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Online MBA Poll: Things I Wish I Had Known

“An online MBA is easy and a poor substitute for the campus experience.”

Ever hear that? A new survey from The Financial Times contradicts this conventional wisdom … in a big way.

This survey, which received 206 responses from a poll of “448 managers who graduated from one of the 15 top online MBA programmes in 2010,” also covered areas like networking opportunities and career advancement for students. Here are some of the results:

86% of respondents preferred studying online, with only 4% wishing they had enrolled in a campus-based program.

98% would recommend their online program.

83% gave their program a score of 8 or more (on a scale where 10 was the highest ranking) when asked about its return on investment.

48% felt their online program was more time-consuming than anticipated, with another 29% finding it more challenging than expected.

65% thought their program could’ve provided more networking opportunities. However, respondents gave their schools an average score of 7 out of 10 regarding how easy it was to network and communicate with fellow students.

51% agreed that it could have offered more activities.

59% of graduates received a job offer after graduation, with another 57% earning a promotion based on their MBA.

66% were able to apply what they learned in their program.

In short, this student sample was relatively happy with the value and rigor inherent to their online MBA programs, though these offerings still lag in translating business clubs and networking opportunities for their students.

So what did students say specifically about their experience? Although some critics charge that online programs offer watered-down curriculum, one respondent strongly disagreed: “…it was as rigorous as they warned–probably better for me in the end, but people going into a top online programme, such as I did, shouldn’t expect a free lunch on the workload.” Another student summed up the experience this way: “If you have high family obligations, you better have strong support to cover you.”

The response was mixed on networking. One respondent mused that the supposed lack of networking in an online MBA means that such a program “is probably not the best option if you plan for a radical job change, that is, from a technical position to a managerial one . . . as recruiters quickly put labels on people and an online MBA is usually perceived as a nice add-on but definitely not as a game changer.” However, another graduate had the opposite experience: “As most of my colleagues were from every corner of the globe and we were so used to being in touch via online methods, we are still very much in contact and I now have someone in every continent I can reach out to.”

However, one respondent pointed out that an online program is probably not the best option for students looking to change careers. “…internships are the main ways companies recruit. You are more likely to continue with your existing career path and job you had before starting the MBA.”

To check out the Financial Times’ newly-released rankings of the top online MBA programs, click here.

Source: Financial Times