One of the biggest complaints about higher education today is that it is overpriced — and degree requirements are saturated with needless electives. As more people begin to refuse to go along with the set up, universities are compelled to offer alternatives. Thanks to technology, that’s a growing trend.
Case in point: Boston University’s new online Master of Business Administration degree costs as much as $52,000 less than its on-campus version and is streamlined by eliminating extra elective requirements, Inside Higher Ed reports.
It notes the degree, offered in conjunction with edX, will cost $24,000 compared to tuition and fees of $56,000-plus for the full-time, on-campus version, which costs $76,000 if room and board is factored in.
The article quotes Boston University officials who say there is value in electives and the online version is meant for more a different type of student: “among other things, it’s aimed at a different audience (‘the global learner’ who wants to advance her career while still working versus a career switcher who chooses to take a year-plus out of the workforce to return to school), has a different curriculum (five modules built around ‘capabilities’ such as ‘data-driven decision making’ rather than courses such as marketing or operations), and allows less specialization.”
And students “in the fully online M.B.A. can’t take electives in health care, as 28 percent of the university’s in-person business students do, given Boston’s vibrant health sector. They won’t have networking interactions or career counseling or in-person internships, as students in the in-person program do.”
Nevertheless, the savvy shopper might see the end result either which way: an MBA from Boston University.
MORE: Textbooks are getting cheaper for the first time in two decades
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