John Bear asks for help in thinking about MBA programs

There is a plan afoot to revise and update my now-obsolete and out of print Bears Guide to the Best MBA Programs by Distance Learning, possibly as a book, possibly as something else. From reader response, one of the most useful features was the list of a dozen-or-so decision factors to take into account in choosing a school. I would like to update that. So far, I've come up with these 25 factors, each of which could have sub-factors: not just 'cost' but financial aid plans and help, etc.

If people who have done MBAs or are considering them or who think about them have other factors worth considering, I'd be very pleased to hear about them. "Thank you" credit given in book (or whatever) for new ones and/or relevant comments.

Thanks. John Bear (responses welcomed either here or at [email protected])

1. Specialized vs. General (Generic MBA; in health care; insurance, etc.)
2. Theoretical vs. Practical (How much math, Algebra? Calculus? etc.)
3. Cost
4. World View (international course content or US-focused)
5. Reputation
6. Ranking in US News, other rankers
7. Interactiveness with faculty, other students
8. Lockstep or flexible time
9. Exams: many, few, none
10. Exams: proctored, open book; objective, subjective, etc.
11. Writing: many papers, some, none.
12. Thesis or major paper required
13. Degree title (MBA, MA in Econ, MS in marketing, etc.)
14. Time involved (minimum, maximum)
15. Going on for a doctorate? Yes, no maybe
16. 100% on line/distance or less
17. Concession for prison, disabled, blind, A.D.D., other special needs
18. Language of study; language of exams.
19. Case study based (the Harvard model; all, some, none)
20. Accreditation: regional, national, AACSB, state approval, etc.
21. School in US or in other country.
22. School also has on-campus MBA or other programs as well, or not.
23. Credit for prior academic work: much, some, none.
24. Credit for career experience: much, some, none.
25. Cohort groups working together: yes, no, optional.

 

Alumni community: presence/profile of alums, strength with respect to placement assistance

 

Availability, size and quality of on-line library (how many journals are accessable, access to other university libraries, data bases, etc)

 

Is it a structured course or self paced format.

 

Program support for finding interships/job placement

 

Reciprocity among campuses

 

What do you mean by concession?

 

Book Ideas

John,

Two ideas -

1)
School retention of student "best practices" online in some format on their LMS (I have found this to be invaluable during my quest to obtain my Penn State iMBA)

2)
Noting that the diploma itself does not mention online (this might be a subset of one of your other posts)

If I think of more I'll let you know!

Best,

Opinion

 

Wonderful replies so far. Thank you all.

Clapper asks: "What do you mean by concession?"

Some schools allow readers (human or electronic) for blind or severely disabled students, some don't. Some, but not all, give extra time on exams for students with various neurological disorders (dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, etc.). Some are willing to set up exam sites in prisons,* sickrooms, remote geographical locations, or, for the military, on ships, submarines, etc.; and some aren't. That sort of thing.
____________
* During the years I was involved with marketing the Heriot-Watt/Edinburgh Business School MBA in North America, the school was quite willing to have exams given in prisons, as long as they could be proctored by approved educators and administered on the same days as they were given at other locations. Some prisons did not allow the big 3-ring binders in which courses were delivered; I guess almost anything can be turned into a weapon. As it happened, one year the highest score in the US, out of 1,000+ takers, was achieved by a prisoner in Arkansas -- a German national, based in South America, so English was his 3rd language. (He was a pilot caught flying some South American agriculture into the US.)

 

Email sent...

Steven King, MBA

 

Is the new Bears' Guide to MBA Programs via Distance Learning going to again be just the best or will it list all legitimately accredited MBA programs?

 

OK. That's what I thought you meant. However, the correct word, or at least the usage that's almost universally used to describe these "concessions" -- and I speak from experience (though I'm not nor have I ever been in prison!) -- is accommodations.

 

2. Theoretical vs. Practical (How much math, Algebra? Calculus? etc.)
I am not sure what you mean by this one?

5. Reputation
How are you going to come up with this, it seems redundant with #6 Ranking in US News, other rankers

7. Interactiveness with faculty, other students
How is this going to be determined?

8. Lockstep or flexible time
Additional explanation if it is lockstep, what happens if you miss a semester?

12. Thesis or major paper required
Very important when it comes to doctorate work, doing it again, I would have put this criteria higher on my list of essentials in a master’s program.

14. Time involved (minimum, maximum)
How is this going to be determined?


My first question is if you are going to weight each of these separately, or in a formula, meaning are all your factors going to make one overall ranking, or just one? Additionally, are you ranking these with a number evaluation, and if so, how? For example, #25, you will state if there is group work – is that good or bad? Or are you simply stating if there is group work?

Additional criteria’s to consider:
On site visit requirements?
Electives or set classes?
Financial aid available?
Classes taught by one or more instructors?
Size of class intake?
Size of classes?

 

Not to veer off topic, but I knew exactly what Dr. Bear meant:

Concession: 3. something conceded by a government or a controlling authority, as a grant of land, a privilege, or a franchise.
b : something granted esp. as an inducement (as to enter into an agreement)

Allowance, accomodation, privilege or exemption might also be acceptable, but I digress.

 

Do they provide a Student ID?

Not directly MBA, but applicable to any student program.

I was able to email a photo and have a student ID mailed to me. This is great for getting discounts, especially for computers and software that may be needed.

 

For online degrees: video content and lectures or all text based

Might be already in here somewhere but cohort work or solo

 

For me, term length (8 vs. 16 weeks, for example) was a consideration.

 

Also, do they provide library remote access (HUGE consideration, and some do NOT).

 

Please don’t flame me for my opinion, but…

If I were to seek an MBA, I’d most likely prefer a program offered by a traditional B&M institution with a well-established business department. Because, although I do think there are some quality programs offered by non-traditional institutions (my own Alma Mater comes to mind), it has been my experience that certain fields in the business world can be highly competitive. Thus subjective factors like individual perception of a credential and school reputation do come into play.

As to related factors that I might consider:

Though I’m not certain how best to express these following three suggestions…

For me a big consideration (applicable to programs from more traditional schools) would be (1) curriculum and programmatic uniformity with a campus-based program--I’d like to know if the coursework, requirements, diploma, transcripts, and other aspects of a given program are the same (or substantially the same) as the counterpart distance-learning program. It would be correspondingly important to me that I be made aware of what differences exist (besides the obvious difference of communication and content delivery), prior to enrolling.

Another consideration that would be important to me (again, if the equivalent program on-campus is substantially the same as the distance education offering) is (2) freedom to benefit from multiple available instructional modes to suit personal circumstance and learning needs. If looking into MBA programs, I’d be more interested in a program that allows students the option to do their coursework on-campus, off-campus, or via a combination (mixed mode). And I would be even more likely to consider a program, if (3) the manner and mode of earning the degree was not explicitly stated on the transcript and/or diploma. However, this is because I don’t think it should matter how one acquires knowledge, or develops skill and competence. I’m a firm believer in the ideology that outcomes have as much (or more) bearing on assessing the relevance and quality of a program than inputs, or process. Yet DL bias does exist. Accordingly, I think schools should make such information readily available to prospective students so that they may be able to make an informed choice as to whether they care to risk any potential bias that could be avoided.

 

Also - job placement services after the degree award?