Earning an MBA, for many, can be a monumentally difficult decision. For the lucky few, their employers may provide the necessary funding to earn the degree or they already have expendable finances. For many others, though, the time and cost is just too much. However, Online MBA flexibility can help mitigate those difficult deciding factors.
“A traditional, full-time MBA is not an option for me as I work full-time and have rent and expenses,” Amanda Rippert says. Years after graduating from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey with a Bachelor’s in public relations and journalism, Rippert is ready to move onto her next challenge: “to now learn more about the business world.”
“I’ve noticed that many of the roles I would be interested in the future require a master’s degree,” she continues. “Mostly MBAs, but it’s also led me to look at specialized master’s in marketing programs. Most CPG’s have it as a minimum requirement. I also want to make sure I understand the world as well as business majors do.”
Rippert’s decision is achingly familiar to potential graduate school applicants that just cannot take on the demanding schedule of a full-time student. Working and residing in the Philadelphia metro area, Rippert’s options aren’t necessarily limited. “Both Villanova and Temple have impressive [part-time] rankings, and I liked what I saw and heard during the information sessions,” she says, but the significantly less expensive cost of the Washington State Carson College of Business Online MBA (nearly $20,000 less than Temple or Villanova) is also an alternative.
The Fox Temple part-time MBA was a strong Philadelphia option for Rippert. Ranked 7th overall among U.S. part-time programs by U.S. News & World Report, the program blends the already exceptional format of the school’s online program (ranked best in the world by U.S. News) with an on-campus curriculum. The 48-credit program offers multiple career concentrations, including: Business Analytics, Business Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management, Health Sector Management, Human Resource Management, Innovation Management, Marketing Management and Strategic Management.
The part-time programs at the Villanova School of Business also offers a handful of additional options. Students can complete the part-time MBA in either an accelerated or flex format, blended both online and on campus. Villanova offers an online MBA as well, which requires 48 credit hours to complete.
However, while a part-time program may work for some like Rippert, the aforementioned costs may still be too much for others—especially for international students. Earlier this year, the Financial Times revealed updated data on international MBA applicants, noting that online enrollment has seen a general increase over the last several years and continues to trend upward.
“Both the supply of online MBA courses and demand for them have been rising around the world, albeit for different reasons in different countries, says Matt Robb, Managing Director at Parthenon-EY, an education industry consultancy. Australia, for example, has long had a strong distance learning market because of people studying in remote areas. Being able to deliver courses online has allowed leading Australian schools to offer a more interactive experience for remote learners, he adds.”
“The flexibility an online MBA allows is very attractive for a generation where time is constantly being squeezed and the demands of work heightened — you can fit the distance-learning MBA around your life,” Robb adds.
As more and more of the world’s most decorated business schools add digital degree options, Online MBA flexibility is becoming an obvious alternative to full-time programs. It may not be long until potential applicants like Rippert have it as their first option as well.