It wasn’t that long ago that online MBA programs were looked down upon by students, employers, and even academic institutions. But, times have changed and there are unique advantages of a flexible MBA.
According to the Association to Advance Collegiate Business Schools (AACSB), the leading business school accreditation agency, enrollment in online MBA programs has surpassed in-person enrollment. In December of 2021, a study revealed that 71 percent of employers now view online business degrees as equal to or better than traditional programs in quality.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we do education and work. It reiterated the need and want for more flexible MBA program offerings—a plus for top business schools wanting to increase access and diversity. Today, even many of the most prestigious programs offer some sort of online format.
Part-time MBA programs, like the top-ranked Evening & Weekend Program at Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, have always been a big draw for working professionals. Those shifting perceptions about remote work and learning combined with rapidly improved classroom technology throughout the pandemic years helped accelerate the development of a new Flex option that had been in planning stages for over five years. This option allows students to get a quality degree online, with some flexibility of schedule, while still getting the same top-ranked education as a traditional MBA.
Here are a few distinct advantages of Berkeley Haas’ flexible MBA option:
- Learn from anywhere
- Classes are half live, half on your own
- Networking opportunities, including in your own community
- Family stability
- Live perspectives
Learn from anywhere
One of the many reasons that people choose an online MBA is that they can attend a school across the country, or even on the other side of the world.
Andrew Hicinbothem, MBA 25, had wanted to pursue his MBA for several years, but his goal was to get his degree from a top-ranked school because he felt that would allow for a better learning experience and more opportunities. His wife has been on work assignments throughout Asia so coming back to the US to get his degree was not an option. When he learned about Haas’ Flex option he immediately saw how the program would be perfect for his situation.
According to Andrew, “That was one of the questions I had coming into the program. Is it really flexible enough that I can manage it? It’s been good so far. If you’re outside of the US or the Bay Area, it will be more challenging, but if you are looking at advancing your career with a top MBA this is a great opportunity to do that.”
Living in South Korea, Andrew’s schedule is opposite of his classmates in the US. “All of my classes are in the morning. They’re typically either 7-9 am or 8-10 am depending on daylight savings time and I’m not a morning person. The biggest challenge is waking up and getting on those calls, but also managing that time as well.”
One of Andrew’s classmates is Aidan Steele, MBA 25. Aidan is an active duty United States Marine, currently living in England. He is in the process of retirement and transitioning to civilian life. He wants an MBA to achieve some of the post-military career goals he’s set for himself.
The Flex program allowed him to continue moving forward so that he didn’t have to put his professional life on hold, “The Flex option was the only way I could have gotten an MBA on the timeline I chose, while still prioritizing other aspects of my life. 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 worked for me have allowed me to take my kids to swim lessons, work the hours my job demanded 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.”
There are also students who live close by who prefer the convenience of the Flex option, “I live about an hour and 15 minutes away, so it’s not too bad,” says Kinshuk Verma, MBA 25, “but in my previous job I was traveling a lot. I actually found out I was going to give birth in early 2022 so this Flex option was perfect… I knew that I didn’t want to be traveling much with a baby.”
Half live, half self-guided
Many online MBA programs are set up so that classes are recorded in advance and students are left to their own devices while they work on their degree. Although this is fine for many people, it can take away the benefit of live discussions which are a big part of the MBA experience.
The Flex option at Haas is strategically designed to replicate the in-person MBA experience as closely as possible. Students attend a live, synchronous class twice a week, usually from 4-6 pm Pacific time. The classes are taught by the same tenure-track faculty who teach traditional, in-person classes. This set schedule allows students to plan in advance and work with their employers and families to make sure their responsibilities are taken care of.
Live class time with the same classmates each week also facilitates more meaningful connections with peers and professors. It allows for students to get their questions answered in real time and have lively classroom discussion.
Even with the live, synchronous class times, students will spend about half of the time doing asynchronous classwork. This involves working on their own watching recorded content, participating in discussion boards or doing group work. This allows students to have more flexibility in how they structure their coursework than what the traditional MBA program allows while still getting the benefit of live classroom interaction.
All of the Flex option core classes are required to be taken online but the program is flexible with electives. Students have the opportunity to take those in person if they choose to do so. Kinshuk was a little hesitant about taking all of her classes online, “I remember struggling a little bit to be fully onboard that this was the best option for me. You know how it is with MBA programs, networking is a huge aspect of it and networking is done best in person."
“So, after talking to a few people, I realized that I wouldn’t be losing too much and I can be on campus after core classes are over anyway," she adds. "That flexibility was always there in my mind. I’m actually taking an on campus class this semester. There’s one class that I really wanted to attend and unfortunately there wasn’t an online option, so I’m doing the Saturday commute to campus.”
One of the other advantages of the flexible MBA at Berkeley Haas is that in the end, the degree and the diploma are identical, no matter what route you take to get the MBA.
Networking opportunities
Networking is a big part of getting an MBA and one of the main aspects that many online MBA programs ignore. The Flex option at Berkeley Haas was designed to make sure networking was built into it so that students do not lose out on this important experience.
In addition to live class time twice a week, there are five in-person immersions throughout the course of the program where students get to spend time face to face. Three of these are required and two are optional. Prior to getting started, the program kicks off with a WE Launch required orientation event. During the first year, there is a weekend long, in person Leadership Communication class. This is a core course that teaches students how to inspire others, create cooperation among coworkers, and advocate ideas within and outside of their organizations.
The RE Launch event is held in the fall semester of the second year. This is a time when students reconnect with classmates in person. Kinshuk found a lot of value in the event, even though it was optional, “When you’re remote it’s very difficult to bond or network outside of class. I found that to be true to some extent, but when we met in person at the RE Launch event… I can’t explain the feeling, but it’s almost like we were friends for so many years and we just picked up where we left off. Everybody made an effort to get to know each other and network but also to be friends.”
In the second semester, there is a required academic retreat. This immersive course teaches an evidence-based set of tools that make the workplace more equitable and helps students develop leadership skills to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The final student meet up is optional and takes place at the end of the program. WE Lead brings everyone together to reflect about the program and what they’ve learned.
Not being face to face with his classmates was a big consideration when Andrew was deciding whether or not to attend Haas, “The biggest challenge for me would be the networking. It was going to be about connecting with the classmates. I’ve only seen these people in person like two or three times and I’m able to remember everybody’s name and talk to them.”
Erin Mitsuyoshi, MBA 25, was a little worried that the online environment would mean giving up some of the connections that students make, “I feel like the dynamics of the program happen in the classroom and there are a lot of nuances you can’t pick up on the screen. But it’s actually turned out really well; the way it’s formatted, how they try to be really inclusive. I think what’s really helped is the small groups that have formed in our core classes. That’s built foundations in our other classes as well. Our bonding for our flex cohort has been really great considering that we’re all spread out.”
Family stability
One thing that can stop many people from pursuing an MBA is their family situation. Someone who is married may not want to give up time with their spouse. New parents want to experience the early years of their childrens’ lives. Even parents of older kids or teens love staying involved. Having a job already cuts into family time and adding school to the mix limits it even more. Now, complicate that with a grueling class schedule and the thought of an MBA might seem overwhelming.
One of the unique advantages of a flexible MBA is that although you’re adding something to your plate, the stability that you provide your family situation doesn’t have to change other than some occasional schedule tweaks.
Erin has two school aged children. Like most moms, she does it all, “I can rearrange my schedule to make classes work… Normally I do all of the pickups and drop offs. I’m the one who is making all of the meals. On the days I have classes, my parents help and so do my in-laws when they are in town.”
Spouses and kids aren’t the only family that benefit from the Flex option. Being there to help your parents is another plus of the program. Kevin Ramirez, MBA 25, has parents who lost their jobs during the pandemic and he does a lot to support them. There was never any question about getting his MBA from Berkeley, since that is where he did his undergrad, but he felt that it wasn’t fair to leave his parents behind in Los Angeles to go back to school.
The Flex option allows Kevin to get his MBA from his dream school while staying close to home to continue supporting his mom and dad. “My parents are still struggling, so even though I wanted to pursue my business degree, I couldn’t really commit to a full time program. If I do that I’m not making money and I need to be able to provide for my parents,” he says. “I still wanted to advance my career so when the Flex format became an option, I decided to apply.”
Immediate ROI and live perspectives
A traditional full time MBA program brings everyone together in one place where they share similar experiences in a similar environment. Full time students don’t work while they pursue the MBA. They may have different backgrounds and come from different parts of the world, but they all share being a full time student at the same place at that moment in time.
Part time students have jobs and are able to turn around and use the knowledge from class in real-life situations. They can get an immediate return on their investment if they attend class at night and apply what they’ve learned the next day.
Kinshuk has a specific example of being able to apply what she’s learned to what she does in her job, “Early last year, when I had just started school, I was taking finance. I remember trying to come up with a lease model for a portion of our products and how that would work long term as a revenue generation mechanism for us. I literally applied principles that I learned in the finance class to that and came up with that lead structure. That was a direct application.”
Erin says that she has had several ah-ha moments between school and her job in commercial real estate, “There are certain strategies that have come through in class so I’m like, ‘Yeah, that does make sense.’ I’m in a mergers and acquisitions class right now so I can see some of those negotiations play out in real life.”
In addition to an immediate ROI, students have the opportunity to learn from live perspectives from their classmates. Flex option students live in a variety of places and work many different jobs. Someone in product development can learn about how an engineer applied a classroom concept to a real life situation. A marketing executive could share first hand information about a campaign that worked (or bombed) for their company. These live perspectives are things that traditional MBA students don’t have access to, giving Haas’ Flex option another unique advantage.
There's no contest
There are a lot of options out there for anyone who decides they want to pursue an online MBA. The Flex option at Haas is one of a kind, giving students the top-ranked MBA experience that many want, combined with the flexibility that many need.
Aidan saw the program as a more direct path to getting the degree he wanted. Both he and his wife are in the military and living overseas presented a lot of challenges. “I applied to Haas, and only Haas, specifically because of the flex option. I had originally planned to get an MBA from a school near wherever she got stationed, losing 2 years of income between my retirement and completion of my degree. 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.”
Andrew sums up that it was easy for him to know that this would be the right fit, “Obviously the flex format has really worked out well for me. The option was a key decider for me. It was no contest at that point.”
Interested in pursuing your MBA but worried about how it will fit in with your busy life? Learn more about the Berkeley Haas Flex MBA today!
