Online MBA Leads to Success for a Management Consultant |
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August 13, 2006
by Fran Walker
First Stop Online Degree Columnist
The number of management consultant roles offered to MBA graduates has risen from fifth place to third place in the last twelve months and is expected to top the list in 2006. An MBA continues to be one of the best investments a working professional can make. However many people simply cannot afford to take one or two years out of their career to study full-time. For this reason, the last decade has seen online MBAs becoming flagships in the rising tide of online degrees.
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Susan Simons, a UK-based project management consultant, was among 170 MBA students that graduated from the University of Liverpool/Laureate's online degree program in 2005. I caught up with Susan to ask her about her experience in an online MBA program, how she found the learning process, and the effect it's had on her career.
FSOD: Why did you decide to earn your online MBA?
SS: I grew up in East Germany. I wanted to study international trade, but was not allowed. I had plenty of education in socialist/communist economy and when the wall came down I was plunged into what we called western economy. It was easy to pick up on how the system worked, but I was keen to learn the theories behind it. I also had the feeling that I had reached a barrier in my career, which I could only overcome with a degree.
FSOD: How did your online degree fit in with your ongoing commitments?
SS: I studied for 25 to 30 hours a week. This was a strain, but I found it very enjoyable too. I was also lucky in that my employer at the time allowed me to use some of my working hours to take part in the online discussions, leaving the evenings for intense reading and writing.
I would always opt for online learning because it allows me to study at my own speed, doing as much research as I need. I have a family, and it was crucial to address their needs too. Important family routines, such as dinner, help with homework, and just spending time together were largely untouched. Also, having been somewhat insecure over my language capabilities, online studying allowed me to read, prepare, and issue my work in relaxed surroundings without the pressure of a typical exam.
FSOD: How was your program delivered?
SS: The degree was divided into eight modules and the dissertation. Each module took 6 weeks and the whole degree took just over two years. Each week the tutor would post a lecture and three questions to which each student issued an essay. These submissions became the basis for the class discussion. In addition each student would have to research a project every six weeks, issuing one chapter each week and the final project at the end of the module.
Working as a group on case studies is a vital part of the MBA process. For this reason, there remains some cynicism about the quality of online MBAs. However, the news in May that an online MBA student from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business finished second in the 2006 Cadillac National Case Competition suggests that online MBA students are not missing out. Find Schools
FSOD: What about Student Interaction?
SS: I have to say, this was the most surprising thing about this course. I imagined that online degree students would be somewhat detached from the student community and I was very wrong. Online discussion was a vital part of study; it got really interesting and challenging. Students from all over the world took part -- UK, USA, Italy, Germany, Thailand, and China, with an enormous amount of personal experience, completely different educational backgrounds, and often very different mentalities.
All of the contributions were marked by the tutor, who would take part in the discussion to push certain points or lead the discussion towards a certain issue. I particularly appreciated the great efforts the tutor and fellow students put forth to help other students who needed it.
FSOD: This was your first experience earning a degree. Do you think this put you at a disadvantage?
SS: With no former academic experience, I wondered if I would be able to keep up with the level of work. However, I found it was not a disadvantage as many of the questions were practical examples of managerial issues, requesting examples from the students' personal experiences.
The final dissertation was tough. However, at the end of the day, a traditional degree -- with physical visits to the relevant University, would have been impossible for me to manage with a full time job and a family.
The employment of management consultants is expected to grow faster than average in the UK and US, with top salaries hitting around $330,000. By 2008, one in ten degrees is expected to be pursued online. Find Schools
FSOD: What changes has your online degree brought to your career?
SS: I am now a project management consultant in the construction industry. It is basically what I did in Germany, but before I did not have full responsibility for the project. My responsibility is the timely delivery of a construction project within the budget. The range of projects is relatively wide -- from risk management for a PFI project (£250m), move management for laboratories at Universities to full project management of domestic (£3.1m) or residential projects (£10m). My job involves good negotiation and communication skills, commercial understanding of every decision made by stakeholders, and tactical and legal considerations.
FSOD: Has your online degree helped your career?
SS: Yes, definitely! It has given me the confidence to do all the above with the learned knowledge rather than just instinct. I also believe that it has changed other people's perception of me. Right or wrong, the letters MBA after my name give other people the comfort of knowing that I am competent in what I am doing.
Sources
Learn more about MBA
About the Author
Fran Walker is a freelance writer, editor, and researcher, specializing in educational issues. Fran graduated in 1993 with a degree in English Literature.
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