Hi I've been reading a lot in this forum and now my list is down to 2 options for an online MBA (umass vs. indiana). Would appreciate advice. A bit about myself and the considerations: I currently live in the US but most of my career will not be here but rather in countries of lower cost of living / salary. Therefore I am a bit price sensitive, as the standard calculations of MBA ROI do not apply. Add to that that I'm in my mid 30's with a family and a few executive roles in small comapnies behind me, so I'm not looking for the standard MBA career path but rather to gain some formal business education to help me down the road as well as acquaintance with US business culture and environment. I do not believe I will get any salary bump following the MBA, at least not immediate). On the other hand I don't want any "cheap" program, as usually "you get what you pay for" holds. I want a program with very high level of teaching, that will challenge me and not waste my time. I can probably make it into most if not all top MBA programs in terms of application strength (at least that's what admission representatives in top schools told me) but I decided to go for an online program because I want to be able to work and be with my family, so study time must be flexible. Based on my tech/marketing orientation and information in this forum I've narrowed down my list to UMASS Amherst vs. Indiana - Kelley Direct (other programs I've researched didn't attract me that much, except for UNC and Fuqua which are significantly more expensive). In terms of price, umass is about $31K and Indiana is $56K but there's a decent chance to get some small scholarship. Indiana looks more "polished" and the business school has better reputation, but I know UMass is a great school as well, and the program looks less demanding (37 credits vs 51, and can be completed entirely online). I'm sort of leaning towards Umass, and would appreciate and thoughts on the quality teaching or any other input that may affect my decision. Thanks.
Hi nickbur, welcome to Degree Info. New user info: http://www.degreeinfo.com/distance-learning-discussions/35100-new-users-ask-where-did-my-posts-go.html Both schools are great. I think U-Mass has an edge because of its connection to Dartmouth. That's just one personal opinion, not backed by any evidence.
I'd say in your case UMass. You mentioned planning to live overseas, while Kelley is a strong school state-side, no one outside the country is familiar with it. Both are reputable schools, for what you're looking to do and the future plans you've mentioned I'd say go with UMass.
What's the connection to Dartmouth? Are you referring to the Tuck school of business in Dartmouth College?
Is there perhaps some confusion here between ""UMass-Dartmouth" and "Dartmouth College" ? The "University of Massachusetts Dartmouth" (commonly known as "UMass-Dartmouth") is a public school located in Dartmouth, MA. It is part of the UMass system, but is smaller and less well known than than the main UMass campus in Amherst, MA. "Dartmouth College" is a prestigious Ivy League school located in Hanover, NH. It has no connection to UMass-Dartmouth, except that both schools have the word "Dartmouth" in their name. The two schools are located in different states, some 180 miles apart. So UMass does have a connection to Dartmouth, in the sense that there is a branch UMass campus located in the town of Dartmouth, MA. However, this does not necessarily seem like a compelling advantage as far as an online MBA goes.
The current USN&WR business school rankings have Indiana at #23 (between USC and Georgetown), with UMass at #60 (between Southern Methodist and the Rochester Institute of Technology). I will readily acknowlege that the USN&WR rankings are overrated, and that the distinctions in the rankings are not always meaningful. In this case, however, the gap is relatively large, and this suggests that your perception of IU's superior reputation is probably correct. That doesn't necessarily mean that IU is automatically the better choice, but it is a factor to consider.
What about the quality of teaching - Indiana vs UMass? I've asked around some non-US guys and indeed they had no idea that Indiana had a prestigious MBA program... so in terms of the effect post-graduation it seems you are right. but what should I expect in terms of quality of teaching and level of (online) discussions?
You know, we had a guy that posted here quite frequently that was just wrapping up the UMass MBA a few weeks ago. He no longer posts on the forum, but I believe he checks his private messages. His name is ITJD. Send him a note with your questions and I'm sure he'd reply. As far as Kelley goes, there is an active forum member that is a graduate of their program, but I can't recall his screen name, at any rate I'm sure he'd be happy to speak to the merits of Indiana's program once he discovers this thread.
Having looked at both, I picked Indiana University, Kelley School of Business. There is no match! They are top ranked and been teaching online for over 10 years. The faculty that you will learn from in Kelley is the same faculty that teaches in full-time and part-time MBA programs. They adapt the teaching methods and are responsive. If I have a question or want to talk through a paper, I get an email back sometimes within minutes. Kelley professors demand a lot of their students and therefore you have to be committed to excellence. The quality of teaching and other students in my cohort are unmatched. If you have the choice between Kelley or any other program...take Kelley, it is worth the extra cost! Kelley is known internationally and is expanding their international experiences for online students. This week, students from KD are in India for a week as part of one of their courses. This summer a few of us are going to study in Germany. An international experience isn't required, but an option for those who are interested!
As I was invoked, I shall post. The International argument is moot as UMass is heavily represented in China and Kelley is probably just as well received in Germany and India. If you're looking at being a business practitioner in any of the international hot markets, Thunderbird is where you should go. Not Kelley, Not UMass. A quick look at the programs there will easily explain why. If you're looking to be a business practitioner at a high level stateside go to Kelley. It will serve you best if your choices are UMass or Kelley. If you are looking at being a business practitioner in addition to some other field like Law or Medicine, choose UMass as the online program is heavily focused on integrating business with a secondary discipline and markets itself to people already holding MD and JD credentials. I personally went through my core courses with a ridiculous number of lawyers and surgeons moving to administrative positions. The quality of discussions was rather high, mostly because the quality of the students involved was something I'd not expect in a normative MBA program. The counter to this is the faculty really had it easy at points in time and I don't know if they taught us or we taught ourselves early on. Later in the program it felt like the faculty really stepped up, especially where economics, statistics and strategy were concerned. I digress. Kelley is a better business school. UMass is a better integrated discipline environment. Both are good internationally but not the best option. Yours, ITJD
