Dear all,

I would really appreciate your help selecting between the following online programs:

1. Bradford
2. Durham
3. Illinois at Urbana-Champain

If I decide to go by the FT online MBA ranking for 2016 then Durham would be the obvious choice over Bradford. However, I am not sure how to compare Durham to Illinois in terms of quality education, ROI, and reputation.

Illinois offers a wider spectrum of classes especially in finance and accounting while Durham have combined the accounting and finance subjects into one module. On the other hand, Durham offers a pathway in consultancy and project management which can contribute significantly to my current career in management.

I would really appreciate a direct answer on which program to select based on your experience and expertise.

Thank you kindly.

The problem is, there is no 'right' answer, especially without knowing your specific career goals.

Any of these would be a good choice, for most students. The curriculum will come down to personal preference, in many cases: look closely at what each program offers and see if there's one set of options that appeals to you over the others.

Keep in mind that online programs tend not to be like in-class programs: they don't really enable big career shifts (ie. you wouldn't usually use an online program to break into the consulting industry...) - that's why there's no real "best" school, typically.

(ie. you wouldn't usually use an online program to break into the consulting industry...) - quote]
What stops you from shifting to consulting area after online program? Usually, they dont specify that diploma had been taken via distance learning. You probably get exactly the same diploma as any other, or?