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Written by: Jessica Snyder
Published: 09/21/2005 Corporate Recruiters Have Low Opinion of Part-Time, Online M.B.A. Programs
According to a survey of corporate recruiters performed by The Wall Street Journal, part-time and online M.B.A. programs, though growing in popularity with students, are nevertheless viewed as inferior to full-time programs.
About 30% of recruiters polled rated part-time programs as inferior to full-time programs in building students' skills. Online programs received significantly more derision with 80% rating them as inferior including 40% calling them “not at all effective.”
The findings of the recruiters' poll are reflected by a recent study by the Graduate Management Admission Council which found that only 17% of part-time graduates of M.B.A. programs were extremely satisfied that their degree had increased their career options.
Some colleges are responding by increasing resources devoted to part-time student job placement such as a dedicated staff member to give part-time students tailored advice on networking, writing résumés, and other practicalities. Often, part-time students have a wealth of work experience compared to full-time students and require vastly different services from campus job-placement offices.
Others are rethinking their part-time and online programs entirely. Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, for example, offers a “blended” program where face-to-face interaction is supplemented by online learning.
"Interacting in a face-to-face fashion is critical,” John Gallagher, Associate Dean for Executive Programs told the Journal. "That immersion with the entire group allows the distance portion to function well."
Others argue that the future is bright for online students, who will continue to grow and prove themselves as equally competent as their full-time counterparts, and someday be the leaders of successful corporations.
"Online M.B.A.s may not have the same market power and cachet right now as other types of degrees," Mark Rice, Dean of the Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College told the Journal. "But I predict that 10 years from now, there will be top managers at companies who did an online program and who will be able to say it worked for them."
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