By Cody Heintz, Business Manager
This fall marks the first time that a school in New York State will offer a Masters of Business Administration degree in Strategic Business through a primarily online setting. Hofstra's Online MBA Program is a two-year, 48-credit program that is designed to allow business professionals to continue to work without having to quit their day job. The only residency requirements for the program are a 4-day residency at the beginning of the program and another at the end of the program.
The Online MBA's concentration in Strategic Business is the only concentration offered through the online program right now and is not offered through Hofstra's traditional MBA Program. When asked why the program was created, Dr. Patrick Socci, Dean of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, explained, "The main reasons for the creation of the program were twofold; one was the recognition that graduate education [is] transitioning to the on-line world and the second was the desire to expand the reach of The University to geographic areas that otherwise would have been impossible to reach. For example, we have working professionals from Bermuda and Utah that ordinarily would not have chosen Hofstra."
The cost for the 2-year program will be $61,200. Program Director Dr. Kaushik Sengupta commented, "I think we are attractively priced for a program of this stature and value." The tuition for the program will not only cover the cost of all courses but also the room and board for the two residencies and a foreign trip.
The online program will offer many advantages over a traditional program. The biggest advantage for the online program is flexibility. Dr. Sengupta said of flexibility, "asynchronous classes allow [students] to figure out when they want to go through the materials." Another advantage is that after the first semester, students can take on a reduced course load with the ability to take up to five years to finish the program.
The program will allow prospective students to waive the GMAT requirement if they have 5 years of progressive work experience. When asked about differences between the traditional and online programs, Dr. Socci commented, "The close faculty contact, the small cohort size, and the three residencies including an international trip are clear differentiators from other programs."
Due to the program not taking place in the typical classroom setting, the courses will primarily use Blackboard Learning Management System to conduct courses. When asked about interaction, Dr. Sengupta said "Interaction happens through various means – web cams, video lectures, audio lectures, discussion forums, blogs, WebEx sessions." Dr. Sengupta also commented that the program has "cohort-based classes which allow development of professional relationships."
"The faculty embraced the concept, since they have been delivering on-line education for years," Dr. Socci said. "They insisted that the [online] program have all the quality and rigor of the traditional program - and it does."
The degree earned from the online program will have no mention of it being done through online means and the transcripts and degrees earned from the program will look the same as regular MBA. The Online MBA Progam is designed to provide the quality of the Zarb Business School to those that can't commit to a normal MBA program.