Wednesday, March 7, 2012

What Online Executive MBA Programs Can and Cannot Do

It is true that Executive MBA programs can help you get better jobs? An Executive MBA degree is genuinely useful if you desire to prosper in your field. But for those who have full-time jobs or families to take care of, the chance to return to school tends to be unlikely.

You may be able to achieve your career aspirations and attend your current duties through online executive MBA programs. Be certain that you know all there is to know about the program before committing to it. That out of the way, we now move on to some false assumptions people often make about the course.

A lot of people misunderstand the course to be just an easy, fast-track version of the "true" EMBA and a bargain-price version, at that. This isn’t true because online EMBAs cost almost the same per credit. True, there are a number of tuition package options from some schools, but these still do not represent significant savings.

When the yearly tuition is the same, you may end up saving more when taking the online route. The Web-based course can pose savings in the form of all the miscellaneous fees that usually go with studying. The materials too do not incur added charges because of the fact that they are provided for free online.

The typical number of credit hours asked of students is going to be around the 35 or so mark. Thus, the average length of the course would be about a couple of years. Be wary of signing up for a class, though, if it claims that it can get you your certification in under an annum.

Another common misconception is that the distance learning options are less difficult. Earning an online EMBA offers flexibility because students are able to attend classes at their convenience – perhaps during lunch break, after returning home from work or when kids are asleep. While it is true you can watch video lectures and listen to pre-recorded audio at your own time by accessing a web-based course management system such as Blackboard, that does not mean that the coursework is easier.

The truth is that the online MBA is equal in difficulty to the conventional course. You are still required write down notes, compose essays, read books and prepare for exams; you may even have to prepare a thesis for certain programs. It may even be tougher for some, especially those who are not used to unsupervised learning.

The students need not fear that there is absolutely no contact with others here, as there are actually webchats and the like. Naturally, these still lack the immediacy of traditional communication. You have to be capable of dealing with this alone, though.

Some happen to think too that Net-based classes do not differ much in quality. This is not true at all: they are different. There are frauds in the mix, and this is why you need to inspect closely for credentials like accreditation.

Be warned that a few colleges, especially the newer ones, will not show up in the USDE archives. College Navigator can be a good alternative if the school is not on the USDE list. Overall, executive MBA programs are still worthwhile alternatives for those who cannot pursue an EMBA the conventional way.



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