Anyone here have any experience with the big schools online MBA's

I'm talking Penn State, Indiana, etc.etc.

I'm looking to enroll in an online MBA program run by a large B&M school.

I'll put in the extra time and money for the name....

thanks!

 

Hi,

What do you want to know about it?

Do you mind sharing where you are going to study too?

 

Online MBA programs and related
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- New York University

Master of Science in Management and Systems

http://www.scps.nyu.edu/departments/degree.jsp?degId=31

- Colorado State University

http://www.biz.colostate.edu/mba/distance/

- Amberton University

http://www.amberton.edu/eDegrees.htm

- Pennsylvannia State University

http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/iMBA.shtml

- University of Florida

http://www.floridamba.ufl.edu/FutureStudents/internet.asp?bhcp=1

- University of Wisconsin

http://learn.wisconsin.edu/internetmba/

- The George Washington University

http://www.mbahc.info/healthcaremba/program_overview.htm

- University of Texas at Dallas

http://som.utdallas.edu/globalmba/

- University of Michigan at Dearborn

http://www.webmba.edu/

- Indiana University

http://kd.iu.edu/

- University of Tulsa

http://www.imba.utulsa.edu/faculty.htm

- University of North Alabama

http://www2.una.edu/business/mba/index.html#Online_MBA_Program

- Troy State University

http://www.troy.edu/ecampus/onlinegraduateprograms/programs/mba/mba.htm

- Troy State University at Dothan

http://dothan.troy.edu/Distance/online_degree.htm

 

Myers University

http://www.dnmyers.edu/mba/


University of Nortre Dame

Online Programs - Certificate in Negotiations

Six Sigma

http://www.nd.edu/~execprog/executivePrograms/online/onlinePrograms.shtml

 

I just graduated this month from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. I would highly recommend the program. It is also economical at <$300/credit for distance education. The support staff is excellent and the faculty is committed to distance courses. It is also AACSB accredited.

 

I just finished the first year of Duke University's Cross-Continent MBA program. It is a "mixed-mode" program delivered over eight terms. Each term consists of a one week "pre-reading" period, followed by a one-week residency and six weeks of distance education. During each term you take 2 three credit hour courses, so the entire program consists of 48 credit hours delivered over 16 courses in a span of 20 months. Two residencies are delivered overseas (in my cohort, we went to Frankfurt in Term 3, and will be going to Seoul in Term 6). Of the sixteen courses, 11 courses make up the core curriculum, there are 4 electives, and a capstone business simulation for the final course. For simplicity's sake, I'll list the program's pros and cons as I see them in quick lists.

Pros:

1. Except for Wharton, there isn't a higher-profile business school that offers an Executive MBA program. Just getting into Fuqua has raised my profile in my company and among my peers at work.
2. The residencies offer you a chance to network with your classmates and build bonds that aren't really possible in a purely online program.
3. The international residencies are a great opportunity to see business from a non-American perspective, especially if your work does not normally take you out of the US.
4. The program is not limited to US residents, there are large groups of other nationalities in the program with us. The perspectives of international students add value to the program.

Cons

1. The program is expensive. VERY expensive. The class of 2007 will pay $86,400 for the privilege of calling ourselves Duke MBAs when this is all over. The class of 2008 will pay $89,900. I would imagine the 2009 class will break the $90K mark.
2. Although the program is very well executed, there are times when you can't help feeling like the Executive MBA programs are just a giant cash cow for Duke, like when I recieved an exam dated May 2005 in May 2006. If you're going to reuse material over and over in a class, that's one thing, but have the common decency to get the date right so it at least looks like you're trying. This is actually a complaint I have heard from students in Duke's other MBA programs as well.
3. The residencies can interfere with your work life, and they are mandatory, even the international ones. On the bright side, the international residency is a great excuse to kick around Europe or Asia for a week or so, either before or after the residency.
4. Duke doesn't use off-the-shelf technology for its learning platform, instead they use a mix of solutions cobbled together with a homegrown LMS called D5. After taking courses through the University of Wyoming, which uses eCollege, and through other schools that use Blackboard, D5 pales in comparison. This is very disappointing for a program that is otherwise very well run.

Well, hopefully this gives you a good overview on the good and the bad of the CCMBA program. Duke also has a weekend EMBA and the Global Executive EMBA for senior managers, but I don't have direct experience with those programs.

 

Thank you all for your replies and information. I just graduated w/BS from UoP and I'm looking toward the MBA. Probably won't start till at least Jan 07 due to the complexity of the application process....again I appreciate everyone's information and certainly welcome more

 

Fortunato,

What can you tell me as far as advice in getting into some of the "higher tier" business schools like Duke? Did you have a couple years in between your Bach and MBA application? I'm noticing that some of them like to see 2 years work experience in between the two.
Frankly I've been in the business world for 10 years so waiting another 2 years to start my MBA because they think I need work experience is kinda silly to me....

Thanks again

 

I posted a reply to this earlier, but it disappeared into the ether. <ellenfiess>It was really good, too.</ellenfiess> I'll do my best to recreate it.

One thing to remember is that Executive MBA programs are as a general rule easier to get into than full-time MBA programs. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that EMBA programs historically are really cash cows for their respective schools. Ten years ago, most EMBA students were sponsored by their companies who wanted their superstar employees to be blessed with the imprint of a top-tier MBA without losing their productivity for two years and didn't mind paying through the nose for it. Nowadays, less than 10% of my CCMBA class at Duke is fully sponsored by their employers, with many students being 100% self-sponsored.

Even though it's now likely that the student is the one paying for the MBA, EMBA programs remain more expensive than their full-time counterparts for the most part. Combine the high expense with the lower "touch" needed by EMBA students (they're already employed, so they don't need career services, they're rarely on campus so they don't need a place to park, etc.), and you have ready-made motivation for EMBA programs to fill each and every seat in each and every class, even if there aren't enough quality applicants.

There is also another reason admit rates are higher for EMBA programs - the students who are likely to self-select into an EMBA program are also the same students who are likely to have the background necessary for an EMBA - decent work experience, good undergrad grades, etc. Whatever the reason, Duke admitted roughly 82% of applicants to its CCMBA program in 2001, the last year they published numbers. Of the admitted students, 62% of those chose to attend.

Given that the odds are in your favor, here's some application tips I found handy in the process of both applying to full-time and EMBA programs.

Applicants are evaluated on the basis of three criteria: Undergraduate GPA, GMAT score, and the application essays and interview. If you are deficent in any one of these areas, you can make it up by being absolutely stellar in the other two. Lousy undergrad GPA? Then you had better nail the GMAT and have great essays. Bomb the GMAT? Then your undergrad record and your essays needs to convince the Admissions committee that you can handle graduate level work. The essays are your wild card, because they can be a powerful tool to address your shortcomings in either GMAT or GPA. If your undergrad GPA sucks, but you show improvement in your upper division courses, then your essays need to reflect on how you have matured and grown as a student.

Of course, many people who get dinged by b-schools have stellar grades, test scores, and write essays that would make Maya Angelou weep. These people get dinged because they fail in the number one task of the application process (apologize for all caps, but this is important):

YOUR APPLICATION MUST COMMUNICATE CLEARLY THAT HAVING AN MBA WILL MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR CAREER PROGRESSION.

Simply put, you need a damn good reason to be going to business school. "I got bored backpacking around Europe and decided to go back to school" is not the kind of reason that most MBA students would give if asked. More likely you would hear something like, "Although I trained to be an engineer, I've built my career in roles related to marketing and product management, and I want to earn an MBA degree from School X to make me a better marketer." Another frequent reason for going to business school is to change careers. Whatever your reason is, be sure that you communicate it clearly in your application.

I had just over six months pass between recieving my undergrad degree and beginning my MBA. I know of a CCMBA student who graduated from undergrad in May 2005 and started the CCMBA in July 2005. As long as your work experience shows a continuing history of increasing responsibility and authority and is not simply a series of "McJobs", then you are probably solid in the work experience department. Other schools may be more rigid than Duke, but of the other full and part time programs I applied to, none seemed to have any problem with the fact that most of my experience occured before I completed my BS.

 

Fortunato,

Thank you SO much for your extensive response. It was exceptionally helpful. I hope others reading this get the same value out of it I did.

thanks again.

 

Penn State iMBA

Hi,

In the spirit of Fortunato, I thought I would throw in my two cents. I'm currently working on an iMBA from Penn State and am enjoying it very much. I'll break it down for you:

Pros:

Great national reputation - extremely wide alumni network
Two residency sections - manageable but not too much
Diverse student population
Extremely responsive faculty and staff who are truly committed to your goals (I know that sounds cheesy, but I feel very strongly about this).
Web-based platform that is interactive and relatively intuitive
AACSB-accredited

Our first residency was at Michelin, where we had a chance to really get into the weeds of a business by analyzing it from a cultural, financial and strategic perspective. I also had the wonderful opportunity to meet my classmates, who were absolutely incredible...A lawyer from Georgetown, a Ph.D. in Metallurgy learning to be a lab manager, a stay-at-home former accountant for Dennis Kozlowski - these are not ordinary students! I have to say, too, that I like the approach of the residency - you don't meet your classmates until 8 months into your program, and by that time, you respect them for the work they have done (fortunately I had a good team). There was no bias when I met them; it was like meeting old friends (can't believe I'm writing it like this, but that's how I felt).

Cons:

Cost - the program is roughly $46,000, which, while not Duke, is still very expensive for a state school...I feel confident, however, that the money is (will be) well spent, especially after this last residency.

I know it is wishful thinking, unfortunately, but there should be some type of scholarship program for online graduate business students. I believe 70% of my fellow students are self-financing their educations.

...I hope this helps out. I would love to hear of any student loan repayment programs that people have used...That is one subject I do not hear brought up very much on this board.

Cheers,

Mr. Opinion

 

Mr. Opinion,

I'm seriously considering the PSU iMBA program, right now it's first on my list. I see they only admit 60 students for Fall and 40 for Spring....I guess I'm worried about getting in, is it that competetive? I have a 3.62 undergrad GPA, didn't take GMATs yet, and consider myself to be an effective essay writer, with strong work experience in the business world.

Should I be worried?

 

CargoJon,

I don't think you should be worried, but I wanted to call your attention to a few stats and some ideas...

The average GMAT is 602, according to BusinessWeek. You can read up on admissions profiles there - Penn State's report for 2005 is at the following URL:

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/05/distance_profiles/pennstworld.htm

That being said, I was not a super test taker, and believe that I was admitted based on having a balanced profile and a sincere willingness to get an MBA (preparing to change careers). I think there is an optional essay - so my advice would be to do it. If there is a negative in your application, explain it...That helped me out quite a bit.

Your GPA looks good, and it sounds like you are truly working hard (if you are digging around this board).

I wish you the best of luck!

Mr. Opinion

 

Thanks again everybody for all the help