Getting Master's Degree online/weekends question

[unfreshdiva1]

Fortunatley I have been able to keep my job in this economy, but have been considering getting my Master's Degree (Business Development/Management). I travel quite a bit for work so it will have to be online and/or weeekends. Has anyone done this and/or has any recomendations for schools?

 

[GoofyforDisney3]

Depends on the type of degree. What kind do you want?

 

[aliyasmomma2003]

I completed my Master's degree completely online. I earned a special education degree. The best way to find a good school is to talk to your coworkers and just start looking at college websites. I think there are a few schools near me that offer online MBA's and such.

 

[NYDisGuy]

I'm doing an accelerated MBA program developed for people that work 40 hours a week. We meet on Saturdays from 8-5pm and are required to go online during the week for discussions. Some schools offer distant programs as well if you don't live close to the school. It takes a year and a half to get my degree with the Summer off.

 

[ringaswan]

SUNY Empire State College

 

[Tina]

I have not done a Master's program, but I did do a few online classes for my BS with Strayer University (an excellent school for business). I found that, for me personally, online classes are more difficult than on-campus classes. I'm a hands-on learner. I stuck to very basic classes for those I did online. I did not do any core work online at all. I have a friend who has started an online Masters program and she did not heed my advice to only start with one class for her first semester. She took 2 (she's also a single mother and works full time) and is failing miserably. She is very sharp, but is having a hard time keeping up with all of the reading requirements with her already busy schedule.

 

[unfreshdiva1]

I am the only one in my department with a BA degree, so no one at work has any advice for Master's. I plan to talk to some of the upper management. I work well over 40 hours, but could do the online and saturday type of program. Probably looking for MBA degree.

 

[katiebelle21]

I went online to get my Masters Degree through the University of New England. I liked the flexibility of the classes, but I missed the "college feel"-no one to study with, class discussions, etc. For my degree, I was only assessed with papers--no tests, so if you don't like writing it might be tough. In my opinion, I received a good education and I liked not being locked in to a set time each week.

 

[shellybaxter]

I attend Gonzaga University online and will receive my Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership in December. I've learned so much from the program. I've also been promoted once at work and am up for another promotion. Gonzaga is a great school - fully accreditated and on the top 10 list of West Coast Universities in US News and World Reports

 

[Mouse House Mama]

SUNY Empire State College

I have taken online classes with them. It is a great program.

 

[Minnie]

If you decide on on-line - absolutely find a "brick and mortar" school.

I worked long hours and completed an MBA thru an on-line progam at a private university in my state. All of the on-line programs that I have been involved with involve a whole lot more commitment then just weekends. The school I attended required substantial involvement 5 days a week - for 1.5yrs (accelerated program) I basically worked and went to school. Worth the effort - I now have a job I love

A colleague completed her MBA (3 yr progam) again from a private university 1 night a week. Only other requirement involvement during the week was the work assigned. This worked best for her life.

Good luck

 

[jenfur]

My husband and I are both getting degrees through Liberty University's online program and it has been great. DH is in the Master's program and I am one year away from a BS. They offer a MBA, they are fully accredited and you can recieve federal financial aid if you need it. It is a Christian school (of course) but they are not heavy handed with it and you don't have to have a particular religious affiliation to feel comfortable. The work is intensive, you complete 3 credit hour courses in 8 weeks and get your degree quicker. Course work for the week is usually due on Sunday night so there is some flexibility.

editing to add that the tuition is very affordable when compared to other online programs.

 

[Corwin12]

Plymouth State University offers an online MBA - and it is a brick and mortar school with regional accredidation:

www.plymouth.edu

 

[barkley]

just want to suggest that you look closely at the curriculum for any program. with some the convenience of it being on-line does not offset the requirements for a given course, and can, to some extent make that course more difficult (the type where more than just studying the materials the professor provides is necessary to learn and disseminate the information).

dh was in a program for working professionals that met a couple of evenings a week and he found that the advantage of it was the professors geared many of the assignments and projects to be integrated with each student's current job. dh was able to pull projects he was doing at work and utilize them as the practical application. an advantage to this was that his managers at work could see where he was integrating what he was learning and how the application of that knowlege/those skills was having a positive impact.

one other thing to look at-how different programs differ in requirements/the transferability of credits from one program to another as well as to a traditional brick and morter college. with some of the on-line and private programs allthough they are accredited by the same groups they do not nesc. accept credits from one another for classes completed, so if you decide or have to change schools 6 months into the program you may find that little or none of your completed coursework will transfer. likewise, some of the brick and morter traditionals don't accept all of the on-line equivilents for their requirements.

whatever you choose-carefully look to what the graduation requirements are FOR YOU. it can look from first glance like you "only" have to do the master's work, but then you learn that because of the on-line structure of the coursework you will need to have taken some additional pre-reqs that a traditional master's program would'nt have required (some of dh's buisness classes that were offered on-line had additional pre-reqs vs. what was required if he took them on-site, reasoning was the structure of on-line meant students had to have certain skills in place that while traditionaly taught in the course could'nt be facilitate in the on-line environment).

 

[jenlynn0808]

I did my Master's of Arts in Education all online through Michigan State. I loved the flexibility it gave me. I could do my school work around my teaching and family schedules. I only took one course during the school year and then I doubled up during the spring and summer sessions.

Good Luck in whatever you decide!

 

[december]

My husband and I are both getting degrees through Liberty University's online program and it has been great. DH is in the Master's program and I am one year away from a BS. They offer a MBA, they are fully accredited and you can recieve federal financial aid if you need it. It is a Christian school (of course) but they are not heavy handed with it and you don't have to have a particular religious affiliation to feel comfortable. The work is intensive, you complete 3 credit hour courses in 8 weeks and get your degree quicker. Course work for the week is usually due on Sunday night so there is some flexibility.

editing to add that the tuition is very affordable when compared to other online programs.

This is how University of West Alabama (www.uwa.edu) has their online program set up. There are 5 8 wk terms a year. I do most of my work on the weekends, since most professors require it to be in by Sun or Mon each week. I'm working on my masters in school counseling, which is 100% online. I took 2 classes to start last summer, and since then one at a time. I'll have my masters next May, so 2 yrs from start to finish. I love the program, and couldn't get this degree any other way (not with 3 kids-one who is 1 wk old today!). Thankfully, my new little one was born during the break between terms-I start a new class on June 1.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

I attend Gonzaga University online and will receive my Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership in December. I've learned so much from the program. I've also been promoted once at work and am up for another promotion. Gonzaga is a great school - fully accreditated and on the top 10 list of West Coast Universities in US News and World Reports

Thank you so much for posting that! I graduated last Saturday with my Bachelors and I have been seeking out Masters programs in Organizational Development or Organizational Leadership, and not had too much luck with ones that fit my schedule.

I just read up on Gonzaga's program and requested info from them. The whole servant-leadership thing is HUGE my organization and in the area I work in, so the program sounds like a good fit for me.

 

[vettechick99]

This is how University of West Alabama (www.uwa.edu) has their online program set up. There are 5 8 wk terms a year. I do most of my work on the weekends, since most professors require it to be in by Sun or Mon each week. I'm working on my masters in school counseling, which is 100% online. I took 2 classes to start last summer, and since then one at a time. I'll have my masters next May, so 2 yrs from start to finish. I love the program, and couldn't get this degree any other way (not with 3 kids-one who is 1 wk old today!). Thankfully, my new little one was born during the break between terms-I start a new class on June 1.

\

Congrats - I'm so glad everything worked out for you.

I am also in this program and love it. Like december, one class at a time and it takes about 5-6 hours a week of work (sometimes more, sometimes less). I will be done before I know it!

 

[shellybaxter]

Thank you so much for posting that! I graduated last Saturday with my Bachelors and I have been seeking out Masters programs in Organizational Development or Organizational Leadership, and not had too much luck with ones that fit my schedule.

I just read up on Gonzaga's program and requested info from them. The whole servant-leadership thing is HUGE my organization and in the area I work in, so the program sounds like a good fit for me.

I'm glad that I was able to help you find something that might work for you. The entire program is based on a servant leadership philosophy. I think its great and I've learned so much.

 

[Caradana]

I just want to add that it's fantastic that you're thinking about this and taking steps to make it happen. I am in my seventh year of grad school procrastination and I think I may finally buck my trend next year.