When I was young, my father made a point about the importance of looking at things from other points of view. He believed strongly in Dr. King’s dream that all people should judged by their character and work, not their race, creed, gender or any superficial aspect. I was a bit disappointed, therefore, to find his ideals a bit inconstant when I told him about my fiancé, shortly after I proposed to her. My wife, you see, is of a different race, and while in theory my father was a man of broad mind, in the actual event he was far narrower in his tolerance. As time passed, he came to respect my wife and when we had a daughter he was delighted, but I recall the incident as an example of the distance between ourselves and whom we would like to be. I have met some very fine people in my lifetime, some of whom were people of great integrity, courage and ideals, and some who dismayed me with their attitudes and behavior. I notice that as I got to know people better, while some were clearly better or worse in their morals and actions, none were completely worthless and no one was perfect. Also, some people whom I could not stand in one way, were good people in others. You have to really get to know the person to see more than one dimension of their character, and over time many of us learn from mistakes and our judgment and behavior improve. That should not really surprise anyone; the whole automobile insurance industry is predicated on the belief that experienced drivers are generally safer and better risks than new drivers, and that education and time will improve the skills and habits.
I have also learned that some folks have to find things out the hard way. Having just completed my MBA, I went looking around for advice on the classes I still need to take in order to sit for my CPA license. Along the way, I found an interesting website which had a number of college forums. I visited the section on business schools, and found some lively discussions, including a number of prolific members with strong opinions but poor experience. It’s fascinating in a way, how people will voice an opinion on something they have never done and about which they really know very little. Part of that, I suspect, is the attraction of online forums, where you can writer as long a post as you please without fear of interruption. Sure, you may get a sharp retort, but the thing there is that it comes in response to your article or comment, and that means you are making things happen. In blogging, that’s pretty cool, but it’s far less cool when politicians start doing it.
Laws. There’s no doubt that we need them, but at some point they get to be burdensome, especially when the guys passing the laws make sure that they are not forced to abide by those laws. And at some point they become unreasonable, ridiculous, and cross the line into tyranny. Take the seat-belt law, for example. I’m all in favor of people wearing seat belts, they are a great invention. But a law requiring everyone to wear a seat belt? That, to me, is over the line. Think about it – if I have an accident and I am stupid enough to not wear a seat belt, who does that hurt besides myself? It does not increase the danger of the situation for other drivers or pedestrians, or the public at large. So what is that law meant to do? It’s a law meant to keep us safe. That may sound good, but nowhere in the federal or any state Constitution does it say that the government can pass laws in order to make us safer from ourselves. That’s why it makes no sense to ban trans-fats. Yes, it’s stupid to gorge on things that will give you a heart attack, but the government has no business choosing the meals of honest citizens. It’s one thing and a good idea to require restaurants to tell is what’s in their foods, so we can make informed decisions, but quite another to tell us we cannot make those choices ourselves.
The government passes more and more laws every year, and for what? Some of them are necessary, but in truth most are not at all necessary, and more and more of them take away our choices in order to protect us from the consequences of those choices. The thing is, if we are not allowed to make our choices, to face natural limits to what we can do and to see the direct consequences of our actions, instead being told by the nanny state that others will decide for us, then how do we learn? People today decry what they see as environmental threats, but they fail to realize that humans have faced such threats before – efforts to eradicate rats began when it was discovered that they carried plague, sanitation of the water supply began when it was discovered (then forgotten and later rediscovered) that there was a way to provide a clean water supply and remove foul waste, and coal was largely replaced with oil as the new energy source proved more efficient and cleaner. All of this happened without a single environmentalist agency. We are quite capable to seeing and addressing our needs through our own faculties and efforts, if only the government would stop pretending we cannot. Our economic markets can repair themselves, indeed history shows they always have, if only the government would stop borrowing generations of future earnings to try to create a solution by artifice. And the voters can be trusted to find and support the best candidates and political platform, there is no need or cause to keep presenting us with a PR-spun packaged candidate as fake as the late MJ’s nose.
We will make mistakes, to be sure. Some of them will be huge blunders, and that’s a fact. But that’s how we learn, and for all the best intentions of government, it’s more than time for these esteemed politicians to stop spending our children’s future, stop pretending they can control everything and prevent any bad news, and just go home to do some honest work. They do far more harm than good, and it’s apparent they are learning nothing themselves.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Nasty Politics
The word “nasty” was first used somewhere around 1400 CE, probably derived from the Old French word nastre which meant something bad and strange. But when used in conjunction with politics, the word ‘nasty’ puts me in mind of the political cartoonist Thomas Nast. Nast was the most famous cartoonist of the 19th Century, and is commonly regarded as the man who affixed to the Republican and Democratic political parties their mascot animals of elephant and donkey, respectively. Nast built his reputation and success on political attacks in his cartoons. His most common theme was to cast a well-known politician as a crook or predatory animal. That’s not to say that many of Nast’s targets were not the villains he cast, but Nast’s cartoons were effective partly because there was no forum for debate, no available recourse for the target – if the public believed the cartoon, you were toast. While many political historians lionize Nast, it should be remembered that he introduced a new dimension to character assassination, legitimizing the caricature of people as inhuman monsters in order to persuade his audience, without any sort of debate on the facts or evidence. In many ways, the rants of Michael Moore and Keith Olbermann simply carry on the tradition of Thomas Nast, the petty venom of Peggy Noonan and George Will carry on the same behavior of an earlier flame-thrower from their party (Nast was an important player in Lincoln’s 1864 re-election, and he was particularly savage in his malignment of George McLelland).
To some degree, such artists of malice are an evil we must endure; the same protection of freedom which allows one idiot to dress up as Hitler and stomp down a street on the one hand, allows David Letterman to prove himself a moronic misogynist and thug on a nightly basis on the other. But a line has been crossed when elected officials act in such manner. Without naming names, it is sadly obvious that the political world has degenerated to such a condition. We now have the closest thing to one-party rule with deliberate public disparagement of all disagreement for the first time in two generations. And as long as the public puts up with such behavior, it will remain the new standard, or become even fouler.
To some degree, such artists of malice are an evil we must endure; the same protection of freedom which allows one idiot to dress up as Hitler and stomp down a street on the one hand, allows David Letterman to prove himself a moronic misogynist and thug on a nightly basis on the other. But a line has been crossed when elected officials act in such manner. Without naming names, it is sadly obvious that the political world has degenerated to such a condition. We now have the closest thing to one-party rule with deliberate public disparagement of all disagreement for the first time in two generations. And as long as the public puts up with such behavior, it will remain the new standard, or become even fouler.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Education in Context
Going back to school to earn my MBA and pursue my CPA license gave me an interesting opportunity to revisit the way students think about their education. I had forgotten, frankly, the many assumptions students have about the effort needed to succeed and the worth of their degrees. As I entered my final semester at UHV and chatted with classmates in our capstone Strategic Management course, I was a bit surprised to find how many expected their degree to somehow automatically produce good job offers for them, even as the recesssion continued. Some of that, I think, goes back to the way students have lived up to a certain age – through the first 18 years of life, everything happens more or less in predictable fashion. Finish tenth grade, move on to eleventh grade, get the summer job one year, decide whether to go back there or try something new the next summer, because there’s always summer work, et cetera.
What also surprised me, though, were more experienced people like myself who returned to school and seemed to believe that their new degree would open new opportunities for them, in a fashion not very different from the kids. You’d think that a few years in reality would remind a person that the degree is a tool, and while it can be very useful or even critical to success, you have to use it effectively to get results, and your success depends on your work, your ability, and your opportunity. I spend a lot of time asking God to give me some of that third quality. Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand in this world, and that includes a degree from even the best university. I read earlier this spring in BusinessWeek that even some graduates from the Harvard Business School were unable to find job offers. That’s a real wake-up call for anybody, but that snooze button is more popular.
When I first became a manager, I hated marketing and sales. Not that they are bad in themselves, I just had no taste for them and wanted to work without having to sell things. Reality taught me, however, that you have to sell things all through your life, and if you don’t learn to sell then you are cheating yourself. Product number 1 is You. The package is how you portray yourself and your work, and your resume is the printed ad. And the degree(s) you earn are features you offer. I mentioned some time back that I chose to go to a lower-profile business school not only because of price and convenience, but also because I have established my resume to the point that a fancy school would not significantly improve my offers. That does not mean that prestige has no value, but you’d better think hard about what you have to put in and what you hope to get back, and how it will work.
The big jump from high school to college is not just that the work gets harder and much different in form and style, but also that you choose your school, your classes, the number of classes, and of course your major, concentration, or focus. And as you work your way through the degree plan, you may well make changes and adjustments to your plan. Some people even change their school, either upgrading to a more prestigious school or changing for other reasons, like distance or personal comfort. What is important here is to understand that earning your degree is meant to outfit you for the life ahead, at least to equip you with the tools to succeed in your work.
Basically, here’s how I see college programs and degrees in terms of work value. Before I start, I want to remind you that you should always get more than one or two opinions on this sort of thing, even if you completely agree with one person’s position:
School
Top-Tier for Specialty: If you can afford it and have the ability to handle a difficult and strenous curriculum, you should consider applying to the top school in your chosen field. It will be hard to get in, and such schools will drain you in the pursuit of your degree. However, earning your degree from the school generally acknowledged to be the best will help you get not only offers when you graduate, but better ones. The chief caveat here, aside from the cost and making sure you can handle the work, is to get a very wide input of opinion; for every school that is truly the best in its field, another six will claim to be as good.
Regional Leader: If you ask around, you should be able to find out which school is the best-respected overall in your part of the state. If you cannot afford or receive entry into the top school for your field, or if you are unsure about your field, it’s generally a good idea to go to the best-known school in your area.
Major State: Most college students go to a big state university, for the obvious reason that such schools tend to be reasonable in cost, have a respectable reputation, and are not excessively difficult. A nice, safe, average road to travel.
Prestigious Private: There was a time when I would have said this was a smart road, a way to stand out without obscenely high cost or difficulty. Now, I am not so sure. Private schools cost more than public schools as a rule, but from speaking with managers and executives I have found that private school graduates do not impress any more than public school graduates, except for top schools in a certain field. So, if you are considering going to a private school in your area that is not specifically known for excellence in the area in which you wish to major, you might want to rethink your plan.
Common State: The old stand-by, the closest large school. This has the advantages of being relatively inexpensive and not all that hard to graduate, but it also looks the part. The biggest problem is that there are a lot of schools that look like a student settled for them when they could not get into their first or second choice. And yes, your resume might look like that as well when you try to go find a good job with a degree from Boring State U.
Small Private: This is one to avoid. If a school is private but can’t point to any good reason you should pay more to go there than a public school, leave it well alone.
Corporation U: By that tag, I mean the for-profit schools which try to sell you on the idea that their degrees will change your life and be just as good as the schools your parents knew and might have gone to. The good news, is that many of these schools are accredited, they offer flexible schedules and they have a lot of students. The bad news is that businesses do not regard degrees from these schools as equal to a “real” degree. Sure it’s prejudice, but it’s also reality.
Diploma Mill: I should not have to mention these places, but they pop up so much I feel I had better say something. In short, here it is – your degree is bascialy worth the work you put into earning it. There’s no educational value to “life experience”, if you put one of these on your resume you will be discovered sooner or later, and when it does your career will be ruined. Diploma mills are like prostitutes; you should not be tempted, but if you are for some reason, remember what can go wrong for that one bad decision.
The next part is the sort of Degree you earn:
Associates:
The Associates degree is useful if – and only if – you then continue on to at least a Bachelor’s degree. No major employer is impressed with an Associate’s degree.
Certification: This can be useful or worthless. A certificate is nowhere near a degree, at best it represents a small set of courses, ususally fewer than five, in a specific category of study. However, for some jobs certification is an advantage if it applies to the work.
Bachelor of Arts: It’s commonly said that what took a high school diploma in the 1960s, needs a Bachelor’s Degree today. But there are two general flavors of Bachelor’s degree, and the B.A. is clearly the weak sister on this level. The reason for this, is that the majors which lead to a B.A. degree are generally less practical than those which lead to a Bachelor of Science degree. Also, some majors allow for either a B.A. or B.S., but require more work for the B.S. degree. The B.A. is best when it leads to a more advanced degree.
Bachelor of Science: This degree is the basic tool for an effective education that leads to gainful employment (I include the B.B.A. in this category). The Bachelor of Science degree represents real world at an established standard level of proficiency, and it also can serve as the foundation for further degrees.
Masters Degree: The Masters degree takes your studies to the next level, but also discriminates against general knowledge. That is, a Masters degree in a subject focuses on the concentration more than does the Bachelor’s degree, so there is less flexibility. That is, a Master’s in one subject will not qualify you for jobs requiring a Master’s in a different area.
Master of Business Administration: The M.B.A. is the premier degree for business professionals. That said, if the job specifies a different degree, such as a Masters in Accountancy, the M.B.A. will probably not meet the requirement.
Doctorate: An effective degree for teaching, research, and government positions. Otherwise, not likely to be worth the effort, except in specialized fields like Medicine or Law.
What also surprised me, though, were more experienced people like myself who returned to school and seemed to believe that their new degree would open new opportunities for them, in a fashion not very different from the kids. You’d think that a few years in reality would remind a person that the degree is a tool, and while it can be very useful or even critical to success, you have to use it effectively to get results, and your success depends on your work, your ability, and your opportunity. I spend a lot of time asking God to give me some of that third quality. Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand in this world, and that includes a degree from even the best university. I read earlier this spring in BusinessWeek that even some graduates from the Harvard Business School were unable to find job offers. That’s a real wake-up call for anybody, but that snooze button is more popular.
When I first became a manager, I hated marketing and sales. Not that they are bad in themselves, I just had no taste for them and wanted to work without having to sell things. Reality taught me, however, that you have to sell things all through your life, and if you don’t learn to sell then you are cheating yourself. Product number 1 is You. The package is how you portray yourself and your work, and your resume is the printed ad. And the degree(s) you earn are features you offer. I mentioned some time back that I chose to go to a lower-profile business school not only because of price and convenience, but also because I have established my resume to the point that a fancy school would not significantly improve my offers. That does not mean that prestige has no value, but you’d better think hard about what you have to put in and what you hope to get back, and how it will work.
The big jump from high school to college is not just that the work gets harder and much different in form and style, but also that you choose your school, your classes, the number of classes, and of course your major, concentration, or focus. And as you work your way through the degree plan, you may well make changes and adjustments to your plan. Some people even change their school, either upgrading to a more prestigious school or changing for other reasons, like distance or personal comfort. What is important here is to understand that earning your degree is meant to outfit you for the life ahead, at least to equip you with the tools to succeed in your work.
Basically, here’s how I see college programs and degrees in terms of work value. Before I start, I want to remind you that you should always get more than one or two opinions on this sort of thing, even if you completely agree with one person’s position:
School
Top-Tier for Specialty: If you can afford it and have the ability to handle a difficult and strenous curriculum, you should consider applying to the top school in your chosen field. It will be hard to get in, and such schools will drain you in the pursuit of your degree. However, earning your degree from the school generally acknowledged to be the best will help you get not only offers when you graduate, but better ones. The chief caveat here, aside from the cost and making sure you can handle the work, is to get a very wide input of opinion; for every school that is truly the best in its field, another six will claim to be as good.
Regional Leader: If you ask around, you should be able to find out which school is the best-respected overall in your part of the state. If you cannot afford or receive entry into the top school for your field, or if you are unsure about your field, it’s generally a good idea to go to the best-known school in your area.
Major State: Most college students go to a big state university, for the obvious reason that such schools tend to be reasonable in cost, have a respectable reputation, and are not excessively difficult. A nice, safe, average road to travel.
Prestigious Private: There was a time when I would have said this was a smart road, a way to stand out without obscenely high cost or difficulty. Now, I am not so sure. Private schools cost more than public schools as a rule, but from speaking with managers and executives I have found that private school graduates do not impress any more than public school graduates, except for top schools in a certain field. So, if you are considering going to a private school in your area that is not specifically known for excellence in the area in which you wish to major, you might want to rethink your plan.
Common State: The old stand-by, the closest large school. This has the advantages of being relatively inexpensive and not all that hard to graduate, but it also looks the part. The biggest problem is that there are a lot of schools that look like a student settled for them when they could not get into their first or second choice. And yes, your resume might look like that as well when you try to go find a good job with a degree from Boring State U.
Small Private: This is one to avoid. If a school is private but can’t point to any good reason you should pay more to go there than a public school, leave it well alone.
Corporation U: By that tag, I mean the for-profit schools which try to sell you on the idea that their degrees will change your life and be just as good as the schools your parents knew and might have gone to. The good news, is that many of these schools are accredited, they offer flexible schedules and they have a lot of students. The bad news is that businesses do not regard degrees from these schools as equal to a “real” degree. Sure it’s prejudice, but it’s also reality.
Diploma Mill: I should not have to mention these places, but they pop up so much I feel I had better say something. In short, here it is – your degree is bascialy worth the work you put into earning it. There’s no educational value to “life experience”, if you put one of these on your resume you will be discovered sooner or later, and when it does your career will be ruined. Diploma mills are like prostitutes; you should not be tempted, but if you are for some reason, remember what can go wrong for that one bad decision.
The next part is the sort of Degree you earn:
Associates:
The Associates degree is useful if – and only if – you then continue on to at least a Bachelor’s degree. No major employer is impressed with an Associate’s degree.
Certification: This can be useful or worthless. A certificate is nowhere near a degree, at best it represents a small set of courses, ususally fewer than five, in a specific category of study. However, for some jobs certification is an advantage if it applies to the work.
Bachelor of Arts: It’s commonly said that what took a high school diploma in the 1960s, needs a Bachelor’s Degree today. But there are two general flavors of Bachelor’s degree, and the B.A. is clearly the weak sister on this level. The reason for this, is that the majors which lead to a B.A. degree are generally less practical than those which lead to a Bachelor of Science degree. Also, some majors allow for either a B.A. or B.S., but require more work for the B.S. degree. The B.A. is best when it leads to a more advanced degree.
Bachelor of Science: This degree is the basic tool for an effective education that leads to gainful employment (I include the B.B.A. in this category). The Bachelor of Science degree represents real world at an established standard level of proficiency, and it also can serve as the foundation for further degrees.
Masters Degree: The Masters degree takes your studies to the next level, but also discriminates against general knowledge. That is, a Masters degree in a subject focuses on the concentration more than does the Bachelor’s degree, so there is less flexibility. That is, a Master’s in one subject will not qualify you for jobs requiring a Master’s in a different area.
Master of Business Administration: The M.B.A. is the premier degree for business professionals. That said, if the job specifies a different degree, such as a Masters in Accountancy, the M.B.A. will probably not meet the requirement.
Doctorate: An effective degree for teaching, research, and government positions. Otherwise, not likely to be worth the effort, except in specialized fields like Medicine or Law.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #10 The University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota finished in tenth place among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
The University of North Dakota was founded in 1883. An interesting bit of trivia, is that the University was named for North Dakota six years before the territory was named as the state of North Dakota.
UND offers only one MBA degree but says it is “interdisciplinary".
UND’s MBA requires 32 hours of coursework (11 classes). The curriculum requires a minimum two years to complete.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of UND’s MBA students is 566.5. UND says the minimum accepted GMAT score is 500.
Tuition at UND for all students is $244.75 per semester hour, plus $52.74 per credit hour mandatory fees, $50.00 per credit hour for online fee, tallying $347.49 per semester hour. Therefore a student will pay $11,120 in tuition and fees for an MBA from UND. Add in books, and a student will pay about $13,320 for a UND MBA.
According to the AACSB, 102 of 1,744 total students at UND are MBA students (05.8%).
The University of North Dakota was founded in 1883. An interesting bit of trivia, is that the University was named for North Dakota six years before the territory was named as the state of North Dakota.
UND offers only one MBA degree but says it is “interdisciplinary".
UND’s MBA requires 32 hours of coursework (11 classes). The curriculum requires a minimum two years to complete.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of UND’s MBA students is 566.5. UND says the minimum accepted GMAT score is 500.
Tuition at UND for all students is $244.75 per semester hour, plus $52.74 per credit hour mandatory fees, $50.00 per credit hour for online fee, tallying $347.49 per semester hour. Therefore a student will pay $11,120 in tuition and fees for an MBA from UND. Add in books, and a student will pay about $13,320 for a UND MBA.
According to the AACSB, 102 of 1,744 total students at UND are MBA students (05.8%).
Friday, July 03, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #9 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs finished in ninth place among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
UCCS was founded in 1965 as an extension of the University of Colorado system.
UCCS allows students to earn their MBA in face-to-face classes or online as they choose; the courses are identical. Degree specializations are Finance, General Business, Health Care Administration, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing, Project Management, Space Systems Management, and Technology Management.
The curriculum requires 12 courses for 36 hours of work, to be taken in 18 to 60 months, but usually completed in 2 or 3 years.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of UCCS’s MBA students is 555. UCCS says the average GMAT score for its students is 550.
Tuition and fees at UCCS vary by the number of hours taken per semester. Since the school recommends 2 or 3 years, the average of 30 months for the 12 courses, or 6 hours per semester is used here. The tuition for Colorado residents is $2,929 for six hours of courses, and $5,879 for non-residents. Therefore a Colorado resident will pay about $8,827 in tuition and fees for an MBA from UCCS, while a non-resident will pay $17,677 in tuition and fees. Add in books, and a Colorado resident will pay about $11,227 for an MBA from UCCS, and a non-resident will pay about $20,077 for an MBA from UCCS. UCCS has a $25 Matriculation fee and a $15 Student ID fee.
According to the AACSB, 402 of 1,436 total students at UCCS are MBA students (28.0%).
UCCS was founded in 1965 as an extension of the University of Colorado system.
UCCS allows students to earn their MBA in face-to-face classes or online as they choose; the courses are identical. Degree specializations are Finance, General Business, Health Care Administration, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing, Project Management, Space Systems Management, and Technology Management.
The curriculum requires 12 courses for 36 hours of work, to be taken in 18 to 60 months, but usually completed in 2 or 3 years.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of UCCS’s MBA students is 555. UCCS says the average GMAT score for its students is 550.
Tuition and fees at UCCS vary by the number of hours taken per semester. Since the school recommends 2 or 3 years, the average of 30 months for the 12 courses, or 6 hours per semester is used here. The tuition for Colorado residents is $2,929 for six hours of courses, and $5,879 for non-residents. Therefore a Colorado resident will pay about $8,827 in tuition and fees for an MBA from UCCS, while a non-resident will pay $17,677 in tuition and fees. Add in books, and a Colorado resident will pay about $11,227 for an MBA from UCCS, and a non-resident will pay about $20,077 for an MBA from UCCS. UCCS has a $25 Matriculation fee and a $15 Student ID fee.
According to the AACSB, 402 of 1,436 total students at UCCS are MBA students (28.0%).
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #7 (tie) Wayne State University
Wayne State finished in a tie for seventh place among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
Wayne State is an urban research university located in Detroit, Michigan. Wayne State was originally founded in 1868 as the Detroit Medical College, which is now the Medical School at WSU. The school took its present name in 1956.
Wayne State offers a variety of MBA programs, traditional to part-time to Saturday to Online classes (warning – online classes require final exams to be taken in person on campus) to a dual JD/MBA degree. Wayne State offers concentrations in Accounting, Finance, General Business, Management, Marketing, Human Resource, International Business, Leadership and Organizational Behavior, Management Information Systems, Quality Management, and Taxation.
Wayne State’s MBA requires 36 semester hours, or twelve courses, byond what it calls pre-foundational requirements, which can usually be satisfied with a Bachelor’s degree in a business major.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of Wayne State’s MBA students is 530. Wayne State says the minimum accepted GMAT score is 450.
Tuition and fees at Wayne State for Michigan residents are $414.50 per semester hour, and $846.10 for non-residents. Therefore a Michigan resident will pay about $14,922 in tuition and fees for an MBA from Wayne State, while a non-resident will pay $30,460 in tuition and fees. Add in books, and a Michigan resident will pay about $17,322 for a Wayne State MBA, and a non-resident will pay about $32,860 for an MBA from Wayne State. If foundational courses are needed, a Michigan resident will pay $25,983 for an MBA from Wayne State and a non-resident would pay $49,289.
According to the AACSB, 1,186 of 3,924 total students at Wayne State are MBA students (30.2%).
Wayne State is an urban research university located in Detroit, Michigan. Wayne State was originally founded in 1868 as the Detroit Medical College, which is now the Medical School at WSU. The school took its present name in 1956.
Wayne State offers a variety of MBA programs, traditional to part-time to Saturday to Online classes (warning – online classes require final exams to be taken in person on campus) to a dual JD/MBA degree. Wayne State offers concentrations in Accounting, Finance, General Business, Management, Marketing, Human Resource, International Business, Leadership and Organizational Behavior, Management Information Systems, Quality Management, and Taxation.
Wayne State’s MBA requires 36 semester hours, or twelve courses, byond what it calls pre-foundational requirements, which can usually be satisfied with a Bachelor’s degree in a business major.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of Wayne State’s MBA students is 530. Wayne State says the minimum accepted GMAT score is 450.
Tuition and fees at Wayne State for Michigan residents are $414.50 per semester hour, and $846.10 for non-residents. Therefore a Michigan resident will pay about $14,922 in tuition and fees for an MBA from Wayne State, while a non-resident will pay $30,460 in tuition and fees. Add in books, and a Michigan resident will pay about $17,322 for a Wayne State MBA, and a non-resident will pay about $32,860 for an MBA from Wayne State. If foundational courses are needed, a Michigan resident will pay $25,983 for an MBA from Wayne State and a non-resident would pay $49,289.
According to the AACSB, 1,186 of 3,924 total students at Wayne State are MBA students (30.2%).
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #7 (tie) Morehead State University
Morehead State finished in a tie for seventh place among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
Morehead State was founded in 1887 as Morehead Normal School in Morehead, Kentucky, becoming Morehead State University in 1968.
MSU offers an online MBA with concentrations in Accounting or Management.
MSU’s online MBA is a twelve-course, 36 semester hour curriculum, provided that six “foundation” courses in business are already taken; an undergraduate business degree will suffice, or the student must take these initial courses in addition to the 12 courses needed for the MBA itself.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of MSU’s MBA students is 499. Morehead State says the minimum accepted GMAT score is 400.
Tuition and fees at MSU for all online students is $422 per semester hour, or $1,266 per course. Therefore an MBA from Morehead State University will cost $15,192 for a student with a Bachelor’s degree in a business major, or $22,788 for a student who needs to take the foundation courses. Add the cost of books and course supplies, and a Morehead State MBA costs $17,592 for a student with a business bachelor’s degree, and $25,988 for a student who needs to take the foundational courses.
According to the AACSB, 202 of 884 total students at Morehead State are MBA students (22.9%).
Morehead State was founded in 1887 as Morehead Normal School in Morehead, Kentucky, becoming Morehead State University in 1968.
MSU offers an online MBA with concentrations in Accounting or Management.
MSU’s online MBA is a twelve-course, 36 semester hour curriculum, provided that six “foundation” courses in business are already taken; an undergraduate business degree will suffice, or the student must take these initial courses in addition to the 12 courses needed for the MBA itself.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of MSU’s MBA students is 499. Morehead State says the minimum accepted GMAT score is 400.
Tuition and fees at MSU for all online students is $422 per semester hour, or $1,266 per course. Therefore an MBA from Morehead State University will cost $15,192 for a student with a Bachelor’s degree in a business major, or $22,788 for a student who needs to take the foundation courses. Add the cost of books and course supplies, and a Morehead State MBA costs $17,592 for a student with a business bachelor’s degree, and $25,988 for a student who needs to take the foundational courses.
According to the AACSB, 202 of 884 total students at Morehead State are MBA students (22.9%).
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #5 (tie) University of Houston at Victoria
UH-Victoria finished in a tie for fifth place among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
UH-Victoria is an extension of the University of Houston system. The University of Houston was founded in 1927, and the Victoria campus was opened in 1973, and became UH-Victoria in 1983. UHV was created primarily as a school for upper-level undergraduates and graduate instruction. UHV received approval this year to become a full four-year university for undergraduate studies, making it a full university in every respect.
UHV offers a variety of MBA programs, all of which allow some or all courses to be taken online. The Strategic MBA, UHV’s most popular MBA, allows for concentrations in Accounting, Finance, General Business, Management, Marketing, and International Business. The Strategic MBA requires 48 hours of coursework (16 classes).
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of UHV’s MBA students is 479. UHV says the minimum accepted GMAT score is 450.
Tuition and fees at UHV for Texas residents is $268 per semester hour, and $495 for non-residents. Therefore a Texas resident will pay about $12,864 in tuition and fees for a Strategic MBA from UHV, while a non-resident will pay $23,760 in tuition and fees. Add in books, and a Texas resident will pay about $16,064 for a Strategic MBA, and a non-resident will pay about $26,960 for a Strategic MBA from UHV.
According to the AACSB, 866 of 1,189 total students are MBA students (72.8%).
UH-Victoria is an extension of the University of Houston system. The University of Houston was founded in 1927, and the Victoria campus was opened in 1973, and became UH-Victoria in 1983. UHV was created primarily as a school for upper-level undergraduates and graduate instruction. UHV received approval this year to become a full four-year university for undergraduate studies, making it a full university in every respect.
UHV offers a variety of MBA programs, all of which allow some or all courses to be taken online. The Strategic MBA, UHV’s most popular MBA, allows for concentrations in Accounting, Finance, General Business, Management, Marketing, and International Business. The Strategic MBA requires 48 hours of coursework (16 classes).
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of UHV’s MBA students is 479. UHV says the minimum accepted GMAT score is 450.
Tuition and fees at UHV for Texas residents is $268 per semester hour, and $495 for non-residents. Therefore a Texas resident will pay about $12,864 in tuition and fees for a Strategic MBA from UHV, while a non-resident will pay $23,760 in tuition and fees. Add in books, and a Texas resident will pay about $16,064 for a Strategic MBA, and a non-resident will pay about $26,960 for a Strategic MBA from UHV.
According to the AACSB, 866 of 1,189 total students are MBA students (72.8%).
Monday, June 29, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #5 (tie) Tennessee Technological University
Tennessee Tech finished in a tie for fifth place among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
Tennessee Technological University opened in 1912 as Dixie College. The school struggled until after World War 2, but grew steadily after the war.
TTU offers six concentrations fot its MBA: Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management Information Systems (MIS), and Risk Management and Insurance. Distance courses are identical in content to classroom courses.
The TTU MBA is a 30-hour (ten class) regimen which may be taken at whatever pace the student prefers.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of TTU’s MBA students is 530; TTU’s website says its minimum GMAT score for admission is 450.
Tuition and fees for Tennessee Tech’s online MBA students are $385 per semester hour for Tennessee residents and $858 per semester hour for out-of-state residents. So tuition and fees for a Tennessee resident at TTU would sub-total $11,550 for an MBA program, while out-of-state residents would pay $25,740 for tuition and fees. Add in the books and course materials and you’re looking at about $14,550 for a Tennessee resident and $28,740 for a non-Tennessee resident to earn a TTU MBA.
According to the AACSB, 236 of 1,482 total students are MBA students (15.9%).
Tennessee Technological University opened in 1912 as Dixie College. The school struggled until after World War 2, but grew steadily after the war.
TTU offers six concentrations fot its MBA: Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management Information Systems (MIS), and Risk Management and Insurance. Distance courses are identical in content to classroom courses.
The TTU MBA is a 30-hour (ten class) regimen which may be taken at whatever pace the student prefers.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of TTU’s MBA students is 530; TTU’s website says its minimum GMAT score for admission is 450.
Tuition and fees for Tennessee Tech’s online MBA students are $385 per semester hour for Tennessee residents and $858 per semester hour for out-of-state residents. So tuition and fees for a Tennessee resident at TTU would sub-total $11,550 for an MBA program, while out-of-state residents would pay $25,740 for tuition and fees. Add in the books and course materials and you’re looking at about $14,550 for a Tennessee resident and $28,740 for a non-Tennessee resident to earn a TTU MBA.
According to the AACSB, 236 of 1,482 total students are MBA students (15.9%).
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
John Moore Two Thumbs Down
Somebody want to explain to me why a company that "is not accepting new customers" would advertise on TV, newspapers, the phone book and the web?
Argh. Still looking. House and personal temperatures continue to rise.
Argh. Still looking. House and personal temperatures continue to rise.
No Air Conditioning
Attic unit runs, but not the backyard unit. That thing just hummmmmmmms in an ominous way.
House temp up to 83 and climbing. Wife is not happy.
Seeking assistance.
House temp up to 83 and climbing. Wife is not happy.
Seeking assistance.
Top Online MBA School Profile - #4 University of Colorado at Denver
Colorado at Denver finished a very solid fourth place among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
The University of Colorado at Denver was founded in 1912 as the downtown campus for the University of Colorado.
UCD offers an MBA with specializations available in Business Marketing, Consumer Marketing, Business Intelligence, Business Strategy, Change Management, Corporate Financial Management, Decision Sciences, Enterprise Technology Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Financial Analysis, Human Resource Management, Information Systems, International Business, Investment Management, Managing for Sustainability, Services Management, and Sports and Entertainment Management. UCD also offers professional post-graduate certification for additional classwork. UCD also offers dual MS/MBA degrees in accounting, finance, information systems, international business, management or marketing. UCD students may finish their MBA in as little as 16 months or as long as 5 years.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of UCD’s MBA students is 600; UCD says the average GMAT score for enrolled students is 560.
According to the AACSB, 1,207 of UCD’s 2,857 total students are MBA students (42.25%).
Sixteen classes are required for the UCD MBA, or 48 semester hours minimum.
Tuition for the MBA for Colorado residents is $482 per semester hour, and $1,146 per semester hour for out-of-state students. There is an online fee of $100 per course, plus $50 for online labs. Consequently, Colorado students would expect to pay $25,536 in tuition and fees for an MBA, while out-of-state students would pay $57,408 in tuitition in fees. Add another $3,200 in books and course materials, and a UCD MBA for a Colorado resident costs around $28,736 and $59,608 for an out-of-state student.
The University of Colorado at Denver was founded in 1912 as the downtown campus for the University of Colorado.
UCD offers an MBA with specializations available in Business Marketing, Consumer Marketing, Business Intelligence, Business Strategy, Change Management, Corporate Financial Management, Decision Sciences, Enterprise Technology Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Financial Analysis, Human Resource Management, Information Systems, International Business, Investment Management, Managing for Sustainability, Services Management, and Sports and Entertainment Management. UCD also offers professional post-graduate certification for additional classwork. UCD also offers dual MS/MBA degrees in accounting, finance, information systems, international business, management or marketing. UCD students may finish their MBA in as little as 16 months or as long as 5 years.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of UCD’s MBA students is 600; UCD says the average GMAT score for enrolled students is 560.
According to the AACSB, 1,207 of UCD’s 2,857 total students are MBA students (42.25%).
Sixteen classes are required for the UCD MBA, or 48 semester hours minimum.
Tuition for the MBA for Colorado residents is $482 per semester hour, and $1,146 per semester hour for out-of-state students. There is an online fee of $100 per course, plus $50 for online labs. Consequently, Colorado students would expect to pay $25,536 in tuition and fees for an MBA, while out-of-state students would pay $57,408 in tuitition in fees. Add another $3,200 in books and course materials, and a UCD MBA for a Colorado resident costs around $28,736 and $59,608 for an out-of-state student.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #3 East Carolina University
East Caroina also finished less than one point out of first place, but had to settle for third among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
East Carolina University was founded in 1907 as a training school for teachers, with its first classes beginning in 1909. The original name was East Carolina Teachers Training School, changed to East Carolina Teachers College, then East Carolina College, and finally East Carolina University in 1967.
ECU’s Business School was founded in 1936, offers full-time and online MBA degrees. ECU allows students to take from one to five courses per semester, with concentrations available in Accounting (with undergraduate degree in Accounting), or General Business MBA, with optional certificates available in Finance, Environmental Planning, Health Care, Hospitality Management, Management Information Systems, Professional Investment, Security Studies, Sport Management, and Supply Chain Management for additional classwork.
ECU also offers an MBA for medical students. According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of ECU’s MBA students is 526; ECU says the minimum acceptable GMAT score is 500.
According to the AACSB, 854 of 3,444 total students are MBA students (24.79%).
Tuition for MBA students at ECU is $219 per semester hour for North Carolina residents, and $725 per semester hour for out-of-state students. ECU offers scholarships to MBA Students, but only five a year for merit and five a year for need. Assistanships are avaiable only to full-time MBA students. Waiver for the out-of-state premium is considered only for a limited number of applicants, and requires at least a 650 GMAT score for consideration.
Twenty classes minimum must be taken for the ECU MBA, so tuition for in-state online students would cost $13,140, and out-of-state students would need to pay $43,500. The additional courses for specific concentrations would add about $1,971 to an in-state student’s tuition cost and another $6,525 to an out-of-state student’s total tuition. That does not include course materials, though, so with 20 classes you’re looking at about another $4,000 in textbooks and supplemental material, so the actual price tag is around $19,111 for an in-state ECU MBA, and 54,025 for an out-of-state MBA from East Carolina University.
East Carolina University was founded in 1907 as a training school for teachers, with its first classes beginning in 1909. The original name was East Carolina Teachers Training School, changed to East Carolina Teachers College, then East Carolina College, and finally East Carolina University in 1967.
ECU’s Business School was founded in 1936, offers full-time and online MBA degrees. ECU allows students to take from one to five courses per semester, with concentrations available in Accounting (with undergraduate degree in Accounting), or General Business MBA, with optional certificates available in Finance, Environmental Planning, Health Care, Hospitality Management, Management Information Systems, Professional Investment, Security Studies, Sport Management, and Supply Chain Management for additional classwork.
ECU also offers an MBA for medical students. According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of ECU’s MBA students is 526; ECU says the minimum acceptable GMAT score is 500.
According to the AACSB, 854 of 3,444 total students are MBA students (24.79%).
Tuition for MBA students at ECU is $219 per semester hour for North Carolina residents, and $725 per semester hour for out-of-state students. ECU offers scholarships to MBA Students, but only five a year for merit and five a year for need. Assistanships are avaiable only to full-time MBA students. Waiver for the out-of-state premium is considered only for a limited number of applicants, and requires at least a 650 GMAT score for consideration.
Twenty classes minimum must be taken for the ECU MBA, so tuition for in-state online students would cost $13,140, and out-of-state students would need to pay $43,500. The additional courses for specific concentrations would add about $1,971 to an in-state student’s tuition cost and another $6,525 to an out-of-state student’s total tuition. That does not include course materials, though, so with 20 classes you’re looking at about another $4,000 in textbooks and supplemental material, so the actual price tag is around $19,111 for an in-state ECU MBA, and 54,025 for an out-of-state MBA from East Carolina University.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #2 Drexel University
Drexel University just missed taking top honors among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
Drexel University was founded in 1891 as Drexel Institute, a private school focusing on “Art, Science, and Industry”. The Philadelphia, PA school operates the Bennett S. Lebow College of Business. Drexel offers full-time, part-time, Distance and Executive MBA programs. In terms of online MBAs, Drexel’s program is called the MBA Anywhere program. The MBA Anywhere offers concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, or Engineering Management. Drexel also offers an online Corporate MBA in Pharmaceutical Management.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of Drexel’s MBA students is 600; Drexel says the minimum acceptable GMAT score is 600.
The MBA Anywhere at Drexel is a 20-course curriculum, featuring 17 “cohort” classes taken at the same time as contemporaneous classmates, plus three on-campus residency seminars, all to be completed in 24 months. The rigorous 60-credit course load is more difficult than most MBA programs, but the program is nationally recognized; the Lebow School is often highly regarded as a prominent “second tier” Business School and BusinessWeek ranks Drexel’s Part-Time MBA as the 10th best in the nation, making it arguably the most prestigious university to offer an online MBA.
One significant advantage to Drexel is that the Lebow school operates an MBA Career Services office, designed to help MBA graduates make immediate use of their MBA in their career. This office is open to MBA Anywhere students just the same as any MBA student at Drexel.
According to the AACSB, 747 of 3,283 total students are MBA students (22.75%).
Tuition for MBA students at Drexel is the same, in-state or out-of-state. Drexel charges $54,000 in tuition and fees for a one-year full-time MBA, not including course materials, room and board. Per credit-hour charges are $915 each, so a 60-hour curriculum would cost $54,900. Drexel advises online students to inquire for specific costs for online classes, indicating additional fees would be applicable, although their website says the MBA Anywhere is a flat $54,000.
That does not include course materials, though, so with 20 classes you’re looking at about another $4,000 in textbooks and supplemental material, so the actual price tag is around $58,000. But at least it’s simple and clear, no hiding the cost.
Drexel University was founded in 1891 as Drexel Institute, a private school focusing on “Art, Science, and Industry”. The Philadelphia, PA school operates the Bennett S. Lebow College of Business. Drexel offers full-time, part-time, Distance and Executive MBA programs. In terms of online MBAs, Drexel’s program is called the MBA Anywhere program. The MBA Anywhere offers concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, or Engineering Management. Drexel also offers an online Corporate MBA in Pharmaceutical Management.
According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of Drexel’s MBA students is 600; Drexel says the minimum acceptable GMAT score is 600.
The MBA Anywhere at Drexel is a 20-course curriculum, featuring 17 “cohort” classes taken at the same time as contemporaneous classmates, plus three on-campus residency seminars, all to be completed in 24 months. The rigorous 60-credit course load is more difficult than most MBA programs, but the program is nationally recognized; the Lebow School is often highly regarded as a prominent “second tier” Business School and BusinessWeek ranks Drexel’s Part-Time MBA as the 10th best in the nation, making it arguably the most prestigious university to offer an online MBA.
One significant advantage to Drexel is that the Lebow school operates an MBA Career Services office, designed to help MBA graduates make immediate use of their MBA in their career. This office is open to MBA Anywhere students just the same as any MBA student at Drexel.
According to the AACSB, 747 of 3,283 total students are MBA students (22.75%).
Tuition for MBA students at Drexel is the same, in-state or out-of-state. Drexel charges $54,000 in tuition and fees for a one-year full-time MBA, not including course materials, room and board. Per credit-hour charges are $915 each, so a 60-hour curriculum would cost $54,900. Drexel advises online students to inquire for specific costs for online classes, indicating additional fees would be applicable, although their website says the MBA Anywhere is a flat $54,000.
That does not include course materials, though, so with 20 classes you’re looking at about another $4,000 in textbooks and supplemental material, so the actual price tag is around $58,000. But at least it’s simple and clear, no hiding the cost.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Top Online MBA School Profile - #1 Auburn University
Auburn University won a close contest among AACSB-accredited schools offering online MBAs. This article profiles the school.
First off, Auburn University is a well-known name among American Universities. Founded in 1856, the Alabama university first established its name as a liberal arts school, and indeed that remains its primary focus. Auburn also takes pride in its Business School and MBA program, which offers full-time, part-time, Distance and Executive MBA programs. In terms of online MBAs, Auburn boasts that over 1,100 alumni have earned an “Outreach” MBA from Auburn.
Auburn says that online classes average 10-15 students, providing a strong opportunity for contact and discussion with the professors. According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of Auburn’s MBA students is 606.3; Auburn’s website says its mean GMAT score for new entrants is 643. Tuition for Alabama residents in 2008 was $3,120.00 for 10-15 hours, plus $8.00 per semester hour; if less than ten hours was taken in a semester, there is a registration fee of $540.00 plus $258.00 per credit hour taken. Online students must also pay a $67.00 fee per semester plus $166.00 online service fee per semester hour (all rates for Alabama residents). If a student is not an Alabama resident, the following conditions apply - $9,360.00 for 10-15 hours, plus $8.00 per semester hour; if less than ten hours was taken in a semester, there is a registration fee of $1,620.00 plus $774.00 per credit hour taken. Online students must also pay a $67.00 fee per semester plus $166.00 online service fee per semester hour. The Distance MBA at Auburn has a minimum required curriculum of 12 courses, or 36 semester hours. Auburn’s website indicates the degree in meant to be earned over seven semesters. Auburn has a one-time requirement for a five-day on-campus Strategy Case Analysis competition. Applicants with “strong academic backgrounds” and GMAT scores above 620 are often awarded “Graduate Assistantship” titles which include tuition waiver and a living expenses stipend, although this is not available to distance MBA students .
Therefore, most residents of Alabama would pay $19,585 in tuition and fees and non-Alabaman students would pay $45,649 in tuition and fees for an Auburn MBA. Add in the books and course materials and you’re looking at about $21,025 for an Alabama resident and $47,089 for a non-Alabama resident to earn an Auburn MBA.
Auburn offers 12 options in MBAs including dual MS/MBAs in Information Systems or Industrial Systems. According to the AACSB, 562 of 4,375 total students are MBA students (12.8%).
First off, Auburn University is a well-known name among American Universities. Founded in 1856, the Alabama university first established its name as a liberal arts school, and indeed that remains its primary focus. Auburn also takes pride in its Business School and MBA program, which offers full-time, part-time, Distance and Executive MBA programs. In terms of online MBAs, Auburn boasts that over 1,100 alumni have earned an “Outreach” MBA from Auburn.
Auburn says that online classes average 10-15 students, providing a strong opportunity for contact and discussion with the professors. According to the AACSB, the average GMAT score of Auburn’s MBA students is 606.3; Auburn’s website says its mean GMAT score for new entrants is 643. Tuition for Alabama residents in 2008 was $3,120.00 for 10-15 hours, plus $8.00 per semester hour; if less than ten hours was taken in a semester, there is a registration fee of $540.00 plus $258.00 per credit hour taken. Online students must also pay a $67.00 fee per semester plus $166.00 online service fee per semester hour (all rates for Alabama residents). If a student is not an Alabama resident, the following conditions apply - $9,360.00 for 10-15 hours, plus $8.00 per semester hour; if less than ten hours was taken in a semester, there is a registration fee of $1,620.00 plus $774.00 per credit hour taken. Online students must also pay a $67.00 fee per semester plus $166.00 online service fee per semester hour. The Distance MBA at Auburn has a minimum required curriculum of 12 courses, or 36 semester hours. Auburn’s website indicates the degree in meant to be earned over seven semesters. Auburn has a one-time requirement for a five-day on-campus Strategy Case Analysis competition. Applicants with “strong academic backgrounds” and GMAT scores above 620 are often awarded “Graduate Assistantship” titles which include tuition waiver and a living expenses stipend, although this is not available to distance MBA students .
Therefore, most residents of Alabama would pay $19,585 in tuition and fees and non-Alabaman students would pay $45,649 in tuition and fees for an Auburn MBA. Add in the books and course materials and you’re looking at about $21,025 for an Alabama resident and $47,089 for a non-Alabama resident to earn an Auburn MBA.
Auburn offers 12 options in MBAs including dual MS/MBAs in Information Systems or Industrial Systems. According to the AACSB, 562 of 4,375 total students are MBA students (12.8%).
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The 25 Top Online MBA Schools 2009
In my earlier article I discussed the different types of MBA programs in terms of how to earn them. This article ranks the 25 best, in my opinion. So to start, let me explain why I believe I have any business ranking online MBA programs. The short answers are one, no one else is really doing it to any serious effort; and two, there are some reasonably objective criteria by which such programs can be measured against one another. I will also say that a great deal more information is available now than in 2006, so my rankings will be a bit different, as they now use ten types of data to reach the results. That data was provided by the websites of the schools evaluated, as well as information from the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business(AACSB), the largest international accrediting body for business schools.
I’d like to stop here and go over some information about the AACSB, and its member schools. The AACSB has 1,081 accredited colleges and universities for business worldwide. Of those, 512 schools offer a Masters degree of some type of business major, and 498 offer the MBA degree. But only 3.4 percent of MBA students earn their degree online. Consequently, I only found 77 AACSB-accredited schools which actively offer an online MBA at this time. That cuts down the field considerably. There are a handful of schools which also advertise an online program, but have no participating students at this time, and there are also a few schools which are just starting up online MBA programs – I left them off because there is not enough data at this time to say how well they are doing with their new programs. So later there may well be more schools to consider, but for now we are looking at a field of 77. And in case you’re wondering, none of those for-profit schools you see advertised on TV are AACSB-accredited; schools like the University of Phoenix, Devry, or Capella may or may not give you a good education and may or may not be worth the money, but they are none of them accredited with the AACSB, and that’s a serious problem you should know about before signing up with them. Those schools will be discussed in a future article.
So, how to rank the online schools? When I started looking up the data, I found eight relevant types of information, plus two rankings I could use to leaven my subjectivity somewhat. First is the question of how many concentrations the school offers, second is the general and scholarly orientation of the school, third is the average GMAT score earned to enter the program, fourth is the overall student-to-faculty ratio for masters programs, fifth is the in-state tuition, sixth is the out-of-state tuition, seventh is the proportion of MBA students to the total student population, and eighth is the graduation percentage per year. I initially planned to use those categories in equal weighting, then add balance from BusinessWeek’s rankings for Part-Time MBA schools and Get Educated’s value rankings. I realized, after looking more closely however, that this resulted in a skewed ranking, one that might look good on paper but would not really serve the student’s best interests. So here is how I redid that data:
First and foremost is the variety of concentrations available. Schools which only offer one type of MBA, and only one focus, do a disservice to the professional. For instance, I am pursuing my CPA license and so a program which focused on Accounting was important to me, but other MBA candidates might take more interest in Finance, Marketing, or Entrepreneurship. Therefore, whether a school offered multiple choices of concentrations became significantly more important in points, now weighted at 35.0% of the total value. The in-state and out-of-state tuition also weighed heavily, at 15.0% and 12.5% of the total score respectively. The school’s average GMAT score was also important, worth 12.5% of the total. The proportion of masters students to the overall population weighed 10.0% of the total score, the student-to-faculty ratio weighed 5%, the proportion of MBA students graduated each year weighed 5%, and the rankings from BusinessWeek and GetEducated each counted for 2.5% of the score. So, with that weighting, here are the top 25 Online MBA programs for 2009. I will write up brief capsules of the top 10 programs in future articles:
1. Auburn University (Alabama) 95.60%
2. Drexel University (Pennsylvania) 94.75%
3. East Carolina University (North Carolina) 94.67%
4. University of Colorado at Denver 94.58%
5 (t). Tennessee Technological University 94.50%
5 (t). University of Houston at Victoria (Texas) 94.50%
7 (t). Morehead State University (Kentucky) 94.33%
7 (t). Wayne State University (Michigan) 94.33%
9. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 94.25%
10. University of North Dakota 94.17%
11 (t). Georgia Southern University 94.08%
11 (t). University of Texas at Dallas 94.08%
13 (t). University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh 94.00%
13 (t). University of Wisconsin at Whitewater 94.00%
15. Texas A&M at Commerce 93.92%
16. University of Michigan at Dearborn 93.42%
17. Nicholls State University (Louisiana) 92.75%
18. Suffolk University (Massachusetts) 92.25%
19. Georgia College & State University 88.00%
20. Colorado State University 87.92%
21. University of Florida 87.17%
22 (t). Florida State University 87.00%
22 (t). University of Nebraska at Lincoln 87.00%
24. University of Wyoming 86.75%
25 (t). Durham University (UK) 86.67%
25 (t). University of Texas at Arlington 86.67%
25 (t). University of Massachusetts at Lowell 86.67%
25 (t). University of North Texas 86.67%
I’d like to stop here and go over some information about the AACSB, and its member schools. The AACSB has 1,081 accredited colleges and universities for business worldwide. Of those, 512 schools offer a Masters degree of some type of business major, and 498 offer the MBA degree. But only 3.4 percent of MBA students earn their degree online. Consequently, I only found 77 AACSB-accredited schools which actively offer an online MBA at this time. That cuts down the field considerably. There are a handful of schools which also advertise an online program, but have no participating students at this time, and there are also a few schools which are just starting up online MBA programs – I left them off because there is not enough data at this time to say how well they are doing with their new programs. So later there may well be more schools to consider, but for now we are looking at a field of 77. And in case you’re wondering, none of those for-profit schools you see advertised on TV are AACSB-accredited; schools like the University of Phoenix, Devry, or Capella may or may not give you a good education and may or may not be worth the money, but they are none of them accredited with the AACSB, and that’s a serious problem you should know about before signing up with them. Those schools will be discussed in a future article.
So, how to rank the online schools? When I started looking up the data, I found eight relevant types of information, plus two rankings I could use to leaven my subjectivity somewhat. First is the question of how many concentrations the school offers, second is the general and scholarly orientation of the school, third is the average GMAT score earned to enter the program, fourth is the overall student-to-faculty ratio for masters programs, fifth is the in-state tuition, sixth is the out-of-state tuition, seventh is the proportion of MBA students to the total student population, and eighth is the graduation percentage per year. I initially planned to use those categories in equal weighting, then add balance from BusinessWeek’s rankings for Part-Time MBA schools and Get Educated’s value rankings. I realized, after looking more closely however, that this resulted in a skewed ranking, one that might look good on paper but would not really serve the student’s best interests. So here is how I redid that data:
First and foremost is the variety of concentrations available. Schools which only offer one type of MBA, and only one focus, do a disservice to the professional. For instance, I am pursuing my CPA license and so a program which focused on Accounting was important to me, but other MBA candidates might take more interest in Finance, Marketing, or Entrepreneurship. Therefore, whether a school offered multiple choices of concentrations became significantly more important in points, now weighted at 35.0% of the total value. The in-state and out-of-state tuition also weighed heavily, at 15.0% and 12.5% of the total score respectively. The school’s average GMAT score was also important, worth 12.5% of the total. The proportion of masters students to the overall population weighed 10.0% of the total score, the student-to-faculty ratio weighed 5%, the proportion of MBA students graduated each year weighed 5%, and the rankings from BusinessWeek and GetEducated each counted for 2.5% of the score. So, with that weighting, here are the top 25 Online MBA programs for 2009. I will write up brief capsules of the top 10 programs in future articles:
1. Auburn University (Alabama) 95.60%
2. Drexel University (Pennsylvania) 94.75%
3. East Carolina University (North Carolina) 94.67%
4. University of Colorado at Denver 94.58%
5 (t). Tennessee Technological University 94.50%
5 (t). University of Houston at Victoria (Texas) 94.50%
7 (t). Morehead State University (Kentucky) 94.33%
7 (t). Wayne State University (Michigan) 94.33%
9. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 94.25%
10. University of North Dakota 94.17%
11 (t). Georgia Southern University 94.08%
11 (t). University of Texas at Dallas 94.08%
13 (t). University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh 94.00%
13 (t). University of Wisconsin at Whitewater 94.00%
15. Texas A&M at Commerce 93.92%
16. University of Michigan at Dearborn 93.42%
17. Nicholls State University (Louisiana) 92.75%
18. Suffolk University (Massachusetts) 92.25%
19. Georgia College & State University 88.00%
20. Colorado State University 87.92%
21. University of Florida 87.17%
22 (t). Florida State University 87.00%
22 (t). University of Nebraska at Lincoln 87.00%
24. University of Wyoming 86.75%
25 (t). Durham University (UK) 86.67%
25 (t). University of Texas at Arlington 86.67%
25 (t). University of Massachusetts at Lowell 86.67%
25 (t). University of North Texas 86.67%
Top 25 Rankings to be Edited
I discovered some new information which may change the rankings for the 2009 Top 25 Online MBA Schools. The short version is that the information from the AACSB is in conflict with school-specific data in some cases. The rankings will be posted once I have confirmed certain points.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Rating The Distance MBA
It’s been a couple years since I posted my ranking of the Top 25 Online MBA Schools, so I am having another look at business schools which offer the Online MBA, where most or all of the coursework necessary to earn a Masters degree in Business Administration. That is, now that I have completed my MBA from the University of Houston at Victoria, I am looking at the degree from the other side of the road and considering what it means to earn an MBA, to earn an online MBA, what sort of path should be chosen for different career conditions, and if you do decide to go after an online MBA, which schools are the best choice.
Not everyone should pursue an MBA, and not everyone who should earn an MBA will find the online course the best path to success. There are basically three ways to earn an MBA; full-time, part-time, or online. If your goal in life is to become the CEO or COO or a Fortune 500 corporation, a lot of people will tell you that you need to graduate from a top school, which in the case of the MBA means attending a prestigious and expensive school with a huge reputation, and you have to do it as a full-time student. Of course, doing so is no guarantee that you will win that much-desired CEO spot; work out the statistics and you will find that well over 90 percent of graduates of even the most prestigious business schools never end up as CEOs of major corporations. Have a look at the people in those roles and you will not only find people who did not go to the “top” schools, but some who never earned an MBA and a few who never even earned a college degree at all (you can do that if you found and build your own successful company). On the other hand, most top executives do earn MBAs, and most of them go to well-known universities as full-time students. So if you put in the time and expense to get accepted to a prestigious school as a full-time student, work yourself silly getting top grades, you should expect to have the best prospects in general of all the MBA graduates. That is, if you have the means to get into a top school, if you can afford to go to school full-time and not have to raise a family or work full-time, if you’re still in your early twenties, and if the economy doesn’t make that student loan a killer six months after you graduate. For a lot of working people, one or more of those conditions is not feasible. And for those people, other options need to be considered. If you’re not going to Harvard or the Wharton School or something along those lines, all you really need from your school is a name that will be recognizable, an education worth the time and money you put into it, and a whole lot of work on your part. In my case, I decided to go after the MBA when I was 45, with a family and a full-time job in management. The only possible way I could do it would be to get an online degree. That’s how I chose the University of Houston at Victoria.
UHV is part of the University of Houston system (duh), but not all UH campuses are created equal. Short version, the main campus and Downtown campus have all the students they want, so there is no pressure for those schools to offer online classes. The Victoria campus is another story; it’s far enough out there that the online students make a significant difference in the enrollment size and the school wanted the best faculty they could get, which could only be justified by having a decent number of students. Two things besides the convenience of UHV’s classes I liked were the low tuition and the AACSB accreditation of UHV. The school name is no embarrassment, and I earned my MBA without going into debt.
Now, I have to mention something very important about an online MBA. If the school is any good, the MBA will be just as hard to earn online as it would be any other way. While you can turn in assignments and go to the online library whenever you want, you still have deadlines, the standards and grade requirements are the same as face-to-face classes, and the participation is much stricter than face-to-face. After all, in a face-to-face class you can sometimes hide out in the back and avoid discussions when you are not prepared, but in an online class every comment you make (or the lack of meaningful discussion) is on the record, and a professor can easily tally up just how much you really did to advance the discussion. Also, professors talk with each other, and online students who are exceptionally good or bad will be known to the faculty just as well as those who attend class in person.
The online MBA, then, is for the most part the same as any other MBA, except that you will have to be organized and self-motivated to get the work done, the school will in most cases be a more common public school (most accredited private schools do not offer online degrees) which means your results will depend more on your resume and personal work history than how glamorous your school name is, and if you have planned it right you can get your MBA without a nervous breakdown or a second mortgage. In my opinion, the online MBA will become more popular and common as it works out well for students, universities, and businesses.
The next article on this topic will examine the AACSB-accredited business schools which offer online MBAs, and the 2009 ranking of the Top 25 schools for an Online MBA.
Not everyone should pursue an MBA, and not everyone who should earn an MBA will find the online course the best path to success. There are basically three ways to earn an MBA; full-time, part-time, or online. If your goal in life is to become the CEO or COO or a Fortune 500 corporation, a lot of people will tell you that you need to graduate from a top school, which in the case of the MBA means attending a prestigious and expensive school with a huge reputation, and you have to do it as a full-time student. Of course, doing so is no guarantee that you will win that much-desired CEO spot; work out the statistics and you will find that well over 90 percent of graduates of even the most prestigious business schools never end up as CEOs of major corporations. Have a look at the people in those roles and you will not only find people who did not go to the “top” schools, but some who never earned an MBA and a few who never even earned a college degree at all (you can do that if you found and build your own successful company). On the other hand, most top executives do earn MBAs, and most of them go to well-known universities as full-time students. So if you put in the time and expense to get accepted to a prestigious school as a full-time student, work yourself silly getting top grades, you should expect to have the best prospects in general of all the MBA graduates. That is, if you have the means to get into a top school, if you can afford to go to school full-time and not have to raise a family or work full-time, if you’re still in your early twenties, and if the economy doesn’t make that student loan a killer six months after you graduate. For a lot of working people, one or more of those conditions is not feasible. And for those people, other options need to be considered. If you’re not going to Harvard or the Wharton School or something along those lines, all you really need from your school is a name that will be recognizable, an education worth the time and money you put into it, and a whole lot of work on your part. In my case, I decided to go after the MBA when I was 45, with a family and a full-time job in management. The only possible way I could do it would be to get an online degree. That’s how I chose the University of Houston at Victoria.
UHV is part of the University of Houston system (duh), but not all UH campuses are created equal. Short version, the main campus and Downtown campus have all the students they want, so there is no pressure for those schools to offer online classes. The Victoria campus is another story; it’s far enough out there that the online students make a significant difference in the enrollment size and the school wanted the best faculty they could get, which could only be justified by having a decent number of students. Two things besides the convenience of UHV’s classes I liked were the low tuition and the AACSB accreditation of UHV. The school name is no embarrassment, and I earned my MBA without going into debt.
Now, I have to mention something very important about an online MBA. If the school is any good, the MBA will be just as hard to earn online as it would be any other way. While you can turn in assignments and go to the online library whenever you want, you still have deadlines, the standards and grade requirements are the same as face-to-face classes, and the participation is much stricter than face-to-face. After all, in a face-to-face class you can sometimes hide out in the back and avoid discussions when you are not prepared, but in an online class every comment you make (or the lack of meaningful discussion) is on the record, and a professor can easily tally up just how much you really did to advance the discussion. Also, professors talk with each other, and online students who are exceptionally good or bad will be known to the faculty just as well as those who attend class in person.
The online MBA, then, is for the most part the same as any other MBA, except that you will have to be organized and self-motivated to get the work done, the school will in most cases be a more common public school (most accredited private schools do not offer online degrees) which means your results will depend more on your resume and personal work history than how glamorous your school name is, and if you have planned it right you can get your MBA without a nervous breakdown or a second mortgage. In my opinion, the online MBA will become more popular and common as it works out well for students, universities, and businesses.
The next article on this topic will examine the AACSB-accredited business schools which offer online MBAs, and the 2009 ranking of the Top 25 schools for an Online MBA.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Rumors of War
This post is intended for the eyes and minds of Christians. That does not mean no one else may read it, but the context will be difficult for someone lacking the Christian focus. For example, Christians believe in the will of God, and also the veracity of Holy prophecy. Human history can be best interpreted in the illumination of God’s will and its clear enunciation in prophetic Scripture. The lack of clear Scripture can also provide meaning and improve understanding, when contemplation is used along with reason.
The Bible is full of prophecy, but that prophecy is spotty in places and times. There’s no end of people jumping up trying to show how a certain prophecy fits a given situation, but in the main it seems obvious – to me at least – that when considering prophecy we must remember that the Lord gives it for a purpose, which is aligned with His will, rather than our curiosity or desire to feel important. When Scripture is read holistically, it becomes obvious that prophecy is issued in support of God’s will, a signpost if you will of a major point in time. We see many things which matter to us but which may well be, from the larger perspective, insignificant. Which brings me to the discussion of our present wars.
I believe that President George W. Bush was doing God’s will when he was President. Even so, things did not work out in the Middle East as he hoped. Part of this was due to the despicable way politics were played in the House and Senate, as well as the cowardly refusal of Europe to stand up for a moral cause, but in the larger sense I believe President Bush misunderstood his role to some degree; the Lord was willing that Iraq should be reformed and established as a democratic republic, but not that the whole of the Middle East should be given peace and made whole – there are many greater issues which we must understand will continue to the very end of this age. This is difficult to understand, in the same way that to us it makes no sense that disease, poverty, famine, and all the other ills of this world should continue. There is good and there is evil in this world, for purposes beyond our ken, and all our hubris and technology cannot change this.
Wars are paradox. On the surface there is nothing good about war, senseless destruction, pain, loss and death. And in too many cases the victor in war is cruel and malicious, by no moral right able to claim the rule of nations. Innocents are often the worst hurt and the first victims. Yet wars, for all their terror and destruction, have ended tyrants, slavery, established protection of the rights of the people, and enabled representative government. In many nations the army boasts the most trustworthy and honorable men, the best in character and fortitude. The best leaders and rulers, especially in democracies, most often have served in their nation’s armed forces. Such men understand the cost of war and the need to plan carefully the nation’s welfare, protecting the nation’s strength while avoiding needless violence. The Bible tells of different kinds of war. Some wars are human vanity and therefore are evil and useless, while others serve God’s will and therefore while terrible they at least happen for a better reason than human arrogance. That is, humans start wars for evil purposes but God brings good out of them so that the suffering may be limited and goodness may advance. In some cases a war may even be fought for good purpose, though without God’s help all wars must of nature devolve into chaos and evil. It is therefore of paramount importance that any leader considering war must commit his efforts to the Lord’s service, and first seek the Lord’s counsel that his course of action will be grounded in true obedience to God rather than human arrogance.
This brings me around to the current situation in the Middle East. Looking at the long view, things do change and sometimes the change can be sudden, but for the most part few things change and there are some things which seem to be very much locked into place for some reason or purpose. I am not saying that democracy, human rights, and peace should not be sought, but for all our best ideals we must realize that some limits exist, and our inability to see them does not make them illusory. Jesus warned that we would hear of war, and rumors of war. That second part is intriguing, as it reminds me that war is a subtext to human history – even in peace the threat of war, the danger of it showing up must always be kept in mind. The same Christ who warned that those who live by the sword will die by it (Matthew 26:52) also specifically instructed His disciples to buy weapons (Luke 22:36). This is a dangerous world for individuals, peoples, and nations. What will be will include war.
The chaos surrounding the presidential election in Iran should surprise no one. What remains to be seen now, is what will come of the revolution now beginning there. Iran was the cradle of resurgent Jihadism, that foul cult which seeks to control nations and people through a fascist theocracy. History shows this cult popping up from time to time, and its always bloody. Even Islam had a big problem with the Jihadists. For example, the English word assassin is derived from the word hashishin, the drug-controlled killers from the Nizari branch of Shiite Islam who killed political enemies and targets on instructions from men who would establish the Fatimid Empire in the Middle Ages. A similar Jihadist movement erupted in Sudan and Egypt against the British Empire. The region has always held the potential for intense hatred and violence, and no one, no mater how strong or well-meaning, has been able to end the causes or settle the countless feuds and grudges. Because the hatred and violence in the Middle East is noted in both the books of Daniel and Revelation, we must sadly accept that they serve some vital role in the way of things, and while some part of the region may be stabilized and made safe for decent people, as a whole this monster is beyond our strength to slay. What we may hope and pray for the people of Iran, is that through God’s grace the people may rise to establish a more democratic government, to make homeless the beast of Jihadism for a time, to weaken it and dislocate its strength. But we must not expect more than has been done before, for reason that we cannot see the limits which affect all concerned.
The Bible is full of prophecy, but that prophecy is spotty in places and times. There’s no end of people jumping up trying to show how a certain prophecy fits a given situation, but in the main it seems obvious – to me at least – that when considering prophecy we must remember that the Lord gives it for a purpose, which is aligned with His will, rather than our curiosity or desire to feel important. When Scripture is read holistically, it becomes obvious that prophecy is issued in support of God’s will, a signpost if you will of a major point in time. We see many things which matter to us but which may well be, from the larger perspective, insignificant. Which brings me to the discussion of our present wars.
I believe that President George W. Bush was doing God’s will when he was President. Even so, things did not work out in the Middle East as he hoped. Part of this was due to the despicable way politics were played in the House and Senate, as well as the cowardly refusal of Europe to stand up for a moral cause, but in the larger sense I believe President Bush misunderstood his role to some degree; the Lord was willing that Iraq should be reformed and established as a democratic republic, but not that the whole of the Middle East should be given peace and made whole – there are many greater issues which we must understand will continue to the very end of this age. This is difficult to understand, in the same way that to us it makes no sense that disease, poverty, famine, and all the other ills of this world should continue. There is good and there is evil in this world, for purposes beyond our ken, and all our hubris and technology cannot change this.
Wars are paradox. On the surface there is nothing good about war, senseless destruction, pain, loss and death. And in too many cases the victor in war is cruel and malicious, by no moral right able to claim the rule of nations. Innocents are often the worst hurt and the first victims. Yet wars, for all their terror and destruction, have ended tyrants, slavery, established protection of the rights of the people, and enabled representative government. In many nations the army boasts the most trustworthy and honorable men, the best in character and fortitude. The best leaders and rulers, especially in democracies, most often have served in their nation’s armed forces. Such men understand the cost of war and the need to plan carefully the nation’s welfare, protecting the nation’s strength while avoiding needless violence. The Bible tells of different kinds of war. Some wars are human vanity and therefore are evil and useless, while others serve God’s will and therefore while terrible they at least happen for a better reason than human arrogance. That is, humans start wars for evil purposes but God brings good out of them so that the suffering may be limited and goodness may advance. In some cases a war may even be fought for good purpose, though without God’s help all wars must of nature devolve into chaos and evil. It is therefore of paramount importance that any leader considering war must commit his efforts to the Lord’s service, and first seek the Lord’s counsel that his course of action will be grounded in true obedience to God rather than human arrogance.
This brings me around to the current situation in the Middle East. Looking at the long view, things do change and sometimes the change can be sudden, but for the most part few things change and there are some things which seem to be very much locked into place for some reason or purpose. I am not saying that democracy, human rights, and peace should not be sought, but for all our best ideals we must realize that some limits exist, and our inability to see them does not make them illusory. Jesus warned that we would hear of war, and rumors of war. That second part is intriguing, as it reminds me that war is a subtext to human history – even in peace the threat of war, the danger of it showing up must always be kept in mind. The same Christ who warned that those who live by the sword will die by it (Matthew 26:52) also specifically instructed His disciples to buy weapons (Luke 22:36). This is a dangerous world for individuals, peoples, and nations. What will be will include war.
The chaos surrounding the presidential election in Iran should surprise no one. What remains to be seen now, is what will come of the revolution now beginning there. Iran was the cradle of resurgent Jihadism, that foul cult which seeks to control nations and people through a fascist theocracy. History shows this cult popping up from time to time, and its always bloody. Even Islam had a big problem with the Jihadists. For example, the English word assassin is derived from the word hashishin, the drug-controlled killers from the Nizari branch of Shiite Islam who killed political enemies and targets on instructions from men who would establish the Fatimid Empire in the Middle Ages. A similar Jihadist movement erupted in Sudan and Egypt against the British Empire. The region has always held the potential for intense hatred and violence, and no one, no mater how strong or well-meaning, has been able to end the causes or settle the countless feuds and grudges. Because the hatred and violence in the Middle East is noted in both the books of Daniel and Revelation, we must sadly accept that they serve some vital role in the way of things, and while some part of the region may be stabilized and made safe for decent people, as a whole this monster is beyond our strength to slay. What we may hope and pray for the people of Iran, is that through God’s grace the people may rise to establish a more democratic government, to make homeless the beast of Jihadism for a time, to weaken it and dislocate its strength. But we must not expect more than has been done before, for reason that we cannot see the limits which affect all concerned.
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