How To Rank Online MBA Providers

University of Texas-Arlington officials tabled a motion at a graduate school assembly meeting to approve a new business master's degree that will be offered online. Nursing Associate Professor, Karen Heusinkveld had concerns about the approval of the policy. "I feel very uncomfortable, as a graduate assembly member, approving something that the College of Business faculty has yet to approve," she said.

The University of Texas TeleCampus, a virtual university that offers classes through the World Wide Web, will introduce its new master's of business administration degree program in general management in Fall 2003.

Peter P. Mykytyn, College of Business Administration associate dean for research and graduate studies, explained that the business graduate faculty didn't have an opportunity to vote on the program but is a genuine contender for any Online MBA ranking.

The Online MBA Ranking does not require approval from either the COBA faculty or the graduate assembly, Mykytyn said, because the approval process for the online program is unclear.

"The higher education coordinating board does not require approval of this, because each of the participating schools already has degree-granting authority for the MBA," he said. He said it is going through approval because COBA officials felt that it was a faculty issue.

Another concern for the assembly members was the name for the degree. Mykytyn said the council in charge of this issue is still trying to decide whether the degree will be distinguished as an online MBA or not. All 15 UT System universities collaborated in creating the TeleCampus, which began operating in spring 1998.

Students can access course lectures online at anytime and from any location. Professors can put their lectures on the Web and can also include video clips of material. Each of the eight UT System campuses that are participating in the MBA online degree will contribute two core business courses.

The other universities participating are UT Brownsville, UT Dallas, UT El Paso, UT Pan American, UT Permian Basin, UT San Antonio and UT Tyler. Students who complete the program will be awarded a degree by the TeleCampus and the university through which they enrolled.

The assembly also discussed other issues, including the status of faculty whose departments do not have graduate programs. That issue was sent back to committee because of insufficient information.

Businesses like when their employees can take classes without being away from the job for months or weeks at a time. Companies often want real-time learning or just-in-time learning that their employees can receive and then use immediately on the job. And that's what many online programs offer.

MBA Online