For many, being a master of business administration (MBA) can be a natural next step in trying to advance their career. The possibility of dedicated teaching hours, masterclass events, networking and mentorship makes it an appealing option on several levels, but what exactly do they promise in the way of career progression?
“It’s a really good way of getting you to the next level,” says Michelle Gallagher, president of the MBA Association Ireland. “It’s different for everyone, but it’s certainly something that will stand to you and it will stand the test of time, it’ll keep giving.”
Gallagher remembers completing her MBA part-time at the University of Limerick and being struck by the almost instant impact of the course on her and her peers’ careers. “People in my class were being promoted while on the course because employers could see the immediate benefits of it.”
Ireland’s top-ranked MBA programmes are both offered in Dublin: at UCD Smurfit Business School and Trinity College Dublin. The Financial Times Global MBA ranking 2025 found that the average salaries of full-time graduates of Smurfit’s MBA programme increased by 91 per cent three years after completing the course.
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According to Trinity Business School’s career service, 88 per cent of their full-time MBA students were employed within three months of graduating and achieved, on average, a 48 per cent basic salary increase.
The main benefit of an MBA in this regard is the backing it gives you, regardless of your background, to move into managerial positions across different sectors. For those without a business background who have nevertheless built up a depth of industry experience in their career, an MBA offers the opportunity to consolidate the business acumen required to be able to progress further.
“Perhaps they’re doing really well in their career in their chosen sector but they haven’t studied business before so it can be difficult to progress to a management or a director type of role,” says Ruth O’Leary, postgraduate career development and alumni manager at Trinity Business School. “An MBA can be the answer – it’s about getting a bit of information or a bit of knowledge about each of the business areas, be it HR, marketing or finance.”
For Gallagher, achieving an MBA was about preparing herself as best she could for potential promotions in her company. “I went in knowing that there was going to be movement in the company I was in and I definitely needed it for that validation to make sure that I stood above the rest in interviews,” she says. “I had great experience, but on paper, I didn’t have the business backing. So for me, it was just to tie up that loop and have that validation that you’ve applicable and transferable skills that can go in other directions quite effectively.”
But income increases and promotions are just one way of measuring career advancement. For some, the MBA can be a helpful reprieve from a busy career to take stock and make informed decisions about the best steps forward.
O’Leary has witnessed students well-established in their careers take the time afforded by the programme to look back on their path to date and think about where they would like to go next. “A lot of people don’t really have the chance otherwise to reflect on their careers so an MBA can be a wonderful opportunity to have the space to explore the career options that are available to them,” she says.
In this sense, an MBA can pave the way for career progression that looks more like a pivot or a sidestep. “You have people who want to accelerate their career who can improve their business knowledge, but you also have career-changers who maybe aren’t happy in their work and want to see what’s out there,” she says.
Perhaps one of the biggest assets of an MBA is the network it opens up to students. At busy junctures in people’s careers, it offers a unique opportunity to engage with other sectors and job possibilities thanks to the diverse class composition. “You’ll have people from different industries, with different job functions, at different levels,” says O’Leary. “It’s great exposure there to a variety of job functions and industries and cultural ways of doing things.”
Even for those wanting to stay within their current field, this exposure can assist them in opening their minds as to how to approach their career. “In the workplace, you could well be working in the one industry, so you’re not thinking outside the box all the time,” says O’Leary. Just getting exposure to other people in other roles and sectors can be hugely beneficial in helping you to reframe how you approach your own work.
In a more structured way, many MBA programmes have dedicated career teams, mentorship programmes and networking events that help professionals in each MBA harness their new skills and apply them to the real world. At UCD Smurfit for instance, the Leadership & Employability Advancement Programme runs for the duration of the MBA and offers students the chance to engage with an alumni mentor, get industry feedback through employer mock interviews, as well as one-to-one support from the Smurfit careers network team.
Whether you are looking to take a step away from your career, redirect course or move up the ladder, an MBA can offer the ideal space in which to explore your options, network and find new mentors. An MBA is a large undertaking, particularly for those on part-time and flexible programmes working alongside it, but it paves the way for different modes of career advancement. For those hoping to ascend to managerial or directorial positions in their career, these programmes carve out dedicated space and time to foster the skills and expertise required alongside like-minded professionals and teachers.
