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What is a mini MBA and who is it for?

Pretty much everyone working in business or management has heard of the MBA degree. However, few healthcare leaders have the time, money or need for such a lengthy and expensive programme.

What is often more useful and relevant to a frontline healthcare leader is an accelerated programme that will give them the skills, knowledge and capabilities they need to overcome the most urgent and immediate challenges their health service faces.

That’s where so-called mini MBAs such as IHLM’s popular Healthcare MBA Essentials course really come into their own. They distil the most relevant and important content from a one or two year MBA programme into a course that can be studied in a fraction of that time. At IHLM we’ve designed our course to require just 40 hours of learning – that’s 4 hours a week over 10 weeks.

Other than length, what are the other big differences between a mini MBA and a full Master of Business Administration degree?

  • Qualification – You don’t get a degree at the end of a mini MBA but you do get a professional certificate that you can immediately showcase on your resumé.
  • Specialisation – Mini MBAs can be more useful than a full MBA because they enable you to focus on specific topics and how to apply them to the industry sector you work in.
  • Cost – Mini MBAs are inexpensive compared to MBA degrees. For a two-year MBA at a prestigious institution like Harvard you would pay almost $150,000 in tuition fees plus another $80,000 in living costs. Mini MBAs, by comparison, start at around $1,000 and can often be studied online.
  • Employment opportunities – A MBA degree is often required for senior positions in management, consulting and finance. But for frontline healthcare leaders, a mini MBA certificate will show your current or future employer that you’re serious about developing yourself and making a positive impact on the quality of care.
  • Entry requirements – The most prestigious MBA programmes have tough entry requirements that need excellent test scores, references and exam transcripts. Mini MBAs, on the other hand, are usually available to anyone with a desire to learn.
  • Availability and accessibility – Universities have just one or two start dates per year for MBA degrees whereas mini MBA courses have multiple start dates – often once a month.

In summary, mini MBAs are a great way to enjoy the same learning experience as a full MBA degree. That means the same chances to collaborate with others and the same opportunities to develop practical skills.  For an aspiring healthcare leader or manager, IHLM’s Healthcare MBA Essentials course provides an immersive, interactive and supportive learning environment that will enable you to have a real impact on the performance of your healthcare service – all at a fraction of the cost and commitment of a full MBA degree.

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