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One-Year Full-Time MBA Programs

January 15, 2018 | Graduate Management Admission Council
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Leverage your experience and enhance your career.

You might hear the words "intense" or "accelerated" when people talk about a one-year MBA program. For some candidates, these programs are the perfect fit to build on your work experience and undergraduate coursework to take your career to the next level. Once only popular in European markets, one-year programs are on the rise around the globe, with 56 percent of programs reporting an increase in application volumes in 2017.1

Here are a few quick facts to help you decide if a one-year program is right for you:

Your Time Commitment – One-year, full-time MBA programs are usually completed in 11 to 16 months. To complete an MBA in this compressed timeframe, many programs have strict prerequisites for work and academic experience. You may choose to relocate for a program or school to find the right program to match their career goals.  

Your Peers – You’ll find that many candidates in a one-year MBA program are experienced professionals seeking to advance their career in their current industry or job function and want to earn their degree in a short time period. In fact, 63 percent of global candidates have three or more years of work experience.1

Learning Opportunities – With the accelerated nature of the one-year MBA program, many schools offer specialized coursework that you can translate into your career, industry or specialty.  

The Experience – High intensity! Make no mistake, in a full-time, one-year program, you will be completely immersed in the graduate education experience. Many schools have found ways to use this to your advantage, offering group housing options and other programs to make it easier to connect and collaborate with other candidates, who are sharing the same MBA experience.

 Is a one-year, full-time program right for you?

There’s much written about the comparison between one-year and two-year MBA programs. Some employers indicate that they prefer the comprehensive structure of the two-year program, but depending on your goals and background, the one-year option may be the best fit. And the math is simple, a one-year program costs less.

Since there usually aren’t extended semester breaks in most one-year programs, internship opportunities may be limited. With the majority of candidates coming to these program with work experience, the focus is on the end goal – your MBA.

Even with the compressed timeframe and intense nature, one-year programs provide an excellent option if you are looking to advance your career in your current industry or job function.

 57% of enrolled students expect to receive employer funding.1  

1 Graduate Management Admission Council (2017) Application Trends Survey.