, further enhancing your career outlook.

We’ll Help You Get Where You’re Going Next

Whatever your career goals, our career services office is here to help you achieve them. With Purdue, you’ll gain access to resources such as:

  • 1-on-1 certified Executive Coaches
  • Professional development workshops
  • Employer engagement opportunities and virtual career fairs
  • Job search support
  • Help with your personal brand, interview skills and more
  • Networking connections
  • A center dedicated to entrepreneurship 


What’s Your Next Giant Career Leap?

At our career services office, you’ll find support and resources tailor-made to your next steps:

Career Changer

For those looking to pivot careers, the center will help make your new goals a reality. You’ll be able to translate your prior skills and experience, build your credentials and communicate what you’ve gained through the program to future employers.

Career Advancer

Are you preparing to reach the next level of your current career? Utilizing our career services, you can build on your skills, access career resources and leverage executive coaching that will help you clarify your goals and develop an action plan to achieve them.

Entrepreneur

Get started on your own venture with resources including the Purdue Foundry, a hub for support in starting companies, and the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, which fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship.

One of my goals upon graduation was to grow into a new role. I was able to actually obtain a job before I even graduated with my MBA.

Ryan Melvin

Plant Manager, Stephen Gould
Purdue University Online MBA Graduate, 2021

Ryan Melvin in Purdue University graduation cap and gown

Specialized Support Resources

The Krannert Graduate Institute within the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business offers career resources for women and military veterans so they can excel in business and beyond.

Brock-Wilson Center for Women in Business

The Brock-Wilson Center for Women in Business empowers women to overcome gender obstacles in the workplace. By offering courses, speaker series and networking opportunities, the center prepares women and men to lead and excel in a diverse workplace.

Business Military Association

The Business Military Association provides support to veterans and current military members seeking to improve their management skills and enhance their leadership opportunities. Plus, the Purdue Veterans Success Center provides additional resources.

Connect to a Prestigious Worldwide Community

When you join Purdue Ties, you’ll connect with other business professionals across a variety of industries. Plus, you’ll be able to tap into the well-respected Purdue University network of over 600K alumni from 135+ countries.

Purdue University alumn working on a tablet in an office

Career Opportunities With an MBA

Top Career Goals of MBA
Graduates

According to a recent survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council, the top MBA career goals for prospective students include3:

  • Manage people — 42%
  • Manage projects — 40%
  • Raise/salary increase — 40%
  • Senior-level position — 39%
  • Job with international travel — 35%
  • Executive-level position — 34%
  • Job with a different company — 28%
  • CEO of a company — 23%
  • Promotion — 20%

MBA Grads Have Skills Employers Demand

In a recent survey, corporate recruiters identified the following skills as ones they expect from business school graduates.4

  • Learning, motivation and leadership
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Strategy and innovation
  • Decision-making processes
  • Strategic and systems skills
  • Business ethics
  • Knowledge of business functions
  • Knowledge of tech, product design, and production
  • Generative thinking

Master's vs. Bachelor's in Business: Career Advantages to Consider

Earning a bachelor’s in business administration covers the fundamentals of business education. An MBA builds upon that knowledge with hands-on, focused courses of study that prepare you with the leadership skills you need to land management positions and increase your earning potential.

The median annual wage for managers is the highest of all major occupational groups, and management positions in the U.S. are expected to grow faster than average from 2021 to 2031. About 1.1 million openings each year, on average, are projected to come from growth and replacement needs.5

Get Started Today

Make your career goals a reality with Purdue University's Online Master of Business Administration. Call 877-491-0224 to speak with an Enrollment Specialist or request more information.

NOTES AND CONDITIONS - PLEASE READ

1 Purdue does not guarantee employment placement or career advancement. Actual outcomes vary by geographic area, previous work experience and opportunities for employment.  

2 Source: Forbes, on the internet at https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2021/09/04/the-universities-with-the-most-graduates-working-at-top-fortune-500-companies/.

3 Source: Graduate Management Admission Council, Career Aspirations: mba.com Prospective Students Survey 2019, on the internet at https://www.gmac.com/-/media/files/gmac/research/prospective-student-data/career-aspirations_mbacom-prospective-students-survey-2019.pdf.

4 Source: Graduate Management Admission Council, Corporate Recruiter Survey 2022 Summary Report, on the internet at https://www.gmac.com/-/media/files/gmac/research/employment-outlook/2022_gmac_corporate_recruiters_survey_summary_report_final.pdf.

5 Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Management Occupations, on the internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/home.htm.