I'm quite convinced to go with the Bradford Distance Learning MBA. I'm 42, software engineer. Low budget (around 15-20K). Classroom and travel are not an option.
Bradford is triple accredited, decently ranked and quite cheap.
What's your experience/idea with Bradford?

Thanks in advance!

It's a good program and ranked in the Financial Times. You could do a lot worse.

That said, online programs aren't for everybody, and they're certainly not full-time MBAs in that grads of online programs don't usually make substantial career shifts. It really depends on what your goals are.

Thanks for your reply!
So the online solution is not considered career shifting as the full time one? Why? Does it depends on knowledge (perhaps studying online is not as effective as real classroom) or on networking? Or there are some other reasons?

I think that it has less to do with the content and more to do with what kind of career support resources are provided.

Since the online programs tend to attract older individuals whose career support needs aren't as great, schools don't provide as many resources as they do for their full-time cohorts.

For large career shifts, networking in particular is important, and being on campus makes it easier for the b-school to provide you with as many opportunities as possible. Some of it comes down to logistics: if you're on campus 24/7 it's easier to attend networking events, company presentations, on-campus interviews, etc. -- all of which are important to make a career shift.

Another large part is that full-time MBAs often provide a practical component - an internship or project, for instance, where you can get hands-on experience in the industry or functional area that you want to switch into. This is also important, and something that most online programs don't provide.

That's not to say that those who graduate from online programs can't make large career transitions - I'm sure it happens - it's just rarer than for full-time students.

Yeah, I totally agree. I think you wrote a really smart and concise analysis. Thanks!