AACSB online MBA: inexpensive and FEW prerequisite courses

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by daniellevine, Feb 23, 2010.

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  1. daniellevine

    daniellevine New Member

    Can anyone recommend an online program that meets those requirements? I am about to get a B.S. in Liberal Studies, and not a ton of business classes. I'm hoping that my 3.8 GPA and GMAT scores will overcome that for admission. I don't mind taking the GMAT; I just don't want to take 12 courses BEFORE entering the program (and yes, I understand why they require this, but I'm trying to cut corners =) )

    Here are some programs that I've found.

    San Jose State (brick and mortar). As many have recommended, look local first. SJSU has a good program, with only three undergrad courses required as prereqs, but the cost is a lot higher than I wanted to spend. It's close to $35,000, plus inflexibility.

    Colorado State University (online.) I thought I had found the perfect school. The have NO prerequisite courses required. I was ready to celebrate until I realized that their total program tuition has increased from under 20K to 25K. This is still my top choice, since the other programs are going to end up costing around 10K PLUS an extra year of study before entering the program.

    UMass Lowell. Another good school. The initial price tag is under $15,000. But again, the prereqs complicate things. I'd need six 2-credit "foundation" courses which will probably take a year since they are on semesters... and I can add another 5-10K to the tuition for those classes.

    So, if anyone knows of another school besides Colorado State I would be interested. Anything that costs a little less and still doesn't require a huge amount of prerequisite courses? I've thought about getting a second quick bachelor's in business (with Excelsior testing), but I still would need to take a bunch of other courses.
     
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    University of Houston-Victoria's Global Master of Business Administration ($8,730.00(Resident)/ $15,570.00Non-Resident)
    Others

    Texas A & M University-Commerce
    Master of Business Administration(TX)$9,510.00
    $17,850.00Resident
    Others

    The cheapest one is Jacksonville State University; however, I don't know if GMAT is waiver.
     
  3. taylor

    taylor New Member

    Those are all good choices. Surprisingly, Jacksonville State University which is AACSB accredited is not on the list for geteducated.com. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Personally, I like Colorado State and UMASSLowell the best. I'd probably like Texas A&M a little more too but out of state tuition is one of my pet peeves. But if it comes down to purely costs which is understandable especially during these times I'd go with Jacksonville State University.
     
  4. daniellevine

    daniellevine New Member

    The problem is Jax State requires an extra 24 credits if you don't already have them. That' basically doubles the length of the program... so the opportunity costs will be an extra 1-2 years. Maybe they would let me take a couple of courses to transfer to another AACSB.

    Taylor, I agree about UMass Lowell and Colorado State being the best 2 I've found. I don't know if it's because I'm a former New Englander, but in my opinion UMass is far and away the best value for school's reputation.
     
  5. taylor

    taylor New Member

    Yeah, I know what you mean. Living in the Northeast and in Southern California all my life I think I've been brainwashed by seeing people wear BU sweatshirts, USC license plate holders, and UCLA apparel. I'm sure there are a lot of good schools in between but I have a hard time relating to schools like Western Kentucky or University of Mississippi but it probably goes the same for those who live in those regions as well. You can't go wrong with UMassLowell.
     
  6. bazonkers

    bazonkers New Member

    People seem to think that schools they've heard of via Saturday college football or NCAA March Madness are better schools than the ones they've never heard of. Completely crazy but it's a perception/marketing thing. Same goes for local schools as they are more familiar with the name.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 23, 2010
  7. daniellevine

    daniellevine New Member

    Very true... but then again employers are also human and subject to biases. It's hard to say that a school like UMass is not "respected" or "legitimate." Maybe not top tier, but definitely a good brand name. I just want a school with enough name recognition that a potential employer doesn't need to ask questions.

    Yes, I do agree that mass marketing and college sports adds fuel to the fire.
     
  8. ITJD

    ITJD Guest

    I'd actually recommend UMass Amherst instead of Lowell if prereqs are a concern. If you don't have an undergrad business degree there's only one prereq course taken during the winter of your first year (and it was rather easy to get through if a lot in a short 8 week term to digest).

    It's also a better overall program than UML done at the flagship business school of the UM system. Cost is higher, though I'd be surprised if the 15k you're quoting for Lowell is the final cost. Amherst is 30.

    Best,
    ITJD
     
  9. heimer

    heimer New Member

    Colorado State and UMass (Isenberg) are tops on my list, if I go for an MBA. And it's maddening trying to decide between the two. CSU is a little cheaper, has video lectures, and seems to be well regarded in cyberland. UMass is a bit more, but their part-time program has some clout in the BusinessWeek rankings - not sure about the format. AHHHHHHHHH. I think the edge goes to UMass... for today. :)
     
  10. taylor

    taylor New Member

    UMass Amherst or Lowell and Colorado State, I'd be happy with a MBA diploma from any one of them, no giggles here:).
     
  11. I'd call the Admissions department or the Dean for each school and ask if CLEP or DANTES exams can meet the program pre-requisites.

    Leveling courses are there in case you don't have the educational background - not specifically the credit hours - but as you noted for Excelsior's business degree, you can also test out.
     
  12. major56

    major56 Active Member

    The University of Houston-Victoria Global Master of Business Administration requires leveling courses for undergraduate degrees awarded outside business administration. The GMAT is required; however under certain conditions there is the opportunity for a GMAT waiver requests from applicants who fall into one of the following categories:
    • The applicant has completed a graduate or professional degree (i.e., a degree beyond a four-year baccalaureate degree) from an accredited college or university; OR
    • The applicant has a current GRE score (less than 5 years old) of 900 or higher (verbal and quantitative sections combined); OR
    • The applicant (i) has an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher AND (ii) has at least two years of relevant professional and/or management/supervisory experience AND (iii) writes a letter of application outlining career goals and objectives AND (iv) earns a B or better in QMS 6351 and MGT 6351. In the event that the applicant is eligible for a degree plan waiver of QMS 6351, a B or better in MGT 6367 will satisfy this portion of the condition. In the event that the applicant is eligible for a degree plan waiver of MGT 6351, a B or better in MKT 6377 will satisfy this portion of the condition.
    http://www.uhv.edu/bus/gmba/gmatwaiver.asp
     
  13. UMass (Amherst, yes, but also the whole system) is one of the best schools in the country both as far as education and as far as reputation; the price and variety of online programs probably makes it the best online buy in the country. The ONLY point of hampering is that it isn't ivy league... which almost all schools aren't anyway.
     
  14. heimer

    heimer New Member

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