Articles

Online MBA Programs And How They Compare To Traditional Methods

2010-06-10

MBA degrees can be earned on one of the four main categories of programs available: the full-time MBA program, which takes place in an on-campus university environment, and generally takes two years to complete; the executive MBA program, for people who already have substantial work experience, and which prepares the candidate for high-level executive positions; part-time MBA programs, which tailor the amount of course work to the student's life situation; and distance-learning MBA programs, which comprise non-interactive recorded lectures, live teleconferencing, mail or e-mail correspondence, and of course, on-line business schools. While MBA degrees can be earned online from such well known and prestigious schools as the California State University system and the University of Maryland, many lesser known schools offer online MBAs. This is not necessarily a detriment. Accreditation can be checked through several agencies, all of which can assure the candidate that the program is legitimate and worthwhile.

The main difference between a full-time MBA degree and online MBAs is the nature of the educational experience. A full-time MBA offers an intense but supportive environment, where the candidate is surrounded by other students from whom he can learn and whom he can teach, has direct contact with professors and advisers, can utilize summer vacations for securing internships that can lead to job opportunities after graduation, and can make contacts among fellow students that can last for an entire career. The method of study in campus-based programs is called the 'case study method' which gives teams of students business scenarios that they must deal with, rather than present the course work with the traditional lecture/essay/exam structure. It is a complete, well-rounded, and nurturing educational and career experience.

Online MBAs, by contrast, are often pursued by students who require employer sponsorship, and who need to continue working to get it. Others wish to upgrade their qualifications as quickly as they can manage, with the least disruption to their lives and current incomes. They forgo the immersion into the multifaceted educational incubator the full-time candidate experiences. For that reason, online MBA programs require tremendous discipline to master the course work at the accelerated pace a twelve- or eighteen-month program demands, and which they must accomplish without nearly as much support as their full-time counterparts. They don't get to study in the most effective way. The networking possibilities are minimal, and they don't get the benefit of forging the lifelong connections a full-time candidate gets.

For the student who needs them, however, the benefits of online degree programs can be considerable. A candidate can structure the course work to proceed as fast or as slow as necessary, and MBA degrees, whatever their provenance, are still tickets to a more productive and lucrative career.