distance learning MBA - DVD / online streaming

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by srilatk, Dec 8, 2009.

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  1. srilatk

    srilatk New Member

    Hi All,

    I'm looking for distance learning schools where method of delivery is 100% via DVDs / online streaming which is almost similar to class room experience meaning it will be instructional rather than self learnings / discussions. I do not want readings, discussions or some other typical online program methods.

    I found 2 of them, Auburn and Colorado state university but does not suit my requirements. Any advice on them would be appreciated!

    http://www.biz.colostate.edu/distanceMBA/difference/Pages/delivery.aspx
     
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    No offense, but it seems that Business School is not for you, or even school is not for you at all. Even though video lectures still require reading, research paper, discussion, and exams. Especially Business school, you have to write case discussion.

    Based on two schools you mention, I believe you're only looking for AACSB schools. Another one is Syracause University's iMBA, but you have to visit the campus in Syracause, New York for exams. It is expensive as well, ColState @ Fort Collins is tier 2 school and cheaper than any others top tier schools.l
     
  3. friartuck

    friartuck New Member

    Your requirements are ridiculous. However if you want an affordable program with taped lectures go here:

    http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/una/aboutuna/aboutuna.asp

    I bought some of the lectures to see how they were and I fell asleep in no time. Also, I think Regis and possible St Leo have video lectures. Good luck.
     
  4. srilatk

    srilatk New Member

    OK, first of all FYI I'm already doing my MBA at a public university! I'm asking this as I would like to know how I can still pursue if I relocate places.

    I think i did not phrase it well..By no discussions, I mean having discussion threads with class mates and the like. That is a good feature but if a school talks abt it, it means that the lectures are only like 25% and you have to get all knowledge yourself. I;m looking for something where I do not have to compromise much on the campus feel. I know distance is not the same, but Auburn and Colorado claim that it is purely online streamings and DVDs which is unique.

    Seems like Colorado state does not have transfers though :(
    Anyway thanks for your replies.
     
  5. Glor1295

    Glor1295 New Member

    There are many schools that use dvd / streaming video for their MBA classes. You can afford to be more specific in your search. Are you looking for a particular price range? Selectivity? Particular state/region? How many courses are you trying to transfer? Do you need totally online or are visits ok?
     
  6. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    I don't know of many RA programs at traditional schools that would allow you to transfer in more than 6 credit hours regardless of the delivery method for the program. I would be surprised if Auburn or CSU allowed this, though I could be wrong.
    I took a few graduate level courses at the Citadel before applying to full-time MBA programs mainly because I felt my undergraduate grades were a little low (3.2 GPA) for the programs I was targeting. The classes were done to demonstrate that I could do graduate level work at a high level but I did inquire with the schools I applied to about transferring the credits in. Only one would allow it, and then only 6 credit hours.
     
  7. In my experience at Indiana it varies by course. For some courses (usually quantitative) there were video lectures/sessions provided by the professor and little team participation.

    However, for anything related to case study (usually qualitative) the discussion groups and teams were an integral part of the experience, as were midterm papers, etc.

    As an example of a recent course, the professor gave us a kickoff video, provided extensive course notes and tips, and we participated in team discussion as well as individual essay assignments. Aside from the asynchronous nature (like being able to submit papers by 11:55pm Tuesday nights) and the fact that nobody was face-to-face it very much felt like any classroom - assigned readings, discussions and grades...
     
  8. Glor1295

    Glor1295 New Member

    I'm not sure if the original poster is still monitoring this, but I am rather curious about Indiana's approach their MBA. Am I correctly understanding the previous statement that not all of their classes have video lectures? I was expecting something slick from the school given their rankings and reputation. What kind of interface do they use (i.e. blackboard, web ct, etc)? What would a typical week be like for a student as far as assignments and readings are concerned?
     
  9. Correct - not all classes have video lectures.

    I have a theory of why this is the case, and it's not for lack of "slickness". The average residential class of MBA students is probably around 23-25 years old with little work experience. Therefore, there needs to be a fair amount of knowledge exchange and lecturing from someone who has more experience (even if it's theoretical and not necessarily hands-on).

    However, for the online MBA, the average student has something like 7 years of work experience. For a lot of courses I would NOT like to have to sit through a couple of hours of video lectures each week. What I often get instead:

    - powerpoint notes highlighting the week's reading, along with the prof's comments/suggestions

    - a discussion forum related to the week's assignment

    - sometimes video content

    - additional readings, etc.

    The technology used at Indiana is Angel. You can access the site at cms.kd.iu.edu to get an idea of the front end. I'm sure this system is like WebCT or Blackboard in that it has a calendar, lessons section, resources, communication (including course e-mail, forums for lessons or teams) and reports.

    What I feel really defines Indiana's program is that it's SOLID. It's not exceptionally flashy. Yes, it's 51 credit hours. Yes, two in-residences are required (another plus in my opinion). However, aside from the mode of delivery, it's fundamentally the same program as the B&M residential one.

    It's hard to describe a "typical" week as each one differs. Being on the quarter system each class lasts 11-12 weeks, so there's usually an introduction week, followed by weeks with graded assigments (either weekly, or 2 week assignments). Classes that use forum participation will have weekly postings required. There will be one or more midterm exams, quizzes (qualitative) or written assignments (quantitative) and a final project or final exam.
     
  10. Glor1295

    Glor1295 New Member

    Thank you for the response. Indiana is at the top of my list for an MBA after I finish my MSOM program at Arkansas. The MSOM program uses streaming video for its lectures and I have quickly grown accustomed to having them available. It sounds like the Indiana program has enough study aides for the non-video classes that it should be fine for me.

    I am a little curious about the residency periods. Did you get much out of them as far as learning and networking are concerned? Was the schedule hectic or were you able to keep up with other demands (work, etc)?
     
  11. friartuck

    friartuck New Member

    I was strongly considering taking that Arkansas MSOM, can you give any details about the program?

    Thanks.
     
  12. Had I stayed in the same cohort I probably would have leveraged even more out of the residencies (I ended up slowing down to a 4 year plan from 2 years) but I found them excellent in several ways:

    - networking with people who you have "virtually" worked with
    - taking a class in the traditional manner - i.e. in front of a prof (each in-residence is a 1.5cr class over a week). These classes are intense!
    - taking in the campus. Bloomington is beautiful and it gives you a sense of "belonging" when you're part of it for a week.
    - ability to interact with professors, alumni staff, etc.

    Demands are variable and depend largely on your background. For some classes I only spent a few hours per week on material most weeks, but for others where I had less background the number increased. It also depends on how quick of a reader you are (you have to read 50-60 pages per week in some classes) and how efficient you are with your time.

    The reason I slowed to a half course load was to accommodate a demanding career and young family and it was fine. Others I've spoke with chose to "tough it out" for the 2 years so they were done as quickly as possible. The good thing is that the school is really flexible - as long as you can finish it in under 5 years you're good.

    Note that the tuition, which has been increasing each year, isn't cheap. I payed in the $700's per credit when I started and it's now $995. However, demand doesn't seem to have slipped which is a good thing, and according to administration staff I spoke with the entry GMATs and GPAs are even higher than before.

    As you might have guessed, I am happy with the program. The teaching is excellent and the program staff responsive (one early concern was that the transcript said IUPUI and not IU Bloomington and they have now changed this).
     
  13. Glor1295

    Glor1295 New Member

    Definitely, I'll start with the basics:

    The MSOM program is a 30 credit, non-thesis master's program. It consists of 4 required courses and 6 electives. The electives can be drawn from any of the approximately 20 courses that are available in the degree program. The cost is $240/cr.hr. and an additional $100 distance learning fee per course ($820 total per course). The remote (distance) program is offered through the main campus at Fayetteville - I think it is actually part of the Department of Industrial Engineering. As such, it has an engineering "feel" to it - less paper writing and more tests and problem solving.

    The thing that I really like about the MSOM is its flexibility. I've seen some Ops Mgmt programs that are little more than a management degree with two quantitative production courses added to the curriculum, and I've also seen some that are strictly industrial management with no "soft" management courses (Industrial Engineering-lite, as I call it). The Arkansas MSOM lets you tailor the program with the electives to suit your needs. In addition, they offer a specialization in 4 areas: Industrial Management, Business Management, Human Resources Management, and Safety and Healthcare Management. The specialization is listed on the transcript and is awarded as a stand-alone, frame-able certificate. I think these could be useful if you are trying to drive your career towards one of those areas - or if you work for a small company and need additional training in those areas.

    The courses are offered through blackboard with streaming video lectures. They do not film new lectures every semester - my lectures for this semester were from 2007. Most courses, but not all, are taught by a PhD-holder. My production and inventory management class was taught by an engineer with a master's and 15 years of experience as an operations manager. He was an expert on the subject and brought lots of real-world experience, but some could object to someone with an MS teaching an MS course.

    Bottom line, I think the MSOM program is perfect for someone who wants to work in production/inventory/supply-chain or someone who manages a small company, or is at/below the director level of a large company, and wants to learn how to increase the efficiency of their operations. I stress that this is a very practical degree. If you are looking for something with more theory, I would suggest the distance MSOM through the University of Alabama. It seems to have a more rigorous, industrial flavor to it.

    Please let me know if you decide to take the degree - I get a free hat or t-shirt out of the deal if you let them know I referred you.
     
  14. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    Average age for a full-time, residential MBA student at IU is 28 with an average of 5 years of work experience. This is pretty typical of all top 25 programs.

    http://kelley.iu.edu/mba/admissions/classProfile.cfm
     
  15. Glor1295

    Glor1295 New Member

    That makes me feel better. If I go the MBA route I'll be about 31 yrs. old with 7 years of military experience and 2 years of civilian experience (or maybe 2 years of living-under-an-overpass experience if employment doesn't improve - I transition in February).
     
  16. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    That's not bad. You'll be at the high end of the range, but certainly not the oldest in your class. I had classmates in their 40's. I was almost 31 when I finished.
     
  17. friartuck

    friartuck New Member

    Thanks for the detail. I was actually thinking of my kids for this program, although the oldest one mentioned to me last night that he's leaning toward the MS in Software Engineering at Kansas State. I think this one might be down the youngest son's alley. He has one semester left for his BS in Industrial Technology. Jobs in his field are scarce nowadays so he could work on this while he's underemployed at his current job.
     
  18. Glor1295

    Glor1295 New Member

    Thank you for the response. I had actually been following that IUPUI/Bloomington issue and their decision to let students choose which to have on their transcript put them back at the top of my list (assuming I can get in). If only Penn State would do the same.

    I had also noticed the price increase. Hopefully it won't be much higher when I apply. Many good MBA programs seem to be increasing prices to match demand. UT-Dallas, which is on my short list of programs, even upped their program to 38k. Luckily, I will have my gi bill to help with the cost.
     
  19. What are your undergrad GPA and GMAT scores? These two will likely have the greatest impact on acceptance at Indiana.
     

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