Top 10 Online MBA Programs for Residential Modules

Students at Rice Business complete a combination of live online classes and periodic in-person learning and networking opportunities. This blended format helps students forge valuation connections without having to sacrifice personal and professional commitments. The residential modules are hosted on Rice’s own campus and in other locations across the globe. They include simulations, immersions, seminars and opportunities to study abroad. 

At Kelley, Online MBA students take two core courses on campus in the subjects of business interaction and business analysis. Students can also take electives on campus to deepen their knowledge in specific subjects. There are also Global Immersion courses where students go on consulting projects in another country, and Domestic Immersion courses where they consult major US firms. In addition, they can visit the Washington Campus and take courses at the intersection of business, government, and public policy. Furthermore, Kelley’s Graduate Career Services team offers career development courses on campus. 

A number of the core courses in Warrington’s Online MBA program can be taken as a residency on campus in Florida, including negotiation, marketing analytics and business plan formulation. The business school also offers a Global Immersion Experience, a credit-bearing course that includes a week-long experience abroad. The students conduct business meetings where they learn about company practices and the unique business environment. Recent locations have included Argentina, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Ireland and China. 

At Imperial College, a leading academic institution, students on the Online MBA meet class and faculty on campus in London during an induction week at the start of the degree program. They visit Imperial again at the end of the course, during the capstone module. Participants also have opportunities to participate in two classroom elective modules on campus together with students in Imperial’s other MBA programs. 

Included in Warwick’s Online MBA tuition fee is one optional, four-day residential module. Students choose when to complete the face-to-face module, which is available from several different locations. In addition, students can take a second in-person module at an additional cost. Further to this, students have to option to study some of the same elective modules as the EMBA students at the Warwick campus or in London over four days. The subjects include financial analysis and behavioral science. 

Students in Durham’s Online MBA have the option to study fully online, or take a blended approach and complete some of the MBA at Durham in the north of England. All students can also take specific elective modules on campus. The residential modules are offered throughout the year, bringing students together from across the world to network and learn from each other. Students have access to IT and library services, and the residential modules also include executive speaker sessions, and a variety of social events. 

The part-time Online MBA at Tepper sees virtual sessions augmented by in-person Access Weekends, held several times throughout the year, so students can connect in person with classmates and professors. The Access Weekends are held six times each year in Pittsburgh, Silicon Valley, Philadelphia and Washington DC. All of Tepper’s online classes start initially in person, so students can build meaningful relationships. The Access Weekends will also include visits to top companies and networking sessions on campus. 

Online MBA students at UNC can complement their online coursework with a variety of residential modules from the school’s other MBA programs. This is a good opportunity to network and learn from students and professors. Campus-based courses include real estate finance, renewable energy and healthcare economics. Participants can also take classes from UNC’s master of accounting program, if space is available.  

IE Business School aims to create a seamless transition between virtual and in-person learning. To reflect the need for flexibility, students can complete the MBA entirely online or by following the blended methodology, which includes in-person residencies in Madrid. Students get to know each other through all-day workshops and classes. There’s also the Global Immersion Week where students can elect to spend a week overseas, learning about a local business climate. Past destinations have included San Francisco, Sao Paolo, Singapore, Shanghai, Miami and Mumbai.

Students on the Online MBA program at MIP, which is focused on digital transformation, visit the innovation centers of the business school in Milan. They also go on company visits to leading technology companies such as Amazon and Microsoft. There’s also a bootcamp on digital transformation, while students can also go on international exchanges to visit the campuses of other business schools across the world.