The pandemic was a game changer for education. Online programs had existed for over a decade, but they were clunky and some employers disregarded them as diploma mills. Major universities were hesitant to break into the idea of distance learning because the technology was unreliable. If a school was going to give people a degree, they wanted to be assured that students were getting a good experience. When covid shut everything down in 2020, schools had no choice but to adapt.
An MBA is a perfect fit for a non-traditional format. Most students, whether full or part time, come into the program with at least a little bit of real world experience. Business professionals are used to Zoom meetings and working from home, especially after the pandemic. It took top schools a while to come to the table with online programs, but by 2020, they were on the rise.
According to an article from Fortune, online MBA programs through accredited schools increased from 284 in 2016 to 526 by 2020. Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley began conceiving a unique program years before implementing it. The result was the Flex option. The technology centers around a virtual classroom like environment that allows students to customize how they experience the classroom. Flex is just one of several ways that students can get an MBA as part of the top ranked Evening & Weekend MBA Program.
What makes Flex different is that it combines synchronous and asynchronous online learning with a few in-person meet ups throughout the course of 2.5-3 years. The asynchronous portions are in the form of produced videos that students can watch on their own time to prepare for their synchronous, or live, online classes. These classes are held either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6 pm Pacific time.
Kevin Ramirez, MBA 25, is a pay equity consultant located in Los Angeles. He had no reservations about a nontraditional format. “For my work, most of my clients are everywhere, so I’m accustomed to doing Zoom meetings and communicating on Slack,” he says. “I already deal with the discipline of operating within the digital world, so onboarding was easy for me.”
Kevin wasn’t alone. When Berkeley Haas started marketing the new Flex MBA format in 2021, it didn’t take long to get the attention of prospective students from all over the world.
The inaugural Flex MBA class of 69 students consists of people from nearly every corner of the U.S. and the globe. In fact, 74% of students live outside of the Bay Area. They come from nine counties in California and 17 states. And seven students live in another country.
One of those internationally based students is Andrew Hicinbothem, MBA 25, an American living and working in South Korea. The time difference for him is seven or eight hours, depending on the time of year. He attends class on Tuesdays and Thursdays before he starts his work day. “All of my classes are in the morning. They’re typically either 7:00 to 9:00 or 8:00 to 10:00 depending on daylight savings time,” he says. “My biggest challenge is waking up and getting on those calls because I’m not a morning person.”
Morning classes from Asia have their challenges, but Erin Mitsuyoshi, MBA 25, is in Honolulu. Although it’s only a three hour time difference, she attends the live classes in the middle of the work day. It’s a balancing act, but her job as a real estate professional allows her some flexibility. “I can rearrange my work schedule to make classes work. I just sometimes need help with pick ups for my kids,” she says.
While Erin may have to readjust things during the work day, students living in Europe are dedicated enough to miss a little sleep. Thomas Seidl, MBA 25, is a German Data Science Manager located in Munich. He attends class in the middle of the night. “For me class times for core classes were quite suboptimal since they are between one and three a.m.” he said. But he has been able to make it work. “I have found an approach that allows me to still get enough sleep in total by going to bed earlier the days I’ll have class.”
Aidan Steele, MBA 25, is a retired U.S. Marine working in the renewable energy field. He is currently living in England while his wife wraps up her own military career. Like Thomas, he has late night classes, but the Flex program has allowed him to be able to work on his degree in order to advance his new career. “I had originally planned to get an MBA from a school near wherever my wife got stationed, losing 2 years of income… Haas offering the Flex option presented me with an opportunity to go to the top-tier school I originally wanted to, while accommodating the constraints of 2 military careers.”
Even though he’s in the same time zone as Berkeley, Kevin opted to experience distance learning. His parents lost their jobs due to the pandemic and he wanted to help them while they got back on their feet. “I’m very grateful for the Flex program because it means that I can still live in Los Angeles and support my parents,” he says. There is a financial benefit to his decision. “I toyed with the idea of moving to the Bay Area, but when I did the math, with the cost of living there, it was more affordable to stay in Los Angeles. I’d rather use the money to help my parents.”
The distance between the students has not seemed to affect their learning experience. They’ve adapted to doing things a little bit differently. Erin Mitsuyoshi was unsure whether it would work at first. “I felt like the dynamics of the program would happen in the classroom and there would be a lot of nuances you can’t pick up on the screen. Even with the way it’s formatted, they try to be really inclusive.” She continues, “It’s built foundations and our bonding for our Flex cohort has been really great considering that we’re all spread out. I feel like our bonds are stronger than in person.”
If you’re interested in attending from outside of the U.S. it will be more challenging. But if you are looking at advancing your career with a top MBA, the Flex program is a great opportunity.”
One of the things that helps to solidify those bonds is the in-person immersions. During the course of the three year Flex program, students are required to meet on or around the UC Berkeley campus. Three in-person immersions are required, but students can attend all five. Living in Germany, Thomas’ overnight classes can be tough, but meeting his classmates in person makes it worthwhile. “The Flex option provided me the chance to do the MBA basically from abroad without the need to rearrange life for my wife and two children. Visits to campus and meeting fellow students and professors are brilliant experiences though,“ he adds.
Thomas elaborated on what makes Flex unique. “I found immersions to be really special and valuable. They can be tough based on long travels and jet lag. I personally think that there is a good trade off between meeting in person too often, which is challenging especially when living in Europe, and having a completely online degree where you wouldn’t need to meet in person at all.”
Aidan says there are other advantages to the program, including the ability to keep up with business travel and life in general. “Being able to commute to class by logging into my computer and being able to watch and read the asynchronous materials on a schedule that works for me have allowed me to take my kids to swim lessons, work the hours my job demands of me, and travel as needed. I have attended Haas classes from Yuma, AZ, New River, NC, Woodbridge, VA, St Neots, England, and most recently, Edinburgh, Scotland.”
The Flex program is expanding its marketing efforts and hoping to attract more students from all over. Andrew feels that distance and time differences should never be a factor when it comes to getting a premium MBA. “One of the things students can do is help expand the Haas brand. We can be an example to those students who aren’t in the U.S. and want to get an MBA but don’t want to give up their career.” He continues, “It’s definitely possible from Asia and people are doing it from Europe. For me it’s manageable because it’s at the start of my work day before I really get going,”
In the end, he feels like the sacrifices will be worth it. “It’s been good so far. If you’re interested in attending from outside of the U.S. it will be more challenging. But if you are looking at advancing your career with a top MBA, the Flex program is a great opportunity.”
Location doesn’t need to be an obstacle for anyone who is wanting an MBA from one of the best programs in the world. Contact us today to learn more about the Berkeley Haas MBA Flex option.