Online MBA courses have moved way ahead from its traditional perception of just being the distance learning mode to a whole new avatar. A survey conducted by the Sloan Survey of Internet Education in 2010 states that nearly 66 percent of academic leaders consider online MBA is as good as campus-based traditional MBA programs. However, there are a few aspects one needs to know before leaping into one.

Online MBA programs vary in terms of quality, courses offered, content delivery mode, career purpose and target audience. It is imperative for an individual to do careful research to determine which program best meets her career goals.

Duration: Most online MBA programs spread over a minimum period of 18 months to 24 months full-time study to complete. Full-time students are typically required to enroll in three to four courses per semester. Besides, students are often encouraged to spend nearly 20 hours per week studying, completing assignments, participating in team meetings, reading textbooks or preparing for presentations excluding online lectures.

Time management: Online MBA programs depend fully on your time management skill—easier said than done. However, students enrolling for online MBA courses and spending time on class outside of lectures will fluctuate and it will require a serious time commitment. And hence pupils enrolling for such courses should be excellent at time management. Online MBA programs are ideal for candidates working 40/45-hour a week as they don’t have to sacrifice their current professional engagement to meet their expenses while pursuing higher education.

Advantages of online MBA program: Some of the obvious advantages of an online MBA course are:

• Online MBA programs offer the flexibility to maintain a balance between your professional engagement and academic commitment. Moreover, aspirants staying far from the campus can fulfill their dreams into reality by enrolling for an online MBA program.

• If cost of MBA is an obstacle for you, online MBA degree can alleviate some of your worries as online MBA courses won’t make a hole in your pocket.

• Online courses offer you traditional textbooks, e-textbooks, CD-ROMs, workbooks and other supplementary materials prepared by professors and academicians.

• Online MBA courses are asynchronous, which means students can approach their professors’ lectures 24/7 and are not required to log in at a specific time frame.

Some of the leading management institutes offering online MBA courses in India are Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning, ICFAI University, Narsee Monji Institute of Management Studies, IGNOU and Sikkim Manipal University Directorate of Distance Education. However, before enrolling, one must find out whether the online MBA degree is accepted in the market and recognized by educational entities in the nation, otherwise, doing an online MBA will prove be quite waste of time and useful resources.

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