From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Until recently, persons interested in advancing their education by earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree have had to participate in full-time or part-time instructional programs that normally included a "residence" requirement. That is, the student would complete his or her course work under the supervision of professors affiliated with a college or university. This instructional supervision would occur on the main campus of the school or at a "satellite" campus, usually in a nearby geographic area. The residence requirement allowed the professors to more fully evaluate the students, particularly during oral and written exams.
Advantages and disadvantages of online MBA programs
During the 1990s, with the rise of the Internet as a popular communication pathway, many educational institutions in the United States began to use the Internet as an instructional medium. These educational methodologies are known variously as online instruction, distance learning and e-learning. However, this new instructional medium came with advantages and disadvantages.
The first advantage, and the number one reason students turn to online degree options, is that distance learning makes education more accessible. According to research by GetEducated.com, the average distance learner seeking a master's degree is 36 years old and is looking for a more convenient educational system, one that can be accessed 24-7 without having to relocate his/her family to a remote college town.
Demand has skyrocketed for the online MBA since the early 1990s. In 1989, the educational research firm GetEducated.com profiled three online MBAs. Now, in 2007, their free downloadable PDF guide profiles more than 150 options offered through nationally or regionally accredited institutions in the USA. [1]
According to national research by GetEducated.com, the online MBA is the most popular of all distance degrees. [2] Not only is the MBA the most popular online degree, it holds this distinction by an impressive margin. The second most popular online graduate degree, the Master’s in Management, is only half as popular as the MBA.
Students benefited greatly, since they could complete coursework at times and places of their choosing.
Schools discovered it was difficult to have such programs accredited, both by regional accrediting associations and by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is the preeminent authority in approving undergraduate and graduate instructional programs in the field of business. One recurring problem was the lack of supervision of students, particularly during oral and written exams.
Recent developments
Within the past five years, however, a number of colleges and universities found ways to incorporate the benefits of online instruction while simultaneously overcoming the problem of little or no faculty-student interaction. In many cases, these institutions put together programs such as "75-25," which referred to the percentages of online instruction and instruction in residence. Often the student could meet the residence requirement in evening or weekend meetings with instructors. In other cases, the school would require a one-week block of in-residence instruction each semester or quarter. Institutions such as Texas A & M, Wayne State University and Florida State University assembled online MBA programs that met the strict accreditation requirements of not only a regional accrediting association but also the AACSB.
Today, in 2007, the AACSB accredited distance learning MBA is a very real creature. In fact, according to GetEducated.com's national surveys, more than 45% of all distance MBAs in the USA are now offered by AACSB accredited colleges - brand names such as Duke University, Indiana University, Babson College and Colorado State University.
Persistent problems
The demand for online MBAs grew so large and so quickly that many new for-profit players were seduced into launching virtual campuses. The University of Phoenix, one of the first three colleges to often a distance MBA in 1989, created a special Wall Street traded stock (Apollo Group) to help finance growth in the the online degree sector.
Some believe the reputation of online MBA programs is being tarnished by private, for-profit institutions that offer "no-residence" undergraduate and graduate degrees in business and a number of other fields. Critics often hold these for-profit schools to task for operating under open-enrollment standards that may at times permit unqualified and marginally qualified students to be admitted.
Some employers are disillusioned with online MBA programs and in some cases refuse to pay for them if employees are enrolled. On Dec 5, 2006, the Arizona Republic published an article which stated that computer giant Intel Corporation will no longer reimburse employees for business courses taken at schools that lack accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Research on employer's and the public's opinions on online degrees show, however, that no once voice speaks for how America feels about online degrees. In thirteen years of research probing how the public and employer's feel about online degrees the research firm GetEducated.com has come up with some interesting summary findings. The summary below appears with the permission of GetEducated.com: http://www.geteducated.com/surveys/publicacct.asp
Public Acceptance of Distance Degrees has Increased Sharply
"Since 1996 there has been a sharp increase in the acceptance of distance degrees. This appears to be related to the rise of the Internet as a delivery method: Americans trust the Internet, and therefore tend to trust degrees delivered this way more than those delivered by older technologies such as cable TV, radio, and mail correspondence."
"In 2000, 79% of corporate managers rated a distance degree "as good as" a residential option. Under 50% of corporate managers held this opinion in 1989."
A sharp rise in the number of established brick and mortar educational institutions that offer distance degrees has also heightened public acceptance. Provided an institution is accredited by a recognized agency, greater than 85% of those surveyed in 2001 believed that quality should not be an issue.
Not All Online Universities Rate High in the Public Mind
"In 2000, 79% of corporate managers rated a distance degree "as good as" a residential option. (Up from under 50% in 1989). However, this approval rating surpasses 90% when the name of the institution offering the degree is immediately recognizable to the prospective employer."
"This last factor is important. It indicates that while distance learning allows people to study from universities located all over the word, wider acceptance may come from attending what we have termed backyard brands™ - residential colleges whose reputations are firmly established in the geographic area where the student currently lives or works."
"Distance brands tied to large public university systems, such as California State University, The University of Maryland, the University of Texas System, and Indiana University, tend to receive high approval marks (90% or more) regardless of the assessor’s state of residency."
"Universities that lack a brick-and-mortar legacy, offering degrees only by correspondence, earn the lowest approval marks. People are waiting for a new generation of "Internet Only" universities to prove themselves. They tend not to trust universities that operate distance-learning programs only."
Future of online MBA programs
Online educational programs are becoming more popular and accepted as major public universities open online divisions that focus on the quality of both the students and the instructional programs. The MBA continues to be the "degree of choice" for persons seeking advancement in the private business sector.
The online MBA sector continues to be plagued by questions of quality and authenticity. The research company GetEducated.com has found, after 13 years of collecting data on online colleges and public opinion that the number one question potential students and employers have is "is this degree/college legitimate."
The key to this question lies in understanding accreditation. Most consumers do not. Internet search engines and "education portals" accept ads from any entity that wishes to advertise and presents a credit card. They never ask a potential college accreditor if they are accredited and then by whom. (Most online colleges are accredited, but by bogus agencies - [3] The dark side of Internet education includes more than 200 online college degree mills that defraud students every day.
To protect consumers the educational research firm GetEducated.com opened a free service in 2005, The Diploma Mill Police (SM). This service allows consumers and employers to verify the accreditation standing of any online college prior to enrollment or to hiring new candidates who claim online credentials. [4]
Much of the future of the online MBA sector will depend on the sector's ability to continue capturing the confidence of the public.
Source: http://www.wikipedia.org/
Until recently, persons interested in advancing their education by earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree have had to participate in full-time or part-time instructional programs that normally included a "residence" requirement. That is, the student would complete his or her course work under the supervision of professors affiliated with a college or university. This instructional supervision would occur on the main campus of the school or at a "satellite" campus, usually in a nearby geographic area. The residence requirement allowed the professors to more fully evaluate the students, particularly during oral and written exams.Advantages and disadvantages of online MBA programs
During the 1990s, with the rise of the Internet as a popular communication pathway, many educational institutions in the United States began to use the Internet as an instructional medium. These educational methodologies are known variously as online instruction, distance learning and e-learning. However, this new instructional medium came with advantages and disadvantages.
The first advantage, and the number one reason students turn to online degree options, is that distance learning makes education more accessible. According to research by GetEducated.com, the average distance learner seeking a master's degree is 36 years old and is looking for a more convenient educational system, one that can be accessed 24-7 without having to relocate his/her family to a remote college town.
Demand has skyrocketed for the online MBA since the early 1990s. In 1989, the educational research firm GetEducated.com profiled three online MBAs. Now, in 2007, their free downloadable PDF guide profiles more than 150 options offered through nationally or regionally accredited institutions in the USA. [1]
According to national research by GetEducated.com, the online MBA is the most popular of all distance degrees. [2] Not only is the MBA the most popular online degree, it holds this distinction by an impressive margin. The second most popular online graduate degree, the Master’s in Management, is only half as popular as the MBA.
Students benefited greatly, since they could complete coursework at times and places of their choosing.
Schools discovered it was difficult to have such programs accredited, both by regional accrediting associations and by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is the preeminent authority in approving undergraduate and graduate instructional programs in the field of business. One recurring problem was the lack of supervision of students, particularly during oral and written exams.
Recent developments
Within the past five years, however, a number of colleges and universities found ways to incorporate the benefits of online instruction while simultaneously overcoming the problem of little or no faculty-student interaction. In many cases, these institutions put together programs such as "75-25," which referred to the percentages of online instruction and instruction in residence. Often the student could meet the residence requirement in evening or weekend meetings with instructors. In other cases, the school would require a one-week block of in-residence instruction each semester or quarter. Institutions such as Texas A & M, Wayne State University and Florida State University assembled online MBA programs that met the strict accreditation requirements of not only a regional accrediting association but also the AACSB.
Today, in 2007, the AACSB accredited distance learning MBA is a very real creature. In fact, according to GetEducated.com's national surveys, more than 45% of all distance MBAs in the USA are now offered by AACSB accredited colleges - brand names such as Duke University, Indiana University, Babson College and Colorado State University.
Persistent problems
The demand for online MBAs grew so large and so quickly that many new for-profit players were seduced into launching virtual campuses. The University of Phoenix, one of the first three colleges to often a distance MBA in 1989, created a special Wall Street traded stock (Apollo Group) to help finance growth in the the online degree sector.
Some believe the reputation of online MBA programs is being tarnished by private, for-profit institutions that offer "no-residence" undergraduate and graduate degrees in business and a number of other fields. Critics often hold these for-profit schools to task for operating under open-enrollment standards that may at times permit unqualified and marginally qualified students to be admitted.
Some employers are disillusioned with online MBA programs and in some cases refuse to pay for them if employees are enrolled. On Dec 5, 2006, the Arizona Republic published an article which stated that computer giant Intel Corporation will no longer reimburse employees for business courses taken at schools that lack accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Research on employer's and the public's opinions on online degrees show, however, that no once voice speaks for how America feels about online degrees. In thirteen years of research probing how the public and employer's feel about online degrees the research firm GetEducated.com has come up with some interesting summary findings. The summary below appears with the permission of GetEducated.com: http://www.geteducated.com/surveys/publicacct.asp
Public Acceptance of Distance Degrees has Increased Sharply
"Since 1996 there has been a sharp increase in the acceptance of distance degrees. This appears to be related to the rise of the Internet as a delivery method: Americans trust the Internet, and therefore tend to trust degrees delivered this way more than those delivered by older technologies such as cable TV, radio, and mail correspondence."
"In 2000, 79% of corporate managers rated a distance degree "as good as" a residential option. Under 50% of corporate managers held this opinion in 1989."
A sharp rise in the number of established brick and mortar educational institutions that offer distance degrees has also heightened public acceptance. Provided an institution is accredited by a recognized agency, greater than 85% of those surveyed in 2001 believed that quality should not be an issue.
Not All Online Universities Rate High in the Public Mind
"In 2000, 79% of corporate managers rated a distance degree "as good as" a residential option. (Up from under 50% in 1989). However, this approval rating surpasses 90% when the name of the institution offering the degree is immediately recognizable to the prospective employer."
"This last factor is important. It indicates that while distance learning allows people to study from universities located all over the word, wider acceptance may come from attending what we have termed backyard brands™ - residential colleges whose reputations are firmly established in the geographic area where the student currently lives or works."
"Distance brands tied to large public university systems, such as California State University, The University of Maryland, the University of Texas System, and Indiana University, tend to receive high approval marks (90% or more) regardless of the assessor’s state of residency."
"Universities that lack a brick-and-mortar legacy, offering degrees only by correspondence, earn the lowest approval marks. People are waiting for a new generation of "Internet Only" universities to prove themselves. They tend not to trust universities that operate distance-learning programs only."
Future of online MBA programs
Online educational programs are becoming more popular and accepted as major public universities open online divisions that focus on the quality of both the students and the instructional programs. The MBA continues to be the "degree of choice" for persons seeking advancement in the private business sector.
The online MBA sector continues to be plagued by questions of quality and authenticity. The research company GetEducated.com has found, after 13 years of collecting data on online colleges and public opinion that the number one question potential students and employers have is "is this degree/college legitimate."
The key to this question lies in understanding accreditation. Most consumers do not. Internet search engines and "education portals" accept ads from any entity that wishes to advertise and presents a credit card. They never ask a potential college accreditor if they are accredited and then by whom. (Most online colleges are accredited, but by bogus agencies - [3] The dark side of Internet education includes more than 200 online college degree mills that defraud students every day.
To protect consumers the educational research firm GetEducated.com opened a free service in 2005, The Diploma Mill Police (SM). This service allows consumers and employers to verify the accreditation standing of any online college prior to enrollment or to hiring new candidates who claim online credentials. [4]
Much of the future of the online MBA sector will depend on the sector's ability to continue capturing the confidence of the public.
Source: http://www.wikipedia.org/
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