Quote:
Originally Posted by Munchkin03
Have you come across graduates of online MBAs applying for jobs, and how they're perceived?
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The problem with the MBA is that it is a generalist degree. In most programs, you have a class or two on each topic; lots of breadth, no depth. I think this general curriculum is useful for people with non-business degrees, because we learn a bit about finance, accounting, econ, etc., that we perhaps haven't had before. In fact, nearly everyone in my program was a scientist, engineer, or IT person of some sort, because of its location near lots of related businesses. Most of them were people who wanted to go from IT guy to IT manager or researcher to research manager or what have you. For these people, the actual program is far less important than just having the letters.
For someone with a BBA, they need to think a lot more about what they want to get out of an MBA, and really look for a program that specializes in that thing. Many schools offer the MBA with some sort of concentration, but you should still have a good idea of why you want the MBA and not the Masters in Finance, Masters in Econ, etc.
So, I happen to live in a city that has quite a few programs of both types; some are a good fit for general managers, others let you concentrate on one area of the business. The part-time programs are structured specifically for working adults, in both their scheduling and their curriculum. If, with all these choices, someone decided to do a DeVry or a Kaplan online, it definitely raises an eyebrow. For a hiring manager, it may not be a disqualifier, but it is certainly something to ask more about.