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If you’re weighing whether to go back to school while you’re already working full time, raising kids, and trying to have a social life outside of your job, you’ve probably already asked yourself the question: Is a Master’s of Business Administration actually worth it?

It’s a fair question! An MBA is a real investment of time, energy, and money. Between a full-time job, a family, and everything else already on your plate, adding a graduate degree can feel like one more thing you don’t have room for.

Josh Ailes, an HR professional at ��������, is finishing his MBA this summer while continuing to work full-time. His experience gets at the heart of our MBA for working professionals. For the past two years, he has benefited from the program’s flexibility and its personal and professional training. Here’s what you can learn from his story, along with what to consider if you’re thinking about taking the same step toward a degree.

What is an Online MBA?

An online MBA is a graduate business degree you can earn without relocating, rearranging your work schedule, or stepping away from your career or family. The MBA prepares students who are already workplace professionals to lead organizations, make strategic business decisions, and advance into management and executive roles. Grace’s flexible online MBA program is built specifically with working adults in mind!

“The flexibility of having the pace of one class at a time made the MBA doable, even while I was working full-time throughout both years of the program,” said Ailes.

The flexibility gets tested through real-life situations. Ailes explained, “I had a vacation coming up, but because of the flexibility of the program, I was able to do the large majority of my work before we even left for the trip. It was invaluable to have that option.”

Is an MBA Worth the Cost?

Cost is usually the first thing people want to know, and it’s a legitimate concern. Tuition, the time commitment, and the opportunity cost of spending your evenings and weekends studying instead of spending time with friends and family all add up.

Instead of simply looking at the cost, look at the return on your investment! When discussing how he approached his coursework, Ailes said, “I could probably just coast by and get a decent grade enough to pass this course. But that wouldn’t help me because this degree is for me. I don’t want to just put this on a resume and then have no skills to show for it.”

The mindset of treating your degree as something you’re building for yourself, rather than checking a box, is a big part of what determines whether an MBA is worth it. The return isn’t just a line on your resume. It’s the skills, the confidence, and the doors it opens.

What is the benefit of an MBA for working professionals?

For working adults, an MBA often isn’t about starting a career; it’s about advancing in the workplace. That might mean a promotion, a raise, a move into leadership, or a pivot into a new role altogether. 

Ailes has already felt the practical impact of his coursework in his day-to-day HR work.

“What really helped me were the research skills I built,” said Ailes. “Being able to implement AI and research strategically into my work has helped me sharpen and expand my skill sets. Out of everything I learned throughout this process, being able to find information and interpret it into usable data was the most beneficial part of the program for me.”

Beyond specific skills, an MBA builds the kind of management, communication, and decision-making ability that shows up in bigger opportunities down the road. 

For Ailes, that’s the goal. “Putting in the work to learn and grow throughout the program will give me the knowledge and credentials to take on a leadership role in the future.”

Why Do Working Adults Choose an Online MBA?

While there are many reasons that working adults may choose a flexible online MBA, the honest answer is that life doesn’t wait for the “perfect time.” Josh had already finished his undergraduate degree, started his career, and had a wife and son by the time he decided to pursue his MBA. 

“There’s not really a perfect time to start a master’s,” said Ailes. “But at some point, I just decided to dig into it.”

He also found that the professional experience he’d already built—eight to ten years in HR by the time he started—gave him something to bring into the classroom.

“I had already gotten a lot of experience by the time that I started the MBA program,” said Ailes. “I quickly saw how I could use my skills and experiences to help me in some of my courses.”

If you feel like it’s too late to start your degree, let Ailes’s story encourage you! It’s never too late. Years of professional experience aren’t a disadvantage going in; they’re something you bring to the table as you start your flexible online MBA!

What Should You Look for in an Online MBA Program?

Not all MBA programs are built the same way, and it’s worth being selective. As you’re researching programs, consider:

• Accreditation: Make sure the degree will actually be recognized and respected in your field.
• Curriculum and concentrations: Does the program let you specialize in the direction you want your career to go?
• Faculty support: Are instructors accessible, and do they understand the realities of working adult students?
• Flexible Online MBA: Can the pace and structure actually fit around a full-time job and family life?
• Missions fit: For some students, studying business within a Christian worldview, one that shapes not just what you know but how you lead, matters just as much as the curriculum itself.

For Ailes, the pace and understanding from his professors mattered most. 

“Grace professors understand that we are working adults, so they lay out their courses in a way that is doable for students,” said Ailes. “If I stay on top of my work throughout the week, I’m not overwhelmed by my assignments as due dates come up.”

So, Is an Online MBA Worth It?

If the degree lines up with where you want your career to go, then yes! The value of an MBA isn’t automatic. It depends on the quality of the program, the direction you’re heading professionally, and how much you’re willing to put into it.

“If you’re thinking about Grace’s MBA, it’s definitely worth it,” said Ailes. “You will still have time for your career, family, and whatever else you’re involved in! It gave me the opportunity to expand my skill set and my qualifications to help further my career while I was also a husband, a father, and a full-time employee.”

Ready to see what a flexible online MBA could mean for your career? Explore Grace’s Online MBA program, now offering specialized concentrations, and take the next step in your education and career.