Is an MBA still worth it?
This question resonates louder now than ever, especially as professionals reconsider the value of advanced business degrees in a rapidly evolving economy. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape for MBAs has shifted dramatically, prompting professionals to critically reevaluate their expectations for graduate education. Today, they’re looking beyond the prestige of traditional degrees. What they want instead is tangible outcomes like real-world skills, genuine career growth, and flexibility that fits their busy lives.
The numbers reveal this mindset shift. In fact, a recent LinkedIn article reported a 19% jump in applications to two-year and part-time MBA programs in 2024. The most significant growth was in top-ranked schools and programs that offer in-person experiences, demonstrating the high value professionals place on direct engagement, practical learning, and a return on their investment.
At CU Denver Business School, the response has been intentional. The school recently renamed its long-standing Professional MBA to the ‘Denver Flex MBA’ to better reflect what students actually want: flexibility, customization, and the ability to balance school with everything else life demands. The new name spotlights those needs front and center.
Today’s Professionals Know What They’re Looking For
The modern MBA candidate is increasingly intentional, and prestige is no longer the primary deciding factor when choosing a school or program. Now, professionals are asking deeper questions about relevance, usefulness, and return on investment. They want programs that speak to the real world, and that means providing curricula aligned with the market, faculty who bring solid field experience, and outcomes that translate into tangible career growth.
Flexibility is no longer a bonus – it’s the baseline. Many candidates are balancing full-time jobs, family commitments, or major life changes while pursuing their degree. They need a program that partners with their lifestyles rather than working against them. As a result, programs that feel too rigid or outdated simply don’t cut it anymore.
The Denver Flex MBA: Where Flexibility Meets Purpose
At CU Denver Business School, location shapes opportunity. The school sits in the heart of Denver’s growing business ecosystem, where classroom learning connects directly to what’s happening in the real world. Through local partnerships, employer networks, and access to industry leaders, students gain experiences that extend far beyond the confines of textbooks.
“This versatile program offers a plethora of specialization and concentration options that provide catered wisdom and growth opportunities that are unique to each student’s interests and passions.”
– Karl Summers, Denver Flex MBA ’27
Designed for working professionals, the Denver Flex MBA offers the most specialization options in Colorado, along with 100+ electives. Students choose how and when they want to learn, whether online, in person, or a combination of both. The format is designed to fit around their schedules and goals, not the other way around.
As Karl Summers Denver Flex MBA ’27 shared, “This versatile program offers a plethora of specialization and concentration options that provide catered wisdom and growth opportunities that are unique to each student’s interests and passions.”
Real-World Value from Day One
That flexibility wouldn’t mean much without substance behind it. What sets the Denver Flex MBA apart? Applicable, purposeful learning. Students get to apply what they learn along the way while working on their next steps.
As James Jarrell Denver Flex MBA ’25 put it, “the curriculum provides direct, applicable knowledge that I leverage in my career every single day.”
The program meets professionals where they are, offering hands-on consulting projects and opportunities to explore global business through study abroad programs. Every element is then grounded in relevance to help students develop into stronger leaders, strategists, and decision-makers from the outset.
And that growth doesn’t end at graduation. With lifetime access to CU Denver’s Business Career Center and a network of 300+ business partners, support continues long after the degree is complete.
“You choose how immersed in the program you want to be… and I am incredibly grateful to CU Denver Business School for allowing me to pursue my next step in life without pausing my career,” Alicia Herweck MBA ’25 said.
A Degree that Moves With You
There’s no single path to success, and no one reason why professionals pursue an MBA. Some are building something new. Others are leveling up in their current field. However, the need for adaptive, applicable education is universal.
The Denver Flex MBA empowers students to stay in motion, grow with intention, and pursue their goals without putting life on pause.
Ready to shape your next chapter? Learn more at business.ucdenver.edu/mba/denver-flex-mba.
