DISTANCE EDUCATION: MBA Programs Go Global via the Internet; University of Dallas Graduate School of Management Has No Borders
The MBA, Master's of Business Administration, until recently one of the most traditional graduate school programs, is being transformed by the global economy and the worldwide reach of the Internet. Colleges and universities throughout the United States, including the venerable University of Chicago as well as upstarts such as Jones International University, are offering all or part of the MBA degree online to students who study around the clock thousands of miles away from campus.
Experts say that the change is inevitable as business schools search for new sources of revenue. According to a recent article in The New York Times, enrollments in MBA programs at most top schools have dropped due to the strong economy and to demographic shifts that have produced a smaller number of people in their 20s. Without new students from abroad, many programs will experience steeper declines in enrollments.
Some business schools have actually set up overseas operations in Asia and Europe. Others have chosen the Internet. One of the most innovative in offering a full degree online is the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management (GSM). It currently offers four online MBA degrees -- Telecommunications Management, Information Technology, Sport Management, and E-Commerce, the last launched in the fall of 1999 and the largest of its kind in the U.S.
This year, the UD Graduate School of Management was awarded a $322,500 grant from eCollege.com to develop more courses and to market the programs currently offered through the University's Internet Master of Business Administration (IMBA).
eCollege.com is a leading provider of technology and services that enable colleges and universities to offer an online environment for distance and on-campus learning.
'This is what the power of the Internet has brought to higher education -- the ability to offer high quality education to those who would otherwise not have access to it,' said Charles Schneider, chief operating officer of eCollege.com.
'The Internet is making courses and degree programs available to anyone, from anywhere at anytime. The technology provides the interaction between the students and the teacher and between the students and their classmates, an experience very similar to the traditional classroom.'
However, the students enrolled in the IMBA program are anything but traditional. The University recruits worldwide and has marketed the program to a customer base that includes the military, corporate travelers, and working mothers.
'We have students who spend half their work life flying from one country to another. We accommodate them by providing courses that can be studied on a laptop, on the Internet, through video and e-mail and satellite transmission,' says Dr. Paula Ann Hughes, dean of the Graduate School of Management.
Recruiting those students is the job of Roxanne del Rio, GSM director of admissions. Her responsibilities are split between managing the admissions department and creating new markets for the University. It is a job that requires a lot of travel, especially to the Middle East, Latin America, and Mexico. 'We rely on the economy of the world to direct us to different markets of the world, including Asia, Europe, Latin America, Mexico, and the Middle East. Within each country, there are pockets that we consider a viable source of potential students,' she said.
During recruiting trips, Roxane del Rio says she works a 12- to 14-hour day. 'You have to be motivated and have stamina to be a recruiter. You must be able to make an impact and sell your university in the time allotted. You are `on' 24 hours a day,' she noted. 'There is really no time to rest or relax on these trips.'
On the road, Del Rio's typical schedule involves meetings with various constituencies that are sources of potential students. Sometimes she meets with human resource directors of major corporations who might want to send employees to the United States for an MBA degree. She also discusses the possibility of UD's executive training program for employees, which are short-term certificate programs that can be delivered via the Internet or at the corporate site by one of the GSM professors.
Del Rio checks in with University officials who might be interested in starting a semester exchange program for students or faculty who want U.S. experience or have a particular field of interest.
But the bulk of her efforts is aimed at organized student fairs in each country, with the public invited free of charge to access information about the MBA program.
'At these fairs, we handle 400-700 inquiries during the course of the day,' she said. 'It's a good way for us to talk personally to students and distribute brochures. Most importantly, we build a data base on these students so that we can follow up on them.'
The Graduate School of Management has been particularly successful in recruiting minorities and women, enrollment segments that have increased dramatically during her tenure. Currently, the University of Dallas has more than 2,100 students in the MBA program. Of that total, 25 percent are minority, and 41 percent are female. International students representing 61 countries comprise 25 percent of the program.
Part of the success in attracting these populations is attributed to alliances created with minority not-forprofits and community organizations.
'We have partnered with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, National Black MBA Association, Hispanic Women's Network, and Hispanic Bankers Association, just to name a few,' she said.
Del Rio's background makes her especially effective in recruiting a diverse student body. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, she is a descendant of Mexican heritage. She became interested in this line of work 20 years ago when she was a student assistant in the Health Service Department and the Counseling and Testing Department at Del Mar College. 'I found my passion for working with students grew from this experience as an undergraduate,' she said.
Del Rio eventually received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas A&M and a master's in public administration from the University of North Texas.
She has worked as a consultant to the Economic Development Center at the University of Texas at Arlington and taught in a 'special needs' program in South Texas, at an elementary school.
Del Rio maintains an active presence in professional organizations. She is a cofounder of the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NHSMBA) and has been a chapter vice president of education and director-at-large. She is currently an educational consultant for the NSHMBA National Scholarship.
A contributor to Tortilla Soup for the Soul, a collection of inspirational stories for Latinas, Del Rio is also a teacher for the Literacy Volunteers of America.
Her 'plate is full,' as the saying goes, and there are times when she feels that she is stretched too thin. 'It's a challenge for me to find enough time to complete projects, talk with students, recruit, volunteer for organizations, and network with colleagues,' she said.
But she adds that she loves having a job that allows her to use her talents creatively to help the University grow and to help students reach their educational goals.
The Application Process
Students who express interest in obtaining a degree through the IMBA program must complete the application process. Admissions requirements for the IMBA are consistent with those of the graduate school's traditional programs. Prospective students must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and meet two of the following requirements: an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0, a satisfactory score on the GMAT, five years or more of effective managerial or professional work experience.
International students and permanent residents must provide proof of proficiency in English by submitting TOEFL scores and must take the Focal Skills Test to determine English proficiency.
Although the coursework delivery method has changed, Internet classes are based on the same trimester calendar as other University programs. Courses follow a weekly schedule, with assignments due about seven days after being posted. All coursework, including projects and exams, takes place online, and all communication (student-to-student/student-to-professor) occurs via e-mail.
Enrollment is limited to 20-25. Prospective online students are cautioned that 'Internet classes are generally more difficult than on-campus classes because of the level of weekly participation and regularity of assignments, which are the basis of grades.' They advise students to be prepared to spend at least six to ten hours per week on coursework.
Colleges and universities that have adopted programs like UD's IMBA discover that the dot-EDU University can offer many benefits. It can reach more students by creating educational opportunities that cut across geographical boundaries. A virtual campus can free faculty from certain administrative details and allow them to focus more directly on teaching, providing insight and inspiring students. They might also have more time to spend on their personal research agendas and on consulting that expands their knowledge base and ultimately serves and benefits students.
In addition, student enrollment grows as the dot-EDU University attracts the nontraditional student, one with limited access to higher education due to professional and family commitments but one who is savvy about Internet technology and its possibilities. When these students are surveyed about their online experiences, they often report that they learn more, like it better, and even feel greater ties to one another than they did in a traditional setting.
But most of all, the online MBA serves as a very practical way of integrating business education into today's global market.
As Dean Paula Hughes says, 'The world is the laboratory where our students are making daily business decisions that impact the future of firms. We must give them on-the-job tools, and we must make them accessible outside the traditional classroom.'
Chart (GSM Student Background)
