Do Online MBAs Make the Grade

The popularity of Online MBA is soaring but some are diploma mills, making recruiters wary of virtual degrees. This article will outlines some tips for picking up a good program. Many businessmen, entrepreneurs and those who work for international businesses today are on the frequent moves; they may attend a meeting in Tokyo, Japan yesterday, meet up their customer at Shanghai, China today and need to host an important conference tomorrow at Chicago, USA. While maintaining a hectic travel schedule but wishing to advance their career with an MBA, but they are tough to attend on-campus courses; hence, getting the degree online can be the only option.

“RIPE” for Fake Online Degree Courses Many online MBA programs are designed to suite for busy people to get the advanced education without the need to put aside their career for a year of two and attend the campus-based MBA. But, as in many growing fields, cautions abound. Concerns about fake Online MBA or “diploma mills” without proper accreditation are growing. With so many online MBA programs popping up, it is estimated that nearly a million people fall for fake programs every year. What are the criteria for choosing an online MBA? The criteria for choosing an online program differ from that of the more traditional full-time one. Here are some guidelines for selecting the cyber-course that's right for you:

• Accreditation
  The mandatory first step in choosing an online MBA is to find out if it's accredited and by which organization. If it's not accredited by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), the oldest and most well-known accrediting organization, then you should look for regional accreditation. This means that the organization examining the program is approved by the U.S. government.
  
  


• Interaction
  It's the high level of interaction between students and faculty that separates a solid program from a poser. Good online programs are the ones that offer virtual classroom with guidance from lecturers. The professors must be available for online discussion and the students could also call them on the phone to discuss coursework. Some online MBAs do offer brief in-classroom periods where the students need to travel to a school's physical campus for a short period.
  
  


• Resources and support
  It's especially important to have a large online library to conduct research for papers. The best programs will go beyond that and even have an online service to help students with their writing. To find out if such resources exist, call institutions to ask about the faculty's credentials, as well as the students. The qualities of both sets of people will help determine how much you're getting for your money.
  
  


• Cost
  Just how much money you'll pay for an online MBA program can vary broadly, it may cost $5,000 to $10,000 for unaccredited programs to $45,000 for Kelley MBA. The best deals are often found at state universities.
  
  

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