According to the National Center for Education Statistics, business undergraduate and graduate degrees are among the highest awarded degrees in the U.S. One of the newest responses from the College of Management is the Jenkins Graduate School offering an online Master of Business Administration degree. They have done a good job developing a plan for this new online MBA program, from reaching out to a different demographic to remembering it is still a new program that needs to be tested.

Using a small first class size to test the program is a good way to test how effective the program is. A small group of people can provide helpful feedback and are easy to manage. It is an intimate enough group for ideas to be shared, but won’t limit the variety of ideas.

Of the more than 3,000 students in the College of Management, there are 630 graduate students, 20 percent of students are from out-of-state or are international and 79 percent are part-time students. The online model caters to a demographic that is usually not considered on a college campus. Professionals who already have jobs, people who have families to tend to, military and international students have a tough time adapting or participating in the unique experience of college due to the way their lives are. By offering this option, these people will finally have access to a world-class business degree, no matter where they are.

The College of Management recently installed new equipment in Nelson Hall to aid in recording lectures with this new step towards online lectures. By allowing students to take online sections, the teachers are freed up by having to manage another physical class. All of their attention is focused on the online site and modules, which can help them manage tests and papers easier.

Though the online program will be the same MBA program, it will require more technological proficiency. These skills will help give graduates an edge and experience with more technology. This is critical in a constantly changing business world, where business is global and Internet use is growing every year.

The College of Management is off to a good start with their online MBA program. Patience while developing the program assures the college wants to make sure they conduct it effectively. The University will be watching this program develop and work towards providing a quality education, and the College of Management should maintain the program as such.