After you gain some experience in the business management world, it is common to want to advance your education to move up the career ladder. For many people, this means earning an MBA. But in the past, it was more difficult to earn this coveted degree because of the need to attend in person classes.
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These days, the path to receiving an advance business degree is easier than ever. There are hundreds of accredited online MBA programs that offer 100% online coursework. Many of these business programs can offer you the advanced education you need from the comfort of your own home, and in some cases, you even can earn the degree in less than 18 months.
Is an online MBA for you? Consider these seven benefits and make the call:
1. Flexible
Most people who choose an online MBA do it in part because of flexibility. Working adults usually must carefully balance their work and family responsibilities, while also trying to advance up the career ladder. Most online MBA programs offer a blend of synchronous (live, set time classes with other students in attendance, and asynchronous (archived classes that may be completed on your schedule), so online MBA programs are often easily adaptable to hectic work and family schedules.
Adding to the flexibility, many respected online MBAs can now be earned entirely online. For example, Northeastern University’s MBA at its D’Amore-McKim School of Business allows students to complete everything at home. Or, you can complete a one week, campus based residency. You even can do residency abroad if you choose.
If you are working full time, have children or are transitioning from military service to the private workforce, the flexibility of the online MBA may make your educational process much smoother.
2. Affordable
For students on a budget, there is no doubt concerns about the cost of MBA tuition. But online MBAs can provide you with great value when it comes to money. There are online programs available today for $5000 or $10,000 per year. At the same time, it is also possible to spend $50,000 per year. So it is important to do your shopping carefully.
For example, Auburn University is a public school that offers an online MBA for a reasonable $775 per credit hour. This adds up to just $27,900 – a good value for a quality program.
Whichever online MBA program you choose, you may be able to keep working at least part and possibly full time. This provides you with even more of a financial incentive to finish your master’s degree online.
3. Technology
Online MBAs deliver a high quality curriculum to students all over the country and world. Thus, the typical online MBA program is on the cutting edge of business technology. Online business school learning technology offers major advantages to MBA students. First you will increase your understanding of current business technology by using it every day. This technology also makes your education more easily compatible with your personal needs and busy schedule.
Current online MBA platforms such as Adobe and ANGEL make online learning more effective and interactive. Further, many online MBA programs offer excellent technical support to help students handle any problems that crop up.
A good example of the possibilities is the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University. It features its own eLearning Portal that is known as GLEAN. There students may access many helpful, interactive tools that improve their educational experience:
- Google Docs functionality allowing students to share and edit files at the same time. This is very useful for group MBA projects with students spread all over the country and world.
- VoiceThread and Join.Me for online meetings with students and professors in real time. These tools also are useful for presentation and feedback sessions.
- Yammer allows students to interact and connect with other MBA students, staff and alumni.
- Sakai to obtain daily course materials, turn in homework, and see feedback and grades from instructors.
Becoming fluent in technology as it applies to business is important for your career. An online MBA will provide you with valuable experience in this area.
4. Diverse
Online MBAs today are highly adaptable to many needs and backgrounds. If it is valuable for you to learn from a variety of people, going with an online MBA could be a great choice.
A good example is the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, there have been students in the program that include Fortune 500 managers, including people working at Cisco and Apple, Air Force pilots and law school degree graduates. There is an array of specialties under the business umbrella, and connecting with MBA students of different ages, backgrounds and experiences will help you to develop your personal and professional outlook in the years to come.
5. Global
Online MBA programs have grown dramatically in prestige over the past 10 years. One of the reasons is many strive to attract as many strong international students as possible. Some of the best online MBA programs offer a variety of international business immersion programs. Some schools have even set up satellite campuses in other countries. As you will not generally see your classmates daily, connecting with other faculty and students in international settings can make a big impact upon your education.
The University of North Carolina’s online MBA program provides four global learning immersions each year. You have the chance to travel to major business cities around the globe. Recently, UNC students traveled to Istanbul, Mumbai and Johannesburg. If you desire to expand your business contacts globally, going online could be the right move.
6. Choice
If you have looked at a traditional MBA in your area, you may have a choice of one or two universities. When you choose an online MBA, you can literally choose from hundreds of schools. This opportunity to expand your choices can lead to many more educational opportunities that can improve your future salary and skill level.
For example, Southern New Hampshire University offers many online MBA specialties that are not available at campus based programs, such as criminal justice, community economic development, engineering management, forensic accounting, quantitative analysis, Six Sigma, social media, and sport management online.
7. Accreditation
As online business degree programs have grown in stature and quality, more and more of them are earning program accreditation from prestigious accrediting bodies. For example, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business or AACSB is the most well-known business program accreditation body in the world. It now has accredited hundreds of quality, online MBA programs. This rigorous accreditation process tells you that the degree program is high quality and will be valued by potential hiring companies.
Adding all of these benefits, it is clear that obtaining your online MBA can be the ticket to earning a highly marketable and valuable education that can really accelerate your career and MBA salary potential.
