Hello. I have recently been accepted at Liverpool's online MBA program. Orientation starts at the end of November. This board has been very helpful in my search for the "right" program. Thanks to everyone who has contributed their knowledge and experiences with distance learning. The desire to expand one's education that I have read in several posts is very contagious that I'm even considering a DBA/PhD after my MBA It's a few years down the road but it's a possibility. Thanks again.
IT-DL, congrats. For the other posters on the board today in making their decision to go with a Brit university, what was the process, time it took to get accepted, cost and of course other details like resident time in the UK and when will you expext to complete. I know there may be no relevance to those doing Doctoral programs, but at least it will let them know the process time. J.R(ic)
When I first inquired about Liverpool's (through kit e-learning) online MBA program sometime in October, they were still accepting students for their November intake, so the admission was fairly fast and easy. The next day, an admissions advisor called me to talk about the program in more details, answer my questions as well as do an initial assessment of my qualifications - where I completed my B.S. and my work experience. If I had more questions, I would email him and he would either call/email me the following day. He was very helpful in the whole process. A week after, I completed the online application and faxed my transcript of records from my B.S. degree. My boss also emailed them a letter of recommendation. Two weeks after, I received an email that I was admitted to the program. They also offered me a $3K scholarship so that brought the cost of the program down to $14K - cheaper than some of the US programs that I looked at. My first module is also on a trial basis. If I decide not to continue the program, I don't have to pay for the module. The only cost to me is the $130 application fee. I must admit that the easy admission concerned me a little bit in the beginning. After being in touched with 2 of their current students (one taking up an MBA and the other MscIT), it wasn't much of a concern anymore since both of them have positive things to say about their programs. Just an additional info - I didn't get their contact info from the university. I got them from this board and another MBA message board so their opinions weren't as biased. And Liverpool has a solid reputation as a B&M university in the UK being a member of the Russel group of universities. BTW - the program is 100% online. There are 8 modules + dissertation. Each module is 6 weeks in length. Hope this helps someone.. IT-DL
Well, since the Russell Group is named after the Russell Hotel (where the group's VC's meet), I therefore presume that Russell also has a hotel named after him!
A discount by any other name... Tom: "They also offered me a $3K scholarship so that brought the cost of the program down to $14K - cheaper than some of the US programs that I looked at. My first module is also on a trial basis. If I decide not to continue the program, I don't have to pay for the module. The only cost to me is the $130 application fee. " Awarding MBA students 'scholarships' is a polite way of offering them a discount. Sometimes these are dressed up as awards from firms or individuals who pay the Business School the discount, sometimes not, and the 'scholarship' disguises a market discount. The student benefits either way of course, but I am less happy about the apparent prestige of a 'scholarship', which has an honourable history, and the facts behind some of these schemes, which are pure price discounting. I applaud the price per module approach because this gives the MBA student time to change their minds if the course does not fit their needs (or abilities) without imposing massive financial penalties on them and having to go to the trouble of trying to collect the full fee back if they decide to quit, or lose it if the institution says 'no'. The $130 application fee, really interests me. We have been considering this at EBS for both our MBA and DBA campus and DL programmes because of the cost of processing scores of these, which in the case of DBA is quite an in-depth procedure. As one of the 'hawks' - i.e., a believer in full cost recovery - I will quote Tom's information (and push for a £300 fee).
Please keep us posted on the program as it progresses. I would be very interested to hear about the educational quality of the program. I had looked into the MSc in IT, but I must confess that I remain enormously skeptical about a program provided by a Dutch company with what appears to be limited participation by the university (though admittedly with much pontification on the web site).
In your application to Liverpool, you mentioned the discussion with the advisor and the fact that you made an on-line application, FAXING your transcripts to them, along with a supporting reference from your employer, which enabled you to get a relatively fast confirmation and the place on the program. For the information of everyone, how did Liverpool assess your Transcripts and how do you think they checked you out, since I am curious if those Liverpudlians would go so far as to confirm on-line applications from outside of the UK in checking the validity of the documents. Didn't you say "The easy admission concerned you a little bit in the beginning"? This is not in anyway questioning your qualifications or application to Liverpool, just curious however, but what-if someone got one of those Fake transcripts, do you think it would be possible to get into the system such as Liverpool or even HW and it maybe the same for the SA universities, who knows?. I would think, knowing the Brits that they take a gentlemans word as being it..I dont know just guessing here. Maybe the Brits are too trustworthy, who knows and maybe Prof Kennedy could comment about the on-line application prcess, the checking that is done prior to acceptance? J.R(ic)
Show me the certificates Matriculation to EBS MBA requires a good first degree and sight of the certificate supporting the claim to a first degree. We do not (yet) accept on-line matriculation (which is a University requirement). Students may matriculate after passing two core subject Final examinations and we are satisfied that our security procedures in these are tight. We only accept transcripts sent direct from the issuing body and not from applicants. I will check with administration to ask if a faxed copy of anything is acceptable. I assume the same is the case at Liverpool.
Re: Show me the certificates Are you aware of the fact that MANY european universities (i.e. in Germany, Austria, ...) would never send the transcripts to other schools - that is normally done by "certified copies" the student makes themselves in state administration offices, and therefore can also only send the transcripts themselves? Greets, Trigger
Reply to John Roberts John, I don't exactly know how Liverpool does the check on an applicant's credentials. Or maybe they did an exemption for my case. See, I graduated from a university from the Philippines and I currently live in Toronto. Before I left the Philippines, I requested an official transcript from my university, so I have one with me. Besides, I don't think my previous university will send a transcript to another university or if they do, it might take a lot longer. When they did the initial assessment with me on the phone, they asked me where I graduated, and they verified it on their list that the university is not a mill and that my B.S. is considered an honours degree in the UK. The faxed thing was what concerned me too. But in a way I was relieved that I don't have to mail my official copy to them fearing that it might get lost in the mail and given my situation, it be very, very difficult to get another copy (like getting a power of attorney so my representative could get another copy from the university). But that's a good question how universities verify credentials if one university doesn't send transcripts to other universities. Maybe they give more weight to work experience. Some of the US schools that I have called before when I inquired about their master's program were also willing to take the transcript that I have for admission consideration. Some will require me to go to an evaluator such as WES(?) to evaluate my transcript since I am an international student.
