
We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Sarah Stanley to discuss the great value of an Online MBA from Missouri S&T. With it's unique delivery format via distance learning, MBA students truly immerse in the live classroom experience.
What type of student typically enrolls in your online MBA program?
Our students come from every walk of life. We have some coming straight out of their undergraduate programs, other who have been working only a few years, several active military, and a few who have been working for years and are coming back to further their education. Also, while nearly half of our MBA’s students are engineers, we have also had people from a variety of industries including backgrounds in healthcare, psychology, supply chain, sales, and many entrepreneurs.
What are the campus requirements for online MBA students?
In order to be admitted a candidate would need to possess a bachelor’s degree and a GMAT score of at least 550. We will, however, waive the GMAT if students choose to start their graduate education with a Graduate Certificate which can then be applied to their MBA. In order to waive the GMAT students will need to have done well in all of their certificate courses before becoming admitted to the MBA program. Additionally, if a student’s native language is not English the TOEFL or ILETS may be required.
Do students work as a cohort or in another way?
Not exactly. Some students take our program full time and finish the program within a year and a half and others take one class at a time. So, while we do not have a defined cohort our class sizes are small and many students become familiar with each other quickly and often take classes with some of the same students. Thus, it is still easy to network and meet your colleagues in the program.
How do students in the online MBA program interact with faculty?
Since our program is via distance and not a traditional online format, student can login live and participate in lecture by asking questions of the faculty in real-time. In addition, faculty have office hours where students can call in or email.
What is unique about the structure of your online MBA program?
Our program is taught via distance and not in an online chat room format. Our professors teach in front of a green screen (just like your local weatherman) and students can call in and participate in class in real time. It is the closest thing to being in the classroom without needing to leave your home or office. We also have a media producer for every class so that all technical issues are addressed quickly and distance students have the best possible experience.
Do you offer career services and professional resources to online MBA degree candidates?
Yes. We have the Career Opportunities and Employer Relations (COER) office on campus that serves all of our students, both on campus and distance. They host 2 large career fairs each year, but a student would have to be physically present to attend. They also have an internal job posting site, called handshake, for employers looking to hire our students. Additionally, all of our students are assigned a faculty advisor who can help with things such as resume development, career advice, and mentorship.
What advice would you give a prospective candidate for your online MBA program?
Get to know your faculty members. In our program, the classes are fairly small (less than 30 students) and MBA classes rely heavily on participation and the sharing of ideas. In order to get the maximum benefit from an MBA program you need to network with fellow students and get to know your faculty members so that they may be a resource in the future.
Why should a prospective MBA candidate choose Missouri S&T?
We provide an exceptional value. US News ranked our MBA as second best in the nation for salary to debt ratio (2017), and our average starting salary for MBA students is $77,000.00. To further support for the value proposition, Yahoo Finance ranked our MBA as #1 for Alumni with the lowest average debt (2016).
What companies typically recruit MBA’s from your program?
Our students are placed in a variety of industries, all over the nation. We have recent alumni in companies such as Boeing, Brewer Science, Cerner, Emerson, Missouri S&T, Monsanto, Royal Canin, Starz Entertainment, Union Pacific, and Walmart.
Thanks to Sarah Stanley for participating. For more interviews, check out our Online MBA Report Interview Series