Since my "Easy PhD" posting promoted a lot of discussion, I would like to propose the same question in regards to a masters degree: Is there such a thing as an Easily obtainable Masters degree VIA DL (sans Degree Mill)? I would imagine the responses would be very different than for the PhD Question.
What would be the point? A degree is about learning, so if one likes learning, then it will be enjoyable, but not easy. Different people learn more easily than others, so it would depend, but I want to give a different perspective on this: Different models make it more flexible or appealing to a student. Like a lock step program (at TU), it made it very difficult for students to be flexible, if they missed a class, or failed one (though nobody failed), they were out a year before they could take it again. This made it more difficult, not in learning, since the classes were not linked, but in having "life" happen. Other difficulties that make things difficult is when a school is way outside the norm of other schools, for example, TU in the last semester gave a class named "Topics in IT". This sounds like a class in IT, right? Wrong, it was a class on Business Law. When some went to employers, went to other schools, there was no business law class, which it needed to be explained that the name of the class was not the actual content, then needed to provide an outline, etc. It gave a false impression to the students, so there wasa a bunch of confusion the first several weeks (many sutdents thought they were in the wrong course). Anyway, it would be intersting to see what others think about the model making the program / learaning experience easier.
In general, yes, degrees are about learning. But there are exceptions. I've been working in the IT industry for 15 years. I've created and sold businesses, and am a regular angel investor. I need a degree in business/CIS for the piece of paper. Not because I desire to learn necessarily (I do, but that is beside the point). Will I invariably learn something along the way? Sure. Is it the main focus of my degree efforts? No. Just my passing thoughts ...
I didn't follow the entire "easy PhD" thread so perhaps I'm off base but to me the easy v. difficult debate might come down to personal strengths. For example, some might find it easier to do a research Masters degree as it's more focused on a specific issue or question, has more built in flexibility, etc. Others, who have different strengths, might find it easier to do a coursework Masters degree as it is comprised of a more diverse series of shorter projects that come with clearly defined structre such as deadlines, etc. "Easy" is in the eye of the beholder. Jack
The tulane MBA certificate can be completed in only 8 weeks!! I know it is a certificate but you still get to use the words "MBA" in your resume. American Intercontinental MBA can be complete in one year while you work!!! This is hard to beat for an accredited MBA. One year while you work is even less time that it takes finish a Microsoft certification (It took me a year and few months). The MBA is becoming such a joke that you will start seeing MBAs certificates in your cereal box very soon.
Re: Re: Easy Masters????? An MBA certificate is not an MBA. The colleges know this, as do potential hiring managers. Some colleges see a market for certificate-based programs, but they are not the same as an accredited MBA. Certificates are, by nature, comprised of a series of "non-degree" courses. In MBA programs, you work with fellow students over the 12-24 months (depending on the school) on not only learning, but doing field work, research work, and extended projects. You don't get that level of intensity in a certificate program. Again, hiring managers know this, too. Some schools, like Temple University, for example, their MBA certificate program is offered as a way to better prepare students who wish to go on to the full MBA program. It covers essentially the same courses that one would receive in an undergraduate business degree (economics, accounting, finance, marketing, etc.). The MBA program, as expected, assumes this knowledge is held by all incoming students, as the courses there are more advanced. Cheers.
Dr. Gina, Outside of reading 3000 pages a semester and churning 30-40 pages of single spaced paper for each class, I dont know of an easier way to a masters. iI you find one in history, let me know! Gavin
As a current AIU student, I think AIU's MBA program is relatively easy. The key word is relatively. Although each class in the program's curriculum is only 5 weeks long, each week is pretty jam packed with assignments. However, if you have any self-discipline whatsoever, the program is not all that hard. For example, I only dedicate between 10-15 hours per week to school. Although I find AIU's MBA program to be relatively easy, the program is not a joke. As a student, I have learned a great deal about the business world in the areas of finance, accounting, e-commerce, management, and economics.
No such thing as an easy MBA. It's two years (full time) of intensive sweat. An employer can see right through the ones who have not sweated for their degree and have gone along for the ride. If you have exceptional time management skills, you can make the work load less painful. On the other hand, you have no choice but to grin and bear for two years (or 3-5 years part time).
I agree with Jack that "easy" is a relative term and it depends on the individual. For people who want to avoid examinations at all costs, an "easy Masters" would be a degree where no proctored examinations are required (e.g. Charles Sturt University MBA). For people with busy lives and unpredictable schedules, an "easy Masters" would be a degree with maximum flexibility (e.g. Heriot Watt MBA). For other people (such as myself), an "easy Masters" would be a RA/GAAP degree that can be completed without incurring huge costs! Michael Weedon
This is what I mean when I say "Easy PhD" or "Easy Masters" - What is considered not so much easy - but workable for the particular individual. What works for one may also work for another.
This is the case for most of the Canadian MBAs but I'm talking about the AIU MBA. Students at AIU can get an MBA in year with 10-15 hrs a week of work. As a student said, effort is still required but it is "easier" than many other MBAs is the market.
RF Valve, I was the student who mentioned that AIU has a "relatively easy" MBA program. One thing I want to point out is that when I mentioned 10 to 15 hours of work per week, I was speaking for myself. Some students may spend more time, and some may spend less. On another note, I do agree with your statement that the MBA has become a joke. To take that statement one step further, I think that higher education, in general, has been dumbed down: both for B&M and DL. It is getting to the point where having a Bachelor's Degree yields the same utility as a high school diploma did in the past, and a Master's Degree yields the same utility as a Bachelor's did. Speaking only for myself, I am only earning an MBA so I can move up the ladder when competing for higher level positions in the government. If this sounds crass and not in line with the ideals of higher education, I apologize. Although I think it is vital to learn while in college, I feel that higher education, in general, has become nothing more than a commodity. As such, I want a degree that will allow me to better compete in the job market.
I agree, that there's a difference between the "easy PhD" question and the "easy Masters" question. PhD isabout innovation - presenting something new to the scientific community. By definition, this cannot be an easy process. Masters is about specialisation in a field, learning more than what is taught in the Bachelor, specialising in one aspect of the discipline, etc. This could be easy, if someone is interested and is good at the taught subject, and if they didn't choose an impossible advisor for their Masters Thesis. I did my MA in a B&M university. My only problem was that because of work, it lingered, and because I suddenly had to move, I tried to finish all of the duties left in one semester (did it, but wasn't cum laude only because of that rush). But MA itsefl was rather easy: the subject of the thesis I chose, as well as the subjects I chose to specialise in, were quiet interesting, I had a good access to a library, and all of that made it easy. I wouldn't say that there weren't any units that were more difficult (I am not much of statistics person, but had to do it anyways), or that there weren't professors that are pain in ----, but all in all, the only difficult part was the costs (and subsequently, having to work through it), and the rush I - personally - was in.
My comments about the MBA becoming a joke, are not related to AIU. It is about the saturation of MBAs in the market to a point that companies are questioning the utility of an MBA. Many articles show that unless the MBA is from a top tier University, the utility of the MBA is almost null. I admire your effort on getting an MBA from AIU, I agree with you that some how keeps you competitive, but you also recognize that the quality of education is getting dumbed down to a point that the MBA is the new minimum standard to get a decent job.
Taking a dozen intro courses in business does not a business expert make. Most bachelors in business have more training. I just read an ad from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. They brag about being one of the top 2 MBA programs in the world. The fact that you can complete their program in 15 months part-time in Edmonton, Alberta tells me something else. It tells me that they can trade cash for their name and get $40,000 to $50,000 a pop for a watered down program. Disgraceful! Canadian MBAs always were 2 years full-time.
Canadian MBAs are suffering from the same decease as the american ones. McGill University than has the traditional 2 year MBA program, is also offering the executive option for a lot more money that can be finished in two year part time. Why would you be able to finish it in a shorter period of time just because you are paying more money? Many other universities are following the same path, HEC has a new one year executive MBA also. The bottom line is that the shorter the degree, the expensive it gets. DL MBAs also charge a small fortune for their degrees in exchange for a "fast-track" solution, business education is all about money and less about quality.
