Education Answers

Yes, there are many. Some new for-profit schools have been created but you have to be careful because they don’t have AACSB accreditation. a number of accredited schools now offer distance learning MBAs. The best ones, however, require 3-4 years of work experience to enroll in their program.

Investigate any MBA program carefully before applying. Many new ones have been started and some are worthless. What to look for: Schools’ accreditation status (AACSB accreditation or at least AACSB membership is preferred for the MBA) , tuition cost, class sizes, program length. Is the faculty mostly Ph.D.s qualified in business fields? Is the faculty permanent or part-time adjunct teachers who are not as qualified? Is the faculty well published? What are the average entrance exam scores of the students? For instance, if students take the GMAT, is their average below 550 or above 580? What are the starting salaries of graduates? Does the school have a good career placement service? How many graduates have job offers within 3 months of graduation? Do most students have 2-4 years work experience before starting the program?

Before you decide on an MBA program explore the Internet for information on available programs. There is a lot of information available in free public service sites. Some sites are limited to specific countries, such as Germany, UK, or Australia. Some list a small number of select schools, while others may include more than 2,000 MBA programs listed worldwide. You can find the program that best fits you. You can search for programs by location (US, Europe, Far East, etc.), by concentration (finance, marketing, aviation management, health management, accounting, etc.), by type of program (full-time, distance learning, part-time, executive, and accelerated), and by type of degree (MBA, MS, Ph.D). In some cases you can select your own criteria and preferences to get a list of universities that satisfy your needs.

You can find data on entrance requirements, program costs, program characteristics, joint degrees such as MBA/JD, and much more. Some sites have links to the schools’ web sites, or provide email addresses to contact schools of your choice, and send them pre-applications. You can find lists of top schools ranked by various periodicals or ranked by starting salaries of graduates, GMAT scores, and other criteria. Generally you should stay away from any sites that require you to pay to get information or that promise to find scholarships for you or ensure acceptance into a program. Before you provide any personal information to a site, be sure to read their privacy policy and make sure they are not harvesting email addresses for sale.