According to data collected by my distance ed research firm, there are 168 distance MBA options: 62 of these offered by graduate business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The good news: if you seek a quality business degree online you need not attend a no-name school. About 30% of online graduate business school programs I surveyed in 2008 hold AACSB accreditation. This ratio is about the same for brick and mortar B-Schools.

In addition, your diploma from a reputable online MBA program makes you a valuable asset in the work place. And that’s why it is certainly in your best interests to know what accreditation of online MBA programs means and why this is critical to your prospects for employment.

Elite B-Schools on my personal list of distance MBAs include Babson College’s F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business, Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and Thunderbird Graduate School’s Garvin School of International Management.

The Association to develop Collegiate Schools of affair (AACSB) excludes accreditation to MBA and other matter programs. AACSB is a well-established, regarded accrediting action that is trusted by many employers in the take of matter. Graduating from an online MBA program that is accredited by the AACSB may give your resume a mega boost. Some employers may be more prone to hire you because of your schools accreditation. However, AACSB accreditation is not necessaries. If your alma mater is regionally accredited, most employers will still be agreeable to hire you.

In 2008 the number one “most affordable” option is East Carolina University (North Carolina), a public institution with a modest cost of $7,848 for an online MBA degree for state residents. (Non-Residents will pay significantly more ($26,064) for this same degree.) Duke University, a private Ivy League institution, also in North Carolina, is the most expensive option at an estimated $106,000+ for their Global MBA option.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 at 11:19 am and is filed under College. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.