Hi Jake,
These are great questions.
I don't know that anyone can address all the issues but I can comment on a few of the issues you raise. Perhaps others will pitch in ...
1) Is this the same MBA as offered on campus with the same courses/faculty?
No, I'd say not, not based on a review of the program courses and admissions. First Northeastern offers several "different" MBAs all developed for different audiences or demographics.
Many residential business schools now do the same thing: they have the traditional full-time residential MBA which is offered as the flagship anchor program and that degree option comes with the old school traditional trappings, like tenured faculty, site based courses, GRE/GMAT admit scores and so on, low student acceptance rates. These programs tend to serve younger students -- 21-25 years of age just out of BA/BS programs.
In fact, Northeastern offers 4 different MBA programs and none of them are the "same."
1) Residential full-time
GMAT required with mean of 630 - 33% acceptance rate - no work experience required
Caters to fresh-aced young grad students
2) Evening MBA - Part Time, older students - 92% acceptance rate - mean GMAT 554
3) Executive MBA - seasoned working professionals
4)Online MBA -- the newest and most open, flexible option -- NO GRE/GMAT required - Requires 5 years work experience + 3.0 undergrad GPA -- No published stats BUT I'd imagine a 90% or so acceptance rate also and a student demographic of late 30s to late 40s.
I think there are 4 very different MBAs at NEU so you have to be careful when trying to take Business Week data as relevant for the new online version of the degree.
The government does not require that online degree data be kept separate and rankings like BW use government gathered data only so they are often bad sources to try and use in an effort to "rank" the online versions of any degree.
What old school rankings like BW can clue you into is the "average" brand reputation of the main school, Northeastern University.
So, no this is not the same degree. It's different from the other 3 versions in terms of admissions, courses and student body.
That said, it is a Northeastern MBA so I'd look for the reputation of that graduate business school to follow the online degree -- whether that rep is earned or not. In the public and employer's mind this is a NEU degree.
2) Advertising of Online MBA
That is an interesting concern.
I do know that the Northeastern MBA has been outsourced -- that is the program has been developed and is being marketed by a company that helps colleges develop, launch, recruit and retain online student bodies.
This company is called
Embanet . (Check them out at to see who they are.) So, yes, you do see a lot of ads for the Northeastern Online MBA.
In fact, Get Educated does run an ad plan for NEU that comes from Embanet and that ends in a data lead sheet for Embanet. NEU is aggressively marketing and growing their online brand thru Embanet so that is why you see all the ads.
What aggressive advertising means for the NEU brand I don't know, but it is interesting that you as a potential student see and "feel" this difference. Someone else brought up this issue in reviewing this program so you are not alone.
SEE:
Notheastern Online MBA Reviews
3)
NEU core admissions requirement is a GPA of 3.0+ and 5 years minimum work experience. What if my is 2.96 (from a very good / well known public university), do you think this will be a problem?
An admissions adviser at NEU Online could answer this. They do mention that a GRE/GMAT can be used to off set a lower GPA. In most cases the admissions committee uses a composite system where something like a minor low GPA (yours is MINOR) maybe off set by the name of the undergrad school OR years of experience OR superior career achievement. I'd say chnaces are good that a full review of your admissions criteria will put you in good stead; but an adviser should be able to answer that for you up front bcs your issue is so minor.
4) Overall View of NEU Online MBA --
Well it has an unusual MBA structure; one that is geared to innovative and entrepreneurial thinkers; so if that is your bent, this is a school that may work well for that type of student.
I hope some students and others will chime in ....
I am curious about one thing. I think we have an email on file for you that says you may have earned your BS/BA from Penn State. (Yes?)
Did you look at the
Penn State World Campus online MBA - the iMBA they call it.
PSU is a great school with a long history of award winning distance learning development in house through the World Campus. Penn has scads of research behind them in online learning research and development and a roster of leading minds in the online education sector.
Just curious ...
Is it that GRE/GMAT thing?
I mean Penn is expensive, but no more so than NEU, eh?
Vicky Phillips
GetEducated Founder
jake Simpson wrote:
I have a few questions about the Northeastern University online MBA program. I looked online but could not find answers to my questions. :( Hopefully someone here can assist me with them. Your help is appreciated.
1. My biggest concern is the amount of advertising NEU does. I know NEU is an accredited / research institution, I just do not want a degree from a diploma mill or someone downgrading the degree because of this.
2. Is the online MBA faculty the same as the full time MBA faculty?
3. How do you think a NEU MBA looks to potential employers, given their aggressive advertising
4. NEU core admissions requirement is a GPA of 3.0+ and 5 years minimum work experience. What if my is 2.96 (from a very good / well known public university), do you think this will be a problem? I believe my extensive work experience and references will off set this off - but who knows what the admissions board will agree.
5. What is NEU ranked? I saw on Business week they were 56. Do you think they will every break into the top 50? What MBA ranking is not good / worth pursuing? 75, 100, etc.
6. What is your overall view of the NEU online MBA. Anyones input is welcome, it would be great if alumni/current students could weigh in.
Thanks again!
Jake
