The Online MBA Boom

By Nina Silberstein

Christine Gutsch works 50-60 hours per week as a regional laboratory operations manager, overseeing eight clinic laboratories in western Wisconsin. In addition to this, she runs a business with her husband, is involved in various community activities, and is raising two children under the age of seven.

Mary Vijayapal works 40-50 hours a week as a staff accountant in Racine, WI, and has a family to take care of as well.

Despite their busy schedules, these two professionals have found the time to work on their MBAs from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

How? By schooling online.

In a survey by BusinessWeek Online in 2001, 81 schools reported administering MBA programs via the Net or correspondence courses. In 2003, that number increased by about 10, and the average number of students in each distance program increased to 81, up from 45 in 2001.

What's drawing many potential students, says David Leasure, vice president of academic affairs at Jones International University (JIU, Centennial, CO), is "the flexibility to balance work, family, and learning."

Why so popular?
There are many reasons why online MBAs are increasing in popularity. For one, students don't have to move, which means families are not disrupted nor are friends left behind. "You can earn a degree while maintaining the security of your social and personal network," affirms John Fizel, director of Penn State's Online MBA (iMBA). "Second, students can keep their jobs and salaries as they earn their degree," he adds.

Third, as Leasure mentioned, is the flexibility unique to online learning endeavors. Students have a choice as to when and where they learn, working around professional and personal schedules. One can access a course anywhere - whether it's from a hotel room, plane, or home computer - even abroad. "By having deadlines at midnight, I'm able to get online after the children are [in bed], and complete assignments accordingly," notes Gutsch.

"A traditional MBA program was not practical because of the amount of travel my job requires," says Kye Hittle, an iMBA graduate of Penn State, and now a software engineer for Sprint. "It was much more convenient to be able to complete coursework on my schedule, wherever I happened to be," he says.

Is there a typical student?
"All of our iMBA students are extremely bright and motivated," says Stephen P. Schappe, Ph.D., associate professor of management and Penn State graduate faculty member. "Students in an online program typically are more self-motivated and have greater self-discipline," he says, "characteristics necessary for a student to succeed in an online learning environment."

Perhaps having such attributes is why so many companies are willing to help finance their employees' online MBAs. "Many are 'executive MBA' quality, and are so valued by their employers that they are paying their way," adds Bob Crum, Ph.D., and iMBA instructor at Penn State. Crum says his students include an employee working right on campus, one in England coordinating weapon systems for NATO, and another in Japan doing electrical design engineering for a prominent U.S. manufacturer. "These are exciting people to interact with, and for the students, exciting people to have on your cohort team and to learn [from]," Crum says.

Students agree. And those with concerns about translation of discussion from a face-to-face setting to an online one are quickly appeased. "There was an extensive amount of student interaction, more so than you would have in a resident classroom," explains Penn State iMBA graduate Michael Kline. "We interacted via message boards primarily for class discussions in an open forum," he says. But the majority of the interaction came in two forms, he recalls. First, each cohort was divided into teams that collaborated to solve team assignments, delegating work to team members. Second, they learned and worked together in two one-week residencies on site with a prominent U.S. firm to handle large-scale projects, or compete with other teams in a simulated global marketplace.

The quality of instruction
"We require our faculty to go through a rigorous training and certification program," states JIU's Leasure. "We monitor them closely."

Penn State's iMBA requires graduate faculty status, and those who teach in the resident program are the same faculty who teach online. No additional certification is needed.

At the University of Wisconsin (UW) La Crosse campus, however, special training is given to instructors. "All of our online faculty receive training in course development and design from Learning Innovations [which provides instructional services to the UW campuses in support of their online degree and certificate programs]," says James Finch, an instructor at the school. The University of Wisconsin's La Crosse, Oshkosh, Parkside, and Eau Claire campuses are part of a consortium online MBA program. "We also actively share best practices via an informal network of past and current instructors."

So how do online instructors compare with their on-campus contemporaries?

"Most of the professors were more accessible than on-campus instructors, as most of the communication was through e-mail and message boards," says Kline.

"My professors were top-notch and very interactive in the learning process," adds Hittle. "They all had impressive academic and industry credentials that were apparent in their course content and interactions."

The drawbacks
"The primary drawback of an online MBA is the need for self-discipline," says Fizel. "Students have to be willing and able to take control of the learning process to thrive in an online learning environment."

That involves the ability to make and keep your own schedule, adds Leasure, and be able to follow through. In addition, some people prefer the face-to-face interaction on campus that you don't get online.

"You don't have the degree of spontaneity you do in class," adds Robert Erffmeyer, MBA director, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. "You need to be explicit in your directions and expectations - the first time."

As far as disciplining yourself, Gutsch says you have to be driven. "Knowing that you're going to receive an MBA degree is a motivator in itself," she says. "When you're able to take information learned in a class and put it to use either in work or personal life, that's rewarding."

Vijayapal agrees that online learning means having high standards. The courses she has taken required her to either check in with her group or with the general discussion boards on a regular basis. "I enjoyed the freedom that the online program allowed me, so I was determined to perform well. I set aside a specific time each day to [do] my homework, and I stuck to that."

Costs
Many schools price the online MBA program the same as the on-campus program, according to Leasure, but not all. When considering costs, adds Fizel, "applicants should reflect on the reputation of the institution, the quality of the curriculum and faculty, and the unique features of each program as they select [one] that best fits their goals."

And most students, including Gutsch, look at the price of education as an investment in their future. "The expectation I have is that I will gain value out of all the classes so I can immediately put them to use either in my current profession or future endeavors," she explains.

All in all, the growth of online MBA programs has been steady, and a bright future is expected. In fact, according to a Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2004 mba.com registrants survey, seven percent of respondents receive their education online, and those who are 33 years old and older are significantly more likely to be enrolled in an online program. The reasons? Respondents cited convenience, access to courses while traveling, and the flexibility to work at their own pace and within their work schedule.

What are you waiting for? An MBA opportunity is at your fingertips - literally.

How an Online MBA Powered Their Careers

Michael Kline, principal software architect, Boeing; Penn State iMBA graduate: "I am gaining more responsibility and leading the design on three to four projects instead of just one or two. As a result, I have been promoted to principal software architect [from] senior software engineer." Christine Gutsch, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire online MBA student: "My goal is to use this as part of advancement or in my networking. I also hope to promote this program to colleagues who not only work for me but with whom I have professional ties." Kye Hittle, software engineer for Sprint; Penn State iMBA graduate: "My hope in obtaining an MBA was to have a more comprehensive perspective from which to make business decisions, not just technical ones. Having recently finished, I'm exploring opportunities with my current employer and am now eligible to apply for more positions in the areas that interested me." Mary Vijayapal, staff accountant with Gordon J. Maier & Co., LLP; University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire online MBA student: "I'm working toward 150 credits so I'm eligible to sit for the CPA exam. I decided that if I was going to spend time and money earning additional credits, I might as well learn something that could help me in my career. An MBA seemed like the logical choice."

Thursday, November 08, 2007

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