Ready for Business

On Nov. 5, the NC State Jenkins MBA program announced the creation of an online MBA option, scheduled to launch in fall 2011. The new online option complements the Jenkins MBA program’s full-time and part-time for working professionals degree options.

“By launching an online MBA program, we are fulfilling a demand expressed by individuals who are attracted by the reputation of NC State and the uniqueness of our Jenkins MBA program, but who also prefer an online format,” said Dr. Steve Allen, associate dean for graduate programs and research in the NC State College of Management. “Over the years, we have received inquiries about an online MBA program, so we are pleased to add this to our offerings, and we look forward to our inaugural online MBA class.”

Through the new Jenkins Online MBA, students will complete their degrees in two years, with the same academic requirements as apply in the part-time for working professional’s MBA degree option offered by the Jenkins Graduate School of Management at its main and Research Triangle Park (RTP) campuses. The Jenkins Graduate School is part of the North Carolina State University College of Management.

“The addition of the Jenkins online MBA program is in step with today’s dynamic technology focused business environment,” said Dr. Ira R. Weiss, dean of the NC State College of Management. “All Jenkins MBA students – whether in our location-based options or now this new distance option – have the opportunity to work with professors who are thought-leaders in this evolving technological age.”

Fifteen NC State College of Management graduate faculty members will deliver instruction for the distance MBA program, all of whom also teach on the main and RTP campuses. The online degree will consist of 45 credit hours at a cost of $30,000 for instate students and $58,230 for out-of-state students. Applications for the inaugural fall 2011 semester of the online program open on January 3, 2011 with a deadline of May 15, 2011.

The online option makes the AACSB-accredited Jenkins MBA program readily accessible to “road warriors” (those who travel often), professionals who are likely to be transferred to other regions due to their jobs, members of the military, international students, stay-at-home mothers or fathers, and tech-savvy students who prefer an online learning method that utilizes technology as part of the instructional process.

Technology, a core strength of the Jenkins MBA program and NC State University as a whole, will be a primary focus for the online MBA program as well. The Jenkins MBA offers a comprehensive curriculum that focuses on the management of emerging technologies and how to best evaluate, develop and commercialize them. With a remote campus in Research Triangle Park, the Jenkins MBA program has working relationships with the area’s top technology-related companies and organizations, an advantage of proximity that supports an innovative and intellectual environment with a focus on leadership and management in a technology-rich, global marketplace.

The majority of the online MBA instruction will be offered through NC State’s Distance Education & Learning Technology Partners (DELTA), using mostly asynchronous methods, including podcasts linked with PowerPoint, tools such as Camtasia and Elluminate, streaming video files, and online discussion boards.