Online MBA (Masters in Business Administration) is a 2-year postgraduate program that focuses on mastering business administration knowledge and preparing candidates for mid- and top-level managerial positions. In recent times, the popularity of online education has tremendously increased. People prioritize its benefits over regular MBAs. Flexibility, affordability, and online and on-demand exam-like features are most in demand for students as well as working professionals.

But definitely, there are a lot of pros and cons associated with an online MBA that students should consider before enrolling in an online MBA program. In this blog, we’ll discuss seven pros and cons to consider before pursuing an MBA online.

Pros of an Online MBA

Flexibility

Choosing your own study hours for an online MBA makes it really flexible. Students can conveniently select their study hours while keeping other work intact, like upskilling, personal work, or jobs.

Affordability

Online MBAs are a better choice in terms of affordability. It is very cost-effective as compared to regular MBAs, with the same advantages and value recognition as a regular MBA. Definitely, if cost is a big factor for students, they should go for an online MBA program.

Online exam

Online MBA comes with the commitment of every facility at home. That allows students to attend exams online. Students don't have to commute to college for examinations, which saves time and money and gives comfort to students.

On-demand exam

The independence of choosing your own date sheet for examinations allows students to manage work and education seamlessly. That way, students can easily manage their preparation hours and give exams in their preferred slots.

Learning centric

Online education is completely learning-centric without any distractions. Students can focus on lectures and information from the top faculties in the world. If a student is looking for more focused learning without wasting any time on any other activities, then online education should be the first priority.

Global opportunities

For online MBAs, students don't just have to look for universities near their vicinity. Through online education, students can pursue an online MBA at any online university in the world, and sitting at home, they can experience top-notch education from the best faculty in the world.

Work-life balance

For working professionals, an online MBA is considered the best option today. Maintaining not just work-life balance but also education became possible because of the revolution that happened in the online domain of education during the pandemic.

Cons of an Online MBA

No face-to-face connect

Lack of face-to-face experience in programs like MBA, which prepares students for top-level management roles, definitely comes as a setback. This kind of program requires more than just a quality education.

Professional networking

Networking in MBAs is one thing that lasts a lifetime. It is not about just making friends; professional networking helps students find future job opportunities, start-up opportunities, etc. The isolated world of online education doesn't generally give students the chance of professional networking that students can build in regular programs.

Isolated environment

Online education takes students to an isolated place. As every student has experience studying in classrooms with fellow students, every student pushes each other in some way, but because of this isolated online education, quitting becomes very easy. Many students left their online programs in between because of this reason.

Lack of focus

Definitely not generalizing, but most students start focusing on multiple areas during online education, which sometimes makes them unable to focus on one thing particularly and excel.

Technology cost

Online education is definitely affordable in terms of fee range, but other costs come into account. For example, a PC setup, a nice place to study, a good internet connection, a face cam, and multiple technology needs make it difficult to set up and afford.

Lack of acceptance and awareness

As online education is still a new concept, there is a high lack of awareness about it. Students get paranoid about whether they get job opportunities after completing an online MBA or not. Even parents don't want their children to choose online programs as their first choice because of these reasons.

Limited resources

There are limited resources for online education. Students didn't get access to libraries, labs, and multiple infrastructure advantages that students generally get in a regular MBA or any other regular program.

How does College Vidya help limit the cons associated with an online MBA?

College Vidya is India’s leading online education advisory platform that helps students by giving an unbiased comparison of online universities. They recommend universities to students based on their personalization, and then students can use the add-to-compare feature to compare the recommended universities on various aspects such as fees, placement support, student reviews, etc.

One of the major disadvantages of an online MBA is the lack of professional networking, but College Vidya’s CV community feature is successfully able to help students build professional networking in online mode too. After enrolling in any online program, students get access to the CV community, where they can easily connect with batchmates and alumni.

College Vidya, in their post-admission services, also assigns a mentor to every student after enrollment is done. There will be monthly follow-ups by mentors, and any kind of help will be delivered to students. A mentor plays the role of a friend and helps students come out of an isolated online world.

Conclusion

In this blog, we talked about the pros and cons of an online MBA that students should consider before applying for an online MBA program. It is very important to consider every aspect of education before choosing any program.