• Earning an MBA degree can be professionally rewarding.graduate girl image by Maria Bell from Fotolia.com
  
  Many business professionals consider earning an MBA degree at some point in their career. There are many options available for working individuals to pursue this degree, such as online classes, night school, and executive MBA programs meeting once per month. Oftentimes employers will support this pursuit with tuition reimbursement programs. Employers benefit by having higher trained employees working for the company. Employees benefit through career advancement, career shifts and potential entrepreneurship.
  
  

Career Advancement

• Employees seeking to move up the corporate ladder and bring home a higher paycheck are likely to find that with an MBA. Employees with graduate degrees are considered to be qualified for higher level positions. By pursuing and earning an MBA degree, a professional makes himself a viable candidate for these positions when they become available. According to the GMAC Alumni Perspectives Survey, half of the graduates received a promotion. Employees armed with an MBA can also expect a higher salary than their counterparts. Also according to the GMAC Alumni Perspectives Survey, 90 percent of MBA graduates received a pay increase as a result of earning their degree.
  
  

Career Shift

• Some employees burn out in their current positions and pursue an MBA degree with the intention of changing their career path. They may desire to move into a different department, a different company or a different industry altogether. Before that individual embarks on seeking out a new career, it makes sense for her to build up her qualifications. Once she's earned her MBA degree, she becomes more valuable to potential future employers. In addition, the MBA degree will provide an educational background for new career path.
  
  

Entrepreneurship

• Some individuals pursue an MBA degree in order to open and manage their own business. They have dreams of being an entrepreneur, of being in control of the entire company. In order to manage a business, they need to understand each of the various facets of running a business, which include human resources, accounting, operations and information technology. They receive the education through the MBA program, preparing them for their own entrepreneurial endeavors.
  
  

Networking

• On the personal side, networking can be an incredible benefit of pursuing an MBA degree. Getting to know the other students and build professional relationships can be a tremendous resource in the future. If the individual becomes unemployed, she may find a new position through someone she met through the MBA program. If he is looking for a new employee, he may know just the person from one of his classes.