Online MBA: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Logging On

Considering a career in business? Browse your options

Guest article by Lela Davidson

Considering an online MBA? Six-figure living may be mere months away, but before you check out the overwhelming number of offerings, get clear on your motivations. Start by asking yourself these questions:

1. Don’t I have something better to do?
Unless you’re after a position in an MBA-mandatory field, like investment banking, you’d better have a good reason. Articulating your motive will help you maintain momentum throughout the program. Plus, employers when ask, to make more money is not your best answer. Will an online MBA really increase your income? Or would you do better with a strategy of on-the-job advancement? Do your homework before signing up for more homework.

2. Who am I trying to impress?
All MBAs are not equal. You won’t land a job on Wall Street with online cred. However, if you lack hard skills like financial analysis, chances are good the online MBA will hold your spot on the executive track. Consider only accredited schools. Then look at reputation. There’s a huge difference between a traditional school like Texas A&M that also teaches online and proprietary, or for-profit schools. Phoenix and Capella may provide a comparable education, but B-School is all about branding. Then again, for non-business undergrads, a less prestigious MBA, paired with work experience, is often enough.

3. What skills am I trying to attain?
Financial analysis and accounting may be suited to solitary study, but an MBA should equip students with the ability to manage, prioritize, and negotiate as well. Soft skills are best learned and practiced face to face. That said, distance learners may develop better communication skills because essentially every interaction is in written form. Technology enabling group chats, video, and project collaboration gets better every day. If these are common tools in your field, you’re may come out ahead of traditional students. It’s not a course, but don’t discount the career placement services offered by traditional schools. Online MBA students may not benefit from campus visits and mock interview analysis.

4. Am I cut out for online study?
Business school is more than cases and ethics. Do you long to brave the ropes course with B-School buds or bond over all-nighters? Virtual instructors and students may leave some students feeling isolated. Or you may have the opposite problem: no time alone. Online MBA seekers hope to maintain balance between school, home, and professional commitments. But flexible doesn’t mean optional. Evaluate when and where you will work before you choose your classes. Distance study means working at your own pace. If you’re too slow, the skills you pick up online are likely to be outdated before you finish.

5. Does online study it fit into my life?
Just because the program is online doesn’t mean it’s going to be any easier to complete. In fact many schools may try to make their programs more difficult to maintain a quality reputation. If scheduling is a major concern, investigate programs thoroughly. Some require you to be online during designated times for live classes. Holding onto your full time job while pursuing an MBA can be a powerful testament to your ambition and aptitude that pays off after graduation. However, if you never finish it, your investment was wasted.