As the role of IT executive has morphed into a business leader, someone who knows as much about leading people as he or she does about leading software projects, the question comes up: How do you get that business know-how?
For rising IT professionals, questions about whether to pursue an MBA degree are urgent: They need to know whether it's worth the time—two years of full-time study, or countless nights in after-work classes—and tens of thousands of dollars. On CIO.com, a debate has been bubbling for months: More than 500 respondents to an online poll were split down the middle as to whether an MBA is a great help or a waste of time. You can find arguments from current IT executives both for and against the MBA experience.
In her book Brazen Careerist, The New Rules for Success, aimed at 20- and 30-somethings, Penelope Trunk quotes the realistic advice of John Challenger, the CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Go get it, Challenger says, and if you can do it while you're in your 20s, all the better for your future. But he adds: "Top business schools have a premium value. If you attend the third tier, do it at night because the financial loss and career stagnation while you're in school do not outweigh the benefit of the degree."
To help with this important evaluation, we've created the wiki-style map below. We've seeded it with several top MBA programs, but we'd ask that you add your own favorites—worldwide. Then bookmark the map and check back periodically as we—and other members of the CIO.com community—continue to make it grow.
Instructions for how to post on the map.
Suggestions for adding information: