edX announced online MBA with Boston University - Questrom, at a very tempting price of $24000

link : https://www.edx.org/masters/online-master-business-administration-mba-bux

I think this competes with illinois in price and rankings. Gmat not required

We had some talks and speculations about it in the past, turns out it is BU

Interesting. It definitely competes with Illinois and MGSM in terms of price and rankings. However, the curriculum seems a little light though - doesn't it? 45 credits only and doesn't cover any of the fundamentals such as accounting, finance, economics, etc even a little bit. However, we haven't seen the full details yet so I might be wrong. On second thought, I think it competes more academically with MGSM Global MBA as it "seems" to focus a lot of soft skills and the integrated nature of the subjects.

[Edited by Rhen Rao on Jul 24, 2019]

Indeed, a very light curriculum, but that way BU gets to the $533 per credit price, and that will perhaps rise, Illinois was planned to start at $250 but is now around $300. Either way, Illinois is better for people who really need the education or who don't have a BBA.

Hmmm there is an article here on find-mba about the trend of many schools to focus more and more on soft skills. Perhaps BU knows something.

Note: 45 US credits is 90 ECTS or 180 UK credits, which is pretty much the default.

In the US a masters degree is typically 60 credits.

The Illinois rose in the for-credit price but they now subsidize (beginning last week) the full cost of the Coursera verification fees. In essence, the end product price hasn't increased for students yet.

Hi everyone! Just wondering do we have students here who are already attending online MBA at BU or this is something completely new and no one has experience with it? I am considering to apply, but thinking whether it is indeed worth taking. It would be great to talk to student who has relevant experience with online degree programs. Thanks.

It's brand new.

It is new, and whether it's worth taking is an interesting question. It is offered by a reputable business school and at this cost, it's a really good value.

However, it's a new program, meaning there may be some growing pains initially.

My sense is that once it gets off the ground and runs for a few years, the cost will rise substantially.

BU is a really well-run uni with a lot of experience of online teaching, so I would expect fewer teething pains than at Illinois. Fewer credits too, so simpler to run.

BU is a really well-run uni with a lot of experience of online teaching, so I would expect fewer teething pains than at Illinois. Fewer credits too, so simpler to run.

I've been reading a lot about this program and I think I may add it to my shortlist. Looks super affordable and not in a 'cheap' way.

Not sure however how it would compare to the Babson MBA, which seems to be well regarded and an established program. JR

Yes, the Babson MBA is a well established program. I wouldn't worry so much about the fact that the BU program is newer. Look instead at the curriculum on offer and if you're comparing the two programs, which one looks more interesting / appropriate for your expectations. 

It's true that the BU program is on the light side, curriculum wise, but it may make sense for some candidates. 

QUESTROM'S ONLINE MBA DEVALUES REPUTATION

Buyer beware! BU's Questrom OMBA program positioning is not on par with their on-campus MBA. The apparent value proposition of their OMBA derives from the on-campus program's reputation and the low entry price. But the OMBA quality isn't competitive with substitutes in this segment.

Without any data to value the program, Questrom's OMBA is riding on the reputation of it's on-campus MBA. But the the strength of correlation between a school's online and on-campus programs is generally weak. That's why online programs are ranked separately.

If your MBA investment is in the $24K USD range, then you'll get a better value from MacQuarie or Gies. But if the burnish of an MBA from BU has hypnotized you, then prepare yourself for this:

It's confusing and error prone. They've created a custom mishmash of learning platform technologies. Expect confusion for one to two months. Monitor your grades for omissions after you've submitted assignments.

It's frustrating. The professors lack sound pedagogy for online instruction. (Coursera is better.) If English is your second language, you will need outside help. Many of the assessments are poorly designed and some are biased to American English. Regardless, expect to petition at least one of your assessment scores.

It's demoralizing. Everyone running the OMBA program is overstretched. They have no time for personalization. They're also clear that you are free to exit the program if you don't like it.

Strongly correlating Questrom's online MBA and on-campus MBA programs is a mistake. If anything, in its current condition, the OMBA program would devalue Questrom's on-campus reputation. You can get a better quality education elsewhere. Include European countries in your search and you'll uncover many high value offerings.

You've been warned!

[Edited by jcholsap on May 15, 2021]

The above comment is posted elsewhere, and it's silly. If you expect a $20k online MBA to be the same experience as a $112k on-campus MBA.... it's like the difference between seeing opera at your cinema rather than in the opera house.