WSU’s new online MBA program is off to a fast start.
“We have 10 students for the first semester,” said Rich D. Miller, program representative for Distance Degree Programs. “I’m predicting that will triple to 30 students next semester. The callers I talk with are very serious. Some have started to apply.”
Next semester will also bring on board two well-known faculty members, John Nofsinger and David Sprott.
Nofsinger will teach a finance course. He’s a Nihoul Faculty Fellow in Finance and is nationally known for Mind on My Money, his investment blog on Psychology Today’s Web site. He has been quoted in dozens of media outlets, ranging from the Wall Street Journal and Money magazine to National Public Radio and CNBC.
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| Sprott |
While Nofsinger has taught online before, it will be a new experience for Sprott, associate dean for graduate, international and professional programs at the College of Business, and the Boeing/Scott and Linda Carson chair of the Department of Marketing.
“I figured since I’m in charge of it, I should learn how to do it,” said Sprott, who will teach the program’s first elective course, on consumer behavior.
Sprott looks forward to the flexible hours and multimedia possibilities of online instruction. So do other faculty members, he said. “Professors are generally a creative lot. Once they see what they can do in an online environment, they get excited.”
There’s plenty to get excited about, said DDP instructional designer Valeria Pietz, who mentioned audio, videos, PowerPoints, educational games, animations, and the opportunity to incorporate community projects through the Center for Civic Engagement. “We help faculty teach in a way that reflects their teaching style and their passions,” she said.
Another attraction for faculty, Sprott said, is the chance to interact with a different set of students. “You get students with real lives and backgrounds and work experience.” The first 10 Online MBA students are all working professionals, Miller noted. “They’ve been in business for at least two or three years, so they bring a lot of life experiences to the discussions.”
Sprott credited the University for pushing the program forward quickly. “The faculty senate was extremely supportive,” he said, “as well as the provost and the graduate school. Everybody saw this as the right time to do it.”
One reason for the timing was to get ahead of the pack. “A lot of other schools will be launching online MBAs,” Sprott said. “The competition will be fierce.” But WSU’s 39-credit program has a couple of big advantages. The first, Sprott said, is the college’s reputation. “The College of Business has been offering graduate programs for 50 years, and an online B.A. in business administration since 1997,” he said.
The second is accreditation from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. “AACSB accreditation puts you in an elite group,” Sprott said. “It’s the best accreditation you can get.” For students who are comparison-shopping, the message is simple: “Having AACSB accreditation means students are going to get a better professor in charge of the online course.”
The program offers two courses this fall and spring. Three will be offered in the summer and four in fall 2010. That increase means more electives can be offered, setting the stage for what Sprott calls phase two.
“What’s really going to set us apart is when we start specializing,” Sprott said. “We have expertise in international business, entrepreneurship both ranked nationally hospitality, and finance. Using the electives, we can create three-course specializations. That’s where we can leverage our expertise and see more growth.”
For more information on the online MBA program, click here.
