Online or in-person: How do I decide which study format is right for me?

Our research shows an overwhelming 99% of corporate employers value the strong grounding that business school provides, something they highlight as preparing new hires for success.

However, when it comes to choosing what to study at business school, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the sheer number of options. Making sense of different programs and their delivery formats is key.

MBA programs draw in more experienced professionals seeking to move into more senior positions or pivot into new areas. Those earlier in their careers or aiming to specialize in particular fields tend to opt for specialized master’s degrees.

Beyond program type, there is more to consider: business schools offer programs delivered via different formats and over varying lengths of time, with options designed to be flexible for alternate situations.

So, the vital question for anyone who has set their sights on a business school degree is: How do I decide which study format is right for me?

What are the first steps when choosing your degree?

When setting out on your journey toward securing a place in a business school cohort, begin by evaluating your exact requirements for a program. Base this on your motivations for studying and your current situation, both professional and personal.

If targeting a business master’s degree, consider what you wish to gain from your experience. Acquiring new knowledge and expanding your career potential will naturally be part of your motivations, but what else do you need to consider? Is building your network a priority? Are you able to travel or relocate?

For those desiring an MBA education, the key questions are slightly different. For example, if you’ve decided to study to move into more senior roles in your current organization or industry, consider whether you would prefer to be able to study alongside your work. Alternatively, you may feel a highly immersive experience would be more valuable and opt to take time out of your career to study.

Likewise, if you’re looking for the opportunity to pivot into a new career path, ask yourself what program might suit you best: would one year provide adequate time to gain the knowledge and skills you need, or would you prefer a longer program to gain more experience?

The choice depends entirely on you. Alongside your motivations and professional goals, you should take into account your financial situation, family responsibilities, and other commitments.

What are my options for studying an MBA program?

While the curriculum content largely remains the same, MBA programs can broadly be characterized by their delivery formats, including full-time, part-time, and online degrees.

Full-time MBAs

Full-time degrees are the most popular form of MBA program, with 35% of all prospective business school students in 2025 listing full-time as their preferred degree type.

Delivered in-person, studying a full-time degree is an immersive experience. Any given day could involve a mixture of classes covering various subjects, group-based projects, guest lectures, careers workshops, and networking sessions. Students study alongside one another within the classroom and have extensive opportunities to learn from each other, work in teams, and strengthen bonds.

Historically taught over a two-year period, more recently, full-time MBA options have become more varied, with many schools now offering one-year programs as well as some accelerated degrees delivered over even shorter periods.

Generally speaking, two-year full-time MBAs are common among business schools in the US, while shorter programs are widely available in Europe. Longer programs often incorporate internships and other practical experiences within the learning path, while shorter programs focus more heavily on delivering the course content, with other experiences sometimes available as optional additions.

Full-time MBAs are well-suited to students who value the additional elements of the program beyond the curricular content, wanting opportunities to collaborate with others, apply their learning, and benefit from a highly diverse experience.

Part-time MBAs

Part-time MBAs are designed for professionals aiming to gain their degree while continuing their career, with flexible formats allowing students to work and study at the same time.

Program lengths can vary. Business schools typically offer programs that can be completed over a two or three-year period, accelerated options can be completed more quickly, while highly flexible options allow for self-paced study and may take five years or more to complete.

Delivery of part-time MBAs can vary, with schools offering MBAs taught during evenings, at weekends, within scheduled intensive learning blocks, or via a combined approach. Programs taught entirely online (Online MBAs) or involving very little physical learning (Hybrid MBAs) also fall under the category of part-time programs—broadly these can be referred to as Professional MBA degrees.

Part-time programs are ideal if your priority is building knowledge and gaining the business acumen an MBA provides—alongside the qualification—without having to forego your career and earning a salary. Though, by their nature, programs are less immersive than full-time degrees and offer fewer opportunities to collaborate and build connections with other students.

Online/Hybrid/Distance-learning MBAs

Online or Distance Learning MBAs are part-time MBAs delivered virtually, involving either asynchronous (self-paced) or synchronous (live) sessions, or a blended learning format. They are the most flexible way of earning your degree, designed to fit with different professional and personal situations, and students can typically find various program options to fit their needs.

Some online programs incorporate in-person experiences such as residential weeks or in-person inductions. These ‘Hybrid’ MBA programs are beneficial for those who prioritize flexibility but wish to experience the enhanced networking opportunities that in-person learning can provide.

Like Part-time MBAs, online and hybrid programs are a good fit for students who prioritize flexibility while developing their knowledge and gaining the qualification and are comfortable foregoing some of the additional elements of the MBA experience associated with in-person study.

What are my options for studying a business master’s?

The first key decision to make when enrolling in a master’s degree at business school is choosing which subject to pursue. Your options range from the generalist Master’s in Management to highly specialized programs in areas such as accounting, financial economics, marketing, and business analytics.

Once you have established your program preference, you may also find you have various options in terms of study formats.

Here, variation is less common than with MBAs, as master’s degrees are generally oriented toward younger applicants who are earlier in their careers—typically with fewer than two years of experience—however some business schools take a flexible approach.

Full-time master’s degrees

Full-time is by far the most common study format for master’s degrees.

As these programs largely attract recent undergraduates and early-career professionals, the full-time format lends itself to students who are seeking the opportunity to rapidly acquire knowledge. As a highly immersive way to study, students also have ample opportunity to continue their development through extracurricular, experiential, and networking opportunities.

Oriented as a launchpad for students’ careers, full-time programs combine intensity and rigor. They are usually delivered over a period of 12 months or similar. The study experience is also interwoven with employers’ recruitment cycles, allowing for opportunities to get hired for internship placements and full-time positions during their studies.

Part-time master’s degrees

For the same reasons that full-time master’s degrees are popular, part-time master’s degrees are less widely available at business schools.

While full-time programs are designed for early career professionals, these programs generally target working professionals at a later career stage who are seeking to specialize. Schools providing such post-experience master’s degrees tend to position them as a specialist offering for those in specific career circumstances.

For example, the UK’s London School of Economics offers MSc degrees for mid-career professionals seeking to gain technical knowledge in human resource and organization management, and information systems and digital innovation.

These degrees are often delivered over a period of two years or more. As with part-time MBAs, this can be via evenings, weekends, online study, or a mixture of formats.

Online master’s degrees

Online master’s programs are similarly less common than full-time degrees—though they are more popular within certain specialist fields such as finance, business analytics, and accounting. Generalist programs like the Master in Management are less frequently available online, given the prevalence of Online MBA programs.

Business schools offer online master’s degrees predominantly to working professionals who are looking to upskill in one of these areas, or to earlier career professionals who are unable to relocate or travel for their studies.

Like Online MBAs, these programs emphasize flexibility. Classes are typically delivered virtually during either asynchronous or synchronous sessions, or a mixture of both.