My employer wants me to get an MBA. The local universities are expensive and going to a physical class doesn’t work well with my full-time work schedule. So I have been looking into online programs. Has anyone done an online program? Any suggestions or comments? I have a found a few online universities that have programs under 10k and seem to have the right accreditation. Some don’t even require entrance exams if you have the necessary work experience.
As long as the program has accreditation through one of the Regional Associations of Colleges and Schools, it’s probably going to be okay.
The school you attend should be accredited by the AACSB. This is the best list, and includes only real schools that have money and resources available for research.
[Search Accredited Schools | AACSB](List of accredited Schools)
Harvard, Yale, MIT and other elite schools? All on there.
Bentley, Bryant, Babson, BC, BU and other solid business schools? All on there.
You won’t find SNHU or Phoenix.
Oh, and some good online programs from schools with AACSB accreditation are: UMASS Amherst, UNH (This might be iffy, because while it’s a good school they are in their first year of doing an online program) and University of CO at Boulder.
These are all real, good schools. They are also all online and affordable especially vs private options like Babson.
My advice: Pick one near you if possible so people won’t know you did it online.
Debaser, is SNHU considered to be in the same class as Phoenix? I know Phoenix is for profit while SNHU isn’t.
I like this program.
not entirely on-line. They call it a hybrid.
Phoenix is definitely a step below (or a couple steps below) SNHU. I took a course at SNHU to check it out. I wouldn’t personally bother doing that with Phoenix.
My point was that neither of them is in that top tier, so why not just go for that?
There is also the risk that SNHU could become less prestigious over time if they keep up their aggressive marketing. Basically, in ten years will they be regarded as another Phoenix? They might.
The AACSB league doesn’t have this risk nearly as much.
Sorry, just noticed I messed up my link upthread.
Thanks Debaser, I appreciate your feedback. I am not sure top tier is in the cards for me, to be honest. My undergrad is not in business and I am never going to be a top executive at a Fortune 500 company. Price is an issue too. I am not sure how much my employer will be willing to contribute. For now I am preceding as if I will be paying for 100% percent.
Based on this new information, do you have any further suggestions?
Procrustus, I also like the idea of a “hybrid” program.
Thanks again to everyone who has responded and read this.
You don’t have to go high end. There are plenty of “real” schools like SNHU that are affordable and quality. They also are good at being accessible, without requiring GMATs. Plus they are cheap.
But don’t think that all the “high end” options are expensive. As a resident of NH I can go to UNH for a couple of hundred dollars more a class than SNHU. That’s far cheaper than the $1300 a credit that Suffolk and Northeastern charge.
And there are even good business schools that aren’t in Boston! (although that’s where I got my MBA).
The thing is, if you are going to get an MBA, you really want to go to a school that’s prestigeous enough to make the time and effort worth it. I would check out either an executive MBA or part time evening program.
Also one of the major benefits of a non-online MBA is that you spend a significant amount of time working on group projects and giving presentations. This is especially critical experience for the business world.
Your profile says that you’re in Memphis; how far is Knoxville from there? Because the University of Tennessee has an professional MBA program that’s a hybrid, with online courses and in-person Saturday classes (although you also need to spend a couple of weeks on campus). I think your state university would be cheaper and better recognized than an out-of-state school.
I’m in the middle of getting my MBA at CU Boulder and I’m doing it through their evening program. Personally I can’t we doing it another way. I can’t afford to quit my job so full time is absolutly out and I know myself that if I’m sitting at home after a long day at work I’m going to watch tv not an online lecture. It’s easy for me to just know I don’t go home after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also meeting the people in class has been very interesting we been getting together outside of class to talk about potential start ups and several people have gotten new jobs though class.
I don’t know anything about your situation but I’d suggest going to night school rather then online.
Since you’re already employed this doesn’t have direct relevance, but you might consider this information when deciding the actual “value” of some online programs.
You might also want to ask why exactly they want you to get an MBA and try to find a program that caters to that particular need. I was under the impression that 75% of the point of getting an MBA in the first place involved networking, and I’m not sure how helpful at that an online programs would be.
(Frankly, if your work won’t foot the bill, I would get the MBA and then find a better job elsewhere.)