University of the People Offers Tuition Free Online MBA
Free? Give me a Break. Nothing is Free Right?
The notion of a tuition-free university is not without its fair share of skeptics. Mark Garrison reported on the school for NPR’s Marketplace, “The question is whether an MBA from an untested new program will be worth their time, as many employers may be skeptical of a new degree from an online program.”
University of the People has responded to the naysayers with a press release explaining its partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi campus and UC Berkeley, which “will take on qualified, top-performing graduates from UoPeople’s associate degree program who wish to complete bachelor’s degrees.”
Partnership with UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks wrote of the partnership, “UoPeople’s mission is closely aligned with the mission of Berkeley, to open the gates to a quality higher education to every deserving student – with priority given to residents of California.” Reshef commented, “This recognition is the ultimate endorsement of the value of our degrees and it offers a great opportunity for our students.”
In addition to Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Computer Science, UoPeople just announced a brand new 15-month, 12-course, $2,400 MBA cohort. Reshaf wrote in a press release, “The cost of an MBA today is so expensive that many people who are qualified to achieve it cannot afford it.”
Current NYU Stern marketing professor Dr. Russell S. Winer will act as Dean of Business Administration of the UoPeople MBA. Professor Winer writes:
“I’m extremely proud to have led a stellar team to develop this groundbreaking MBA program over the past few years. It would not have been possible without the amazing work of esteemed volunteers, such as Dr. Gabriel Hawawini of INSEAD and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Stephan Chambers of Oxford Saïd Business School, and Dr. Alex Tuzhilin of NYU Stern School of Business, who have all helped envision and contribute to the world class standard of this exciting MBA.”
UoPeople’s MBA program will accept 100 applicants to its inaugural class in September 2016. Candidates must possess a minimum of 2 years’ work experience, an undergraduate degree with a CGPA of 2.5, a letter of recommendation, and English proficiency.
As more and more organizations like University of the People find willing partners in venerable old-guard institutions, the predatory for-profit model (e.g. DeVry, University of Phoenix) will most certainly become obsolete, opening up higher education to a diverse array of previously under-served demographics in the process.
About the Author
Jonathan Pfeffer
Jonathan Pfeffer joined the Clear Admit and MetroMBA teams in 2015 after spending several years as an arts/culture writer, editor, and radio producer. In addition to his role as contributing writer at MetroMBA and contributing editor at Clear Admit, he is co-founder and lead producer of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. He holds a BA in Film/Video, Ethnomusicology, and Media Studies from Oberlin College.
