Articles

How An MBA Degree Online Program Works

2011-12-22

A Master's of Business Administration is a graduate degree popular with individuals from a wide variety of careers and backgrounds. Many universities across the world offer MBAs with different foci or areas of specialization. Until recently, these degrees required attendance at a bricks-and-mortar institution. Advances in technology, the lower costs of owning a computer and the increasing costs of traditional MBA programs make completing an MBA degree online an attractive option for many people.

Enrolling in an MBA program requires the completion of an application, supporting documents and online or traditional mail submission to the college or university offering the program. These documents usually include a transcript for undergraduate and graduate degrees, a full resume of work experience and descriptions of volunteer and extracurricular activities. Most MBAs complete the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and submit the score with their application papers. Some programs request prospective students submit essays detailing reasons for pursuing the degree, while others conduct telephone interviews.

Several degree-granting institutions offer an MBA degree online as well as in a traditional classroom setting. While the course delivery and manner of communication may differ, the quality of materials provided and expectations for work submitted do not. Online MBA students receive curriculum via downloaded PDFs, word documents or posted on the web. Professors deliver lectures and lead group discussions through video conferencing. Students submit individual assignments through email for grading by professors or teaching assistants. Universities post course offerings and schedules online, and students sign up for one or more credits each term or semester. Often programs include options to complete a summer semester or "intensive" session held on campus for a short period in addition to the regular online course offerings.

The flexibility of enrolling in an MBA degree online is attractive to adults with family and work responsibilities. Delivering a graduate-level business program in this manner offers students worldwide the opportunity to work together on projects and develop global networks of contacts. Teammates complete project collaboration and group work through conference calls and online chat venues.

Those considering approaching employers to cover tuition costs should suggest an online business degree as an alternative to attendance at a traditional business school. Often less expensive than classroom MBAs, online degrees minimize the disruption that an educational leave of absence entails. Online MBAs allow full-time workers to pursue a degree without disrupting careers or salaries. In addition, professionals working on an MBA degree online enjoy the benefit of immediately applying the knowledge gained in their business courses. Studying a topic or theory one evening at home and implementing it the next day at the office benefits the student as well as the employer.