Boston University Questrom School of Business BrandVoice: 3 Ways Boston University’s Online MBA Is A Disruptor In Business Education (2024)

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

In 2019, as leaders at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business considered the benefits of building an online MBA program, they accurately predicted the coming surge in interest. In just a few years, the number of virtual MBA programs in the United States has exploded, more than doubling between 2016-17 and 2020-21, according to AACSB International, the business school accreditation agency.

But instead of simply joining the fray when its program launched in 2020, Questrom’s leaders embraced the opportunity to build something different—an accessible and affordable program that reimagines how a graduate business education is delivered.

The innovative model is working. With nearly 2,000 students, the two-year, entirely online program boasts a 95% retention rate. And students are celebrating the results of their hard work. In a survey of Questrom’s online MBA students, about 70% of respondents said the degree helped them secure a job promotion or pay increase.

That success comes with a program that’s built around a specific type of student—experienced professionals ready to sharpen the skills they already have. With Questrom, students dive into an integrated curriculum that draws from the expertise of their diverse classmates and helps them bolster the workforce skills needed to navigate today’s global marketplace.

“They come to us because they need a package of upskilling,” says Paul Carlile, Questrom’s senior associate dean for innovation. “And a lot of the testimonies we hear back is…I got the promotion I could not have gotten.”

Here are three features of Questrom’s online MBA that make it a disruptor in business education.

1. Modular Approach

MBA programs typically rely on siloed instruction; each class focuses on a single subject such as accounting or marketing. Not until graduates step into the real world would they truly integrate those subjects to solve business problems, Carlile says.

Questrom’s online program uses an integrated approach, combining different academic disciplines into six 14-week modules. The modules are built around a single question, Carlile says: “What are the key problems business leaders are going to be focusing on in the next decade?” And they cover topics as varied as ethics, risk and economics.

Advances in data collection and analytics, for example, are explored in the “Managing Performance With Data” module with lessons in corporate finance, managerial accounting and microeconomics. Challenges in conducting business globally are covered in the “Leveraging Global Opportunities” module, which examines marketing, supply chains and strategy.

Most modules end with a challenge-based capstone project, so students can bring together all of their knowledge to address a particular business problem. “The capstone is that place where they are doing the full integration of the experience,” Carlile says.

2. Peer-To-Peer Network

Questrom leaders were intentional about building an accessible and affordable program. It’s exclusively online, open to anybody across the globe. And, at $24,000, it’s less than half the cost of a traditional MBA, which runs about $62,000 on average, according to the Education Data Initiative, making Questrom affordable to a broader range of students.

That diverse student base, with an average age of 36, supports another key pillar of the Questrom online MBA—peer-to-peer networking. A typical week for online MBA students at Questrom includes faculty instruction but also live case study discussions, student affinity group meetups and other opportunities for classmate collaboration.

With their rich experiences and perspectives, students are “teaching each other things that the faculty could never dream of,” Carlile says.

And those peer-to-peer discussions matter to experienced students, in particular, who understand the perks of business connections. Their weekly work with classmates isn’t just about the grade, Carlile says. “It’s potentially a professional network that [they] can build and benefit from.”

3. Focus On Work Skills

In a global marketplace that requires business executives to work across functions and locations, two workforce skills are increasingly important—the ability to work together as a team, or “teaming,” and communication. Both are woven into nearly every part of Questrom’s online education—from the curriculum to peer-to-peer conversations.

“Teaming for us is the dynamic context of managing across differences,” Carlile says. And that ability to work in teams, along with strong communication skills, is of prime interest to professionals like those pursuing a Questrom online MBA.

“It’s not the career switcher,” says Carlile of the typical Questrom online student. ”It’s really about their career—how do I move my career within my same company or same industry?”

Building on those workplace skills of teaming and communication, they leave with the knowledge and credentials to take the lead, whether it’s having nuanced conversations with the finance department or making tough tradeoffs with colleagues over budget priorities.

More Disruption Ahead

Carlile is now working on disrupting graduate education in other subjects at Boston University. And, at Questrom, he’s building on the success of the online MBA by adding lifelong learning content that relies on the same practices as the graduate degree. The first installment, which will focus on digital marketing, launches this summer. A course on strategy implementation will be available early next year.

BU leadership’s aim is to add new programs that give online MBA graduates and others new options as their careers—and the market’s needs—grow and change, Carlile says. “Our hope is that that install base [of Questrom students] becomes a way to warm-start lifelong learning.”

Boston University Questrom School of Business BrandVoice: 3 Ways Boston University’s Online MBA Is A Disruptor In Business Education (2024)

FAQs

Is bu online MBA legit? ›

For these programs, all of the online classes are recorded and archived. Students should also note that the online graduate business programs at Boston University are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the gold standard of business school accreditation.

Is an MBA from Boston University worth it? ›

Understand what business school is, and Boston University will serve you to the best of its ability. The faculty could be better, the administration varies from excellent to abysmal, and at times fellow students might seem to be phoning it in. But Questrom is what you make of it. Make it great.

How much does Questrom online MBA pay? ›

Incoming students have an average GMAT score of 683. One letter of recommendation is required and international students must submit a TOEFL score. In 2022, Questrom accepted 27.5% of applicants. Graduates earn a $123,000 median base salary.

Is Questrom a good MBA? ›

Boston University (Questrom) is ranked No. 50 (tie) out of 124 in Best Business Schools and No. 33 (tie) out of 269 in Part-time MBA. Schools were assessed on their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Is an online MBA taken seriously? ›

Are online MBA degrees respectable? Yes, online MBA degrees are as respectable as any other degree. Online learning is more popular than ever, and most employers do not care whether your degree was obtained in-person versus online—as long as you can prove what you learned.

What is the hardest online MBA program to get into? ›

Indiana University (Kelley)

How much does a Boston MBA make a year? ›

Mba Salary in Boston, MA
Annual SalaryHourly Wage
Top Earners$240,637$116
75th Percentile$217,300$104
Average$165,835$80
25th Percentile$136,300$66

What GPA do you need for Boston University MBA? ›

An MBA or dual degree student must maintain a cumulative Questrom grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.70 (on a 4.0 scale) to be in good academic standing (i.e., to graduate). Coursework taken outside Boston University Questrom School of Business is not calculated into the student's CGPA.

How long is the MBA program at Boston Questrom? ›

The Full-Time MBA in General Management is a full-time program of 64 units, typically completed in two years.

Is it hard to get into Questrom School of Business? ›

Questrom undergraduate admissions is selective, and each applicant is carefully considered based on a range of factors, including high school performance, standardized test scores, teacher and counselor recommendations, personal qualifications, and essays.

How much does your salary go up with an MBA? ›

Generally, you can expect a nearly 50% increase in your salary after completing an MBA. A study from Transparent Career showed that MBAs reported about a 46% increase in salary after earning their degree, with a $41,000 average higher salary, and $95,000 extra in total compensation.

How much is Boston Questrom online MBA? ›

Tuition, Financial Aid & Scholarships

Tuition for the Online MBA is $4,167 per module or $25,000 total tuition.

Is Boston University online MBA accredited? ›

Boston University | AACSB Accredited.

Is Boston good for MBA? ›

Given below are the rankings for the best universities in the US for MBA degrees. This data has been sourced from Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. According to THE (Times Higher Education) 2023 Boston University is ranked at #78. The university is well known for its MBA in the U.S.

What is Boston College MBA ranked in the world? ›

Boston College (Carroll) is ranked No. 46 out of 124 in Best Business Schools and No. 23 (tie) out of 269 in Part-time MBA. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Is Boston University online accredited? ›

Who accredits BU's online programs? Boston University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. [NEASC]) .

Do employers care about online MBA? ›

The first thing most employers check is a school's accreditation. If your online MBA is from a school that isn't accredited, you likely won't be taken seriously for a job. Accreditation means a school meets a quality standard. There are two types of accreditation: regional and national.

How much is a Boston University online MBA? ›

Tuition, Financial Aid & Scholarships

Tuition for the Online MBA is $4,167 per module or $25,000 total tuition.

How long is the Boston University online MBA program? ›

Program Length: 24 months - though you will have up to 6 years to complete the degree.

References

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