In one post here, someone mentioned that Duke University has a distance learning option. I looked extensively at their website but have found nothing. Do they offer distance education for Bachelor's Degrees? Thanks, Christina
The main DL program from Duke is the Fuqua MBA at around $50k plus books and fees. They also have a program in their school of nursing, but I beleive that is also at the Masters level. In North Carolina the top two DL progams are at East Carolina and NCA&T
http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/admin/gemba/ This might be the best DL MBA program in existence. Apparently it's very selective and only accepts top excutives and those being groomed for top positions. It has a whole set of mandatory residencies, and these are held all over the world. (They want all of their students to have international perspective.) And there's this little annoyance: A20. After acceptance, you will be asked to pay a deposit of $3,500. The first term tuition, due prior to matriculation, is $28,130. You will be billed for this amount minus the deposit you have already paid. Tuition for the following terms is $18,100 and is due prior to the beginning of each term. Q21. What is NOT included in the program fee of $100,500? A21. Travel to and from the residencies, incidental costs at each residency (e.g., phone calls, laundry, souvenirs) and the local Internet service provider costs are not included in the program fee. In addition, you will be required to pay a $3,500 non-refundable technology fee which includes a laptop computer and technology support. Slightly more expensive than Amberton. Needless to say, it's expected that a student's sponsoring corporation will pick up the bill. (I'll just add that there's a one-year California-approved masters program that is five times as expensive as this cheap little budget number of Duke's.)
I look at a program like Duke's, and wonder how much better than any other program can it be? If one was a top executive, or an up-and-comer (with a company willing to pay $60,000 for his education) he must already have networking connections. Therefore, the only reason to earn the degree at Duke would be the quality. Could it be that much better than the many other programs available? Maybe it is. I don't know.
Good point. I wonder what the cost/benefit tradeoff is on this. The company pays $100,500 in tuition, a $3,500 technology fee, and pays for a number of junkets to exotic world cities. Wouldn't Business 101 tell you that it makes more sense to spend (say) $20,000 on a perfectly good MBA from a fine competing school and hand the firm $84,000+ in savings? (That's 80% savings on essentially the same product.) But... As Tyco and Enron have shown us, the rules are different up there in the executive suite. Like Saddam Hussein (and for much the same reasons), an executive has just gotta have those gold plated bathroom fixtures.
Sheesh, "e.g.....laundry". I mean, what, they're worried some students will be compelled (due to OCD) to launder their drawers a couple of dozen times per day? ....and yet: Q2. How accessible is the faculty on-line? A2. ......Faculty vary in availability, usually due to the subject matter and other teaching/research commitments. However, you can expect that, on average, faculty will respond within 24 to 48 hours. Yep, I get pretty much the same response time from my pool guy.
