When I decided to pursue an MBA, I had to make a choice between full-time and part-time programs. Of course, in the end, there really was no choice. I needed to support myself, so that meant remaining employed full-time; which regulated my MBA studies to part-time status. Before my classes started, I was actually getting down on myself a bit. I felt guilty; in that here I am, single with no children, and if I were really driven, I would go ahead and take on 9 credits a semester and be a “real” graduate student. But a few weeks into the semester, I was practically hugging myself because with only 6 credits, I definitely had enough on my plate. Yes, graduate school is a whole different beast than undergrad.

In spite of my personal assurance that I made the right choice, I am finding that I still need to confront a lot of misconceptions about the MBA degree and part-time MBAs in particular. And I haven’t even started job-hunting yet! Now those of you outside of B-school may be throughly mystified by now — but I promise you, I am not paranoid here. Just check out these videos that use the Apple/PC commercials to parody the relationship. But all jokes aside, there seems to be a general consensus that full-time MBA programs and/or their graduates are superior to their part-time counterparts. To make things even a bit more ‘interesting’, some schools have an entirely different curriculum for their full-time program as opposed to their part time program.

Now I am far from an expert, but it seems that the inequality stems from the notion that MBA programs are all about networking and obtaining membership into some sort of exclusive club, more than they are about studying. Perhaps this is the case…with some students. However the majority of MBA students are employed at least part-time outside of their studies; and only 20% of students are enrolled in full-time MBA programs. But this is not really proof to demonstrate that more elite students opt for full-time programs; but more so younger students with less work experience.

I have gotten vibes from some people (some of them owners of advanced degrees) that MBA programs are a cakewalk. Well, my knee jerk reaction to that is, “What the hell are you smoking?”. However careful thought of my experience with MBA coursework so far is that it is demanding; but in a much different way than other graduate studies may be. In my MBA classes, I am constantly pulling from experiences, skills and knowledge that I have learned outside of my college coursework. And if I have not had the appropriate experiences, then I need to get creative. You also have to be a jack of all trades. From my perspective, it takes a very different skill set to be a good marketer as opposed to being good with managing IT systems; yet most MBA students have to study and obtain competence in these subjects, in addition to several more. Couple that with holding down a full-time job, and you find yourself with little free time time to spare.

But I am not trying to drum up a pity party here. A competent manager is one who has a diverse skill-set; and is not afraid to work hard when it is needed. In my humble opinion, this is readily apparent with the working part-time MBA student. Many of us are driven and steadfast towards our goal. We take our studies seriously, but we also have a commitment to the companies or organizations that provide our paychecks. We also have the potential to apply the concepts learned in our studies, as well as enhance the MBA learning experience for our peers.

So my hope is that the general public, and human resource directors in particular, will not buy into the misconception that a part-time MBA is not worth the paper that it is written on. Be fair, and assess the entire package (including the quality of the school that granted the MBA). Who knows, that part-time MBA may be much more of an asset to your bottom line.