Online MBA versus traditional MBA.

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by puneet75, Jan 11, 2005.

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  1. puneet75

    puneet75 New Member

    Currently I am working as a Non Exempt employee earning a salary in the high 20's and the idea is to either move up in
    my company or find a job in another company as an Exempt Management employee and make atleast 60K or higher with good career growth prospects..

    Is an online MBA really good enough to accomplish this objective. I am thinking of selecting Univ of Phoenix online since I work full time right now and it will give me flexibility with my schedule. But I am wondering if it will be easy to find a career changing job after I complete my degree since I will only have my existing work experience (of about 2 years) and not really MBA related.

    I am contemplating between an online college or Keller Grad school of Management since I am in Chicago area and Keller has the options of either attending the class on campus or completing them online.

    But I also heard that to do an MBA we should be going to a good school which is AACSB accredited. Unfortunately I cannot find
    any online college which offers MBA program and is AACSB accredited. So I am wondering if I am wasting my money to go to one of the above mentioned colleges.

    I would really appreciated some feedback and advise in this regards as I have to select a college quite soon.

    Thanks in advance !!
    Puneet
     
  2. -kevin-

    -kevin- Resident Redneck

    Quick answer:

    go to www.geteducated.com and download the catalog. Yes there are AACSB programs available on line. Yes an online MBA is good for moving up. I am sure that some folks will follow up with some good advice. You may want to post with a particular area of interest if you are inclined towards a MBA with a concentration.

    Good Luck,

    Kevin
     
  3. stock

    stock New Member

    If you are getting an MBA get an AACSB accredited one ONLY. That is accepted anywhere.. u may want to check up www.usnews.com , business week site, geteducated.com and http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/2386/distance.html
     
  4. DTechBA

    DTechBA New Member

    There are many AACSB accredited

    There are many AACSB accredited online MBA programs. Many cheaper than the non-accredited ones. Go to the US News & World Reports and check their e-learning site for gradutate degrees. They have a listing of professionally and regionally accredited business programs.
     
  5. atraxler

    atraxler New Member

    Puneet,

    In your situation, I would strongly consider an MBA program from a "bricks & mortar" school.

    Schools like UoP & Keller are a better fit, in my opinion, for mid-career individuals. In your case, considering your years of experience, salary aspirations and a possible career change, I think you'll be better off attending a school with good career placement services and industry ties (i.e. recruiting, alumni network, etc.)

    I am a UoP graduate and their career placement services are basically non-existent, at least for online students.
     
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Excellent advice, all of it. I would add that UoP's "on ground" division has no career counseling function, either. I think this is a seriously lost business opportunity for UoP; it would allow the school to network into local industry, where UoP could mine for more enrollments as well as potential faculty.
     
  7. puneet75

    puneet75 New Member

    Thanks a lot for the quick responses !! I really really appreciate it a lot and I have to say this is an excellent website which I just discovered today.

    I am researching the websites right now. Yes it seems like there are a lot of AACSB programs. However I am still thinking
    if I should go with AACSB or not because I also want to have a feel of the classroom experience.

    I like both Univ of Phoenix and Keller Grad School since they have the option of attending classes in person (here in chicago) as well as online. This will give me the class room experience of interacting with other students and also allow me to complete some courses online depending on my schedule.

    1) Would you know which out of these 2 colleges would be a better choice for me ?

    2) Do you think I am making the right choice by narrowing my search to only schools based in Chicago region or is it better to just select one of the good AACSB accredited online MBA programs even though I will never be able to attend the classes in person ?

    3) When I will have to do a Job Search after graduating, which of these colleges which I am narrowing down will have a better value in the eyes of a recuruiter. Because I am fearing that they may not give me any credit for my Non Exempt level Work Experience and I may pretty much have to join an entry level position ?

    Thanks !!
    Puneet
     
  8. puneet75

    puneet75 New Member

    Thanks a lot for the excellent advise. I know this would be the best approach for me but here are my limitations:

    1) I have been given Employer Assistance therefore I cannot quit my job and go fulltime. So I will be looking at Evening/Weekend/online class options.

    2) Time is very critical for me and I want to start ASAP. UOP and Keller are quite flexible in that regard. Whereas for a traditional college, I may have to wait till FALL semester which is a waste of almost 6-7 mths.

    c)Schools like IIT and Northern Illinois require GMAT and it will take me atleast 3 months to prepare for it and give the exam. Plus the other time spent to apply and get accepted.

    Time is quite an important consideration. And also it seems like the programs at UOP and Keller allow you to complete them much quicker. What do you think.
     
  9. stock

    stock New Member

    All said and done I strongly agree with atraxler
     
  10. atraxler

    atraxler New Member

    Puneet,

    I never suggested you quit your job. If you have a fixed work schedule, you may be able to attend evening or weekend classes. In fact, that is what I am doing right now: I have a full-time job and I attend weekend classes at a B&M school.

    You are right, and you are probably looking at leaving money on the table (from your employer’s tuition assistance program) if you don’t enroll soon.

    My advice is to check first with those B&M schools you’re interested. In my case, when I decided on Our Lady of the Lake, it only took about 6 weeks to go through the application process (granted they allowed me to pick a different test than the GMAT, for which I was preparing). I started the process in mid-February and started classes during the summer term, and I also got the full tuition assistance benefit from my employer.

    Some schools may be willing to give you some flexibility and may let you enroll in a few classes, on a provisional basis, before you meet all admission requirements.
    If you are willing to sacrifice some of the benefits of a traditional program (that I think will be beneficial in your situation) for the convenience of starting your program now, then go for it. Just don’t expect the job offers to flood your desk after you graduate… you’ll need to knock on some doors. Don’t get me wrong, I strongly believe accredited online degrees have utility, but in my experience, networking is harder.

    Having said that, between the two that you have listed I would go with UoP for the following reasons:
    1. It is regionally-accredited (both are).
    2. I am a former student and I know how the system works.
    3. UoP is a candidate for accreditation with ACBSP. Yes, it is not the same AACSB, but to me it means something.
    4. I know nothing about Keller, except that it is (or was?) associated with DeVry in some fashion.
      [/list=1]
      Note: You can learn more about ACBSP at www.acbsp.org. Make sure you read the FAQ about Accreditation:

      What is the status of an institution that is a "Candidate" for Accreditation?
      An institution with "Candidacy Status" has paid a $1,000 fee and is preparing their program for accreditation within 5 years. It is especially designed to assist business schools and programs in developing a plan to become accredited. Mentoring, counseling and advising services are available from the National Office of ACBSP as well as from accredited institutions. A word of caution is in order at this point. While ACBSP wants to actively help institutions achieve accreditation, and while it has established this program for that purpose; ACBSP is not in a position to guarantee that institutions will receive accreditation by becoming a "Candidate" for Accreditation.
     
  11. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    Of course it partly depends on what line of work you are in, but if you can, go with a B&M part-time school unless you think you are going to stay with your present company for a long time.

    The face to face networking is very important for finding employment, as well as the school's career services.

    If that is not an option, at least go with an online program attached to a well known B&M school.

    I also think you will find you can prepare for the GMAT in much less time than 3 months. If I were you, I'd probably go ahead an apply to IIT and Northern Illinois and take the GMAT next month.
     
  12. Rivers

    Rivers New Member

    Is AACSB accrediation that important?
    It is the most prestigous accrediation a business school can have but is it going to make a real impact on future opportunites. Of Course I'm not talking the top tier schools like Wharton or Harvard, people who graduate from those schoold have door open to them because of the school. I'm talking about the schools most of us can afford. Is a non AACSB degree that much of a dark stain? ( I highly doubt anyone would be asked if they graduated from AACSB schhol in an interview) I did notice that a couple of people listing MBAs, list them from non AACSB schools perhaps they can say whether or not they were held back by it.
    Sorry I'm looking at getting my MBA and am obcessed with the accrediation topic because it weighs heavy on me
     
  13. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    I know others will disagree with me, but no, AACSB is not important. There is even talk at the UF MBA program about dropping it.

    However I do think the reputation of the school is important. In the US a school with a good reputation happens to be AACSB anyway, so it's usually not an issue.

    In my case I chose Heriot-Watt (non-AACSB or AMBA) over many AACSB programs. This was because for where I was working (EU and Asia), the Heriot-Watt name has a much better reputation than lets say University of West Florida, or University of Alabama.

    But looking at just 2nd tier US schools, are employers going to reject you because you have a degree from CSU-Dominguez Hills (non-AACSB) instead of Southeastern Louisiana University (AACSB)? I highly highly doubt that. If you were living in California, you might even be rejected by having the Louisiana degree.

    What is more important is what you can learn from the program and how you can apply that to your own occupation. Find the schools that interest you and start talking to former students.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 12, 2005
  14. Jonathan Liu

    Jonathan Liu Member

    I would suggest Texas A&M - Commerce, a AACSB online MBA program. Not difficult to get in. The classes and professors were good when I took three courses there 5 years ago.
     
  15. atraxler

    atraxler New Member

    I sent an e-mail to Mr. Steve Parscale, Director of Accreditation at ACBSP inquiring about the status of UoP and I guess that I incorrectly assumed membership implied the institution was seeking accreditation. This is not correct; UoP is not seeking accreditation at the moment. Still, between UoP and Keller, I would pick UoP.

    This is the reply from Mr. Parscale:

     

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