Which MBA program?

Depends on what you’re looking for
Like many things in life, the decision to complete a master’s degree in business administration does not mean the decision-making process is over; it has only begun. The trick is finding the right school, and that can involve a multitude of different aspects of the various programs: focus areas offered, the length of the program, when classes are offered, and how much it would cost.
Small Business Times gathered information from area universities on their MBA programs and found great diversity. Information was sought from schools with physical presence in SBT’s eight-county southeastern Wisconsin circulation area, plus UW-Madison. Data collected, on program focus, program length, accredidation, fees, unique attributes and other features, was compiled for a chart which can be found on pages 22-23 of this issue.
If having a variety of concentration areas to choose from is important, UW-Madison’s 20 specializations in its full-time MBA program may be the answer. But if dropping everything to become a full-time student again isn’t feasible, Keller Graduate School of Management’s 12 different areas, Concordia University’s 11, or UW-Milwaukee’s 11 in its part-time programs may be better options.
MBA programs have also become beneficiaries of the technological revolution. Learning is no longer restricted to the confines of a classroom. A number of colleges and universities are offering the same respected programs online, including Concordia University of Wisconsin, University of Phoenix, Upper Iowa University, and UW-Whitewater, which was a pioneer in online MBA education. Additional schools offer some but not all of their courses toward the MBA degree online.
The amount of time it takes to complete an MBA program varies on how many classes a student is willing to take at a time. Part-time programs usually take an average of two to three years, but some schools will allow up to seven years to complete their programs.
In MBA programs, if your sole concern is cost, the best value for your dollar could come from UW-Whitewater at $261.20 per credit hour. UW-Parkside comes in a close second at $263.85 per credit hour.
Online MBA courses usually cost more than regular classroom courses, but the exception to that rule is Concordia University of Wisconsin, in Mequon. Both its classroom and online part-time MBA courses cost $375 per credit hour, the least amount for an online program.
For those interested in an executive MBA, Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Madison are the options for degrees through Wisconsin schools. Carthage College in Kenosha also offers an executive MBA on-site through Loyola University of Chicago.
August 31, 2001 Small Business Times, Milwaukee