Online MBA worth it?

Is an online program to earn an MBA worthwhile? I mean would employers look at it as a joke or take it seriously say if you had an MBA from the university of phoenix or something. If they would not take it seriously are there any online campuses that are respected out there for either an MBA program or a Masters Degrees in some form of IT?

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Comments

Munck

There are plenty of respected DL (distance learning) universities. For example, Norwich University and Capitol College both offers a very good Master degree in Security. For additional info, check out this forum:

http://forums.degreeinfo.com/

duckduckduck

I looked into that myself at one point, but the costs were outrageous! A bachelors degree from Pheonix was to the tune of $30,000!!!

That just seemed like a lot to earn a degree from a mostly self-study university. Not only that but although they are fully accredited and are indeed a lot of work, many people do not consider the degrees from them to be "real."

My 2 cents.

Munck

If you're conserned with the reputation of the universities (who ain't?), you can choose one with a regular campus besides DL. 30K$ is outrageous. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives. The ones I've looked into was in the 15K$ range.

JDMurray

Munck wrote:

If you're conserned with the reputation of the universities (who ain't?), you can choose one with a regular campus besides DL. 30K$ is outrageous. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives. The ones I've looked into was in the 15K$ range.

Does Harvard, Stanford, Pepperdine, or USC have a DL MBA program? $30K would be cheap for those institutions, and those names do look good on a resume.

Munck

Harward and Stanford both offer DL degrees. There are numerous discussions on the beforementioned forum about both universities.

HeatherO

I am currently in the process of obtaining my MBA from Un. of Phoenix online. I do feel sheepish about telling people where I am getting it from but that doesn't mean that it is a worthless degree. The MBA will cost way under $15k-I took out a loan for $18,000 and that gives me almost $2k of spending money every 3-4 classes. I'm half way through and have found this expereince to be excellent. I was a GM for a company last year and had NO time to attend any classes or be online at any specific time. This was the only option for me at the time. It is also nice that you can take time off between classes if needed. So-yes-you prob. will feel feel sheepish saying you got your degree online-but you can always simply say that you graduate from the Un. of Phoenix and leave it at that. It was and continues to be an excellent learning experience. Good luck!-Heather

filkenjitsu

University of Pheonix is not your only route, there are probably over a hundred different schools that offer the MBA online now.

lpatrick

Before you decide to pursue an online MBA, check out some of his merits and demerits on The Merits and Demerits of Online MBA Programs

The first thing many students will notice is the lower cost of an online MBA program. According to US News it typically cost around $20,500. Another big plus in the mind of many potential students is the flexibility an online MBA program offers.

The big problem facing many online MBA programs is a lack of accreditation. A seal of approval on the content and quality of a program, accreditation is a big deal in the minds of most employers.