# What are the disadvantages of an online MBA program? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 12, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-an-online-mba-program/588694 "2011-07-12T00:46:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-an-online-mba-program/588694/1 "2011-07-12T00:46:44Z")
As I said in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=613498), I’m going to start applying to business schools after I take the GMAT in October. While I could possibly make it work by going part-time to Arizona State’s campus, taking the classes online is appealing to me. My wife and I want to get out of Arizona ASAP, and the online option just gives so much more flexibility that I can’t help but be attracted to it. I would never enroll at a “school” like University of Phoenix or Davenport University for this. I want the school to have some cachet and name recognition. So, while I’m looking at online schools, I’m also trying to stick to schools that are highly ranked by both U.S. News and the Princeton Review. Specifically, Arizona State, Washington State, Indiana University, and University of Georgia all have online MBA programs.What’s the downside of earning a degree this way? Is the missed face-to-face networking going to seriously affect my ability to get a job afterwards? Also, as a related question, is it dumb to do this while I’m still teaching? Can I go from teaching to business without problems? Or will companies refuse to interview me since I’ll have been teaching for six years by the time I finish an MBA? ---
**Author:** ![inkling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkling)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-an-online-mba-program/588694/2 "2011-07-12T03:24:40Z")
As background, I am a current Masters student in a classroom program. I get a lot of value from the in-classroom interaction between all of the students and the teacher. Books, I have zero problem reading; papers, likewise, no problem writing. The best online program just doesn’t seem to me that it can give the same feel to being in the classroom and hearing in real time all the questions and comments from students and the professors, particularly where one thought sparks something from someone else, etc., etc. And let’s not forget that a big part of the value of any advanced degree, perhaps especially an MBA, is meeting people and forming a network. For my money, the classroom experience is worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-an-online-mba-program/588694/3 "2011-07-12T08:02:02Z")
For 90% of degrees I’d imagine that an online version would be perfectly adequate. MBAs fall in that 10% where the online version would be vastly inferior. MBAs are very interactive, the interpersonal aspect is critical as is the nuance of case studies and discussions that would never be replicated online and never be reflected on an exam or homework assignment. Getting an MBA online it like getting a performance arts degree online, it just doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-an-online-mba-program/588694/5 "2014-11-15T18:01:46Z")
> [@danniell](#): > > See some facts to weigh out the disads Online colleges are on the boom since the last few years and according to a recent article published on USA news about online education it states the findings of the Babson Survey group stating more than 6.7 million students making up to 32% of total higher education enrollments took their courses online increasing from 6.1 million in the previous year. READ MORE: [http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education](http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education) huh? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-an-online-mba-program/588694/6 "2014-11-15T18:06:07Z")
> [@danniell](#): > > See some facts to weigh out the disads Online colleges are on the boom since the last few years and according to a recent article published on USA news about online education it states the findings of the Babson Survey group stating more than 6.7 million students making up to 32% of total higher education enrollments took their courses online increasing from 6.1 million in the previous year. READ MORE: [http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education](http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education) Yes, we already know they are popular. That is not the point of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-an-online-mba-program/588694/7 "2014-11-15T18:40:05Z")
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