Hi Kate. I don't think anyone is claiming that the MBA in Hong Kong is awarded by RDI. I wrote that "The Bradford degree is run by RDI, a for-profit business which also runs the Leicester MBA (about which students are highly critical)."
Read this page to get an idea, and compare it to the Iowa MBA:
http://www.rdihongkong.com/distance-learning/Part-Time-study-from-Hong-Kong-or-Distance-Learning-from-anywhere.html?Itemid=0
½ day induction seminar led by Bradford faculty in Hong Kong
20 ? 24 hours of tutorials per module, tutored by RDI
10 compulsory modules and 4 elective modules, of which 4 modules delivered by Bradford faculty in Hong Kong over an intensive 3 day period (24 hours in total)
So, that means:
- Around 300 hours of RDI tutorial time (No profiles available for these tutors, but they will not be at the same level as the Bradford faculty)
- Less than 100 hours with Bradford faculty.
The Iowa MBA is 15 courses of 30 class hours with mostly top-tier professors: 13 Iowa professors plus Jerry Lynch (Dean of the Krannert School of Management) and Lopo L. Rego from the Kelley School of Business. They have a much wider range of electives.
So, in terms of face to face experience, the Iowa programme gives more time with higher quality (generally) staff. Both programmes supplement with web-based learning. Iowa students can also spend a whole semester at Iowa!