Online MBA Report recently spoke to Victoria Parker, Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Faculty Administration and Rebecca Barbour, Director of Graduate Programs, Peter T. Paul College of Business & Economics at the University of New Hampshire
Courses at UNH use high quality technology for learning. Can you walk us through how students in the online MBA program interact with peers and your faculty?
Students in the Paul College online MBA program interact with other students and faculty via two main technology platforms used in the program. The first is Zoom videoconferencing, which faculty use to hold virtual office hours, meetings with students working on team projects, and optional synchronous discussion sections. Students and faculty also use Canvas course management software to engage course material in discussion boards, complete peer reviews of others’ assignments, and to share videos of assigned course presentations. Faculty also use Canvas to share short explanatory videos as well as a wide variety of other course materials and activities.
Tell us about the career services and professional resources that are offered to online MBA degree candidates?
Online MBA candidates have the same access to Paul College’s Career and Professional Success (CaPS) staff and resources as MBA candidates in other programs. This includes one-on-one career counseling with a CaPS staff member who specializes in MBA career counseling, as well as access to an MBA-specific career resources website that includes resources on resume development, interview technique, and information about job postings specifically seeking MBA graduates.
UNH’s MIS concentration is highly ranked. Can you tell us what makes this program so successful?
The Paul College MBA specialization in Information Systems and Business Analytics (ISBA) integrates knowledge and skills drawn from statistics, information systems, and decision sciences into a curriculum that equips students to acquire, analyze, and present data that is relevant to business decision-making. Courses are hands-on, and develop students’ abilities to communicate data in ways that are comprehensible and meaningful.
Can you share a short example or highlight of faculty achievement in the program?
Tom Gruen, PhD, Professor and Chair of Marketing, was one of the founding faculty of the online MBA program, and continues to teach marketing strategy as well as marketing electives such as pricing in the program. He is a senior faculty fellow to Big Picture Partners, working on curriculum design for fundamental marketing competencies. In 2018, Dr. Gruen received Paul College’s Researcher of the Year award, and his recent research focuses on the management of customer relationships, particularly when retail out-of-stocks occur.
Do you have any major changes in the program set for 2019? Please share any updates!
The online MBA was just ranked #51 in 2019 by U.S. News & World Report, jumping up 34 slots from last year. The online MBA is delivered asynchronously and includes six new specializations. Students can choose options such as Information Systems & Business Analytics, Growth & Innovation, Marketing, Finance, Global Business, and Hospitality Management. The online MBA at the University of New Hampshire is the only program in the state to hold AACSB accreditation.
What type of student typically enrolls in the University of New Hampshire online MBA program?
Students in the Online MBA program are working professionals from a variety of industries and backgrounds. Most students complete the program in 2.5 years while continuing to work full time. The online MBA program is flexible and allows students to complete the program entirely online, or to attend evening face to face classes in Durham or Manchester, NH. This enables online MBA students to build their network while completing the program. Students average ten years of professional experience prior to enrolling. Students learn from one another in addition to their faculty, allowing for sharing of ideas and best practices that they can apply immediately in their professional capacity.
What companies typically recruit MBA’s from your program?
A few employers of online MBA graduates are companies such as Liberty Mutual, Unitil, Fidelity, IDEXX Laboratories, Lonza Biologics, Oracle, Sigsauer and Pratt & Whitney.
What advice would you give a prospective candidate for your online MBA program?
I would remind prospective students that the online MBA program is designed to allow flexibility to complete an MBA program while juggling other responsibilities. It was designed for a motived professional to gain the advanced skillset necessary to hone their leadership skills and accelerate their career trajectory, and it is do-able for working professionals. If a student is concerned about how to finish their program if they are transferred to another location, or get a new position, I would let them know that the online MBA enables them to complete the program from anywhere in the world.
Thanks to Victoria Parker and Rebecca Barbour for participating. For more interviews, check out our Online MBA Report Interview Series
