Online MBA from a Respected Brick and Mortar University
After earning her undergraduate degree at Arizona State University, Grace O'Sullivan faced a decision - delay earning her masters degree, or enroll in an online program that would give her the flexibility to continue her education while working full time as the Associate Director of Performance and Quality Management at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University.
Online and campus courses share the same faculty
She considered a variety of on-campus and online programs at universities throughout the country, but ultimately decided to enroll in the online MBA program at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
The program appealed to O'Sullivan because of its flexibility and because all of the online courses were taught by the same instructors who taught the on-campus courses. O'Sullivan had also taken a few online courses at Arizona State while earning her undergraduate degree, and was familiar and satisfied with the online course management system. "The delivery of the [online] courses was very good. I knew I was getting the same quality education," O'Sullivan said.
Another factor that appealed to O'Sullivan was that Arizona State University didn't differentiate between masters degrees that were earned on campus and online. "Nowhere on the degree does it say that [the degree] was earned online," O'Sullivan said. "That was a really nice feature for me...it added to the value of the degree."
For prospective students who are considering online education, O'Sullivan stresses the importance of researching schools fully and choosing a program that will provide the best education possible for their tuition dollars. "When choosing a school, you really need to consider each school's ranking, accreditation status and overall reputation," she said.
Finding her routine and the support of a team.
Although O'Sullivan hasn't found the delivery of the online coursework difficult, she did find it a little challenging to get into a routine initially. "It's a matter of figuring out a structure that works for you and getting into the routine of going to class and doing assignments," she said.
One thing that helped O'Sullivan tremendously was the support she received from her "team" of classmates. According to O'Sullivan, each member of the MBA program at the W. P. Carey School is put into a group of four to six students who go through the entire program together. "We met in-person at orientation during the first week of class and have been together since," she said. "It's been really nice…we have weekly team meetings and email continuously. "We are accountable to each other."
In addition to her group, O'Sullivan finds support in the online discussion boards where fellow classmates and instructors communicate and ask questions. "It's a good opportunity to talk to the other people in the program who are outside your group," she said.
"I've found the instructors to be very responsive in answering emails and discussion board questions," O'Sullivan said. "They always get back to you within 24 hours. Usually, they respond within four or five hours."
Not only were the instructors responsive to the students' needs, but so was the administration, O'Sullivan said. "I really like that the instructors and upper level administrators listened to us and considered our opinions regarding the program and course layout," she said. "They were very willing to talk with us before making any changes."
Balancing school and a full time job.
O'Sullivan will graduate from the MBA program this fall. The degree took her approximately two years to finish, even though she worked full time through the entire program. "We only took one class at a time, with one week off between courses," she said. "Each course lasted for six weeks."
O'Sullivan had the freedom to do coursework at her convenience, though there were timed quizzes and exams that she would have to login and complete within a certain timeframe, she said. Once the quizzes or exams were started, each student would have a specific amount of time to complete the test and submit it to the instructor for review.
In the end, O'Sullivan found the MBA program to be a great option for busy professionals such as herself. "It was really, really worthwhile," she said. "I don't think I would have been successful otherwise."
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