Good Morning, I have been working as a software developer for a few years in NJ. I am finally about to get my bachelor's degree! I am interested in business / management, and I am considering getting a MBA from West Texas A&M. It is AACSB accredited and seems like it is a good school. At approx. $12k it seems rather affordable. What do you think of this plan? I read somewhere else on this forum that getting an online MBA from a different state might not be advantageous? An online option seems attractive to me and that I don't think I could forego a year or two of work. What do you think? Thank you!
If the state where the MBA is conferred is a concern; what is your state of residence? In that online MBA programs are numerous (even AACSB accredited) … surely comparable programs are likewise offered in your home state.
Thank you for your reply. My home state is NJ. I was reading this forum and someone mentioned that if the hiring committee sees I was living in NJ while obtaining a degree in Texas, then they would automatically assume online and thus perhaps it may lose some of its attractiveness in the eyes of a hiring committee. It seems like there are no AACSB schools in NJ that come anywhere close to the attractive pricing that Texas has. Thanks again
That's only if employers compare your work history to where you earned your degree, which I don't think happens very often. I've had employers think that I actually lived in New Jersey to earn my degree from TESC; and, TESC only has ground courses for their nursing program.
Honestly unless you are getting a top-tier MBA (Harvard, Chicago, Penn, ....) for all intents and purposes they are all the same. Any prospective employer will be impressed that you have it more than where you got it from. My $0.02
If a hiring committee has prejudice for degrees (any) earned at a distance … the particular state where the degree is earned will be immaterial regardless. However, if obtaining an AACSB accredited MBA meets your academic goals while doing so within budget constraints—and if WTAMU meets those conditions … then seriously consider applying /enrolling in the program. As regards Texas—listed are a few comparatively priced online MBA (AACSB) programs available—in example: UT-Pan American (accelerated-seven week courses; $15K) Online Degree Programs | University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) Texas A&M International University (30-hour program) Texas A&M International University Texas A&M University-Commerce (30-hour program) Texas A&M University-Commerce: MBA Program Note: Remember, you cannot control a hiring manager or committee’s preconception/s regarding non-traditional conferred degrees.
Except that your diploma and transcript won't say "online" in most cases. That's the point of earning an online degree from a school that's nearby. There is absolutely no way the employer can tell you earned your degree online.
What does your comment have to do with my previous posting to the OP (his /her concern) re potential NJ hiring manager /committee online degree value /bias (e.g., the assumption being, per the OP (posting #3), that the degree conveyance method is known beforehand … not concealed, or else, not concealable))?
It has everything to do with the OP's concern. The OP is concerned that if the employer sees that the MBA was earned in another state, then they will know that it was earned online. Your response is that it doesn't matter which state it was earned in if the employer has a prejudice against distance learning. Well, it does matter because the only way the employer can tell that the degree was earned online is if it says "online" or something similar on the transcript, is earned at a school with no campus, or was earned at a school far away from where the OP was living at the time of attendance. The NJ employer wouldn't have a chance to discriminate against an online degree if it is not known that it was earned online. Read the OP's post again. This sentence clearly means that the hiring committee does not know how the degree was earned, but will make an assumption based on the degree being earned in a different state.
Everyone, thank you for your input! I would love to go to West Texas online...The cheapest online MBA in NJ costs twice as much (Rowan University)...I think there is a possibility that some prospective employers would favor thinking it is a brick and mortar school vs thinking its online...But the cost is twice as much! I have a TESC degree and while nobody ever questioned that it was online, it is in my home state. My employer will pay $6k per year so I can either A) go to west texas A&M nearly free and clear in 3 years or B) contribute $8k of my own money to go to Rowan in NJ and finish in 4 years. Lots to think about!
I think the concern over employers caring that one has an "online" degree is really overblown. In the job ads I see in my area, most employers just want to see a bachelor degree, period. It's simply something that gets you the job interview. What Employers Really Think About Your Online Bachelor’s Degree - US News
I expect we’re just from different tribes sanatone. Concealment of the degree method /source seems to be acceptable with you. Just not with me—no matter how or where earned. In my view … complete disclosure is to my understanding, the ethical path vs concealment (i.e., via omission). Besides, if the hiring source is inclined to be dubious of online degrees … it won’t matter much which state or university the degree is /was conferred—whether internal or external the applicant’s state of residence. Moreover, nondisclosure could too suggest reservation as to the educational significance of and/or value, even the academic rigor of the online degree by its holder in comparison to traditionally earned degrees (?). Consequently such behavior further plays to those few who are predisposed to discount accredited distance learning awarded degrees. P.S. To the OP (shorecc)—if you’d like … don’t hesitate to PM me re the WTAMU online MBA. I’ll be happy to answer questions you may have regarding the program.
Concealment and nondisclosure? I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. It's not concealment if no one asks. It's not non-disclosure if the job ad doesn't state that online degrees are unacceptable. Your degree is accredited, isn't it? That's all that matters. What would be the purpose of saying out of the blue in an interview that your degree was earned online? It sounds just as stupid as saying out of the blue that your degree was earned on ground. How come it's not concealment and nondisclosure if you don't mention that your degree was earned on ground? If you truly believe your degree is the same, then treat it as if it's the same.
My 2 cents: Of all the reasons for choosing one college over another, the possibility that an interviewer might wonder if I have a DL degree and might be biased against that, is very close to the bottom of the priority list (just below the school colors). It's probably of equal likelihood that if they recognize that you've earned yourself a DL degree they'll consider it a point in your favor. IMO most won't know or care.
Not much to think about in my opinion, follow the money. In this case someone else's and not yours. West Texas A&M is the most logical choice. Go Thunder the Buffalo!
Same here - you have an opportunity to earn an MBA with little to no money from your pocket. In addition, with the plethora of schools offering distance MBA's, it's easy to explain why you chose the route you did. Good luck!
There is always bias in hiring but this also applies to ethnicity, place of origin, ranking of school attended, etc. You cannot go crazy over this as this is the reality of the world you live in. Online education is becoming more accepted and I believe is more about the ranking of the school than the actual mode of delivery that counts. If you think about it, most of the in demand certifications could be considered distance and nobody is asking you how you prepared to earn your CPA, CFA, CMA, etc. It is irrelevant, you have one and that is what it matters. The same for an MBA, the main differentiator is not going to be the mode of delivery but what can you do with the degree, skills, proven history, etc. In 20 years from now, most graduate degrees will be earned online so I wouldn't worry much about it.
Check out the University of North Texas. AACSB and online format. Relatively low cost. I did my MBA there.
