University at Buffalo targeting career climbers, switchers with 2 in-demand online programs

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University at Buffalo targeting career climbers, switchers with 2 in-d…

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Flexible, online education is on the rise—and more schools are taking the plunge into offering new online degree programs. In fact, a July 2022 McKinsey & Co. study showsthat the “increase in demand [for online education] is undeniable,” resulting in record online enrollment in both degree programs and massive open online courses (MOOCs). 


February 8, 2023  

원본링크: https://fortune.com/education/articles/university-of-buffalo-targeting-career-climbers-switchers-with-2-in-demand-online-programs/


Keeping pace with this demand, the University at Buffalo (UB) in mid-January announced plans to launch two new degree programs: an online MBA and online master’s in business analytics. These programs, which are hosted by the UB School of Management, will start in fall 2023. 

“Our graduate management working professional student market requires way more flexibility and accessibility than what is available in a similar campus-based program,” Erin K. O’Brien, UB School of Management assistant dean and chief enrollment and marketing officer, tells Fortune. Students “have the opportunity to blend their career and desire to learn and advance—immediately applying new-found business knowledge, skills, and abilities in their current jobs.”

Both programs are designed for people who have difficulty attending in-person classes, O’Brien notes, including moms returning to the workforce, students in lower socio-economic or historically under-represented minority groups, prospective students who may have completely ruled out achieving an advanced business degree because of their geography or location, and military and veteran students.

Still, both programs “are [for] working professional students who are highly motivated to succeed,” she says. For both programs, school officials expect to see “career climbers” who want to advance their career or “career switchers” who want to make a change to a new industry or function.

The online MBA at the University at Buffalo

The online MBA program at UB is 48 credit hours and is taught by the same faculty who teach the in-person MBA program. The University at Buffalo also offers a full-time, in-person MBA program and a professional MBA program, which has a hybrid model. 

“You do not need an undergraduate business degree to be successful,” O’Brien says. “Our online programs—similar to our campus-based programs—are designed to incorporate a wide variety of disciplines, backgrounds, and work experiences, which really mirror our real life work environments.”

Buffalo’s online MBA program can be completed in as many as four years; “speed up or slow down—it’s up to you,” according to the UB website. Each module is seven weeks long, and the school says it anticipates that online MBA students will take one three-credit course per module. 

Courses include synchronous (live) and asynchronous materials. Some of the content includes faculty presentations, web-based simulations, videos, discussion boards, reading assignments, as well as optional live classroom sessions.

“Our online graduate programs are not just one recorded video lecture after another,” O’Brien adds. “We employ presentations, simulations, video, audio, virtual discussion, industry reading, and peer collaboration across common web platforms students might already use in their work life.”

To apply for the online MBA program at UB, prospective students must submit a resume and transcript. GMAT or GRE scores aren’t required to apply. In-state residents will pay about $774 per credit hour, while non-residents will pay roughly $900 per credit. Assuming students need 48 credit hours to graduate, this means earning an online MBA from the University at Buffalo will cost between $37,000 and $43,200.

The online business analytics master’s at the University at Buffalo 

Demand for business analysts continues to grow. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that during the next decade, the number of business analyst jobs will grow about 14%, almost twice as fast as the average for all roles.

The online master’s in business analytics at UB is a 30-credit program also taught by School of Management faculty. The degree is focused on data-driven decision making, data visualization, and business intelligence, as well as storytelling that business analysts should use to communicate among business functions and technical functions. 

“We are looking for a student who has the desire to lead and collaborate, the curiosity to explore, the motivation to acquire new knowledge and skills, and the resilience and adaptability to push through challenges,” O’Brien says. 

The program can be completed in about 21 months. Similar to the online MBA program, the online master’s in business analytics also includes both synchronous and asynchronous materials. The estimated cost of attendance for New York residents is $18,967. For out-of-state students, the program will cost $21,787.

Prospective students only have to submit a resume and transcripts. Test scores aren’t required to apply. 

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