Conventional wisdom has always been that getting a master’s of business administration (MBA) is a surefire path to career success. Prospective students have fanciful (even somewhat fantastical) images of getting their MBA, and immediately skyrocketing to the top of the ladder, and reaping the salary rewards that come along with it.
While in some cases, holding an MBA does lead to a higher level of career success, in most cases students find that the path to the corner office is a bit more winding than the MBA program materials lead them to believe. And in some cases, students find that the MBA program isn’t quite what they expected – or interested in.
That’s where the leadership degree comes in. When you start comparing graduate programs, chances are that you’ll find many schools offer both MBA and leadership programs; perhaps even an MBA with a concentration in leadership. There is some overlap in the programs; in general, they are distinctly different in both scope and outcomes. Unlike other master’s level programs, MBA and leadership programs aren’t generally focused on one specific industry or skill set, and the options are a bit broader.