Street value:DL MBA@CSUDH vs PT@SJSU

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by SJEditor, Aug 29, 2001.

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  1. SJEditor

    SJEditor New Member

    I'm considering enrolling in an MBA program as a means of expanding my career and bolstering my credentials. I live in N. Calif. and, like many people, have commitments precluding a return to school full time (or even a schedule so furious that it leave time for nothing else but work).
    I'm lucky to have several great options, but cost considerations have brought me to a choice between two:
    * San Jose State's on-campus AACSB-accredited, 39-unit program that would take me 3 years of night school and about $4,500 to complete; or
    * CSU-Dominquez Hills' ACBSP-accredited, 30-unit program that would take maybe 18 months (clearing some prereqs.) and $9,000 to complete.
    So which is the better investment? I accept that neither is a top-tier school (let's not restart the Stanford vs. Capella debate), but does anyone have some real-world advice about which of these two choices (or other suggested ones) will carry more juice in an interview and/or provide the greater education? I'm not planning to go into consulting, so I won't have to have my alma mater tatooed on my forehead, but I would like this investment of time and money to be one that pays a healthy dividend. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
    SJEditor
     
  2. kajidoro

    kajidoro New Member

    Read the thread: "Questions about Heriot-Watt" as I think the arguments apply directly to the questions you seek opinions on.

    Regards,

    Christian
    San Francisco
     
  3. kajidoro

    kajidoro New Member

    Sorry, I meant to say to read the above-mentioned thread, but specifically stephanluca's reply about 2/3 of the way down.

    Essentially it will come down to how well you market yourself and your degree.

    Regards,

    Christian
     
  4. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I believe the usefulness of the degrees is probably equal. Both come from schools in the state's system.

    Is half the time worth double the cost? Can you learn and complete courses effectively in a DL environment. (Fair question; not everyone is comfortable with DL.) Will you develop usable skills from the DL process? Will you benefit from networking with your fellow night school students (at SJSU) and potential employers? Only you can answer these questions. But, again, I believe the degrees are equally useful.

    Rich Douglas, MBA (National University, '85)
     
  5. tcnixon

    tcnixon Active Member

    Is there any value-added pricing for being an AACSB school? It seems like this is important to some folks. What's your take, Rich? Does that make much of a difference?


    Tom Nixon
     
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I've been a pretty harsh critic about AACSB accreditation. I've always thought it useless outside the B-school world. I've never seen it as a job requirement--ever. I've never heard an employer even talk about it. While it is clear that many employers recruit from the better schools, they certainly don't identify those schools based upon AACSB accreditation.

    Some B-schools complain that the AACSB constrains their ability to be innovative, especially in curricular content. Still, we're seeing some AACSB schools offering their MBA programs via DL; I never thought that would happen.

    I made an offhand comment once that there were top-drawer B-schools that weren't AACSB-accredited. I was wrong. It looks like most of the top schools (all?) are in. But it isn't because of AACSB. The difference between an MBA from Wharton and one from SDSU is significant, despite both being AACSB-accredited. And out here in Virginia, no one knows the difference between one from SDSU and one from the non-AACSB National U.

    Rich Douglas
     
  7. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    I agree with Rich about the equivalency of those two schools. Take 100 MBAs from each and quiz them in ten years and there will likely be differences, but nothing I can think of that is predictable now.

    You might want to have a look at the "Eleven crucial decisions to make in choosing an MBA" (or some wording like that) -- a chapter in our "Best MBAs by Distance Learning" book, and available free on the publisher's website, at:
    http://www.degree.net/guides/mba_guide.html

    John Bear
     
  8. SJEditor

    SJEditor New Member

    Thank you very much for the responses. The 11 steps are very interesting - I may have to stop by the bookstore on my way home today. Actually, your Guide to Earning Degrees Nontraditionally prompted me to finish my BA with courses from Indiana University, and was quite pleased with the education, the program, and myself.

    Rich, you make a good point about contacts made in the course of earning an MBA. A friend of mine earned his MBA at Stanford and he says the most valuable things he gained have been the contacts and access to the Stanford "network." Having graduated from National, what is your take on that?

    (BTW: while being a staunch Stanford supporter, my friend is also an admirer of the SJSU and Santa Clara U. programs - saying he's worked with people from all three that run the gamut from bright and knowledgeable to dull and ignorant. Of course, I'm probably preaching to the choir.)
     
  9. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Unfortunately, I was an Air Force officer when I completed the National MBA, and was reassigned right before graduation. I didn't have an opportunity to network or job-seek.

    There didn't seem to be a strong National community at the time, but I might have missed it because I wasn't looking to join it. I'm a member of the Alumni Association, and just ordered the new (and too expensive) member guide coming out. Maybe that will get me back in touch. Or maybe it will just sit on a shelf.

    Tom Nixon also graduated from National, in Education, I believe. Hopefully, he will share his experiences. (I'm pretty sure Tom stayed in California.)

    Rich Douglas
     
  10. Gus Sainz

    Gus Sainz New Member

    I do not believe it is a question of value-added pricing; even among AACSB schools, tuition varies wildly. Moreover, there are many schools not accredited by the AACSB whose tuition is more expensive than AACSB accredited schools.

    AACSB accreditation is simply another standard; its value lies in quality assurance. Like all standards, it too, has the negative effect of stifling creativity and innovation. For example, many courses must be taken at a four-year institution at an upper division level; an identically titled course taken at a community college will not be accepted for transfer credit.

    Interestingly, I believe AACSB accreditation has a greater benefit to distance education than to a traditional brick and mortar program, as it is yet one more thing that helps reduce the stigma and public perception of a DL degree. An institution offering a DL Business degree must insure that it adheres to the same standards as their traditional program. Similarly, it is probably of more importance in an undergraduate program, particularly for those seeking entrance to graduate school, and especially if that graduate school is AACSB accredited.

    However, I agree that in the workplace the issue will never arise, at least not in terms of AACSB accreditation itself. Unless of course, you ever need to wipe the smirk off the face of some young ivy leaguer by pointing out that your school met the same standards of accreditation. [​IMG]

    Gus Sainz
     

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