Online MBA Programs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may contain original research or unattributed claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details. |
Until recently, persons interested in advancing their education by earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree have had to participate in full-time or part-time instructional programs that normally included a "residence" requirement. That is, the student would complete his or her course work under the supervision of professors affiliated with a college or university. This instructional supervision would occur on the main campus of the school or at a "satellite" campus, usually in a nearby geographic area. The residence requirement allowed the professors to more fully evaluate the students, particularly during oral and written exams.
Contents |
[edit] Advantages and disadvantages of online MBA programs
During the last decade, however, many educational institutions began to use the Internet as an instructional medium. This permitted educational methodologies known variously as online instruction, distance learning and e-learning. However, this new instructional medium came with advantages and disadvantages:
Students benefitted greatly, since they could complete coursework at times and places of their choosing.
Schools discovered it was difficult to have such programs accredited, both by regional accrediting associations and by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is the preeminent authority in approving undergraduate and graduate instructional programs in the field of business. One recurring problem was the lack of supervision of students, particularly during oral and written exams.
[edit] Recent developments
Within the past five years, however, a number of colleges and universities found ways to incorporate the benefits of online instruction while simultaneously overcoming the problem of little or no faculty-student interaction. In many cases, these institutions put together programs such as "75-25," which referred to the percentages of online instruction and instruction in residence. Often the student could meet the residence requirement in evening or weekend meetings with instructors. In other cases, the school would require a one-week block of in-residence instruction each semester or quarter. Institutions such as Texas A & M, Wayne State University and Florida State University assembled online MBA programs that met the strict accredition requirements of not only a regional accrediting association but also the AACSB.
[edit] Persistent problems
The reputation of online MBA programs is being tarnished somewhat by private, for-profit institutions that offer "no-residence" undergraduate and graduate degrees in business and a number of other fields. Often these for-profit schools also have open-enrollment standards that permit unqualified and marginally qualified students to be admitted. Many employers are now disillusioned with online MBA programs and in some cases refuse to pay for them if employees are enrolled. On Dec 5, 2006, the Arizona Republic published an article which stated that computer giant Intel Corporation will no longer reimburse employees for business courses taken at schools that lack accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
[edit] Future of online MBA programs
Online educational programs are becoming more popular and accepted as major public universities open online divisions that focus on the quality of both the students and the instructional programs. The MBA continues to be the "degree of choice" for persons seeking advancement in the private business sector.
[edit] See also
[edit] Source
- Grant Gary Jacobsen, B.S., M.B.A.
- Former Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Northern Virginia Community College, Woodbridge, VA
- Former Professor of Business Administration, Online Division, Strayer University, Arlington, VA
- Member, American Association of University Professors
