The University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business has announced that it will launch an online MBA program this fall.
Notably—and in contrast to some other online MBA programs—the new USC program will feature synchronous learning sessions, where group video conferences and one-on-one webcam discussions with faculty happen in real time. Students should plan to be available for between two and three 1 to 2 hour sessions per week, according to the program webpage. Other course content will be delivered through recorded presentations, case studies, and interactive games, and other virtual learning exercises.
Although no official specializations or concentrations are offered, students may opt to take MBA electives offered within Marshall or at other USC schools, with approval.
Additionally, the program will also include a one-week on-campus residency session, where students can forge connections with each other and with faculty members.
Although the program is 21 months long, it is generally flexible, in that students may take semester-long breaks from the program, after consulting with an advisor.
Marshall joins a growing group of US business schools launching online MBA programs. Just this year, new online offerings were announced by the Virginia-based William & Mary - Mason School of Business—focusing on "Renaissance Thinking"—as well as by American University’s Kogod School of Business in Washington, DC.
To apply for the new USC - Marshall program, interested candidates will need to submit official GMAT or GRE scores. International students may need to take either the TOEFL or the IELTS. Work experience, according to Marshall, is "desired."
The total tuition for the new online MBA is estimated to be $88,502, making the program more expensive than any of the MBA programs ranked in the Online MBA Ranking from the Financial Times.
For more information, please see USC - Marshall's online MBA program webpage.
