I Need More Advice On This

[soliloquy]

Look at Missouri State University's MBA program. It's AACSB accredited and reasonably priced.

[clep3705]

That ranking is solely based on tuition. ... There are no other criteria.

It appears there is more to the ranking than tuition. Texas A & M University-Commerce Reviews | Online College of Business - Graduate | GetEducated.com While student and other reviews aren't the most reliable measures, they can prove useful, just like ratemyprofessors.com has value. The tuition data by itself is valuable in setting expectations for how much a degree program can cost.

[sanantone]

It appears there is more to the ranking than tuition. Texas A & M University-Commerce Reviews | Online College of Business - Graduate | GetEducated.com While student and other reviews aren't the most reliable measures, they can prove useful, just like ratemyprofessors.com has value. The tuition data by itself is valuable in setting expectations for how much a degree program can cost.

No, there isn't. The affordability ranking is just an affordability ranking. The other things on the report card are not considered in the affordability ranking. Affordability is just one part of the overall grade. As you can see, the MBA ranking is only under the affordability category meaning that it is only about affordability.

Just in case what I said was confusing, I'll use another school as an example. Southeastern Oklahoma University was ranked #2 in affordability. It has no feedback on student satisfaction or perception yet, so its overall grade is an A. It managed to get an A without any student reviews.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University Reviews | Online John Massey School of Business - Graduate | GetEducated.com

Argosy University got a B- for MBA affordability on the MBA ranking, C+ for overall affordability when considering multiple programs, and a B for its overall grade after throwing in student satisfaction and public perception. Therefore, the overall grade on the report card is different from the affordability rankings of individual programs.

MBA Online Programs | Best Online Colleges | Best Online Universities | GetEducated.com
Argosy University-Online Reviews | Online College of Business - Graduate | GetEducated.com

[Prloko]

I spoke to UNC regarding their MBA program. When I decided not to attend, Ngunjiri Ngari, called me incessantly so I know they must be having a hard time selling that program. MBA@UNC tuition is currently $1,510.23 per credit hour. MBA@UNC is a 66 credit hour program. Students can expect to pay at least $99,675 for the entire program. That doesn't include their immersion travel requirements.

Let me know what they say about their financial aid packages. They didn't seem like they were offering much there...pushing loans more than anything so if you find out something different, I would love to know that.

Considering that these MBA@ programs are ran/administered by the same for profit program, you're going to get the strong sell you see with the usual for profits. I know your experience as I had applied for one of these programs and the push to get you to apply is strong. When I first sent in my transcripts, I couldn't find the address to send them, so I sent them in the normal school route. The school instead of forwarding the transcripts, called the program and told them that I need to send new transcripts to the for profit wing.

These programs are reaalllly pricey and I know the one program i am applying to accepts yellow ribbon so I should be get an MBA that is paid for. If I didn't have a third party payer, I would have sought a much cheaper program.

EDIT: One of our members is already doing the UNC program, maybe we should ask him to check in on his status, opinions.

[BIPolarGuy]

Considering that these MBA@ programs are ran/administered by the same for profit program, you're going to get the strong sell you see with the usual for profits. I know your experience as I had applied for one of these programs and the push to get you to apply is strong. When I first sent in my transcripts, I couldn't find the address to send them, so I sent them in the normal school route. The school instead of forwarding the transcripts, called the program and told them that I need to send new transcripts to the for profit wing.

These programs are reaalllly pricey and I know the one program i am applying to accepts yellow ribbon so I should be get an MBA that is paid for. If I didn't have a third party payer, I would have sought a much cheaper program.

EDIT: One of our members is already doing the UNC program, maybe we should ask him to check in on his status, opinions.

That'd be me...

I am now in my second quarter at MBA@UNC. First, UNC does not offer many scholarships or merit aid. I think 1 or 2 per cohort may get some aid, but you will need to get a redicoulous GMAT score. It is suuper pricy and by the time you add in th costs for the immersions you will add another $10-20k.

I am fortunate enough to have a sponsor for my program and that was the reason i went with the "higher ranked" program. As for the curriculum, it is really good. THe Async material is well done and explains concepts clearly. The classes are heavy into projects and you will get to work with a lot of other professionals. I never was a fan of projects because i always ended up finishing the work when others dropped out or just failed to perform. However, that has not been an issue here. All of the students i have met are professionals well into their careers and are Type A's; things get done quickly.

UNC didn't bat an eye at my transcripts. They say they use a holistic approach to selection. ( i think that means if you can pay you can go LOL). I handled it all in my interview and described my UG degree from TESC. The interviewer said that it was impressive and wished he knew about that program. However, even though my degree was BSBA, they did not allow me to waive any core classes like Financial Accounting. I am glad they didn't. I am in FA now and they go much more into theroy and decomposition of financial statements than my UG class did.


I attended my first immersion in San Francisco in March. The focus for my track was Big Data. It was intersting and informative. The Cheif Analytic Officer from Ceasars entertainment was a guest speaker and had some interesting insights. Also, Google had a represeentative speak about Data. Netwroking was the biggest thing there. You get to meet the other students you have been seeing in the connect sessions. The Staff does a good job of arranging seating by industry and state so that you can network with others. I am heading to London in June and will be in the consulting trac. That should be intersting, i hear its really competiitve. Shanghai in Spetember.

Anyway I feel like i am rambling this morning, so I will cut it off while i am behind. Ultimatley, I would recommend the MBA@UNC program if you can afford it.

BTW- Pepperrdine was another choice that had a good online program and gave a merit of up to $39k for gmat scores.

Good luck , Greg

[LaterBloomer]

Wow, Greg. If I had an extra kidney (or two) to sell, I'll sign up for your program just for the opportunity to travel and hear those fascinating seminars. I'm not even considering an MBA.

[Prloko]

That'd be me...

HEy Greg,

Thanks a lot for chiming in. The cost is the only reason I didn't go with UNC. My employer will cover $6,000 p/y, and that would go after 1.5 classes at UNC. I have an application in with American University. They recently partnered with 2U, the company that does the "MBA@" programs, and if I'm accepted, will be part of their first cohort. American will cover everything the GI Bill doesn't and it is my "local" school which may look better on resumes (or not). I also liked their International Business focus.

I have my app in and am waiting on word if I am accepted. I don't think it is all too competitive, so I am thinking I have a really good chance of getting accepted.

[rebel100]

I have no beef with any of these ideas...the UNC option sounds like a stellar experience. Had I the money I would consider that (if they would let me in). Duke's Fuqua has a similar program, with an even higher price.

On WGU:

Pro's:
Cheap, which was important as my employer only offered $3000/year the rest came from my pocket....they did let me time it so that I accessed the funds over about 18 months, So my MBA "cost me" about $750.00 total.

Regionally Accredited....I work in healthcare and UofP seems to be growing by leaps and bounds...in short if that works then WGU should be (and is) fine. I often hear "you're masters prepared" that's all I needed and it's what I have. I also considered other masters like the MAIS from WNMU and both the MBA and an MS from AMU/APU.

Cons:
There is no support worth having from WGU post graduation. Their career center will direct you to take meaningless "tests" so you can learn where your interest lies then tell you to network...completely useless! It really gets me going that they push all these specific employers on the front end then there is no mention of them or direct line of contact once your done. It disgusts me.

If you aren't self motivated you may not do well with the format. If you fail to see things through the cost just continues to grow, I'm sure there are a good number of folks paying a lot more for their WGU degree than we talk about here...the cost/time savings only applies if you work to exploit it.

There really is no established alumni base worth talking about. Sure there are some folks that have great jobs with a WGU MBA...but I haven't met any with the pull to bring up other WGU graduates in a meaningful way. WGU checks the box and nothing more. No Football/Baseball/Soccer team...this doesn't matter, yet it does. I was in an interview Friday when a member of the panel brought up her Alma-mater...the University of Florida. I live in Florida, so UF means something to folks down here as do the other larger state schools. I don't think I will lose this job based on not going to UF, but the possibility exists that I could have cinched it with the right pedigree. Of course, you can game this in many directions and it's only anecdotal, but school name recognition is important in some circles. My daughter who is finishing her undergrad from Harvard Extension gets interviews and job offers. The brand sells, they want to meet her, if nothing else, so they can say they interviewed a kid from Harvard...open doors are good.



In the end I'm happy with the utility of my cheap quickly earned degree. Given my age (mid 40's) and background (lots of experience) it was the perfect blend for me. If i were younger, maybe there was a better choice. If I were happy with my then current job and the employer offered more funding...then maybe another choice. If my plans included teaching or banking, or some work that required a "brand" degree...then I would have made another choice. But those weren't my realities at the time.

You might also look at Chadron and ENMU, they both had interesting cost effective choices.

[cookderosa]

Go Tarheels!
While UNC-Chapel Hill has taken a hit lately in the press for coddling their "student-athletes" I'm exceptionally proud to work there, even at the bottom of the totem pole. UNC Chapel Hill is exceptionally regarded in NC. Though med school isn't part of the question, they've held the #1 spot for many years. It's a door-opener no doubt.

[corpsole2]

I am starting to shift from Syracuse University and UNC to Texas A&M, Commerce. I see their MBA program is one third the cost of the other two, and they also provide a high quality learning experience. Everyone I know who is an Aggie raves about the quality of learning they received.

Not to mention, TAMUC will also waive the GMAT for a cumulative score of 3.0 and above or a score of 3.25 on the last sixty credits. They seem to have lax entrance requirements, from what I can see. I only need one recommendation!