Hi: Can someone give me info on a good accredited online MBA program? Today, I looked at University of Texas' online MBA program. It looks good and etc but what I dislike is that the degree they award you has "Online MBA" stamped across it. I don't want that. I want to be in a program that doesn't "blacklist" it being an online MBA but one that treats the online student as the same as "day/ground" students. I've seen online schools like Capella, Walden and etc. I'd like ideally for the school to not be an online based school. Basically, to be honest, I don't want to be labeled as having gone the online method. There's still a lot of stigma in the professional world against those who go to school online. I don't personally have anything against this method and am very open to it and in fact have taken online classes. Therefore, it'd be great if the school is a regular day school that offers an online program. I'd also ideally like for the program to be one that I can get Dept of Ed financing. Thanks much everyone!!
May the Force Be With You... I completed an MBA at Touro University International, online program of the brick-and-mortar Touro College. Great school - great instruction - regionnally accredited - doesn't stamp "online MBA" across your diploma. What do you wish to do with an MBA? Kindly, Steven King
How about more than 200 of them? Check out Degreeinfo participant Jonathan Liu's excellent website. He has links to a multitude of accredited distance education MBA programs. Plus lots of other interesting stuff as well. http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/2386/distance.html I guess you will have to decide for yourself which ones you like. They are all distinct individuals, and each one gives you a unique mix of cost, delivery media, required residency, course offerings, requirements, prestige, specializations and so on.
Hi: My ideal MBA would be one that offers a specialization in Technology Management. Technology's an area I already have a lot of experience. I want more education in this area and plus it's always good to have the sheep skin to help me look better. But I am OK too if the MBA doesn't have any specialization. As long as it focuses on management principles and techniques, then I think it'd help me tremendously.
I have to ask. Why do you think there is still a stigma of online education in the professional world. Have you experienced this first hand or know personally of others who have? If so, what type of bias was presented? Thanks, John
Information Technology Management Incidently, I completed my MBA from Touro with specializations in healthcare management & information technology management. For what it's worth... Steven King www.tourou.edu
This is in regards to the GMAT exam. Obviously I've never taken the exam. Is it very difficult to get a good score? What are the things I need to try to excel in?
Hi John: I've never experienced the stigma myself since I've never ('til date) graduated from an online program. However, some schools do not seem to consider an online education as being anything of quality. Case in point Stanford. Some time ago, a friend of mine who had graduated from Univ of Phoenix had called Stanford to ask about admissions requirements. The admissions person told him that they did not consider Univ of Phoenix or any online program valid. They want their students to be from "traditional" schools. Now this Stanford admissions person could be way off course and I've spoken with enough admissions people to know that some don't exactly know everything about admissions. Ironic but...! For me, I'd want my diploma to not say "online" but just the program itself, i.e. Master of Business Administration instead of Online MBA.
Re: Re: Online MBA Program Yes, there is still a stigma attached to "online degrees." Not everyone stigmatizes them, but many do. Here are some anecdotal experiences: When I asked a traditional professor what she thought of online doctorates, she grimaced her face and said ”euweee.” Consequently, I dropped the subject and did not tell her that I have considered pursuing one. People have brazenly told me that “online degrees” are match cover diplomas. A close friend told me that if I obtain an online doctorate, it would be best to not disclose the fact that it was obtained “online” because a stigma would be attached to me (from the degree). < shrugs shoulders >
Check out http://www.geteducated.com for two really good free books on both MBA and technology related master degrees. I'm slightly in the same position as you. I have an undergrad in business-MIS and am a MCSE. After I finish up my M.A. next semester, I am looking into an online IT master's degree. At first I thought that the best way would be to go for an MBA or a M.S. in Management but now I am reconsidering that to go for a masters that is more technical but stills shows initiative for potential management. Check out this article: http://www.business2.com/articles/web/0,1653,44082,FF.html To a point, the MBA market has become saturated so you have to separate yourself somehow. This might not usually be true in all fields (Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Management...) but in the IT world where you might already make as much as someone who just graduated with a RA MBA that has a couple of years experience, it might not be worth it, unless you were to go to a top MBA school, but then you will be paying $$$ for it. Age also matters as it shows wisdom and experience (or so they say... hehe ) and a MBA would help to get into management quicker, but if you are below 35 or 30, continue to go technical. A technical masters degree would still help you get you into management in the long run. One program I did find extremely interesting is Golden Gate University's Master of Science in Technology Management. One big factor that really attracts me to this degree is that it is not as programming oriented as a CS/CIS degree and it doesn't focus in all the added areas that the MBA dives into. It also has lots of specialization classes. One deterrent though is that each class has at least one proctored exam, but it can be given by your employer and by a couple other methods. Classes last about 2 months each. http://www.ggu.edu/schools/tech&ind/tech_mgt/mot.html I believe in the next year or two a lot more programs will come out that will offer a Master's TM type degrees. If you want the best of both worlds, here is an interesting program. The school calls it an MBA but it is really a MS in TM (after the foundation classes). http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/ADLN/Management/ I am originally from Massachusetts and Worcester Polytechnic Institute has an excellent reputation although expensive. Also, it depends what you want to do with the degree as well, so an MBA might satisfy those needs. If so and you would like to save some money, check out http://mbaonline.csudh.edu/ California State University, Dominguez Hills MBA is only $9k, very attractive! Good luck and let us know who you choose, -Paul Majkut
This is very interesting. I too have taken a look at Golden Gate Univ's programs. They have a few that I like. My goal is to get an MBA first and then a tech oriented degree. Other than making a living, I actually really enjoy tech centric issues, so it'd be an enjoyable thing for me to get into. You are right about the MS/CIS degrees, they usually require someone to know programming and hence, it's more of an engineering based degree than a technology management degree. I have also looked at CAL State Dominguez Hills (from the link I saw on Johnnie's site). Seems quite a slim MBA - in that there's so few classes. A lot of the MBA programs (non online) I've seen are about 40-50 hours long. This one is only 30 hours. Although not AACSB, is it recognized? It's cheap and from that perspective very affordable. I like online programs as opposed to day/ground programs for if I ever moved or etc, I am not going to be in a rough spot of having to reapply to a new school and hence lose time doing so.
Stigma, thing one: In the only major published study I know of, checking on acceptability of distance degrees in the corporate world (Sosdian & Sharp), not only did 100% of HR people accept them (81 of 81), but a subset said they actually prefer them, since it shows the person is capable of independent unsupervised study. Stigma, thing two: In my own recent survey of registrars, according to Rich Douglas' sophisticated statistical analysis of the data, regionally accredited non-resident degrees were only 80% as acceptable as RA residential ones. Warning one: Since teaching is in your future: during my involvement with the Edinburgh MBA, I surveyed 50 large universities on their acceptance of said degree for entry into doctoral program. To my surprise, about 1/3 of them said that they do not accept any MBA as meeting the Master's requirement for a doctorate, since they regard it as a professional and terminal degree. These people said that if a Ph.D. was an ultimate goal, one should do a Master's in economics, marketing, organizational behavior, etc. (The other 2/3rds said it would be fine.) Finally: You might want to look at the "11 vital factors in choosing an MBA" chapter of Bears' Guide to the Best MBA's by Distance Learning. The publisher has it available free at: http://www.degree.net/guides/mba_guide.html
On-line eMBA: different model On-line degrees are suspect if by that is meant a 'log on, read and pass a simple test (also on line)'. That some of these products are from shell "universities" that are unaccedited adds to their poor image among employers and other regular universities. At Edinburgh Business School we have approached the on-line mode differently. We start from the proposition that students wish to pass their MBA examinations (surveys, etc.). The EBS MBA is mainly a distance learning programme (we have on campus full and part time courses at EBS and in our partner universities in Russia, China and Israel). The course content is delivered via printed Texts, published by Pearson Education (the world's largest publisher, I am told). Since November 2001 we have provided on-line course materials, interactive tutorials, web boards and contact with faculty for the seven core MBA courses (Economics, Org. Behaviour, marketing, Finance, Accounting, Quantitative Methods and Strategic Planning). These provide more cases, exercises, essays an MCQs, plus simulations, for each subject, all delivered via the web (the Texts come via courier). All on-line students sit the same exams as students in our other modes, and if they pass receive exactly the same Degree certificate. As all our 8,000 MBA students sit the same exams, there is no distinctions made on their Degrees identifying the mode of study. Given that many of them mix modes - occasional on campus for some courses, pure distance learning via print for others and a selection of on-line courses for the remainder, it would be meaningless to list them. How you study is an input - the examinations you sit measure the output. After nine passes the output is the MBA. Those institutions that have different named MBAs with different Degree certificates only confuse their customers, denigrate their students and pander to vulgar on-campus suspicions about the quality of their programmes. In 2003, all our MBA routes will be on line, completing the logic of a single examination measure of output. Given our known tough but fair examination regime, we challenge any critics to show how the EBS on-line MBA is a 'soft' rival to their regular MBAs. And yes, EBS is accredited by its University, which is a regular bricks and mortar university in Edinburgh, Scotland.
You might also want to check out University of Colorado, Colorado Springs at http://web.uccs.edu/business/dmbamain1.htm They are AACSB accredited and have an online MBA program with an emphasis in Information Systems and starting in Spring 2003 they will begin to have an emphasis in Technology Management. Check it out. Also, to calm any fears of those who might think differently of DL programs, while I was watching CNN last week they were talking about UCLA which has a student population of over 25,000 and said that 95% of them were taking online classes. I believe the next generation won't even blink twice about an online vs. traditional degree at the same school or anywhere else for that matter. It will still come down to the quality and reputation of the school giving the degree. -Paul
Hi, I was also looking at a master's degree with a concentration in IT or technology management. Here are the other universities that I've looked at. All are RA but not all AACSB. All have a B&M campus. University of Oregon - MS Applied Information Management Oklahoma State U - MS Engineering and Technology Management U of Baltimore - MBA Information Based Mgmt (needs GMAT) Belluvue U - MBA Information Sys Nova Southeastern - MS MIS Touro - MBA Techcnology Management If you're open to a UK degree - U of Liverpool - MBA with IT focus (not a concentration. This is where I end up applying) U of Leicester - MBA U of Surrey Heriot-Watt (EBS) Good luck.
University of Texas Online MBA Hi, I read that you were interested in the UT system program. Just to let you know, it depends on what school out of the eight participating ones that yo apply to whether your diploma will say "online mba" or not. To clarify, if you apply to UT San Antonio, UT El Paso, or UT Arlington, the diploma will say online. But if you apply to the others, (UT Tyler, Pan American, Brownsville, Dallas, Permian Basin), your diploma will not say online. Although the online MBA is the same program for all, you have to apply to a base school, and this is the school where your diploma will be awarded from. I talked to a rep. about this, and it also says it on their website that only the ones I mentioned above will say "online." Just thought you might want to know this since you stated that you were looking into the UT program.
