Need advice on Traditional MBA vs. Online MBA

sorry i have no idea about this

Hi gmatlearner,

As an MBA admissions expert and career counselor to executives and job seekers in finance, consulting and marketing, I would strongly recommend the traditional MBA.

While online programs to gain basic skill sets have increased in popularity in recent years, employers still strongly prefer a traditional MBA program when recruiting new employees.

Best of luck!

Shawn

Gmatlearner,

I'm in the same situation and I hear similar opinions as yours. However, do you know of any surveys or white papers that are available that would support this common opinion? I ask this same question to a lot of people and the answers I get normally depend on their background. In other words, if they attended or have an affiliation with online or non-traditional universities, they speak favorably of them. If they attended a traditional university then that is the only way to go. I would love to see some scientific support detailing what hiring professionals across all industries think now days.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Ryan,

I don't have a white paper or even a broad study to share. However, I have intimate experience with both types of programs - I earned my MBA in a full-time, traditional program (Kelley) and I now work in Kelley Direct Programs.

The answer truly does depend on what your background is and what your goals are. At Kelley we have found that if you are making a fairly dramatic career change (e.g. engineer to investment banking) the full-time, traditional program is probably a better fit. The main advantage of the traditional program in this case is that you will have the opportunity to get an internship in your new field, during which you will gain valuable experience within that field that employers are looking for. You will also be able to dedicate yourself to the transition. At Kelley we have industry-specific academies in our full-time program to help you make the transition.

If you are making a less dramatic career shift (e.g. changing functions within the same company, an engineer moving into a more business-oriented role on the technical side), then an online or part-time program is likely a better fit. In this case you may not need the internship or the academy-like experience. In addition, in this case it may not make sense to give up your salary for two years while pursuing an MBA. You will still benefit greatly from the skills and the enhanced reputation you get from an MBA (especially at a top-ranked school) without the loss of income.

We have found that employers look at the degree the same way for both sets of Kelley students. And the data we have indicates that the salaries at graduation for alums of our traditional and online programs are practically the same.

I hope this helps! Good luck and feel free to contact me if you have further questions.

Darren Klein
Kelley Direct Programs
[email protected]

Traditional!
An MBA is not just about that paper, it's about the DOING, the CONTACTS, the CAREER CENTER, the CLUBS.
How are you gonna meet potential partners and clients in an online MBA???

I had this same perception prior to learning more about our online program, given my own experience as an alum of a traditional program. When I was approached about working in Kelley Direct I talked to a lot of students, alums, and faculty and asked this same question. After talking with them, and now having witnessed how the program works for five years, I have not found this to be the case, at least in a high-quality program.

A high-quality online program will be highly interactive. For example, in Kelley Direct students start the program with a week (Kelley Connect Week) in Bloomington designed specifically to build relationships while working on an intense case study. Practically all online classes require students to work in teams and include regular interactive class sessions. Students in our program also have full access to the career services office and can even interview on campus if they so desire. We also have a number of student clubs run by students.

In fact, the recipient of the 2011 Kelley Alumni Leadership award is a Kelley Direct alum who is now an active partner in a new business started by a classmate he met in the program (who lived over 2000 miles away). We have countless other examples of how our online students leveraged the network they built in the program to enhance their careers.

A major advantage that a full-time program will provide, in addition to the opportunity to intern during the summer, is that students do not have to juggle a full-time job on top of their studies. Networking in an online environment does take more effort than networking in a face-to-face environment. However, it can be (and IS) done.

So again, it all comes back to your goals and what you want to accomplish with your MBA. If you are looking to make a major career change, a full-time program is probably a better option. If you are looking to enhance your current career or make a minor career shift, an online or part-time MBA may be a better fit.

Hope this helps!

Darren Klein
Kelley Direct Programs