Can anybody add some information about the Online MBA from Coursera and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign? I am seriously considering doing this program because I need an MBA and don't have a lot of budget. Plus, it does not require the GMAT so that would be one less thing to worry about.

How does this program compare to other low cost MBAs? I have found affordable values at University of Louisiana Monroe, Ball State University, and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and even British schools like Bradford. The Coursera program would be around $20,000 in total, and these other programs are in this price range. The one in Louisiana would be less investment.

Would I have any career opportunities after this program? I don't have very much of a network and this is one thing that I need to develop in order to move forward in my career.

Given the early stage, I don't think there's much more to add. The iMBA "involves active faculty involvement and other closely monitored interactions" so the educational support might be similar to those other programmes. Considering the much higher quality of the Ilinois MBA, it's a good investment.

I suggest you ask about career services. It looks as if all MBA students get the same access to services (https://business.illinois.edu/bcs/students/mba/) but in practice I imagine that the team will get no extra resources to help iMBA students and will want to limit them to online resources in I-Link.

This is an interesting experiment, especially since it includes hands-on case studies. It's not clear though what these entail - if they were with real businesses that would be a potential in with an employer.

Good suggestion from Duncan on asking the school about career services. My sense is that with this as with the other low-cost programs you mentioned, career resources will not be as robust as that offered for students in full-time MBAs.

Thank you. I will ask the school about career services.

how do you compare Bradford vs Illinois?
Bradford business school is ranked 42 in Europe while Illinois university is ranked ca 42 in the World. Which brand worth more in Continental Europe (for example, Germany) and which in the USA?

Illinois>>>Bradford, Illinois is a world-class university, Bradford is a regional England school

Illinois>>>Bradford, Illinois is a world-class university, Bradford is a regional England school

Well, since I've been doing some of the business courses on Coursera and edX, I also got that iMBA email and really wanted to like it, but for some reason, after checking their YouTube channel and watching most of the videos relating to the program, I felt zero motivation towards it. Using that same approach, I found the Bradford videos on their channel to also leave a lot to be desired. Warwick, Imperial and Durham seem to have at least produced video presentations I liked. Not a very scientific approach, I know, but for me it has its importance.

But Illinois is not an average US university. It's one of the Big Ten.

But Illinois is not an average US university. It's one of the Big Ten.

In Germany you will also need to explain Bradford. Study at a German-region school if you want to work in Germany. That said the point about motivation is also important.

[Edited by Duncan on Dec 07, 2016]

In Germany you will also need to explain Bradford. Study at a German-region school if you want to work in Germany. That said the point about motivation is also important.

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In Germany you will also need to explain Bradford. Study at a German-region school if you want to work in Germany. That said the point about motivation is also important.

BTW, what would you say about quality of education at Illinois iMBA?