Is your MBA useless in an AI world? Not according to this UBC Sauder graduate

“In a world where AI can write business plans and crunch data in seconds, some question whether a Master of Business Administration (MBA) still holds its value. Armando Rocha , an MBA graduate from UBC Sauder School of Business, has a different view. “My best advice is to truly understand the why behind wanting to pursue an MBA,” he says. “If it’s just to gain knowledge, books, AI, online courses, and certifications can give you that, and much more cheaply. However, if you’re seeking the full campus experience – with classmates from many nationalities, in-person interactions, professors, and the opportunity to switch careers or live abroad – then I am convinced 100% that an MBA is the right choice.” Armando pursued his MBA at UBC Sauder alongside his wife. Source: Armando Rocha Back to Vancouver – this time for an MBA Armando Rocha grew up in Mexico City, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering before landing a role at one of Latin America’s largest microfinance banks. For six years, the work was rewarding, but a quiet restlessness was growing. He wanted more, specifically, an intellectual challenge that his current career could no longer offer. That persistent feeling led him to a decision. In August 2021, Armando and his wife, Maria, packed up their lives in Mexico City and moved to Vancouver, Canada, where they both would pursue an MBA at UBC Sauder. The motivation behind the MBA had been building for years. As Armando followed the journeys of successful Mexican entrepreneurs, he kept noticing the same detail in their backgrounds. “Basically, 80–90% of them had an MBA from a foreign country,” he says. “So, strengthening my business skills was something that I believed I needed to become a better entrepreneur, since one of my long-term goals is to have my own startup.” So why do an MBA at UBC Sauder? Well, back in 2011, a younger Armando had spent six months in Vancouver studying English and working through a co-op programme. The city left a lasting impression, and before he left, he promised himself he would return someday. 10 years later, that moment came. While researching the best MBA programmes in Canada, Armando came across UBC Sauder and felt an instant connection. “I immediately thought it was a perfect fit for what I was looking for in terms of the professional and intellectual aspects — and of course, the city that I loved.” Armando chose UBC Sauder for its emphasis on responsible leadership and developing socially conscious leaders focused on a more just and sustainable world. Source: Armando Rocha Was the MBA worth the cost? Armando never sat down and ran the numbers. For him, the return on investment (ROI) of an MBA was never purely financial, and that framing shaped everything about how he approached the decision. When he enrolled in 2021, AI as we know it today barely existed. ChatGPT only started gaining attention near the end of his programme in 2022, by which point he and his classmates were almost done. The question of whether AI might replace the value of a business degree simply never entered the discussion. What entered the conversation was everything that surrounded the degree itself. “For example, the connections with classmates from so many different places, the global perspective you gain from being around people from more than 15 nationalities, and of course, the professors, who bring a wealth of professional experience into the classroom,” he says. Career coaches, campus life, living abroad, and navigating daily life in a new language were part of that picture, too. None of those things, Armando is quick to point out, can be replicated by AI. When asked whether he considered alternatives such as joining a startup or completing a certificate course, Armando does not hesitate. “No, I didn’t really consider other options, he says. “I truly believed that the MBA would bring me much more satisfaction than joining a startup back home, along with the experience of living abroad and everything that came with it.” Although AI was less prominent when Armando started his MBA, the programme helped him build relevant skills, such as adapting to uncertainty and identifying key insights others may miss. Source: Armando Rocha The MBA still has an edge, even in the age of AI Armando believes the MBA still holds its ground in an AI-driven world. While AI will inevitably replace certain roles and tasks, he sees it as a tool rather than a threat, and like any tool, its value depends on how well you use it. “I’ll give you an example,” he says. “If there are two candidates — say, you and I — applying for the same job with basically the same skills, work experience, and AI knowledge. I’m confident that if you have an MBA, you will have a competitive advantage compared to me if I didn’t have one.” That confidence is backed by data. Research from Validated Insights found that between 2019 and 2024, the share of companies hiring or planning to hire recent MBA graduates rose from 76% to 92%, while hiring of recent college graduates declined — suggesting that in a tight job market, the MBA degree still carries real weight. And it’s not hard to see why. The degree signals something AI cannot replicate on its own: a broader, more holistic understanding of business. For Armando, that is exactly why AI and an MBA do not conflict. They complement each other. The MBA sharpens your ability to see the bigger picture and approach complex problems with a perspective that holds up over time. So for anyone sitting on the fence, his advice is simple: start with the why. If your goal is purely to gain knowledge, there are other paths worth exploring. But if it is about the full experience, the career pivot, the credibility, and the network, the MBA is a no-brainer. “It’s an amazing experience that leaves you with lifelong friendships and connections, which I now consider family,” he says. “Professionally, an MBA can help you transition careers or elevate your current career by giving you a competitive advantage and the credibility of the title.”

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