One of the most advantageous aspects of earning an MBA online is the flexibility it provides for attending class while retaining a job or performing an established routine. Traditional colleges usually require at least two years to earn an MBA, but online colleges often grant the degree in a year or 18 months. The length of an academic program is closely related to the amount of time that a student can devote to earning an online degree. The U.S. Department of Education describes the typical requirements for a master’s degree, including the amount of time required to earn it. Most colleges require the completion of course work within a period of five years.
Attending Part Time or Full Time
Traditional colleges usually require full time attendance for two academic years as a basic requirement of an MBA degree, and part time programs require longer to complete. A typical program includes an internship when a student completes approximately half of the course work. Part time programs at traditional colleges usually offer classes on weekends or in the evening, and earning a degree as a part time student takes considerably longer than a full time program by requiring from three to five years.
Online colleges can offer a student a shorter and more intense course of study so that the degree requirements are completed more rapidly. Some online colleges offer an internship, providing an opportunity for students to apply acquired knowledge in a supervised business setting. Using the Internet, textbooks and instructional CDs, students can pursue an MBA online at a pace that accommodates a work schedule, family duties and social obligations.
Earning Credits for an online MBA
Accumulating credits creates a path to an MBA, either online or at an on campus college. Each course contributes two or three credit hours to the total of 36 that are usually required for the degree, exclusive of general education courses that are sometimes required on a remedial basis.
Online colleges may allow a full time student to earn 12 credits in classes that last 16 weeks and five or six in summer sessions. A part time student is usually advised to earn only four or five credits in longer sessions and no more than three in summer programs. Experience in teaching students on the Internet enables online colleges to provide guidelines for course loads that are achievable. Overloading a schedule does not allow a student to study adequately or to participate fully in online discussions.
Anticipating Completion
An online MBA degree is within the reach of a part time student who can schedule time to attend class in the evening or during weekends. A full time student who can study and attend class during the day can progress through a program leading to a degree more rapidly than a part time student, but all candidates for an MBA have a path to achieve a significant goal.
Completing course requirements, participating in seminars, scoring well on graded exercises and completing special projects instead of a thesis prepares a student to earn an online MBA. The accumulation of credits allows a student to complete the requirements for the degree in a year, 18 months or two years, depending on the amount of time available for study.