Temple University's Online MBA Program

Discussion in 'Business and MBA degrees' started by CavTrooper, May 29, 2014.

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  1. CavTrooper

    CavTrooper Member

    I wanted to start this thread to give a quick overview, periodic updates, and answer any questions regarding Temple's Online MBA program. I just started the program and attended the opening residency earlier this month. Before I continue, I want to thank Major56 for first introducing me to the program; I had originally decided on another school, but I'm really glad I ended up here.

    So far I've been incredibly impressed with the quality, professionalism, and engagement I've experienced while dealing with school personnel - from faculty to admissions staff. The program itself seems to be insanely well put together, and I literally could not have picked a better school for an online MBA program. In particular, I thought it was cool that they don't farm ANYTHING out to a third-party online course management company, like a lot of other schools do. Everything is designed, produced, and run by in-house Fox people - and I was able to meet and interact with most of them during residency.

    Here are some highlights of the program:

    -AACSB accredited, online MBA program that is completed in 20 months. A week-long opening residency is required, then all classes are online with one scheduled weekly class on Thursday evenings via WebEx.

    -The Fox School of Business (Temple's B-School) is ranked #48 by US News and World Report, and the OMBA is now ranked #9. It is a public university (this is especially helpful to GI Bill users like me, because in-state tuition is 100% covered by the VA with no out-of-pocket costs).

    -All course materials/textbooks, residency fees, a high definition web-cam, and a headset are issued to you and are covered in program tuition.

    -The opening residency is an awesome experience and allows classmates to meet and work on projects together. There are several business workshops, including an Excel orientation for advanced modeling and spreadsheet techniques.

    -All classes run in four week terms, and are taken one at a time. You absolutely cannot double up on classes, and I don't think it would be humanly possible even if you could. I finished my Liberal Arts (Legislative Affairs) Master's in a year by doubling up, but given all the homework, lectures, quizzes, etc.., at Fox, there is no way I could handle more than one class at a time. It is intense, but the sheer magnitude of what you learn, delivered in a way that is understandable and enjoyable, makes it a great experience.

    -The MBA is the exact same MBA granted to full-time Fox students. By way of comparison, if you take Penn State's iMBA, you earn an intercollegiate degree, NOT the ranked Smeal MBA. Fox, on the other hand, grants you the full Fox MBA when you graduate from the program. The same faculty members teach the classes, and are available to answer questions at all times.

    -The kicker for me is that online MBA candidates have the same access to career services and on campus recruiting as full-time candidates. Our career services director invited me to work alongside the full-time MBAs to secure a summer internship (I'm transitioning from the Army, not company sponsored - they make it clear they don't want to poach people who are being funded by their company). On campus recruiting is HUGE, especially at a top 50 school, because a lot of companies recruit primarily on campus. From what I understand, most online programs do not allow their students to utilize these services alongside full-time MBA students.

    -I wanted to touch on admissions; they are fairly selective, and getting into the program isn't a walk in the park. That being said, they will waive the GMAT if you have 10+ years of work experience, or I think if you have a degree from an AACSB accredited school with a high GPA (3.0+?).

    If you have any questions, fire away. Again, I'm in my second class so if my perception of the program starts to change, I'll update this as necessary. Again, thanks to Major56 and the rest of you who gave recommendations on schools, and who helped guide me to Temple.

    *Edit: Reading through this it sounds like I'm either overly optimistic about the program, or am being paid by the school to advertise. Neither of these is the case - I don't mean to paint an overly/exaggeratedly rosy view of the school. I have simply been really impressed with the program so far and don't mind giving credit where credit is due. If anything changes in the quality, I'll update this thread pronto.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 29, 2014
  2. major56

    major56 Active Member

    CavTrooper,

    Thank you for the [inside] program update. I’m glad for your enthusiasm /motivation as you pursue the Temple-Fox MBA. And please continue to offer our readers your experience updates (i.e., program rigor, quality, etc., etc.) as time permits.

    I wish you the very best with this endeavor. In the end, you’ll have a well-recognized MBA via the Temple-Fox brand.

    P.S. What is your ETS date with the Army?
     
  3. CavTrooper

    CavTrooper Member

    Thanks Major! My contractual ETS is toward the end of 2015; with terminal leave I should be out between June-November, depending on how the job search/house hunting venture goes.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Thanks for the post. These insider reports are often the most valuable sources of information for people trying to make application decisions.
     
  5. rallenuscg

    rallenuscg New Member

    Cavtrooper,

    Any updates? I'm very interested in Temple's online MBA, in fact I'm putting together my application package right now.
    Have you got any words of wisdom for me as I start submitting the required documents?

    Ryan
     
  6. CavTrooper

    CavTrooper Member

    Ryan,
    Things are humming right along in the program. The first class, Leadership Development, is mostly completed during residency week, with some pre-work, and post-homework. I completed that class with no issues, and have finished most of Accounting. I'm completely new to business and numbers so I went into Accounting totally blind, but it was still doable and the curriculum/instructor are paired perfectly to make sure you internalize and learn the necessary material. All of the quizzes/homework (for this class at least) can be completed multiple times to ensure you actually learn the material, and there's a final which obviously can only be submitted once. Tonight I plan to take the final, then I start Statistics this Thursday (Stats is rumored to be the most difficult class in the program).

    For your application I would make sure your resume is solid (format, grammar, etc..,), and have your essays reviewed by peers/mentors. In fact, I would find someone you are friends with who is either attending, or graduated from, a well-ranked b-school. They will be able to help you tremendously with essays, resume, etc.., I had a friend who graduated from a top MBA program review my stuff and she was very helpful.

    I'm still very impressed with the program, but it certainly requires WORK. As in, an incredibly high amount of work. The curriculum is pretty step-by-step so it's not hard to learn, but the homework and assignments are very time consuming. I typically spend about 10-15 hours per week on lecture videos, homework, and quizzes, so most nights and weekends are booked with some type of class-related work. I'm not a math guy, so I expect to spend 20-25 hours per week during Stats (the good thing is each class is only four weeks long so if it's a topic you're dreading, just grit your teeth and you'll be through it in a month). So again, I very much recommend this MBA program, but just be prepared to work hard!

    A helpful aspect is the opportunity for weekly webex sessions, where you can interact with the class and ask the professor to go over any unclear parts of the curriculum. Having such regular interaction with classmates makes it seem easier, and we text back and forth during the week to check in on each other. We are also able to throw together study groups during the week if we choose, where we can meet virtually via webex and go over the curriculum together.

    Hope this helps - let me know if you have any further questions.
     
  7. mjfischer

    mjfischer New Member

    Oops, sending this is a PM.
     
  8. CavTrooper

    CavTrooper Member

    It's been a few months so I wanted to provide a quick update. So far I've finished Leadership, Accounting, Statistics, Finance, and Law/Ethics. Tonight is my last class for Marketing, then I'll move on to Operations Management. The program really goes by quickly considering the 4-week term length. For those of you wondering, the quant classes were completely doable, and as a non-numbers guy I survived just fine. Finance was by far the most difficult for me, but I was able to squeak out of it with a B+.

    I think I failed to mention in my previous posts that there is a week-long break between each class. That makes the workload much more bearable because you can plan vacations and family trips around the off-week. Also, there is a winter break for the holidays, which will be awesome.

    If you decide to enroll in this program just brace yourself for those first three quant classes; once you are through them, I think it's pretty much all down hill from there. Law and Marketing have been a breeze so far, compared to those quant classes.

    Will check back in sometime after the new year!
     
  9. major56

    major56 Active Member

    It's really good to hear from you and updating us with your progress and insight re the Fox MBA program! Please continue in keeping the forum members and visitors posted when your schedule permits.
     
  10. CavTrooper

    CavTrooper Member

    Hey folks! Just wanted to duck in here for a second to celebrate the fact that Temple's online MBA was just tied with UNC and IU for #1 in the nation! Or at least according to US News Rankings.

    Super excited!
     
  11. major56

    major56 Active Member

    That's really something! :party: BTW, how's the Fox program working out for you? Aren't the courses set-up in 4-week durations?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 17, 2015
  12. CavTrooper

    CavTrooper Member

    Hey Major! Things are progressing really well. As you said, classes are set up in four week terms. This makes it easy for students who have busy lives to jump in and out as needed. Like for example, this summer I'll be attending National Guard military training for a month so I'll simply bow out for that class, then jump back in when I return.

    Christmas break is now over and we're about to start the spring semester. I believe once this class is behind me I'll be about halfway through the program. So far it has been fantastic - I did struggle a bit on Finance and Operations Management, but I've been able to keep my GPA well over 3.6 and now that the quant classes are all behind me I think it'll be smooth sailing. Again, I'm really glad you recommended Fox last year!
     
  13. major56

    major56 Active Member

    Hey CavTrooper,

    That's truly great news. I'm so glad the Fox program has been /is a favorable program for you. Temple is a fine university with an excellent academic record. Upon graduation, you'll have earned a MBA from a well-respected university and business school, with the advantage too of a distinguishable brand.

    It's hard to believe you're already midpoint in your studies. The time sure seems to fly by. I tell my kids this about [time] ... The Lord willing, it's going to pass either way; it's what we do with the time we're allotted that counts!

    Thank you again for the personal update on the program and your progress. Remember to chime in as often as your time permits. I truly enjoy success stories...
    :smokin:
     
  14. sealore

    sealore New Member

    Hey CavTrooper,

    I'm starting the OMBA in January and had many of my questions answered here. I appreciate you taking the time to give us an in-depth understanding of the program. I watched one of the intro videos on the welcome site for accounting and really was distracted by the teacher's poor handwriting and quick review of the topics. Were you able to easily follow along with the videos and were some classes easier than others in terms of clear instruction?

    Thanks!
     

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