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Discover Which MBA Program Best for You
www.economismba.org/mba-rankings
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Ever greater numbers of students and professionals alike are finding obtaining a Masters in
Business Administration essential to reach the professional goals they seek. While there are
numerous types of MBA Programs to choose from the predominant decision is between several
types. Traditionally, the full time, two year Masters Program, the part time and the newer
accelerated programs have been given in person at institutions of higher learning. More recently
Online MBA Degrees have been offered raising several questions about both their quality in the
learning experience as well as what they gain the degree holder in the workplace. Quite simply, is
it worth getting an MBA online? The answer as with many things is...it depends.
While the top ten MBA Programs at Ivy League and select institutions remain the 'gold standard'
that top Fortune 500 firms recruit from and expect to see on resumes for their executives, for many
these institutions are not a realistic option. While there are numerous second and third tier school
programs available, more recently the Online MBA has become a legitimate option to pursue the
Masters Degree. These internet distance learning degrees provide much of the same curriculum
and case study material one would find in a full or part time traditional program but enable the
student to work at home and often proceed at their own pace. Homework and assignments are
often emailed in and tests are taken with computerized tests.
But there are trade-offs. First, Online MBA's don't enable the student to take part in valuable real
world networking opportunities nor take part in group and one on one interaction with other
students. The skills learned during these types of engagements can be extremely valuable,
especially to younger students who are just entering the workplace and don't have much real
world work experience. In addition, much of the value obtained from a traditional MBA program is
in the intangible things you learn by from your fellow students.
Top MBA programs are renown for accepting stellar applicants from around the world bringing a
wide variety of experience both professionally and culturally all contribute to the learning
experience of the other students as well. Finally, Online MBA Programs don't usually permit the
meeting of real world professionals who they can speak with and learn from in addition to often
create mentoring relationships with. With all the limitations of obtaining an MBA online however,
there are situations in which it can be a viable option.
In situations where a student is already in the workplace and simply needs the credential, distance
learning programs are an option. In addition, when costs are too exorbitant for traditional
programs, online learning can provide an inexpensive and fairly thorough academic learning
experience but without some of the personal benefits of university programs.
Finally, with recent improvements in technology, some of the more progressive schools have
started trial programs where they offer MBA's Online with some of the benefits of in-class
participation. This enables lecturers and guest professionals to communicate with students via
Telepresence or live video through the computer. In addition, students can communicate with each
other via chat and message board systems, helping add another dimension to the online learning
experience. In summary, while Online MBA programs don't provide the panache or prestige of
traditional top MBA programs, they do serve as an important alternative in certain situations.
One should not be misled that they will obtain all the benefits of the traditional MBA through a
distance learning program, but with new technologies helping to flesh out the weaker elements,
they are progressing quickly as a viable alternative. While this might change in the future, for now
online programs should be looked upon as mostly an option for those already in the workforce who
are more interested in obtaining the credential for advancement, or for those who are interested
just in the learning process such as those running their own businesses. If you fall into one of
those two categories then perhaps you should look into forgoing the expense and time
commitment of an in-person program and consider a progressive Online MBA. Read this and other
great articles about Online MBAs at www.MBArankings.me.
Also visit our other great sites like http://www.TopTenMBA.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Levin
==== ====
Discover Which MBA Program Best for You
www.economismba.org/mba-rankings
==== ====