When someone talks of the types of MBA programs, many people are left to wonder what really the true meaning of the same is.  Some people would argue that when discussing the types of MBA programs, one should focus on the different branches, other say that the length of time should be critical, and so on.

In this article, I would like to go through each of this caliber so that it should be more of the classifications of the MBA programs.

Academic vs. Executive

Academic MBAs are traditional. Normally, they are meant to take at least two years of studying. They require that someone has a university degree in the first place. Apart from that, they also handle other specialties in the second year which helps to divide into other areas of business studies. They are also good for those intending to pursue business education further.

Executive MBAs on the other hand are meant to provide a deeper understanding of business ideas to long serving executives who may not have had the chance to study business before. The Executive MBA normally does not go deep into other branches.

One Year vs. Two-Year

MBA programs can also be divided into one year and two year programs. One year programs are mainly for those students who have had a significant experience in the business world already. On the other hand, two year programs are mainly designed for those who would like to change their careers or recent college graduates who do not have a lot of experience in the business world.

Part Time vs. Full Time

One thing about many of the people who attend MBA lessons is that a good number of them are not recent college graduates. This means that they are working and that they probably just want to increase their skills in business. For this reason, they are designed to offer flexibility and convenience. Here, the students will go to school during the night and during the weekend. Full time MBA programs on the other hand are the more traditional forms of MBA programs. The learner goes to school like a full time student.

These classifications of MBA programs form the basis of most of how MBA programs one will take. For you to take one or the other, you need to consider the cost, the level of experience, the time availability among others.

Normally, an MBA program should take two years. True enough, many of them do. However, there is an increasing trend where Universities and colleges are offering one year MBA programs.

So, between the one year program and two year program, which one is better?

Well, before you start looking into which program is good, you need to understand the genesis of each.

The traditional two year MBA program was mainly there to satisfy the academic needs of those who wanted to pursue further learning in business. Experienced managers were also allowed to pursue a masters degree in business administration.

On the other hand, the one year program came in for two main reasons, the first one being to make more money for universities and colleges for the lazy guys who didn’t want to spend two years learning business but who wanted an MBA after their name. The second reasons was to provide a platform for managers who needed a basic understanding of business without having to spend a lot of time studying the various specialties such as Accounting, Finance, Marketing and many others.

From the reasons for their development, you can now tell the reasons why one would prefer to go with a one year MBA instead of a two year MBA.

You should choose to go with a one year MBA if at all you are experienced in business. That is the first thing that you must do. Secondly a one year MBA is also good for those people who would not like to pursue further learning in Business such as a PhD and so forth.

On the other hand, a two year program is a good one in most cases since it allows one to deal with both the basics and the advanced issues of business administration. It is therefore suitable for most cases. In fact, if you are thinking of pursuing an MBA program and you have the time and the money, it is advisable that you go with the two year program as it has got far more advantages.