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Online MBA Programs

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a Master's Degree program in business administration with a concentration in marketing or finance or human resources etc. It is a perfect degree course to enter the corporate world. For those who are already into it, the degree provides the perfect support to climb the ladder of success either in the form of increased salary or a better position in the organization. MBA degrees today are the most sought-after. These degrees are best suited to those who have some prior related work experience. Once completed, it gives a true competitive edge.

Criteria for Choosing an Online MBA Program

Here is the criterion that helps in selecting the right MBA program:

  • Accreditation: Accreditation is one of the most important criterions to select an MBA program. It should be checked that the course is accredited by AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). If a course is not accredited by AACSB, then regional accreditation should be looked for.
  • Interaction: Interaction between students and teachers must be high for any program to be successful. The modes via which the instructors can be contacted should be checked.
  • Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.): They are not meant to prepare students for higher education; instead they orient them in a way that they work for a specific occupation after successful completion of the course.
  • Resources: It is important to have a large online library to conduct research for papers.
  • Cost: The costs of online MBA programs vary greatly.

Accredited Online MBA Programs

Online MBA programs are available in varied concentrations like Business, Criminal Justice, Health Care, Legal, Nursing, Political Science and Technology. Whatsoever concentration is opted for, one should always look for accreditation of online program because accredited MBA schools are more selective in hiring teachers, enrolling students and the course curriculum. This ensures that quality is being maintained and only useful information that is valid in today's competitive world is being passed on to the students.

Top Online MBA Schools 2009

Following are the top 10 Online MBA Schools 2009.

  1. University of Phoenix
  2. Edinburgh Business School, Heriot - Watt University
  3. Open University Business School
  4. Henley Business School
  5. U21Global
  6. Tec de Monterrey - Egade
  7. University of Maryland University College
  8. University of Liverpool
  9. Manchester Business School
  10. Kaplan University
(Source: Financial Times, Rankings are based on the number of students enrolled for MBA Program between January 01, 2008 and December 31, 2008).

Benefits of Online MBA Programs

Amongst other benefits that online learning provides like flexible timings, online MBA programs extends some more benefits. Firstly, the materials are often recorded and archived, so you can repeat a particular class over and over again if there happens to be some problem in understanding the subject. Sometimes, the employers provide financial aid to their employees who get themselves enrolled for online programs. Thirdly, employees can apply the concepts studied during classes directly to the business and gain realistic experience.