The Franklin Pierce University institutional mission focuses on preparing knowledgeable and confident leaders who make significant contributions to their professions and communities, whether their aspirations are local or global. To accommodate the busy working adult, the online MBA degree offers students a tremendous amount of flexibility for the timing and sequencing of their studies. Classes are available in online or in-class formats to accommodate individual schedules and priorities, and this degree can be completed 100% online. We spoke with Dr. Edward French to gain his insight into the online MBA at Franklin Pierce University.
What type of student typically enrolls in your online MBA program?
While there is a great range of students enrolling in our program, the preponderance of students are older, with work experience, looking for promotion within the ranks of management or perhaps promotion to management. The average age of our student is 30 years with work experience averaging 11+ years. In 2017-18, 61% of newly enrolled students had full-time work experience.
How do students in the online MBA program interact with faculty?
We offer many and varied ways for students to interact with faculty, to provide maximum flexibility in accommodating the unique schedules and preferences of our students. While our program is primarily asynchronous, many of our classes have a synchronous component as an additional option for students. Web conferencing software is often used to conduct synchronous classroom activities such as case discussion or working on quantitative problems. Instructor office hours are conducted virtually with students able to contact instructors by email, phone, Skype and other methods to ask questions and seek out assistance.
All students are assigned a full-time faculty academic advisor who works with the student on their course choices and any learning challenges they might experience. The advisor will communicate with the student via email, text, phone, video, or in person as needed by the student.
Is there a concentration your online MBA is known for?
The Franklin Pierce University MBA program has earned business program accreditation through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), a CHEA recognized program accreditor. Each of our six concentration tracks (Leadership, Human Resource Management, Health Administration, Information Technology, Sports Management and Energy and Sustainable Studies) are notable in that they provide industry focus typical in a Master of Science degree. At the same time, each concentration provides the general quantitative and qualitative course work of an MBA which is critical to preparing successful business leaders.
- US News ranked the MBA program 146 out of 267 online MBA programs for 2018.
- The MBA in Energy and Sustainability Studies was recently ranked #6 in the nation for online sustainable MBA degrees by TheBestSchools.org.
- The MBA in Human Resource Management curriculum has been approved by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) as meeting critical competencies for human resource professionals.
What opportunities do online MBA students have for networking?
Students are encouraged to create networks among their peers in the program. Our program is not cohort-based so students are exposed to a varied mix of other students at different stages of their professional career. Beyond this, several concentrations within the program utilize LinkedIn to form affinity groups for all students in the same concentration. The Franklin Pierce University Career Services and Alumni Engagement offices provide both LinkedIn and Facebook groups for students and alumni to join for networking purposes.
Do you offer career services and professional resources to online MBA degree candidates?
The Lloyd & Helen Ament Astmann ’69 Career Center provides exceptional career development service to all students and alumni of Franklin Pierce University. A team of career development professionals advise students through a five-stage model of career planning that ensures all students discover campus resources, explore career opportunities, engage in experiential learning and internships, prepare for the workforce or promotion, and implement strategies to remain competitive in a dynamic job market.
The Career Center provides a range of services that support students holistically through each stage of development. Services include career advising, industry research, resume and cover letter writing, interview skills and strategies, and a variety of networking opportunities. Online students are able to receive support via phone, email, video conferencing, and through 24-hour access to an online career management platform.
Franklin Pierce University was selected as one of the 2013-14 top colleges with the best career services as determined by BestColleges.com.
What advice would you give a prospective candidate for your online MBA program?
My advice to prospective candidates is to be certain of what you are looking for in a graduate degree. The Franklin Pierce program is well suited for students seeking small class sizes, attentive and nurturing faculty, quality and rigorous instruction confirmed by an independent program accreditor (International Accreditation Council for Business Education), and a reasonable time to completion of the program (21-24 months). Be prepared to work hard and in return we will provide you with the skills and tools to become successful business leaders. Our program offers a lot of flexibility, and we counsel our students to give careful consideration to their commitments at home and at work in order to make the most of their investment in their degree.
Thanks to Edward French for participating. For more interviews, check out our Online MBA Report Interview Series.
