University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics Online MBA

The Delaware Lerner online MBA is asynchronous, with readings, assignments, and recorded lectures as well as weekly “live office hours” facilitated through teleconferencing system Zoom.

“People are always concerned that the online program is not going to be as rigorous as the on-campus program or provide the same benefit, and that was something I absolutely wanted to make certain was not going to be true,”  Associate Dean Jack Baroudi tells Poets&Quants. “I wanted to make sure it was the same curriculum, the same faculty, the same learning outcomes, and the same benefits for both on-campus and online. And that’s what we’ve done, and we’re very proud of where our online MBA program is today.”

The basic program, with one major or concentration, is 44 credits, with a dual concentration degree at 47 credits and a triple concentration degree at 53 credits. Available majors/concentrations are finance, international business, healthcare, and strategic leadership. At $812.50 per credit, the total cost for the degree is $35,750. Semesters are seven weeks long, and it takes a minimum of 16 months to complete, which is possible by taking two online courses every semester. Still, Baroudi says, despite it being a “very hard workload,” some 20% of Delaware students choose to finish in the shortest possible time. Most take two and a half to three years, he says.

The Delaware Lerner online MBA program is 29 credits of core courses plus workshops, and students then have 15 credits they can use any way they choose. Majors are 15 credits, concentrations are nine credits. Most students come from a 250-mile radius, Baroudi says, and as in most online programs, most are already employed. GMAT or GRE are accepted, though they can…

The Delaware Lerner online MBA is asynchronous, with readings, assignments, and recorded lectures as well as weekly “live office hours” facilitated through teleconferencing system Zoom.

“People are always concerned that the online program is not going to be as rigorous as the on-campus program or provide the same benefit, and that was something I absolutely wanted to make certain was not going to be true,”  Associate Dean Jack Baroudi tells Poets&Quants. “I wanted to make sure it was the same curriculum, the same faculty, the same learning outcomes, and the same benefits for both on-campus and online. And that’s what we’ve done, and we’re very proud of where our online MBA program is today.”

The basic program, with one major or concentration, is 44 credits, with a dual concentration degree at 47 credits and a triple concentration degree at 53 credits. Available majors/concentrations are finance, international business, healthcare, and strategic leadership. At $812.50 per credit, the total cost for the degree is $35,750. Semesters are seven weeks long, and it takes a minimum of 16 months to complete, which is possible by taking two online courses every semester. Still, Baroudi says, despite it being a “very hard workload,” some 20% of Delaware students choose to finish in the shortest possible time. Most take two and a half to three years, he says.

The Delaware Lerner online MBA program is 29 credits of core courses plus workshops, and students then have 15 credits they can use any way they choose. Majors are 15 credits, concentrations are nine credits. Most students come from a 250-mile radius, Baroudi says, and as in most online programs, most are already employed. GMAT or GRE are accepted, though they can be waived for anyone with four years or more of professional experience.
“Our online MBA is a career accelerator, and talking with our students, they come in and do the online MBA because they know they need the MBA to advance in their career,” Baroudi says. “Now that we’re bringing the majors online, they will use it potentially for a career change, as well.”

Although I work in Delaware, I rarely went to campus,” says past MBA Kevin Triglia. “The flexibility was perfect because I was working full time. I often had business travel to China, India, Europe, Singapore, etc., and I was able to watch my lectures and complete my work normally. I did not risk falling behind while I was on business travel for a week or two. I work in a global environment, so meeting virtually is a fairly normal practice for me. Also, I learned an exorbitant amount of information. Coming from engineering, many of the topics I learned I either never considered or never knew. It was helpful to develop as a more well-rounded individual.”

Baroudi is one of the many tenured full or associate professors who teach in the program, and he points out that the online program’s faculty is indistinguishable from the full-time program. All are Ph.D. faculty “by and large,” he says, and all have either done extensive research or have extensive industry or consulting experience. “They’re not adjunct faculty, they’re not secondary faculty, they are full faculty who you would get in the on-campus program — and that makes a huge difference,” he says.

Moreover, “the faculty are very committed to their courses — they built their courses, so they make sure we’re delivering a high-quality experience,” Baroudi says. “I teach two online courses, to great reviews I must say, but the feedback is that most students didn’t realize how engaging the online learning experience could be, but also how challenging it was going to be. Many students made the assumption that online was going to be easier, and that’s not the case — but they’re pleased because what they’re realizing is that they’re getting a high-quality education from a very well-credentialed and experienced faculty.”