We recently had the opportunity to speak with Oklahoma Baptist Unversity's Will Brantley, M.A., Director of Recruitment Graduate College about their online MBA program.
What type of student typically enrolls in Oklahoma Baptist University's online MBA program?
Our students are a very diverse population of students. We have students from right out of their undergraduate program to students in their 60s. The one thing they have in common is that they are wanting to advance in their career and learn how to improve their leadership.
With the pending introduction of both campus and online studies (in Fall 2019), how does this benefit students?
Students can continue to enjoy the online program that allows them to complete the required work around their schedule. With the introduction of the on campus program, this allows students that want a face to face classroom experience to get that in person interaction and collaboration. It also allows students from the local area to blend their program and do some classes online and some in person.
Describe how students interact with your campus, both on and off line?
Our professors and campus are some of the friendliest you’ll ever meet. If a student has questions or needs help, our professors are always available to meet or talk over the phone.
How do students work together to build community? As a cohort or on team projects?
Depending on the class that a student is in, there may be some team projects. There is also a natural tendency for students to interact with each other through our online class portal. I’ve often seen students discussing ideas and helping each other with work through that portal. Even in individual projects, I’ve seen students set up meetings, chats, or a time to get together to talk through the details and how they can share relevant information that is beneficial to the entire group.
How do students in the online MBA program interact with faculty?
Mostly through the online class portal or through email. Our professors give a wealth of information and interact with the students often. Depending on the class, they may do a zoom meeting or conference call. I’ve even heard of some of the professors holding “virtual” office hours so that students know they can log in and interact with the professor during a given time if they need a little extra help or have questions.
What is unique about the structure of your online MBA program? What areas of study do you offer?
Our 8-week classes provide a convenient option for student’s to complete their master’s degree in a flexible, online format which is compressed from the traditional 16-week model. Going through our MBA program will allow students to learn to transform organizations and teams they lead, and to create value through innovation and problem solving. Our program will transform them personally, professionally, and in their leadership skills. We will challenge students to think in ways that will help them make complex decisions in a thorough and creative way, all from a Biblical worldview. We offer one MBA in Transformational Leadership but we also have 5 post-Master’s Certificates in Energy Management, Project Management, Leadership, Business Operations, and Corporate Innovation.
Do you offer career services and professional resources to online MBA degree candidates?
We do have a career services office that all students are welcome to use along with a career portal. What’s great about a smaller school like OBU is that you get to interact with your professors, who all have a network and are more than willing to give students guidance, write recommendation letters, and connect them to their network where appropriate.
What advice would you give a prospective candidate for your online MBA program?
Be prepared to work hard and be diligent in your studies. If you’re willing to put in the work, this is a very challenging and rewarding program that will equip you to lead in multiple areas and help you bring value to any career field you pursue. The knowledge and skills that a student gain in this program will help them immensely in their future career.
Why should a prospective MBA candidate choose Oklahoma Baptist University's online MBA program?
Our program is unique in that it helps students learn skills that can be widely applied instead of a narrow focus on particular area of business. We want to equip students to succeed in career field they pursue in the future. Also, our unique approach of business skill through a lens of faith will allow them to tackle everything they encounter with confidence.
What companies typically recruit MBA’s from your program?
There are a wide variety of companies that recruit from our program – banking, energy, healthcare, tribal leadership, etc. Just about every industry in our area are looking for our graduates to help bring value to their organization.
Thanks to Will Brantley for participating. For more interviews, check out our Online MBA Report Interview Series.
