The landscape of professional education is evolving. Hybrid online MBA programs, like the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business's Flex MBA, are gaining immense popularity among working professionals seeking to elevate their careers. While these programs offer unmatched flexibility, one key challenge remains: balancing synchronous learning sessions, both online and in-person, with demanding work schedules and personal commitments.
The Berkeley Haas Flex MBA option, offered through the top-ranked Evening & Weekend MBA program, is designed to cater to the needs of working professionals who are looking to enhance their skills and knowledge without putting their careers on hold. The program's innovative approach to synchronous learning combines online and in-person sessions, allowing students to actively participate in their education while having the flexibility to manage their work and personal commitments.
You don’t have to choose between flexibility and quality. The Flex MBA program offers a rigorous curriculum taught by the same world-class faculty teaching all Berkeley Haas MBAs, providing students with a high-quality education that is on par with the flagship full-time MBA program. Throughout the program, our students build a strong network of peers, alumni, and industry connections, further enriching their academic experience and professional development.
This post will explore the unique advantages of the Flex MBA program's blended synchronous and asynchronous learning approach.
A flexible yet structured MBA program
The UC Berkeley Haas Flex MBA program understands that busy professionals need flexibility. That's why the first part of the program lets you tackle your core foundational courses entirely online in our innovative virtual classroom.
Throughout the program, you’ll participate in live, synchronous virtual classroom sessions with professors and classmates twice a week—either Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 pm Pacific time. The rest of the coursework is available on-demand, so you can learn at your own pace and revisit materials as needed. Our pre-recorded lectures, readings, and assignments are available online and accessible from anywhere in the world.
Once you've mastered the core curriculum, the Flex MBA program lets you further customize your learning journey. For your electives, you can continue the convenience of online courses or select on-campus electives, curating an experience that works for you.
With the Flex MBA option, you don’t have to choose between your life and educational goals anymore. Our unique approach gives you access to a world-class education with the flexibility your busy life demands.
The Flex MBA program offers both online and in-person electives. Regardless of the format you choose, you will need to take part in three in-person signature immersion events as part of the program. These events are incredibly valuable as they allow you to engage in intensive workshops and discussions led by distinguished faculty, providing a deeper understanding of key business concepts and strengthening your bond with your classmates.
Making connections with synchronous learning
The UC Berkeley Haas Flex MBA program's blended synchronous learning approach goes beyond simply offering an immersive and rigorous online MBA experience. According to Laura Kray, Professor and Chair for the Management of Organizations Group at Haas, “The program maximizes flexibility and offers a great deal of choices for continuing the virtual experience with electives, as well as some in-person offerings for those who desire a balance of formats.”
It's a strategic combination designed to empower busy professionals like you to maximize your learning experience. Let's look at the specific benefits of this flexible approach:
Enhanced Engagement and Interaction Among Peers
When most people think about online learning, they often think of it as a solo experience. You might be surprised to learn that with the UC Berkeley’s Haas Flex MBA option, you will have many opportunities to collaborate and build meaningful connections with your peers.
“I would say that the biggest misconception is that because we're a remote cohort there is no networking,” Kate Marie Wiechmann, MBA 25, and member of the inaugural Flex class shared. “We are really engaged with each other in class and outside of class. We're all looking to make those connections. None of it's happening by accident. It's all very much on purpose. We can be engaged in class, in our Slack channel, in our WhatsApp group. We feel extremely connected.”
In the Flex MBA’s live virtual classroom sessions, you interact with classmates using their cutting-edge conferencing and online collaboration tools. You and your cohort will participate in live lectures, discussions, and case study analyses, ask questions, engage in polls, and collaborate in breakout rooms.
The faculty-student connection
Maybe you’ve used Zoom for meetings and think you know what online learning is all about. Not so fast. Online learning in the Haas virtual classroom goes way beyond traditional web conferencing. Juliana Schroeder, an associate professor in the Management of Organizations group, shares this about her experience conducting synchronous learning online, “When I stand up to teach in the virtual classroom, it feels as though I’m talking to each of the students individually. It’s an embodied experience – I can go up to a student’s monitor, face-to-face, and engage with them more intimately – or I can back up and address all the students simultaneously.”
In some ways, it’s better than an in-person classroom because it provides more quantified, synchronous feedback about the learning experience"
The program's online platform allows you to connect directly with professors during lectures. You can ask questions in real-time using chat features, participate in Q&A sessions, and receive immediate clarification of doubts. Additionally, online forums and breakout rooms facilitate focused discussions with classmates, creating a collaborative learning environment even when geographically dispersed. According to Juliana, “In some ways, it’s better than an in-person classroom because it provides more quantified, synchronous feedback about the learning experience, which I can use to adjust as I’m teaching. For example, I can get a count of the number of outstanding student questions in the room at any given time. I can also read the students’ chat messages as they come through, which provides me with a live side channel by which to ascertain how deeply students are engaging with the class lessons. It’s like having a view inside their heads as they absorb the lessons.”
She adds, “If a lecture isn’t sinking in or the discussion isn’t taking off, I can send students into small-group breakout rooms for 10 minutes. If they need to visualize a result, I can use the virtual whiteboard, and all of them can have access to it and draw on it at the same time. If I want to bring a guest lecturer into the classroom, I can physically wheel in a large screen and have someone join us in real time. If I want to do a quick check on the percentage of students who understand a concept or start a debate, I can run a virtual poll.”
Getting the best of both worlds with synchronous and asynchronous learning
The UC Berkeley Flex MBA option is great for working professionals who need maximum flexibility so they can continue their professional development while working and managing their other responsibilities.
Laura has found that “for students, combining synchronous and asynchronous learning is the best of both worlds. In class, they learn by practicing negotiation role plays and debriefing their experiences to extract generalizable insights. They can watch the videos at their leisure and hit replay if they struggle with a concept.”
Both online and in-person sessions encourage active participation through discussions, presentations, and group projects. By combining the accessibility of online learning with the enriching experience of in-person interaction, the UC Berkeley Haas Flex MBA program's blended synchronous learning approach empowers you to become a well-rounded business professional. You gain not only a world-class education but also the critical skills and connections you need to thrive in today's dynamic business landscape.
Strategies for synchronous learning success
Juggling work, personal commitments, and an MBA can feel like a constant act of balancing plates, but fear not! The UC Berkeley Haas Flex MBA program equips you with the tools and flexibility you need to thrive in synchronous learning sessions, both online and in-person.
Time management
While the flexibility of the MBA Flex option will make it easier for you to manage your responsibilities, you will still need to manage your time carefully. Take advantage of calendar tools and reminders to help you stay on track. Clearly differentiate between online and in-person sessions in your calendar to ensure that you factor in travel time.
Keep your calendar at work up to date, too. Kate says, “The biggest piece of advice I would have is to make sure that you block off the time on your work calendar, especially if you're going to try to log into class from the office so people don’t see you at your desk and assume you are available.”
Being an active participant
Preparation is key for both online and in-person sessions. Review the course material beforehand so you can come to class ready with your insights and questions. Juliana suggests, “Take advantage of everything [the program] offers. You have to put in the work of watching all of the asynchronous videos, sometimes multiple times, doing the asynchronous readings, and so on, in advance of the synchronous lessons in order to be prepared for the synchronous portions of the class.”
You’ll have opportunities to contribute actively to discussions and group activities in both online and in-person settings. During online sessions, take advantage of online tools like chat functions and breakout rooms for focused collaboration.
Learn more about UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Flex MBA Program
Curious about the Flex MBA program and how it can help you achieve your professional goals? Attend an upcoming online or in-person information session and learn how you can take your career to the next level. Register Today!
