MBA Programs during COVID-19

MBA Programs during COVID-19

2020 has been a crazy year. There still is no clarity or uncertainty on what schools (elementary, secondary, undergraduate and post-graduate) will be doing this coming Fall. Here are some things to consider when considering your options this year during COVID-19.

A few MBA programs have announced online-only options for the 2020-2021 school year:

You have some options when considering an MBA for the upcoming year. Some schools are allowing you to defer your enrollment to a future semester if you’ve already been accepted. You may also be getting a discount for the program as many schools won’t be charging you room, board, and technology fees when you’re attending online only.

Some schools are going to an accelerated Fall schedule, in hopes that shifting the semester a bit will help avoid the anticipated coronavirus peaks which could coincide with flu season. Dartmouth and Cornell are some schools planning on ending classes by Thanksgiving, while others are doing online-only finals after Thanksgiving.

Maybe an MBA isn’t worth it at all, if only online. Many will tell you that MBA Programs during COVID are not worth it, like Paulina Karpis says in this Forbes article. Karpis’s main points are that the value likely isn’t there, especially in considering the hiring freezes and soft economy. But it may be a good shelter from the bad job market, just make sure you do a cost-benefit analysis.

The University of Iowa Discontinues Its Full-Time MBA Program

The Tippie College of Business recently graduated its last full-time MBA class. Tippie is part of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. The school had been seeing declining enrollment in its full-time MBA program. The peak enrollment was in the 1990’s, falling to 140 students in 2012 and 87 students in 2017, according to university spokesperson Tom Snee.

The Tippie College of Business recently graduated its last full-time MBA class. Tippie is part of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. The school had been seeing declining enrollment in its full-time MBA program. The peak enrollment was in the 1990’s, falling to 140 students in 2012 and 87 students in 2017, according to university spokesperson Tom Snee.

Jordan Simpson, a graduate of the last Full-Time MBA Class at the University of Iowa (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

The school has decided to reassign its full-time faculty to other areas of the business college. None of the the 24 faculty members will lose their jobs, according to Dean Sarah Gardial. “The most compelling thing to us was that we had significant resources tied up in a program that was shrinking year by year,” Gardial said.

Although applications for MBA programs are down 6.6 percent, you shouldn’t rule out an MBA, full-time or part-time. Jordan Simpson, a graduate of the last class at Tippie College of Business, said, “there still is value in a full-time MBA. That being said, I think with the labor market the way it is, it’s tougher to justify leaving work for two years to do a full-time MBA.”

Simpson continued, “The part-time MBA is an opportunity for (students) to stay in their jobs and not have the opportunity cost of not working two years, while positioning themselves to get promoted or work at a higher level.”

Read more about the full-time MBA program at the University of Iowa at The Gazette in the story written by Thomas Friestad.

MBA Enrollments Down in the UK

According to a recent article in the Financial Times, enrollment in the 16 full-time MBA programs are down 10-15% in the UK. The economy is the primary reason, but another reason is the strict visa requirements put in place by the government. Just a short time ago, foreign graduates of UK MBA programs lost the right to work for two years in the UK–which also has an impact on interest in the schools there.

Some schools are trying to find ways to attract more students. Oxford’s Saïd school is trying out a community education bonds program in which alumni invest in the students who follow after them. Prodigy Finance, which runs the bond program, says that there are other UK MBA schools looking to carry out the plan as well.

Fun MBA Schools: Carlson Holiday Flash Mob

Fun MBA Schools: Carlson Holiday Flash Mob

You should always consider the “fun” vibe of a school before choosing your school. There are many fun MBA schools out there: Berkeley and Stanford usually come to mind. But this latest YouTube video just put a new school in the list of fun mba schools.

Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota just posted a YouTube video where they did a flash mob for Christmas. It starts out innocently enough as a lone saxophone player plays a haunting tune in the middle of the student commons area. Soon after another student puts some money in his instrument case and requests “Deck the Halls.” She sings along with a beautiful voice, prompting other students to come join in (singing in perfect harmony).

Before you know it, the crowd of participants grows to the point where a security guard joins, cuing the choreography. This is a great video. And I think it illustrates just how fun an MBA can be (at times).

After watching this, I’d have to consider Minnesota to be one of a handful of fun MBA schools. By the way, Minnesota is one of those 133 schools on our JD/MBA programs list.

The Importance of Visiting Your Potential School

When applying for admission to your MBA program of choice, make sure you plan for at least one campus visit. Even if the campus is far away–perhaps even in another country.

Why?

  • You should be sure that the school is a good fit for you.
    It would be terrible if you arrive on campus only to find out that the school isn’t a good fit for you. This could be for any number of reasons, like the school location, a social climate that you don’t feel comfortable in, or maybe the school didn’t properly advertise itself online. Don’t assume that just because a school has great ratings that it is a good fit for you.
  • You should be sure that you like the city that the school is located in.
    Without visiting, you may never know that the school is in a city with a great atmosphere–or a bad one. You should find out if you like the city, that it offers what you are looking for in terms of entertainment, social climate, activities, local organizations and churches, temples, or mosques.
  • In competitive schools, a campus visit sets you apart.
    If you are looking to attend one of the top MBA schools, you must be willing to at least visit the school first. Why? Because the admissions department will notice your drive and investment into your MBA degree. It will make you stand out.

Now the question comes up: when should I visit campus? I recommend visiting while classes are in session, before you submit your application to the program. This will help you determine if the school and area are right for you and, if it is, gives the admissions folks a taste of your commitment.