Last week, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an
article ranking M.B.A. schools nationally and internationally. Two days later, the International Herald
Times (IHT) came out with an article discussing the pros and cons of
earning your M.B.A. online.
Chris Dede is currently a professor at the Graduate School
of Education at Harvard. He had this to say to IHT: "I think that in the
very early days of online learning, people wondered if this is of equivalent
quality. But now that many programs are
established and many high-reputation institutions are offering online programs,
I think that concern has diminished."
One example of this trend is Thunderbird's Garvin School,
which ranked #1 regionally and #5 internationally by the WSJ. According to the
article, Thunderbird is "diversifying beyond the traditional, full-time
M.B.A." and offers online courses in leadership, marketing, and
management.
Ms. Maury Hanigan, who was interviewed by the WSJ, operates
a "talent-scouting service" for companies looking to hire M.B.A
graduates. She commented that companies
are looking for "real-world experience" in their candidates.
"Companies hope to find M.B.A. graduates who know their industry and speak
the language." Such a prerequisite
is breeze for most adult learners, who usually maintain their full-time working
status while earning an MBA online.
“It is my belief that online is harder, because you have to
write a lot more. You have to partake in discussion boards, and you have to
contribute significant postings as part of the grade, typically. It's not as
spontaneous as in a classroom. You're going to think about what you're going to
write," said George Lorenzo, in an interview with IHT. Mr. Lorezo is the author of the Complete
Idiot's Guide to Getting your M.B.A. Online.
Online education is helping to level the playing field,
making higher education more accessible to a wider audience. Businesses are
looking for the skills and expertise that come with an MBA to help them grow
and succeed. According to the WSJ
article, the market for M.B.A. graduates is healthier than it has been in
recent years: "Companies are hiring far more M.B.A.s -- and at higher
salaries."
Learn more about an M.B.A. degree and available online business
programs.
"M.B.A. Survey: Something Old, Something New,” was
published on September 20th, 2006, by the Wall Street Journal. "Online M.B.A. programs come of
age," was published on September 22, 2006, by the International Herald
Times.