Online MBA programs provide a vital pathway for professionals with demanding schedules, who might otherwise never have the opportunity to earn the degree. But the format also demands that MBA candidates be exceptionally focused, self-motivated and organized, without which it becomes very difficult to complete the program.
Without physical classrooms and in-person connections, MBA students can sometimes find themselves adrift. Students from the world’s leading online MBA programs say building the right habits, finding social anchors and taking advantage of every opportunity to interact – both online and in person – can go a long way in helping students stay focused and excel throughout the program.
Building habits that support online MBA studies
Recent online MBA graduates and students emphasize the importance of creating structure in life that allows them to stay focused on their studies.
Vitória Giraldi Mansur, a recent online MBA graduate from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, says she stayed focused by protecting her energy outside class so she could be physically and mentally present during sessions.
“In the middle of such a demanding program, what really kept me going was making sure I didn’t abandon the activities that recharged my energy,” she says. For Mansur, those activities included time at the gym, going for runs, and “having moments just for myself in the sauna.”
“They helped me stay engaged, energized and grounded throughout the journey.”
Mansur says these rituals need to be part of the weekly routine of online MBA students, even if only 30 minutes a week.
Emma Ceolin, a single parent studying the fully online MBAX at UNSW Business School in Sydney, Australia, also relies on structure.
“Strategies and routines that help me stay motivated and engaged include time-blocking my study hours and sticking to them each week, creating a study space conducive to study and the Pomodoro technique,” she says, citing the popular time-management method that involves 25 minutes of focused work followed by five-minute breaks.
Staying motivated without a physical MBA classroom
Online MBA students use a range of methods to remain motivated throughout their studies.
For Payton Starks at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, in the U.S., motivation comes from sharing his experience with others on the Kelley Direct Online MBA.
“I find sharing learnings and stories from my MBA journey with my family, friends and co-workers helps to keep me motivated,” he says, adding that their encouragement also serves as a form of accountability.
Another unique method Starks employed was keeping a personal archive.
“I have created a ‘greatest hits’ folder to store some of the best lectures, podcasts and assignments … to keep me thinking outside the box and feel inspired.”
For other students, motivation comes from a clear schedule and regular movement.
“For me it’s all about finding the right routine that fits my schedule,” says Alex Holder, an Online Hybrid MBA student at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School, also in the U.S.
Holder attends live classes during evenings and keeps the weekends for coursework. Meanwhile, the gym helps him unwind.
“Get a walking treadmill so you can move while listening to lectures!” he tells others.
The power of building relationships in an online MBA classroom
MBA candidates say building connections with MBA classmates is as important as motivation to stay focused during the program. Strong relationships make the program feel more real and less remote.
Mansur at IE used informal tools outside the program to form relationships.
“More informal channels, such as WhatsApp groups and social media like Instagram, worked really well to strengthen connections with my peers,” she says. Mansur used voice notes on WhatsApp to build “deeper, more personal relationships.”
Mansur exercised the same enthusiasm in forming relationships with faculty.
“I tried as much as possible to meet for coffee and have in-person conversations with professors,” she says. She maintained those relationships later through LinkedIn.
Formal tools to stay connected appear to work equally as well.
Ceolin at UNSW says discussion forums and group work create natural opportunities for connection.
“The MBAX units usually include assessed weekly forum posts or group work, and it’s there you engage with peers from all over the world,” she says. Many of those connections then crossed over into WhatsApp and LinkedIn.
At Kelley, Starks says the online MBA students have created a community “that makes the most of this experience and does its best to have fun with the process, together”.
“We text each other all the time about wins, challenges and life happenings,” he says.
At Tepper, Holder took initiative to strengthen the student community by organizing study halls and local meetups.
“Here in Pittsburgh we’ve organized a horseback riding session, a group lunch… and even a Pirates game (the local baseball team),” he says. One of Holder’s classmates also launched a ‘coffee chat program’ that paired random students together.
Business schools redesign online MBA programs to foster engagement
Business schools know that engagement can determine success in online learning and have redesigned programs accordingly.
At Kelley Direct, director of student experience Julia Ailes says connection is built into every stage of the degree.
The program includes required in-person residencies and optional domestic and global immersion courses, leadership associations and lifelong access to alumni courses and career coaching.
These elements, she notes, “create a learning environment that extends well beyond graduation”.
At Tepper, director of the Online Hybrid MBA Erika Tatrai, says the program is engineered for community.
“Three times a year, we come together for immersive Access Weekends,” she says.
These events include academic, career and networking components. Tepper students also have access to ongoing virtual sessions, a directory and limited support for informal meetups.
