EasyAs123 wrote:
While I'm not enrolled at Michigan, I have researched online programs / hybrid programs pretty heavily in my ongoing MBA evaluation process. I live in a great state but it doesn't necessarily have stellar MBA programs, and I don't necessarily want to uproot my life (though I am also considering options that would require a move).
I was looking for online programs that allowed a blend of distance and in-person options (I really value opptys to meet in person during these online programs), that are in the top 20 MBA rankings (i.e. Their full-time programs ranked in top-20. There are rankings for online MBA's, but to me getting an MBA from a brand name school weighs more than going to a lesser known school that has just been doing online MBA's longer), and that give students full access to career services (it seems many online programs don't offer this... UNC, Southern California, etc., not to say they won't help their students at all for career advancement/change). Of course, you and others may have different criteria that's important for your situation - these were just what I valued for my situation. Not surprising that these programs also occupy the spots for most expensive online/hybrid programs. Here are the 3 that stood out to me in no particular order:
Michigan's Online MBA
- Top 20 Program
- Travel to campus 3 times per year
- Full access to career services that full-time MBA students get
- Live classes with a few different time slots for max flexibility
CMU Tepper's Hybrid Program
- The exact same curriculum/faculty as part-time and full-time program
- Full access to all career services as full-time students
- Top 20 program
- Does require travel 6 times / year to meet with the cohort
- Live classes with 2 time slots to choose from
UCLA's FEMBA Hybrid Program
- Full access to career services that full time students receive
- This is the actual part-time program, but the hybrid schedule and format allows you to distance learn the majority of the time, while still travel to LA once per month
- Top 20 program
So, without the actual experience of being enrolled in the online MBA program at Michigan, I did find it to be a very solid online option in my research. And, having friends and colleagues that went to Michigan for undergrad, I can say that the network is extremely strong - you will not be limited in that capacity. And given your proximity to the school (with you being in the mid-west), I would say it's definitely worth considering. You may want to look at Indiana's online program too - it seems to be highly ranked within Online MBA rankings.
Hopefully this helps! Also hopefully this gives some ideas to others evaluating online programs - they're becoming more prevalent and well-respected (not to mention basically EVERY MBA program - full-time or not - in the world is online right now with COVID-19). In my research I couldn't find too much about online programs on forums and whatnot, so hoping this will be of help to others in the same situation.
Thanks ... and sorta similar to the UCLA FEMBA program is the Duke (Fuqua) EMBA and GEMBA programs (the GEMBA requires quite a bit of international travel) in that a substantial portion of the program can be done online.
But, to me, it seems like the "hybrid" OMBA programs end up having so much travel to campus that, for a little more travel (and maybe a bit more money), you can get into a higher ranked EMBA program that'll focus more on executive functioning (due to the age and WE of the cohort, vs. the students in the typical OMBA program).
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