Just about every business school offers online MBA classes. Even the world’s top business school – Harvard Business School, requires all incoming business students to complete online business courses on business basics “before ever setting foot on campus.” Some traditional business schools even offer the option to complete the entire MBA program online. If you are interested in completing your MBA online, you may decide to stick with a traditional school that offers all or some of the degree program online or you may decide to enroll in a program offered by a school that operates entirely online.
While the costs are basically the same for both online and on-campus programs, some online MBA programs may differ from traditional programs. Because of this, it is important to do some research on the online program you are interested in before enrolling. Remember, the traditional curriculum is still the standard in the business and academic arena. The first thing to look for in a quality online MBA program is accreditation by a recognized agency. Accrediting agencies must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to qualify for federal programs. This means, accredited programs must meet certain (high) academic standards.
The top accrediting agencies for business schools include the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Accredited business schools, technical schools and online schools may also be accredited by any of the following recognized national and regional agencies:
-Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)
-Distance Education Training Council (DETC)
-Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT)
-Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
-Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
-New England Association of Schools and Colleges
-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
-Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
-Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
-Western Association of Schools and Colleges
If the program you are interested in has been accredited by any of the agencies listed above or any of the accrediting agencies listed on Ed.gov., chances are, the curriculums will be the same. Required MBA courses are as follows:
-Accounting
-Business Strategy
-Economics
-Finance
-Human Resources
-Marketing Management
-Manufacturing and Production
-Operations Management
-Statistics
-Technology and Information Systems
According to sites such as Biz Degrees, specific course titles should include financial accounting, marketing strategy, and managerial economics. Other courses include leadership development, managerial statistics, operations strategy, financial planning and analysis, strategy structure and incentives, global economic environment, and social networks and social capital.
If you do not have a business, technical or online school in mind, finding an accredited schools that offer online MBA classes is easy. All you have to do is
Browse through sites such as Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report. A simple Google or Bing search is another option. Once you have located several schools, separate the traditional programs from the online programs. For the traditional programs, visit their online or distance education department to find out if classes (or the entire MBA program) are available online.
For online schools, check the home page for a tab that says “accreditation.” Most online schools offer easy access to this information. If you cannot find any information about accreditation, you can try calling the school. If it takes a phone call to find out about the online schools accreditation status, this might be a red flag. Good luck!
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