One of my favorite Wall Street Journal columnists, Sue Shellenbargar,just answered a question today about online MBA programs. See the WSJ for Thursday June 14, p. D2.
Shellenbarger recommends some good sites that profile and rank online MBA programs:
www.geteducated.com
www.businessweek.com
www.aacsb.com
She's got some good points: find out about the faculty and talk to some alumni. If your acceptance seems to depend solely on possession of an active credit card, be suspicious. And if they won't answer questions when you apply, what
will they do later?
I would add:
Even in the top notch gold-standard programs, your primary contact will probably be an Admissions Rep or Enrollment Manager. These folks are rewarded for making sales. Their job is to get applications, rarely to help you make the best decision about your career and your education.
In most programs, interaction with others and networking will be a real plus. But group projects present unique challenges in the online world. Inevitably students get frustrated because their work schedules, computer platforms, browsers and time zones create conflicts.
I wouldn't ask about "teacher training" unless you're prepared to go into detail (and they're prepared to share). Experienced, qualified professors will not accept appointments to programs that require extensive training. Typically this training requires many hours, yields little benefit and requires participation without compensation. A busy, experienced professor will refuse.
Instead, find out the credentials of the professors. If many faculty members graduated from the same university, raise a red flag. If they hold degrees from "independent" schools, you have to dig deeper, especially if you're seeking a PhD and/or have to write a dissertation.
You should also be aware that professors who are paid by the course will be required to earn high student evaluations in order to keep their jobs. Therefore they may resist making demands on students so everyone coasts through with easy A's. Nice - but your degree probably won't have much value, you won't be challenged and you probably won't make good connections. Students who struggle together tend to form bonds. Those who coast will pass like ships in the night.
If you must write a dissertation, ask if you will be prepared through rigorous research courses. Find out if your first paper in the program will be your dissertation.
In some programs, students coast through the courses with easy A's, only to stumble at the dissertation which is an abrupt disconnect. I've seen this pattern in both MBA and non-traditional doctoral programs.
Most important: Thank the admissions officers and enrollment managers politely but don't rely on them for information. Insist on talking to alumni. Target folks who have graduated over a range of 6 months to 2 years. Don't ask for advice. Ask for their experiences.
Compare yourself to the alums you meet.
For example: Suppose most of the alums seem to be settled into a safe corporate job but needed their ticket punched for promotion. If you're looking for a credential to change careers or be attractive to recruiters, you probably need to look elsewhere.
More: My book on Returning to School as a Mature Student .
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