> An MBA provides only one thing: the opportunity to stop doing engineering.

Holy smokes! If your statement is true, then here's me running in the opposite direction of that mba.

+1!

Think about it: MBAs learn non-engineering skills, so how could it possibly be otherwise. If you get an MBA and continue engineering work, then by definition you're not leveraging your MBA, and vice-versa. That's a huge simplification, of course and I don't completely agree with the OP, but that's the gist of her point.

There are exceptions to every rule, but I'd say within the context of "jobs at existing large employers of MBAs and/or Engineers" the true intersection of engineer & business is nonexistent.

(There are lots of places where it'd be advantageous to have both skills, but never necessary, which is my underlying thesis.)

It also provides access to an alumni network.

Not nearly as relevant/helpful it's often made out to be.

Executives are more helpful than most give them credit for. If you're a credible contact with real experience, and authentically ask someone for input or advice, most are happy to chat.

The thing about the vaunted "HBS network" is that if you're qualified to get in to HBS, you're extremely likely to be otherwise credible; those who wish they had access to the alumni network also tend to not have enough meat on their CV to get access either way.

I personally suspect that the most important networking aspect of an HBS degree is just humanizing executives and learning how to communicate with them. If you've got those two things down, actually connecting is much easier.

Interesting how you put it. The "devaluation of higher education" bit of this column struck a chord in me back then. It sort of lays out a similar point in a slightly different way:

http://web.mit.edu/krugman/www/BACKWRD2.html

Time will tell. :-)

> most important networking aspect of an HBS degree is just humanizing executives and learning how to communicate with them

So true! Probably this is the most important thing a good business degree provides.