The MBA is recognised for its many benefits, but here's one surprising outcome that doesn't get talked about enough.

If you’ve been feeling dissatisfied with your career, or that you just want more out of life, you might want to consider an MBA. It may be the only qualification that has a happiness index named in its honour, such is its reputation for inducing positive emotions among its students and graduates.

The MBA Happiness Index studied over 1100 students from business schools all over the world, and found that studying for an MBA will make you 42.6 per cent happier – and that your level of happiness will remain, long after your studies are complete.

Why does an MBA make you happy?

Everyone’s motivation is different, of course, but some of the common themes among those who reported feeling happier for studying for their MBA included:

• It helps you think in a different way, thanks to exposure to other ways of thinking and other people’s point of view.
• It helps you adjust your approach to education and sets you up for lifelong learning.
• It fosters personal growth and opens up a world of possibilities you didn’t know existed.
• It encourages group work and introduces you to people you might never have met, creating a sense of community, and expanding your personal and business network.
• It opens up a world of career opportunities and opportunities for a higher salary.

Where can an MBA take you?

The lifelong skills you acquire during your MBA can open paths as diverse as MBA graduates themselves, but they may include:

• consulting
• business strategy and planning
• human resource management
• marketing
• finance
• technology
• government
• not-for-profit
• self-employment.

A Deakin University MBA can be completed in as little as 18 months, but the positive effects could be felt in your life forever. The course has been refined over the past 30 years to meet the professional needs of our high-achieving and ambitious students.

Ranked number one in Australia for online classroom experience, Deakin offers in-person or flexible online studies, and our lecturers are highly experienced and PhD-qualified leaders in their fields.

Find out more

If you want more out of your career, and for your life in general, watch Deakin’s MBA course webinar, where you can learn about the advantages of studying for your industry-focused Master of Business Administration.