Hello to all my fellow copreneurs! This week will be a really interesting week for the both of us. Time was already scarce, and now I’m adding one more thing to the plate. This Thursday I begin the first day of class at Brenau University. A couple of months ago I was accepted into their MBA program for Project Management. I searched high and low for the program that best suited my needs and limitations and I found the perfect match in Brenau. I was already enrolled at Mercer University in their MBA program, but due to the nature of my job and the extremely high possibility for travel, I decided to look for a program which would allow me to set my own schedule and work towards my MBA no matter where on earth I was. I have found that online programs tend to be more flexible, inexpensive, less rigid around GMAT scores, and require no driving. And lets face it…a full tank of gas these days costs about as much as a one MBA class! (lol) Below are some of the criteria I found absolutely necessary to consider before committing to a program.
1. Accreditation – Always, Always, Always look for accredited programs! Attending an accredited school is imperative to ensuring that your diploma is recognized as legitimate once you graduate. These are some of the sites that I found helpful as I researched accreditation: AACSB, SACS, DETC. Education is extremely important to many, but we all don’t have the time or finances to earn an MBA. Be careful to avoid diploma mills that award diplomas with little to no academic study and are not recognized by educational accrediting bodies.
2. Program of study – Make sure that the program of study you choose fits your interests and is relevant to the career path you have chosen. Also, choose a degree that gives you a foundation as close to your personal and professional values as possible. This way should you decide to make a career change, your degree still maintains some relevancy.
3. Payment plans – Graduate financial assistance isn’t as abundant as it is for undergraduate programs. And if you are like myself, your job may not offer tuition reimbursement. There is still hope. Most schools offer payment plans for a nominal fee. I highly recommend this approach. It allows you to fit school into your budget and financially pace yourself.
4. Cost – Call me old fashioned or cheap if you want, but I don’t believe you should pay an arm and a leg if you are not surrounded by four walls, consume any oxygen, or have to stare at a balding guy wearing a tweed jacket with elbow patches. Therefore, look for programs that are less expensive than brick-and-mortar schools. There are plenty of accredited programs less than 20K out there, you just have to look.
5. Group project centered – Most MBA programs are group-centered. To avoid any unpleasant surprises that you aren’t able to commit to, find out if there is a group project element to your program. Requirements range from online group discussions to in person group assignments.
6. Time Commitment – Most school have a policy about the amount of days per week you must log on for attendance purposes. Make sure to find out if your school has these types of requirements. Failure to comply could result in being dropped from the class.
7. On campus graduation – This isn’t so much of a requirement as it is a nice treat. Check with the schools of interests to see if you are able to participate in their graduation ceremonies. Every school that I researched allowed distance learning students to participate in their commencement ceremony. This element truly gives online students the best of both worlds. I know I am participating in my graduation!
This is by far not a complete list of qualities to look for when in search of an online program, but its definitely a great start. Hope this information helps at least one person. If you decided to pursue an online degree, keep us posted on your progress at: info@bizzyness.com.
Tags: AACSB, Accreditation, Bizzyness, Brenau University, Copreneur, DETC, GMAT, MBA, Mercer Universtiy, Project Management, SACS
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