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"Anybody who's thinking of enrolling in an online degree ... take a good look at GetEducated.com . Go ... get a free download of a detailed guide ."
Searching for an Online MBA?: "Several websites can help .. first, GetEducated.com offers free rankings of distance-learning MBA programs."
"Beware diploma mills... Go to GetEducated.com and ask the Diploma Mill Police."
"For a distance MBA you can pay from $6,000 to $120,000. To get the most bang for your buck ... check out GetEducated.com"
GetEducated.com – "a great source for weeding out phonies" (among online colleges).
"Thanks much for your wonderful site! I've recommended it to my students and entered a program I found at GetEducated.com." --Charles Balch, MBA, Ph.D. --Professor, Arizona Western College
By Vicky Phillips, Chief Education Analyst | January 16, 2009
Question:
I’ve been shopping for an online master’s degree in business. Everyone talks about the MBA. I’ve looked at several online MBA programs, but they don’t seem to fit. I’m head of human resources at a mid-sized manufacturing company. My job requires a lot of soft skills: managing, leading, inspiring, with a little budgeting on the side. I’m thinking an online master’s in management may be better suited to my career needs. Will I be making a mistake if I don’t earn an MBA?
—Julee Omaha, NE
Answer:
The MBA is the most popular online degree in America. In fact, GetEducated.com’s National Survey of Online MBAs reveals that students can select from more than 390 accredited distance MBAs offered by 168 accredited business schools.
MBA mania has definitely hit the academic halls of America.
But the online MBA, while extremely popular, is not the only online graduate degree available for managers, nor is it the best degree for all executives. From what you’ve said, I’d suggest that the MBA is probably not the best online master’s degree for you, either.
The MBA - What Is It?
First of all, some facts about the MBA:
• Like most master’s degrees, it consists of 10 to 12 core courses with 3 to 5 electives. This translates to between 36 and 51 semester credits.
• Traditional core MBA courses include Accounting I, Accounting II, Financial Analysis, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Business Policy, Marketing Strategy, Production and Operations Administration, and Advanced Business Statistics.
• Most MBA programs require work in mathematics to the level of calculus. Algebra and statistics are also required. Admission to a traditional MBA typically requires high scores on the quantitative section of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
(The GMAT is the admission exam required by many of America’s Ivy League business schools. Competitive MBA programs often require a score of 600 or above on the GMAT.)
• The MBA typically stresses a quantitative approach to the study of business, rather than a people or leadership approach.
Who Benefits from an MBA?
Those employed in careers such as accounting, finance, economics, management of information technology, engineering, operations and logistics, or quality control—all careers that are quantitative or operational in nature—will benefit the most from a traditional MBA program.
If you intend to climb the career ladder at a Fortune 500 corporation where the ability to administer a large bureaucracy will be prized, then the MBA is always an excellent career choice.
Alternatives to the Online MBA
But what if you neither need nor want to study higher level math, finance, economics and quantitative management?
What if your approach to business involves not crunching numbers but building an organizational structure that optimizes human performance? In this case, the MBA may not be the best graduate degree for you.
If you’re employed in human resources, training and development, advertising, sales and service or entrepreneurship, you may favor a non-MBA degree. You may find yourself drawn not to understanding a balance sheet but to studies of the way people are motivated to excel within the workplace or the marketplace.
If so, other degrees—such as a master’s in management, a master’s in human resources or a master’s in leadership—might better fit your interests and aptitudes.
This doesn't mean you can't achieve your business career ambitions. Indeed, if your interests lie in the softer side of business—motivating people and creating innovative work environments—this is a great time to be returning to school.
A new breed of online graduate business degrees has been developed within the last decade. These degrees rely less on old-school quantitative analysis and more on teaching leadership and innovation.
Online Master of Management The main emphasis of a master’s in management is the development of people within an organization. Core master of management courses often include Leadership, Organizational Design and Development, Organizational Troubleshooting, Human Resources Development, Economic Issues in an Organization, Developing a Learning Organization, and Accounting for Managers.
Students can choose to take a course in business statistics if they wish, but higher-level mathematics is not typically a required part of the management degree curriculum.
More good news for those who are math-phobic: management master’s degrees rarely require applicants to take the GMAT or to otherwise demonstrate high proficiency in mathematics.
Online Master of Leadership Leadership is hot. After the MBA, and the master’s in management, GetEducated.com’s national surveys of graduate business degrees show that the master’s in leadership is the third most popular online graduate business degree.
Not bad for a degree that virtually did not exist a decade ago.
In the 1990s, small businesses hit Wall Street’s radar. Many Internet and technology start-ups were built not by old-school executives but by visionary leaders. This new generation of e-business leaders may or may not have understood calculus, but they definitely understood how to create corporate cultures that encourage people to excel.
Scores of graduate business schools now offer online master’s and graduate certificates in leadership.
Online MBA – Blue Chip, But Not Only Choice
Don’t think of the MBA as your only online degree choice. Think of it as the conservative or traditional option.
The MBA is hands down the blue chip choice of the academic world.
But before enrolling in an online MBA program, consider if you’re the blue chip type.
Many alternative master's degrees in business and management might better suit your personality and career aspirations.
I’m looking for an online MBA. I’ve found several that fit my budget but none are accredited by the AACSB. What is the AACSB? Do I really need a distance MBA degree that is accredited by them?
—Roberta, Gary, IN
The AACSB is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. It is considered the gold standard of business school accreditation. But not every student needs an AACSB-accredited MBA...
I was laid off from my job as a real estate agent and want to be a high school math teacher, but my bachelor’s degree is in psychology. Do I need a new degree in education? Will an online bachelor’s in education qualify me to become a licensed teacher?
—Willis, Houston, Texas
If you didn’t earn a bachelor’s degree in education years ago and you now want to teach in the public schools, don’t fret. Every state maintains what are termed “alternative teacher certification” programs...
Norwich University’s regionally-accredited School of Graduate Studies offers 10 Master's degrees in business, diplomacy, military history, administration, business continuity, nursing, civil engineering and more. The online format is designed to meet your professional and personal needs and the small class sizes ensure individual attention from world class faculty. Challenging curriculum is designed to benefit your career development. Complete your degree in as little as 18 months from an institution with 189 years of academic heritage.
The National Universities Degree Consortium (NUDC) is a nationwide collaborative of eight respected higher education institutions, all offering fully accredited courses and degrees designed for distance learners. Visit NUDC to learn about 58 degrees and hundreds of courses delivered online, by correspondence and other media. NUDC's member universities: Colorado State University, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, University of New Orleans, University of South Carolina and Washington State University.
For active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and military families.
More than half of military students use online education. What do you need to know to find schools that best fit your needs? How can you find the best financial aid and scholarship package at your online school? Answers are here.
The field of online education is growing and so is the need for teachers who can teach online. Check out our regularly updated list of online job opportunities, post your job availability, and visit our Online Resource Center, with tips, advice and free downloads for online educators.
Facts from GetEducated's National Survey of Online MBAs. Who offers the cheapest online MBA? Do you need an AACSB-accredited distance MBA? Online MBA rankings and ratings. Everything you need to know to compare 390 accredited online MBAs from 168 online business schools.
I’m looking for an online MBA. I’ve found several that fit my budget but none are accredited by the AACSB. What is the AACSB? Do I really need a distance MBA degree that is accredited by them?
—Roberta, Gary, IN 
The AACSB is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. It is considered the gold standard of business school accreditation. But not every student needs an AACSB-accredited MBA... 
