How Online MBAs Differ From Undergrad Classrooms

3) Fewer Distractions: “Being able to do the work on my own time, outside of work was amazing. For me, there were fewer distractions than in a normal classroom and no need to watch the clock waiting for the end of a lecture class. When I was ready to study and learn, I could do it then, and not on someone else’s time.”

Duriel Holley, Drexel University

“What an interesting question. I was able to participate more fully in this environment. The removal of the physical space somehow made me feel more confident. Removal of the stress of battling traffic, finding parking, and finding time to eat before class also made things much easier. Overall, the online environment allowed me to focus more on learning.”

Janine Walker Caffrey, University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

4) More Engaging: “Online programs often carry the unfortunate stigma of impersonal, cold learning environments. In my experience, this was not true at all. Since cohorts are limited to 50 students, I found the online interactions with my peers and professors to be far more personal and dynamic than those I experienced as an undergraduate in a 300+ student lecture hall. From online discussion boards to office hours, the professors make every effort to help students get to know each other and the subject at hand.”

Angeline Gross, University of Florida (Hough)

5) Teaches Students Not To Take Anything For Granted: “In our MBA program, there is a constant awareness of the sacrifices we are making to learn. We all have made investments of time and money. For example, ineffective group meetings or procrastination on homework means you are taking time away from your friends and family. We have all prioritized learning as much as we can and working as hard as we can for these 18 months. People are respectful of other’s time, ambitious, and much more focused compared to my undergraduate experience. There is real clarity on the depth of learning people want to get out of the program.”

Sarah Genelle Castagnola, IE Business School

6) More Relevant to Career: “There were two objectives I had in mind when I began the Consortium with respect to my current position. The first was to incorporate practical and evidenced-based business concepts into my own dental practice management curriculum. I’ve cherry-picked those concepts that might best assist my students in their future careers. And second, I wanted to improve my own leadership and managerial acumen to advance my clinic. Every assignment and project that required us to use our own workplace as an example benefited my organization in ways that cannot be easily measured. I feel I succeeded in both of these areas and will continue to do so going forward.”

David J. Thein, University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium

7) Requires More Endurance: “As an online or distance learning student, I have had to push myself more to be present, better understand the content, and to receive and to ask questions. It is easy to tell yourself that you’ll take a break today or maybe not attend that live class or tutorial this week because of work commitments. You’ll just download the videos and watch later, you say. The online experience is one of commitment, perseverance, and constantly showing up. You cannot raise your hand in a classroom and ask a question.  You have to immerse yourself in the material, consciously note what you do and do not understand and reach out, whether it is to your lecturer, TA, or other students across the programme.”

Candice Gray, Imperial College

8) Features Better Student Peers: “The students I was surrounded by in the MBA program were much more focused and directed than undergraduate students. They bring real-life experience of years in their chosen profession to the discussion, not something that undergraduate programs could do.”

Kurt Oettel, University of Massachusetts Amherst (Isenberg)

9) Moves At A Faster Speed: “There were a lot more group projects in an online program than I ever had as an undergraduate in a brick-and-mortar program. The online classes were also much faster (7 weeks per course) compared to the semester schedule I was used to as an undergraduate. However, I actually like that feature because I felt like I was learning all the important stuff (less fluff), and I never got bored. It always kept me on my toes.”

Hannah Hubbard, University of Delaware (Lerner)

10) Nowhere To Hide: “The live 90-minute weekly lectures take place in small intimate 12 student groups with webcams. You’re discussing case studies, homework (some professors cold call), group work – you are not passively listening to a professor reading off slides. It is not possible to hide in the back of the classroom.”

Jaap Veneman, University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

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