Sizing up the pros and cons of distance learning MBAs

Technological advances have stimulated a boom in distance learning MBA programs, but are they a viable alternative to traditional study modes? Asks Kin Ly
growing number of prospective MBA students are interested in taking a distance learning MBA program, the latest TopMBA.com Applicant Survey has found. While full-time MBA programs remain the preferred choice of study, the distance learning option is growing in popularity among middle and senior managers.

Potential isolation and disengagement One of the major disadvantages is the lack of face-to-face interaction with students and their unit instructors, says Professor Kelvin Willoughby, director of MBA programs at Curtin University. Subtle human interactions such as body language and some of the spontaneity that comes with a group discussion can be lost when people are not seated in the same room, he adds. Feeling isolated from peers and being disengaged from the schools academic resources is another downfall of remote study, Mike Keighley, head of program administration and director of Henley Business Schools flexible MBA points out. However, a major advantage is the ease in forming a global network of contacts. Global business environment enhanced Some of the spin off benefits of a traditional campus MBA, such as a strong cohort identity and network, are not so prevalent on a distance learning program, but this is replaced by a global network of students, says Alick Kitchin, business director at Edinburgh Business School. The enhanced opportunity to develop an international network of contacts could place distance learning students in a favorable position to find work at multinational organizations. The experience working remotely also helps prepare students for their future careers if they eventually choose to take up positions in multinational companies, says Willoughby. The most obvious benefit is the flexibility a remote modular program provides, affording these particular students the time to work and study. However, the benefits of flexibility are more significant than allowing the freedom to juggle work commitments with the demands of MBA study. Learning while working also enables the students to put the skills and knowledge they learn directly and immediately into their day jobs. Succeeding in a distance learning program also demonstrates self-

motivation and excellent time management skills, which are essential in todays business world, says Kitchin. Many students are attracted to the distance learning option because it allows them to travel and relocate without jeopardizing their ability to obtain an MBA qualification. Kitchin says a high percentage of students enrolled on the Edinburgh distance learning MBA move around the world, as one would expect in a global business environment. Traveling with a distance learning MBA That is one of the reasons why Lara Moltoni, an MBA graduate from Curtin Business School was attracted to the distance learning option. I wanted as much flexibility as possible, she says. I was married to a mechanical engineer who frequently moved interstate and overseas. We also had three very young children. I didnt want to have to defer my study if we were moved with

my husbands work, Moltoni explains. The family was later required to relocate to Vancouver for two years, but this did not affect Moltonis studies. In the end I completed seven units online. It was great to be able to study when I wanted to. I was able to access lectures and speak to lecturers when it worked for me. I treated it very much like a job and worked about six hours a day, she says. Choosing the level of distance Weighing up the pros and cons of distance learning is just one step in identifying whether this option is the right one. Choosing the right business school to undertake a distance learning program can be tricky because not all distance MBAs are the same, says Dr Marcel Cohen, distance learning MBA course director at Imperial College Business School. Choose a reputable one. We have students who already studied for an MBA but felt it necessary to have another go with us, he warns. The amount of distance employed in a remote modular MBA program varies from school to school. There are options for regular face-to-face meetings that are as frequent as once every week. Some schools offer a face-to-face intensive option, where students work online for the majority of the semester, and are then required on campus for one week of intensive in-classroom study, led by a tutor. Others offer a blended mix of online study and in-classroom lectures, where students are required to attend in-classroom lectures and discussions in intervals of four-weeks to three-months. Investigate the quality of the institution you intend to study with and take soundings from current students on the program you are looking to join, says Keighley You will need to feel relaxed and confident about the space you will be studying in, be that a physical location or a virtual environment, he adds.

Henley Business School in the UK, Curtin Business School in Australia, Edinburgh Business School in the UK and IE Business School in Spain, are among some of the top-ranked distance learning MBA programs in the world. The number of well-established institutions offering these programs has led to

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The experience working remotely also helps prepare students for their future careers
In 2011, 10% of respondents to QS survey favored the distance learning option a 7% rise in just two years when only 3% were interested in the remote study mode. Evolution in telecommunication and the emergence of WiFi technologies has seen a growth in well-established business schools offering distance learning MBA programs. greater public acceptance of a mode of study that was once met with great skepticism. And while students now have greater choice over which school to take their distance learning MBA, these particular candidates are also faced with a very difficult set of pros and cons.

Learning while working also enables the students to put the skills and knowledge they learn directly and immediately into their day jobs

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