Distance MBA and On Campus MBA

I notice they seemed to cater to different segment of students. Take for eg I took the MBA full time and on campus more for networking purposes and really much less for the educational value. The US$50k price tag is just for a chance to mingle around with like minded senior management.

For those taking Distance MBA, this option seems to be missing. So are you purely taking it for education or what is your aims when taking a distance MBA, just curious to know as normally MBA is considered a terminal degree.

 

Am I the only one to find it strange that while the advent of the Internet has enabled us to communicate and network with other people on a much wider scale and in so many different ways (chat, audio and video conferencing, forums, social networking sites, blogs, youtube channels, personal web-sites, document and file exchange sites...) most distance learning programs are still characterized as dry, lonely, lacking interaction etc?

 

Hi - my favoritie MBA program is from UMass.

http://www.umassonline.net/degrees/Online-Degree-Part-time-Master-Business-Administration-Amherst.cfm

It can be done entirely online but a lot of people take it as a blended program; some online, some classroom.

You did yours all classroom-based for the contacts.
Did that pay off?

 

I did all classroom based and the contacts are worth the price. I am not claiming that online distance education are dry, lonely or lacking in anyway. I am not denying that Web 2.0 does help in the interaction. But IMO nothing beats a firm handshake and chats over Starbucks and being together as a group physically to do projects and presentations.

 

Class group projects and presentations are so overrated. Unless you're not employed, what do these classrooom-based "group interaction" opportunities provide that you don't already get and learn from the real world -- from the workplace? Besides, with the advent of different forms and media of communication, why would you limit your contacts only to those in your same physical location?

 

I waver on this issue all of the time... When it came time to decide on my graduate course of study, I went with an in-classroom program, after doing a good portion of my undergrad at-a-distance. I think the physical dynamic is beneficial, but to quantify it's worth would be impossible. When I think about my next degree, I always gravitate towards the idea of distance with residencies. Best of both worlds, right?

 

Theoretically relevant content in a structured environment with meaningful outcomes for participation.

 

Such content, such an environment, and such outcomes are not exclusive to on-campus programs. Group work is similarly not exclusive to on-campus programs. Welcome to the 21st century. For professional programs such as the MBA, choosing an online program that requires group work anyway (with contacts that can come from all over the world) over a residential program (with contacts that are restricted only to those who can physically make it to the campus) is not necessarily a bad choice. Having said that, I agree that on-campus group work is very overrated.

 

Thanks, I've been here since 1982 and nobody has extended the simple courtesy of welcoming me... until now.

 

You're welcome, LOL!