A career management team dedicated to the Executive, Professional, and Online MBA programs works with Professional MBAs to support their career growth throughout the program and beyond. Whether you are looking to accelerate your career, switch career paths, or just want to explore your options, we can help you achieve your goals.

How Career Management Supports Professional MBA Students

The career management team provides career education and coaching to help Professional MBA students:

  • Choose career targets.
  • Develop strategic career plans.
  • Utilize their networks, including the ones they’ll build while in the PMBA program.
  • Create résumés, LinkedIn profiles, and interview answers that tell the story of the impact they can make.
  • Develop the skills to negotiate offers, lead conversations with their current employer about putting new skills to use, and proactively handle workplace issues.

The PMBA career management team provides direct access to tools enhancing the hiring value you’ll own throughout your career. These include:

  • CliftonStrengths training to help develop your talents, articulate your value, and build high-functioning teams at work and throughout your Professional MBA studies.
  • Self-paced online courses developed and delivered by the career management team on topics such as identifying goals, developing a career plan, résumé building, networking, interviews, negotiating, etc.
  • Links to curated online courses for best practices in leveraging LinkedIn, developing skills in case interviewing, and the level of Excel and Powerpoint skills useful for consultants.
  • AI-based tools for honing your résumé, LinkedIn profile and cover letters.

Connecting You With a Network of Professionals

Your Professional MBA experience at UGA will be a personal one. You will have the opportunity to connect with professionals, mentors, and instructors to deepen and personalize your learning experience. Through our well-respected Terry College connections and network of successful alumni, you will gain:

  • Access to experienced and highly qualified faculty.
  • Classmates with broad professional insights and connections.
  • A network of more than 75,000 Terry College alumni and 350,000 living UGA alumni.

See more about our Expansive Alumni Network.

Careers With a Professional MBA — FAQs

Your career is important. We want our students to excel in the classroom and in their work. Whether you’re looking to enter a new role or seeking to advance in your present position, you may wonder how a Professional MBA degree impacts your career.

Is a Professional MBA degree worth it?

The Graduate Management Admissions Council, in a Prospective Student Survey conducted in 2022, reports 4 in 5 MBA candidates agree a graduate business degree helps you stand out at work. Additionally, 87% of MBA graduates agree their degree increased their employability.

The Graduate Management Admission Council offers further evidence that MBA degrees are highly valuable. Last year, GMAC’s annual survey of hiring projections found most employers agreed business school graduates tend to have a fast track to upper-level positions in their organizations, and leaders in their organizations tend to hold an MBA degree.

Employers understand your investment in education adds real value to your role in their company, and many employers even offer full or partial tuition assistance to employees who enroll in an MBA program. By enrolling in our Professional MBA program, you will have the flexibility to continue working and contributing to company goals while advancing your knowledge in graduate school.

How can an MBA help my career?

A Professional MBA can prepare you for a leadership position, enable you to seek employment opportunities in new industries, or help you build and manage a business of your own. Investing in a graduate business education is an investment in the skills, knowledge, and network you will need to find long-term career success.

Below are some of the many ways our working professional MBAs advanced their careers by four-months post-graduation:

  • 88% reported a career change on at least one of the following dimensions:
    • 65% were promoted
    • 54% changed companies
    • 37% changed job function
    • 16% changed industry
    • 58% increased compensation
      • Avg. increase of 34%

What is the Professional MBA career outlook?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), management occupations are expected to grow 8% over the next 10 years, with more than 800,000 new jobs anticipated as a result of this period of growth. Management jobs resulting from growth and replacement needs are expected to amount to more than 1 million openings, on average, each year.

Where can I work with a Professional MBA?

Professional MBA graduates can find employment in a wide range of industries, such as consulting, technology, health care, government, and nonprofit. In addition, Professional MBA holders can find careers across the nation and overseas, with global agencies seeking qualified MBA candidates to fill industry needs.

Positions for graduates include:

  • Account Executive Officer
  • Accounting Manager
  • Brand Strategy & Commercial Performance Director
  • Content Manager
  • Consultant
  • Director of Marketing
  • Director of Operations
  • Financial Advisor
  • HR Manager
  • Sales Account Manager
  • Senior Talent Acquisition Partner
  • Vice President of Sales or Strategy

Companies our students have accepted promotions or new jobs at include:

  • Accountable Healthcare Staffing
  • Ad Victoriam Solutions
  • AGCO
  • Amazon
  • Ameris Bank
  • AT&T
  • Bank of America
  • Boehringer Ingelheim
  • CDC
  • Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Emory Healthcare
  • Fiserv
  • Georgia-Pacific
  • Graphic Packaging International
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Insight Sourcing Group
  • J.P. Morgan
  • KW
  • Labcorp
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • PNC
  • PwC
  • Twitter
  • Starbucks
  • The Coca-Cola Company
  • The Home Depot
  • Travelers
  • Truist
  • UPS
  • Viasat

How much can I make with a Professional MBA degree?

Our working professional MBAs (Class of 2021) reported the following compensation as of four months post-graduation:

Job Focus% of ClassAverage*
Accounting5.2%112,800
Consulting8.9%144,296
Finance14.1%129,314
General Management14.8%109,382
Human Resources4.4%95,333
IT3.7%134,238
Marketing/Sales29.6%120,511
Operations/Logistics14.8%130,060
Other4.4%113,833
Class Overall100%121,879
* Estimated Annual Compensation = Base Salary + est. Commissions + est. Bonus + est. Profit Sharing (cash and equity components, regardless of vesting). Excludes signing bonus, retirement, health care, ESPP, other benefits, car, housing, tuition

Take Your Career to the Next Level With a Professional MBA Degree From UGA

A University of Georgia MBA is widely respected with a legacy of excellence recognized by employers in the industry.

Our Professional Master of Business Administration program will equip you with the skills to meet the demands of employers and reach long-term career success. Through our career management offerings, you’ll gain the skills to compete in the job market, perform in interviews, and excel in your role.

Interested in recruiting our students?

Check out our PMBA Talent Guide and email us at recruitpromba@uga.edu for more information.