“At the end of the day, I think the more online educators there are, I think the better off the whole world is.” — Anant Agarwal.
In April 2022, I moved from Hong Kong to London to assume a new role as Director, Online Programs. Previously, I managed GMAC's market development for East Asia and the Pacific, which covered 10 key markets within the region. In my new role, I am working with online GME programs as well as industry organizations to gain a better understanding of the online s
egment and how GMAC can better support business schools and candidates. Having now spent almost one year in my new role, I feel it is timely to share some snapshots of learnings from the online GME segment.
- Online Asynchronous
- Online Synchronous
- Hybrid
- Face-to-face: can also sometimes be “web-enhanced”
- Multi-Modal
How to define online
The term “online” tends to be quite murky and comes with an array of definitions and interpretations. There are numerous teaching and learning modalities in relation to online learning. The 2022 CHLOE 7 Report: Tracking Online Learning from Mainstream Acceptance to Universal Adoption breaks them down to 5 main approaches:
Whilst the above provides direction in labeling the approach, the final term chosen often depends upon the individual business school. Additional categories, such as cohort-based and non-cohort based, further the complexity of the segment. Conversations with online program administrators, along with other research, has identified several other insights in the market. Below are some brief points reflecting these insights:
Growth in MBA and Specialized Masters
Whilst online programs were growing pre-COVID, the market received a steroid boost during COVID when many programs were forced to move online.
AACSB data shows that online programs witnessed close to a 160% increase in enrollments during the 2020-21 academic year. In addition, whilst the number of fully online MBA programs at AACSB member schools more than doubled between 2016-17 and 2020-21, specialized business masters programs tripled during the same period.
Diversity of Experiences
One of the reported attractions of online programs is the diversity of backgrounds they recruit from as opposed to a traditional fulltime program. As one school explained it, if a candidate applying to their fulltime program wanted to work in the car industry, they would question their reasoning as there is no car industry in that city/region. However, this would not be a concern for an online candidates.
Employer Acceptance
The traditional belief is that recruiters do not value online degrees the way they do in-person fulltime degrees. However, this appears to be changing, but with exceptions. GMAC’s Corporate Recruiters Survey displayed a significant change in employers’ attitudes to online MBAs, except in the US. Overall, employer acceptance jumped from 34% (2021) to 60% (2022), with Western Europe witnessing an 8% jump. Interestingly, the US saw a 4% decrease from 33%.
How Students Perceive Online GME
Schools report that one of the most common questions from candidate is regarding whether or not the diploma/testamur mentions that the program is online. However, schools also report that this question is becoming less common, indicating greater acceptance of online and/or a better understanding of online programs. According to the GMAC Prospective Student Surveys (2020 – 2022), prospective candidates’ perception of the value of online programs has been increasing. In particular, there has been a significant improvement in this perception by the candidate age bracket of 31+ years of age.
Location, Location, Location
is easy to assume that online programs attract international candidates due to technology’s ability to connect. However, many schools report that the vast majority of their candidates come from their local region, with many living within a 45-minute drive of campus. By choosing to enroll in a nearby program candidates get the best of both worlds. They have the flexibility of an online program with the access to campus and its resources. Additionally, schools are allowing increasingly more flexibility where candidates can choose to attend certain classes in-person, thereby potentially benefiting from increased networking opportunities. On the other hand, some schools have been very successful recruiting internationally with dozens of nationalities enrolling in their programs. These programs have also been designed with Teamwork in mind, so that candidates have the opportunity to build solid relationships.
Online Education and China
Although online programs were never accepted in China, the Ministry of Education's Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange made an exception during COVID. The China Daily has reported that, starting from the Spring semester, China will stop accrediting foreign diplomas and degrees obtained online. This is following an exception that was made in 2020 to accept online qualifications. As such, candidates will be forced to return to on-campus classes, unless their circumstances make it impossible to do so.
The Future of Online
In addressing the future of online GME, I decided to consult the much talked about Chat GPT, which responded, “The future of online graduate management education is likely to continue to grow and evolve. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online learning across all sectors, including graduate management education, and many institutions have shifted their programs online in response to the pandemic.”
“Online graduate management education offers several benefits, including flexibility, accessibility, and affordability, which are likely to continue to drive its growth in the future. With online programs, students can access high-quality education from anywhere in the world, and they can learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. This can be particularly appealing to working professionals who need to balance their education with other responsibilities.”
It then went on to add, “However, there are also some challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the continued growth and success of online graduate management education. These include issues around the quality and accreditation of online programs, the need to ensure student engagement and interaction, and the importance of providing students with the same level of support and resources as they would receive in a traditional classroom setting.”