executive decision made!

After extensive research, I have decided to enroll in Ellis College of New York Institute of Technology for the MBA program w/ concentration in Technology Management. The school is regionally accredited being part of NYIT's curriculum. The Ellis MBA is very similar to the Cardean MBA which was developed with the help of faculty from 5 well known schools. I think the program will be challenging and rewarding in the near future. It is said that the topics include real-world problem solving simulations and will be applicable right away at my current job. We will find out soon.

The admissions rep told me they currently have approximately 1300 students in their MBA program but I have not seen any official documentation. The final degree will be awarded from NYIT. Transcripts will state Ellis College of NYIT. I'm told that at graduation, I will be amoung MBAs from Ellis and NYIT.

I'm also trying to find more info about the faculty for the MBA program. Unfortunately, there is no documentation about their backgrounds. It was stated that it is mostly comprised of adjunct faculty who have PhD's or Masters degrees, have been trained in online education, and have extensive experience in their respective fields. They are still trying to see if they can get me a list. Quality faculty is a must!

The MBA program including the specialization will cost approximately $30K. Although expensive for a regionally accredited school, This is not too much more than Walden U's MBA program with the same concentration. I hear that U of Phoenix is a bit less. I am preparing applications to both of these programs in case Ellis and I have a falling out.

My application process so far rates average to slightly higher. I had trouble getting replies from my main contact about certain questions. I later found out that that person is ill and was in the hospital. There is also a question of receiving my official transcripts. I had them expedited to the school over 2 weeks ago but nobody can find it. I'm assuming it is due to the fact that they know me by my middle name and my official request has my first name stated. I hope this is the case and that they didn't lose it!

My start date is February 14 with orientation on February 8. I will need to purchase a text book along with a course pack for the first class. The first course is 9 weeks long and others will be 6. I plan to order the materials soon and get started on the reading in advance.

I am still planning to prepare for and write the GMAT exam even though it is not required by Ellis. This is primarily for something to fall on in case I don't find the program living up to expectation. The two schools I'm looking at that require GMAT are SUNY IT and U of Colorado at Colorado Springs (in addition to Walden and UoP).

Ellis prides itself on having excellent communication and support between faculty and student for the entire time enrolled. I will be monitoring this very closely as it is a very important requirement for online education.

Ellis College is still young, however, the learning platform developed by UNext seems to be highly praised in innovation and effectiveness. I think they have great potential here. With their association to NYIT and the academic consortium of well know schools, this could be a great path for me and others to take (any National Accreditation plans???). I will be reporting back after during and after my first class to share more experiences with this school.

Here is a link with some interesting information about the relationship between Ellis College and NYIT courses and faculty: Click here

Sincerely,
Q_c

 

I wish you every success. Let us know your thoughts on the program.
Jack