Manchester Global MBA Format

Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Mar 10, 2012 09:03

Furthermore, there's a difference between the level of support you can expect from admissions teams. Manchester traditionally is ranked much higher than Warwick, so I guess they get more inquiries. However, the cost profile of the Manchester programme is much higher; they have several campuses around the world and a more expensive programme. They are much less likely to provide granular data because many experiences will have shown them that taking the time to answer them does not improve their ability to get high quality applicants.

Laureate Online Education, who runs the Liverpool online MBA, is again in a very different position. It's a for-profit business with 500,000 students and a totally different cost base and profitability. LIverpool, of course, doesn't offer any tutorial support -- all of that is done by Laureate, which means that the programme will be more profitable than the Manchester Global MBA, and will provide more money for marketing and admissions support.

quote

random

18 35

Posted Mar 10, 2012 13:36

Hi Random. I'm not trying to criticise you or suggest that there's anything irregular about what you are doing. What I am trying to do is reset your expectations, both of what the right questions are and of what a realistic level of service is to expect from a highly-ranked business school.

Take for example the question of student support by tutors. You say that is imperative. Actually, that is not the case. During my MBA I studied at London Business School and the Tuck School at Dartmouth College. These are two highly-standing business schools, without regular, intensive tutorial support of any kind. Students work in study groups to support each other. That is a deliberate choice of pedagogy, and it reflects on the difference between MBAs which are management development programmes and thus centre on collaboration (which the case approach aims to produce, and which group learning also does) and those which are individual academic programmes, with little co-operation.

True - but we are talking about Distance Learning here - don't you think student support requires a different model.....one which demands a support model for the DL student? The biggest issue DL students face are "being alone" thousands of miles away. Respectfully, since you had the opportunity to attend your classes in person perhaps it wasn't as big an issue for you?

<blockquote>Hi Random. I'm not trying to criticise you or suggest that there's anything irregular about what you are doing. What I am trying to do is reset your expectations, both of what the right questions are and of what a realistic level of service is to expect from a highly-ranked business school.

Take for example the question of student support by tutors. You say that is imperative. Actually, that is not the case. During my MBA I studied at London Business School and the Tuck School at Dartmouth College. These are two highly-standing business schools, without regular, intensive tutorial support of any kind. Students work in study groups to support each other. That is a deliberate choice of pedagogy, and it reflects on the difference between MBAs which are management development programmes and thus centre on collaboration (which the case approach aims to produce, and which group learning also does) and those which are individual academic programmes, with little co-operation.
</blockquote>

True - but we are talking about Distance Learning here - don't you think student support requires a different model.....one which demands a support model for the DL student? The biggest issue DL students face are "being alone" thousands of miles away. Respectfully, since you had the opportunity to attend your classes in person perhaps it wasn't as big an issue for you?

quote

random

18 35

Posted Mar 10, 2012 13:52

Furthermore, there's a difference between the level of support you can expect from admissions teams. Manchester traditionally is ranked much higher than Warwick, so I guess they get more inquiries. However, the cost profile of the Manchester programme is much higher; they have several campuses around the world and a more expensive programme. They are much less likely to provide granular data because many experiences will have shown them that taking the time to answer them does not improve their ability to get high quality applicants.

It's a question of scale...and the internet has been a game changer in this regard. All they have to do is post it on their website - a very simple easy task. There is almost no info about the format of the program posted on their website. They are selling a Distance Learning program to be delivered over the web, yet ironically they don't post information on the web about the program. Compare this with a WBS (I posted the link in an earlier post) - they have all the info delivery format info clearly and easily accessible right on their website so people like me don't even have to call them about the info...this drives down cost for the admissions department.

<blockquote>Furthermore, there's a difference between the level of support you can expect from admissions teams. Manchester traditionally is ranked much higher than Warwick, so I guess they get more inquiries. However, the cost profile of the Manchester programme is much higher; they have several campuses around the world and a more expensive programme. They are much less likely to provide granular data because many experiences will have shown them that taking the time to answer them does not improve their ability to get high quality applicants. </blockquote>

It's a question of scale...and the internet has been a game changer in this regard. All they have to do is post it on their website - a very simple easy task. There is almost no info about the format of the program posted on their website. They are selling a Distance Learning program to be delivered over the web, yet ironically they don't post information on the web about the program. Compare this with a WBS (I posted the link in an earlier post) - they have all the info delivery format info clearly and easily accessible right on their website so people like me don't even have to call them about the info...this drives down cost for the admissions department.

quote

Double J

1 2

Posted Jun 06, 2013 10:38

Random,

I totally agree with you about MBS not posting any information about their learning environment and details regarding their workshops.

I also agree that Duncan is not understanding your question and is getting off track of what you are trying to understand about the programat MBS

quote

BigD

38 75

Posted Jun 06, 2013 11:37

I am in two minds about this. I have posted before about the lack of detailed information on MBA websites (it was Warwick in that case I think) as I love to analyse data and compare attributes.

I asked many questions of MBS to get more information and I found them very helpful. I started my diligence over a year ago: meeting current students and some of the staff at MBA fairs and speaking to the course director by phone. At no point did I think I was not getting the responses that I wanted.

There is a risk though that too much detail can deter shoppers, dilute the experience, or confuse potential applicants.

3 days workshops for each module, choice of world centres 2/3 assignments and 0/1 exam for each. One assignment pre, one during and the final assignment/exam at end of semester. MBS academics travel to present workshops.

BigD

quote

Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jun 06, 2013 14:24

I'm sorry if I have not grasped your question correctly. I think it's important to say that the best DL MBA programmes integrate both time on campus and intensive group work. It's not a process of individual study, so the quality of the cohort is really important.

quote

ralph

692 1.074

Posted Jun 10, 2013 16:05

There is a risk though that too much detail can deter shoppers, dilute the experience, or confuse potential applicants.

I don't know about that. I think that all they would need is a short paragraph and maybe a screenshot of the experience in their brochure, and I don't think that would confuse applicants.

As it is now, their brochure is 90% fluff - I think that a quick description of the actual experience would be more relevant than knowing that there's a "rich mix of people," or that the program is a "unique international experience."

<blockquote>There is a risk though that too much detail can deter shoppers, dilute the experience, or confuse potential applicants.</blockquote>
I don't know about that. I think that all they would need is a short paragraph and maybe a screenshot of the experience in their brochure, and I don't think that would confuse applicants.

As it is now, their brochure is 90% fluff - I think that a quick description of the actual experience would be more relevant than knowing that there's a "rich mix of people," or that the program is a "unique international experience."

quote

BigD

38 75

Posted Jun 10, 2013 16:11

Yeah, I am not condoning the lack of detail, but simply trying to understand the thinking behind it....

BigD

There is a risk though that too much detail can deter shoppers, dilute the experience, or confuse potential applicants.

I don't know about that. I think that all they would need is a short paragraph and maybe a screenshot of the experience in their brochure, and I don't think that would confuse applicants.

As it is now, their brochure is 90% fluff - I think that a quick description of the actual experience would be more relevant than knowing that there's a "rich mix of people," or that the program is a "unique international experience."

Yeah, I am not condoning the lack of detail, but simply trying to understand the thinking behind it....

BigD

<blockquote><blockquote>There is a risk though that too much detail can deter shoppers, dilute the experience, or confuse potential applicants.</blockquote>
I don't know about that. I think that all they would need is a short paragraph and maybe a screenshot of the experience in their brochure, and I don't think that would confuse applicants.

As it is now, their brochure is 90% fluff - I think that a quick description of the actual experience would be more relevant than knowing that there's a "rich mix of people," or that the program is a "unique international experience."</blockquote>

quote