Raising the stakes with an MBA

While an MBA can boost holistic business acumen and confidence, the days of MBAs doubling graduates' salaries are over. Dr Brian Thomas examines the value versus cost and time commitment of taking the qualification

In those long-gone, heady days before the dot-com core went critical, gaining a Master of Business Administration degree meant one thing above all else - a mighty big annuity. The newly qualified MBAs of the mid and late 1990s could realistically expect hikes of up to 40%, 60% or even 80% of their pre-MBA earning levels. Investment banks, large consultancies and international blue-chip organisations regularly offered substantial 'golden hellos' to what they perceived to be the brightest and best