There are not any online MBA degrees to my knowledge that would hold any clout at all against an accredited, full time or part time program. I would avoid any and all online programs unless you are talking about some global, executive programs from schools like Duke or Kellogg, etc.

Bryant,

Are you including ASU, Indiana, and Thunderbird in your thinking? These programs were recently highly ranked the Economist.

Ferma

I have a different view on online degree programs and do not believe online degrees cannot possibly match up to degrees from brick-and-mortar institutes. There are many accredited, highly regarded institutes of learning that provide a high caliber of education, and are recognized and accepted by prospective employers. An online MBA degree is the perfect option for those who do not have the time, finances or inclination to attend a full-time, traditional college. It gives you the flexibility to balance your busy life, give priority to your work and family, while simultaneously acquiring the skills, credentials and knowledge necessary for a well-paying, satisfying job.

I'm going to agree with Bryant on this one... but it definitely depends on what you're looking for and why one wants to pursue and MBA. But if you're thinking about an online mba vs. a top 15 or so school... I would say do your due diligence research

furthermore... you will have to combat the connotation (some you've experienced on this site) when you say online MBA. people will automatically think of the Kaplan's and University's of Phoenix's

justinwillims wrote:I have a different view on online degree programs and do not believe online degrees cannot possibly match up to degrees from brick-and-mortar institutes. There are many accredited, highly regarded institutes of learning that provide a high caliber of education, and are recognized and accepted by prospective employers. An online MBA degree is the perfect option for those who do not have the time, finances or inclination to attend a full-time, traditional college. It gives you the flexibility to balance your busy life, give priority to your work and family, while simultaneously acquiring the skills, credentials and knowledge necessary for a well-paying, satisfying job.

Are you a recruiter? Cuz what you just wrote definitely seems like some sort of cut and paste from an ad somewhere.

This is a very interesting discussion to have. The press has been decidedly bad lately on the online programs, pointing specifically to their recruiting habits, but that might have blemished the good with the bad.

The question is does the online MBA program provide any distinction from a recruiting perspective? I tend to agree that it will rarely win against a traditional, accredited MBA program. However, as a way to accelerate within an existing career track (no job switching), it may be worth it for all the reasons described earlier (e.g., time, money, etc). My sense is that if you are going to stay in the same business, but want to add some managerial polish, its worth considering since in this situation you will be judged on industry talent first, MBA second.

Thanks,
Aveek Guha, President, www.mbadaycamp.com