The Boston-based Simmons College will shutter its classroom MBA programs and move them completely online in 2016.
In moving its MBA programs—which are designed specifically for women—online, the school cites a shifting landscape, where it's becoming more complicated for many working professionals to come to campus to study:
"The Simmons MBA was launched forty years ago at a time when women were not welcomed in MBA programs. Today, women are recruited aggressively for the MBA wherever it is offered. An ongoing challenge for businesswomen is their very busy schedules, which require balancing many demands and can complicate their ability to travel to a campus to complete their degree. Many men face these challenges as well. In the national context, there are thousands of people who simply have no accessible campus-based options for an MBA. Our new online MBA programs will address this challenge directly."
Two programs will launch, beginning in March 2016: a general MBA and a Health Care MBA.
In addition to online learning, there will also be "immersion weekends," where students will come to the Simmons College campus, as well as other locations, to meet for intensive learning experiences.
Current MBA students will be able to choose to take online courses as they become available.
Simmons College is accredited by AACSB.
For more information, please see the Simmons College update on the school's MBA programs.
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