Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Online MBA - Is it Worth It?

Online MBA degrees are becoming very popular with mid-career professional and older adults who wish to upgrade themselves without the need of sacrificing their family life or career. Online MBAs are also popular with the younger set who wants to pursue a graduate degree but do not want to give up the opportunities they have in their current career. Many of these people find that getting a MBA online provides the kind of flexibility to have the best of both worlds, something which the traditional MBA route does not provide. If you are thinking about getting a MBA degree, you need to do some research as knowing the basics will help you make an informed decision on whether to follow the traditional route or choose to do it online.

There is little difference between the curriculum of traditional and online programs. However, the online students will have to rely more on independent studying as they would not have that much access to professors and lectures. Some of the tools used by online MBA programs include video conferencing, video lectures and podcasting. Students will also be given access to online libraries where they can find research materials to help in their studies and assignments.

Therefore the question of whether an online MBA with no gmat is a good or respectable as a traditional MBA is irrelevant. The online MBA has the same curriculum and prestige as the normal MBA program so it gets the same respectability. The prestige of an MBA program does not come from the mode of delivery. It is determined more by the two factors of reputation and accreditation. A lot of the online programs have the same accreditation as the traditional MBA program. This means that both types of programs are of the same standard. Accreditation is a very important aspect of a MBA degree as employers will sooner employ someone with an accredited MBA degree rather than one without. Therefore, you should stay clear from any program, both traditional and online, that does not have the proper accreditations.

The other factor influencing the respectability of a MBA program is the school`s reputation. If the university offering the program is reputable then its online degree will be as reputable as well. Employers do not care if the degree is obtained online or through class work as long as the university giving it out is famous for producing quality graduates.