2021 Will See The End Of The Covid-19 MBA Hiring Slump

Perceptions of online programs are mixed depending on region and sector, GMAC found

GMAC’s new survey also took a look at online programs, finding that 50 more online MBA programs accepted GMAT scores in the testing year 2020 as compared to five years earlier in 2016. In addition, 84% of online MBA programs reported an increase in applications in GMAC’s 2020 Application Trends Survey.

But challenges for the degree persist. When corporate recruiters were asked about their level of agreement with the statement “My organization values graduates of online and in-person programs equally,” only one-third (34%) agreed. In terms of industries, recruiters from the finance and accounting industry (41%) are more likely to view graduates of online programs as equal to their on-campus peers, compared to their recruiting counterparts in consulting (25%) or technology (28%). “As online programs are clearly a fast-growing area of graduate management education, the sustainability of demand will require a higher level of acceptance by employers, particularly when GMAC’s latest candidate research suggests a similar disparity in terms of perception of online versus in-person programs,” GMAC reports.

“As business schools continue to evolve modalities and more candidates are able to access MBA and business master’s programs through online delivery, this presents the graduate management education community with an opportunity to align expectations and outcomes for graduates and corporate recruiters,” says GMAC CEO Sangeet Chowfla.

Find GMAC’s full 2021 Corporate Recruiters Survey here.