Talk back to Sue Shellenbarger: Online MBA Programs

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 .

MBA for a Midlife Career Change? Why not? Why yes!

Midlife career change often begins with a move to education.

So I wasn't surprised to find an article in the Wall Street Journal(Tuesday, March 27, 2007, page B10) featuring a Q&A around the question, "Should I get an Executive MBA after 50?"

Frankly, I wonder why the question even comes up. The real question is, Should I get a new educational qualification? From where? And why?

(1) Instead of asking "Am I too old," ask, "What do I need now."

For an under-30 student, a traditional MBA can be an express elevator to the executive suite. For a midlife career change, you're more likely to use your MBA for networking, starting a business, or jumpstarting a new career.

But will you get a lower return on your investment, with fewer years remaining in your career?

Who cares?

Five or ten years after completing your degree, you're facing a brand new career with technologies that weren't invented when you started out. Or you realize you've outgrown your career.

So these days any degree, at any age, has a ten-year life span at most. Midlife career change happens more than once in a lifetime.

(2) Education programs offer unparalleled networking opportunities.

As columnist Ronald Alsop points out in the above article, you can use a graduate degree for career change. It's a unique way to network without feeling pressure, bypassing informational interviews.

Your fellow students will have information about other companies, industries and professions. Professors at business schools (and other specialized degree programs, such as psychology, engineering and even music) often maintain a network of contacts.

Once I taught a class for an executive MBA program. Shortly after entering the program, student "Meredith" lost her job. Her resume landed on the desk of her classmate "Rodney." Rodney recognized her immediately, as they'd been on a class project team together.

(3) Degree programs give you new ideals.

You'll meet people and take classes on subjects you'd never consider otherwise. Most career change comes from serendipitous encounters, so you'll raise your chances of finding the best opportunity for your next move.

(4) Choose a program that's right for you.

The Los Angeles Times just reported yet another story of the perils of attending marginal schools. Your program could lose accreditation and you face raised eyebrows when you present yourself as a graduate. Read the story here (you have to register with the Times -no cost and minimal hassle):

One technique: Does the university have an alumni program? If the answer is "no," don't bother applying. If yes, attend a few meetings as a guest. Talk to alums about their success, experiences and their memories of academic rigor.

(5) For any educational program, set realistic goals and decide whether you can meet them.

Signing up is easy. These days, you'll find a warm welcome at universities, certificate programs, coaching programs - just about anything you might consider.

Figuring out the benefits? That's the hard part. Let's say your local university offers a certificate program in Human Resources. It sounds great: just four courses and you get to write on your resume, "Earned HR certificate from Local U."

How will future employers regard your certification? That depends on the reputation of Local U, the experience you bring to the table and the qualifications of your competitors.

Any of those factors could change overnight. So entering Local U with the goal of "a career change to human resources" may not be realistic.

But your certificate can pay off through networking opportunities, an extra edge if you change jobs, even a jump start to your bored professional self.

Bottom Line: You get my favorite answer. It depends.

Learn more from my ebook: Back to school for a Midlife Career Change. Download now and start moving to your dream career.

[Career Change] NYT article on University of Phoenix

Did you read the New York Times yesterday - Sunday, February 11, 2007? If so, you may have noticed a big article in the Education Section: Troubles Grow for a University Built on Profits, by Sam Dillon. The troubled university was University of Phoenix. The NYT keeps a list of "most emailed" articles. This morning, today's Times reported this article achieved the Number One most-emailed status. If you had been a reader of my ezine, you'd be ahead of the game. You would know I've written an ebook that would have warned you, "Enrolling in the wrong program can be dangerous to your career." See Click here. And -- what a coincidence! -- here's a recent article from my ezine, published just a week before the Times article: Along with a nasty editorial against the dogs-in-bars measure, our local paper directs readers to a website that lists “accredited” education options: oedb.org That website should come with a warning. Many career change clients consider returning to school for credentials, degrees and/or skill building. If you’re at a crossroads, I recommend considering this option, if only because you’ll get new ideas for your next career. But I’ve been on both sides of the desk. I was just as irreverent as a professor and student as I am now. So I encourage everyone to read between the lines before signing up. The old signals of reputability no longer apply. For example: • Some universities are “accredited” but not “respected.” And unless you know how to dig deep, it’s hard to tell who accredited your university and what it means for you. • Online and distance education have become mainstream, especially business, library science and IT. • And I used to say, “Avoid a university that advertises on the side of a bus,” but some very well-regarded schools are now doing just that. Here are five ways to avoid red flags so your time and money will pay off when you change careers. (1) Can you talk to recent graduates of the program? Any alumni office should be willing to share names of recent graduates. Some will insist on getting permission to share contact info. That’s okay. But if they tell you all names are confidential, run away as fast as possible. Graduates should be proud of their training and their academic affiliations. Training programs often promise career success, but the fine print says, “No guarantees.” I’d go with the fine print. (2) Will this program really deliver the results you want? “Tom” signed up for a regionally accredited university’s doctoral program. Thousands of dollars later, he discovered he could not get a teaching position in his local colleges. I’ve heard many stories like Tom’s. Talk to hiring managers and university administrators before signing up. (3) Are faculty listed by name and degree? If more than a few professors graduated from the same program you want to enter, look elsewhere. Diversity means quality. No list of faculty? Forget it. (4) Do you know your own learning style? Are you an auditory, kinesthetic or visual learner? Auditory learners can face unique challenges in online programs. Kinesthetic learners like to develop skills on the job – they prefer action to classrooms. If you face special challenges, such as attention deficits, stress, and/or dyslexia, talk to an independent licensed professional before embarking on your new venture. (5) Can you afford the tuition easily? I don’t recommend going into debt or taking big risks, except in very rare situations. If your company pays the tuition, go for it – but be sure your program or degree will have value if you change jobs and/or careers. Some degree and professional programs will actually drag down your resume. But don’t let me discourage you – really. Exploring programs and reading catalogs will stimulate your creative juices and help you identify what you really want, in or out of school. Need more? Of course you can consult with me one-to-one. You can also read Back to School for a Midlife Career Change Click here!