Difference between Classroom MBA and Online MBA
In the current competitive corporate world, it is imperative to ensure a promising career. Top companies and firms hire those employees who have skilled in various domains of the company affairs, the most important being managerial skills. Today, the MBA course provides additional boost to a candidate’s credibility. Therefore, the candidates with an MBA degree are preferred for various jobs in the companies.So here is the differnce between Classroom MBA and Online MBA.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONLINE MBA AND CLASSROOM MBA
Cost factor: The most interesting feature of the online MBA is the cost factor. Here, both the colleges as well as the students have an advantage over this fact. Online programs save the college a lot of money, which would otherwise be spent for maintenance of the college. The students are also benefitted by this since they can do this while at work, there is an informal setting (since they can do it comfortably from home too) and have the college brand name on the CV.
Flexibility: In a traditional classroom MBA Program, the students (in case of colleges which do not have hostel facilities) have to go to a classroom for each class. One has to travel by public or private means. In case of private means one has to also find parking place and then run to the class. Going back home again takes that amount of time. While in an online program one can take classes from wherever he might be. It may be work, home or any random place.
Student-teacher communication: Though the Online MBA program is time saving and cost efficient, but it loses out on an important student-teacher interaction. Apart from that, they also miss out on networking opportunities with alumni and well-settled employees. An ideal tool of a classroom MBA program is that it lets its students interact with the real-life corporate world.
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Peer interaction: An important aspect of a regular MBA is the peer group interaction. Peer group interaction is effective at its most only in a classroom and cannot be replaced fully by a virtual screen. Here the communication is via phone calls or text and hence the communication becomes asynchronous. This aspect is an important tool for communication and social skills and serves as an inspiration to be competent and successful in life.
Online MBA or Distance MBA
ONLINE MBA VS REGULAR MBA: TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM MBA UNDER THREAT?
Very often we have searched through various MBA related sites and have come up with online MBA programs. This is a very feasible option for the ones who have personal or financial issues due to which they cannot attend the regular lectures. But still, most people question themselves whether the online MBA courses are really worth it or not. The question comes from the fact that the online MBA course is a complete virtual experience which does not offer peer interaction and social skills development as compared to the full-time, regular MBA.
However, MBA schools like Kelley Business School, Eller School of management have introduced this plan to offer to a virtual environment to the students to give them the feel of a classroom environment along with online mentoring. It’s a common myth that the Online MBA Program is not as legitimate or reasonable as the traditional MBA Program. But the truth is, as long as you choose a recognized program, that is not the case. As a matter of fact, there are some Online MBA Programs which are tougher than the traditional ones. There are many nationally recognized Business Schools which offer online MBA programs for students across different parts of the country.
However, Richard Lyons, the Dean of University of California Haas Business School (one of the top ranking and most respected business schools in the USA) believes that Online MBA programs might dominate the regular full-time MBA programs.
Dean Lyons points out that the revenue generated by students pursuing either Part Time MBA or Executive MBA constitutes the larger portion of revenue to the University. Hence, Online Programs could pose a tough competition to these Universities which could be shut down in the next 5-10 years.Throughout the years the debate was confined to part-time MBA vs online MBA or Executive MBA vs Online MBA. Traditional, full-time, classroom MBA program wasn’t involved into this discussion. But today, things have changed.
So what is better, Online MBA or Regular MBA? Well, it depends from the student to student. For students who require personal guidance and assistance from professors or lacks social and communication skills, than the traditional MBA is better as it is more convenient on the campus itself. In case if the candidate doesn’t have a flexible work schedule and travelling is a problem or has financial issues than Online MBA is better. Hence, before choosing which program to opt for it is important to examine one’s personal requirements.
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