Online "Tech" MBA Recommendations?

Penn State disagrees about non University Park graduates not having graduated from the "real" Penn State.

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Do we need a "Penn State" sticky, mods?

Okay, I think everyone understands that Penn State is one university with 19(ish?) campuses. A PSU degree is a PSU degree is a PSU degree and all that jazz. But in the specific case of the MBA degree, Penn State offers:

1. The on-campus full-time MBA program through the Smeal College of Business.
2. An Executive MBA program offered through the Smeal College of Business.
3. The iMBA offered through Penn State World Campus.
4. Part-time MBA offered in Philadelphia through Penn State Great Valley. (At 30 credit hours and $843 per credit, the cheapest way to earn a PSU MBA)
5. Part-time MBA at Penn State Behrend's Black School of Business. 48 credits @ $737 per credit.
6. Science BS/MBA through Smeal in cooperation with the Eberly College of Science.
7. Full/Part-time MBA from Penn State Harrisburg. Serves mainly nontraditional students with small full-time cohort.
8. JD/MBA offered by Penn State Harrisburg in cooperation with the PSU School of Law

and that's just what I could turn over with a quick Google search. Eight different MBA programs across 5 campuses with varying admissions standards, credit requirements, and tuition rates. It's true that at the end, you walk away with the same diploma, but does the 30 hour part time program through Great Valley really prepare you in exactly the same way that the 65 credit hour full time program at Smeal does? Is the person who pays $92K to attend Smeal's EMBA a sucker for paying 3X as much as someone who goes to the Black part-time program? Why does PSU have eight different MBA programs, anyway? We could argue about this until Beagle412 graduates from his chosen school, and at this rate, we will.

 

I realize what PSU's stance on the subject is. I was being a smart ass, it was in poor taste and I apologize...though my friend that is a PSU alum DID agree with me

 

I'm glad to have spurned such intellectual debate and discourse! If online discussions in whichever MBA program I end up in are similarly vigorous and articulate, I am very much looking forward to my online education.

As far as the original thread goes, I've reassessed my needs and wants from a program, and a thorough evaluation of our family finances projected over the next few years, I think I may need to be more conscious of total program cost. This puts the Kelley Direct program slightly lower on my list and essentially puts Auburn at the top now, and brings some schools that various posters have mentioned into the mix: Wyoming, possibly UF (Warrington), and Mississippi State and Ole Miss as well. I'm not worried about the "tech" concentrations any longer, thanks to Fortunato's advice.

I'm definitely still open to hearing from anyone who has graduated from or is currently working in any of these or other online programs that fit my criteria. Real world experiences definitely would go a long way in helping me make this decision, and hopefully this thread will help others in the same boat.

 

The University of Houston, Clear Lake offers an MBA online with several concentrations. It is AACSB accredited program and the cost per credit is around $700 for a non resident. The final price depends on the number of credits you are going to take per semester, and it can be less than $700. Graduate Programs

 

If you attend the 92K Smeal program, we can assume that:

1) You got a better education.
2) You created a better network.
3) You're going to specify your program on your resume, just like you would if you got summa cum laude as an undergrad or any other distinction. That's what the Smeal program is, a distinction.

If you attended an "inferior" MBA program, we can assume that:

1) You'll just put PSU on your resume like everybody else.
2) You aren't a special flower like the 92K in debt Smeal grads.


Does that make sense? I know Tiger, the agro-Bostonian with the degree from Alabama, wants us all to specify exactly which campus we went to. Sorry, Tiger. We're not going to do it. 3/4 sample resumes on Penn State's own web page don't do it. Many of the resumes and curriculum vitae found with Google don't do it.

On behalf of the great state of Pennsylvania, I apologize. Now go away.

 

And the bottom line (literally) on Beagle412's resume will be the MBA degree that he has earned. With his level of experience that MBA will be the final item on the resume that is considered and may well be irrevelant.

 

Why are you getting so defensive? Are you sensitive about not being part of the University Park campus? This really seems to be bothering you. List it however you would like, it is of no consequence to me. I'm just of the opinion that it is dishonest and I'm beginning to feel like you are ashamed of the program you are attending.
In regards to your final comment, I went away. I haven't addressed you. You're the one who keeps coming back in an attempt to defend your program from a lesser PSU program. Let it go and I promise, I will go away.

 

I'm beginning to think you've either completely lost touch with reality or are a troll getting off on soliciting responses. I've never defended any program. I haven't even mentioned what campus I attend. It could be University Park, for all you know. I have, however, tried to explain to you how PSU differs from UC and how listing what's on your diploma and is part of a 150 year tradition that isn't "dishonest" or "lying".

On the other hand, you've been defensive ever since I mentioned that probably not many people have heard of your alma mater from Alabama. You're the one who appears not only ashamed but hypocritical.

If your only argument was that people should list their campus as a matter of protocol then I would respect your opinion but kindly disagree. I diverge from you where you call those who don't list the campus "dishonest" -- as would any rational person.

 

Let me put it to you in the simplest terms possible; I don't care. I think it's deceitful and you can post FAQs from the Penn State website until your hands fall off and I still won't change my stance. I don't care how PSU is structured, though I clearly explained in a much earlier post that none of the campuses operate independently (you chose to ignore that and accuse me of not understanding in an attempt to defend your degree program from a lesser PSU campus). What this entire heated conversation devolved from is you stating: "Also, absolutely no reason to list on a resume that it was "World Campus" and you only need to mention it if asked." I feel that is advising someone to lie by omission, but then I was raised with a sense of ethics, something I'm beginning to think was lacking in your upbringing.

I also don't care about the perception, awareness, or lack thereof of Auburn in the state of PA. I can only speak from experience during the one year I lived in Philadelphia and say that I don't recall meeting anyone that wasn't aware of the school if only for it's football program. I'm sure there are people there that don't know the school and that's fine. It served me well, I got a good job out of college, was admitted to Vanderbilt and am now at Harvard so I won't complain.

And finally, as the poll in another thread demonstrates, the majority of the members on this forum agree with me (I know, I know, it's a small sample size...see, i did pay attention in my statistics classes). So we can call a truce and go about our business or you can continue to post here insulting me and attempting to change my position to which I will most certainly reply. Your choice.

 

I think you do care. I think you care a lot. Otherwise, you wouldn't have waged this bizarre Quixotic campaign.

You've made some very serious allegations: that PSU is recommending its students "mislead" people on their resumes and that graduates who don't follow your dictates are "liars".

Both of these are false. You're wrong and this far in you don't want to admit it. You were clearly hurt and upset by my initial comments about your Alabama school and that's why you had this histrionic fit like a miffed school girl.

Your poll isn't horribly flawed because of the sample size (small sample sizes can be representative if selected right), rather it fails to be relevant because of what's called "response bias" due to the wording of the question. The results don't transfer to our discussion, even if you polled all Americans.

By the way, did you go to Harvard or Harvard Extension? Be careful, the resume police might get you.

 

I stand by my "allegations". I'm not wrong, my opinion differs from yours and, apparently from that of the PSU administration. It just happens that in this instance my opinion is right.

As to my "Alabama school", As I stated, I'm sure there are people in PA that aren't aware of Auburn. So be it. And I don't recall becoming upset with your assertion that people in PA weren't aware of Auburn. I would guess that, at least in the metro areas, more people know it than don't, but whatever.

Now if you want to continue to attack my school, be forth coming about where your credentials come from. While I consed that PSU-University Park is a more highly ranked school than my alma mater, I would be more than happy to debate the academic merits of Auburn versus whatever 4th rate branch campus of PSU it is you attend if you'd be willing to offer up that information.

In regards to Harvard, I took some courses at HES before being admitted to GSE. I always disclosed that I was at HES when discussing that I was taking courses, though most people in Boston know that you're at HES if you're a working professional and attending the University. It never came up in a professional setting because I was already employed when I began there. At any rate, I think you have demonstrated that between the two of us, you're the one who would likely abstain from listing relevant information on a resume in an attempt to deceive someone.

Would you like to continue this or can you move on knowing that we have differing opinions?

 

He's picking a fight cause you're picking a fight. Additionally, you're fighting the muggle fight and he's fighting the academic integrity fight. They're not compatible unless you agree on a mutually acceptable moral code.

PSU can allow their students to say what they wish them to say as they are the ones responsible for affirming background checks on their students' educations. However, there's a spectrum of truth that ranges from "I went to Penn State University" to "I went to PSU Global".

If you are asked specifically what campus you went to and you don't answer honestly, then you're absolutely lying. If you've put all of your other full campus info on a resume and don't put the less favorable campuses on the same resume.. then you're purposefully omitting and thus actionably lying.

If you don't put any campus down at all and know that you went to global and know that there's a quality difference and you're actionably trying to leverage the full value of Penn State's reputation to get a job.. then you're a scumbag. Lying depends on the situation.

So really the only choice PSU gives you if you're of a high moral fiber in comparison to the moral ideals of western civ is to disclose and I think that's what AU is getting at. Keep in mind that his argument is the academic and moral integrity one. Yours obviously isn't.

..and you're a douchebag.. Bravo.

When you are lying.. is it a lie.. yes or no? Brilliant. Obviously biased. Now I shall go off and determine the required sample size to offset type one and type two errors for AU's poll.. carry on..

His signature, when visible clearly denotes HES. He's proud of his pedigree, wears it openly and sets an example for others to follow (present activity in this thread aside - which I'm inclined to give him a mulligan for.)

ITJD

 

To the OP, this program doesn't get discussed much here, but Arizona State offers a distance MBA through their b-school, Carey, a top-30 school.

Top Online MBA Degree Program | W.P. Carey School of Business

 

Am I the only moron (be nice, people lol) who doesn't think that a degree from PSU Global is a bad thing, that Global doesn't sound that bad, and that I would put it on a resume because that's where it came from? And it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. It's STILL Penn State, and I couldn't care less that it's from their Global Campus.

I live in MI. To go to PSU I have to do Global or move.

 

I found this "article" today that I thought was interesting. Now to be honest it looks and reads like an ad so take it with a grain of salt. If anyone can independently verify this to be fact then I would say it's a great indicator of the programs rigor.

Penn State online iMBA students score in top 10 percent on national exam

And to answer your question I say emphatically NO. I love the world campus so far, but I can only comment on my specific program. I know nothing about the iMBA.

 

I personally don't think it's a bad thing at all! Why be ashamed of a great school, or the online delivery which will be so common in a generation, our kids will be amazed people used to denounce it so much...

 

My fight isn't with PSU_Global. The university offers solid programs through that channel and it allows people unable to study in another manner to earn their credential. My problem is with the iMBA program (as well as PSU offering 8 different MBA programs) and with people not disclosing which campus their degree was earned from.

I would align PSU-Global more with the University Park campus than any of the other 23 campuses the system has, but if you're not stating Global Campus on your resume, or even worse just listing University Park, I think you're being a little less than forthcoming in the first instance and a complete liar in the second. There was a thread like this several months ago discussing the University of Maryland and it's University College campus.