Return on Investment with European University’s Online MBA

By Martin Schuler, professor of decision-making analysis and atatistics at European University’s Barcelona Campus

As the business world changes, so does the online MBA

In today’s volatile market environment, the continuing competitiveness of an enterprise depends critically on its employees. New emerging technologies, rapid market changes, the rise of e-commerce, ever-growing globalization and the pervasive working-at-over-capacity situation in many industries make competitive advantages of existing businesses often only temporary.

In order to develop an adequate understanding of the dynamic competitive realities an enterprise faces today, and to formulate and implement new innovative and frame-breaking strategies, management depends on the diverse and knowledgeable input from its organization members more than ever. Knowledge constitutes the quintessential competitive advantage of any enterprise, which in turn is acquired through learning, networking and the timely formation of its individual members.

To face today’s businesses challenges, European University offers a tailor-made online MBA with a hands-on approach to learning and mastering the full range of business relevant topics, ranging from the basics of economy and finance, strategic management and internet technology, through to marketing and sales. The online MBA offers a near-immediate return on investment as students are able to continue working while taking classes.

While being totally independent of geographic location, the course is far from being the isolated, distance learning method of the past. On the contrary, knowledge is delivered through interactive online classroom sessions, video conferences and platform discussions wherein peers and teaching personal are welded together in bringing out the optimum result of each course and seminar lesson.

Beyond this new learning experience, European University’s online MBA program offers the opportunity for networking when candidates to meet all members of their class through seminars, workshops, industrial visits, and as part of their on-campus weeks that are organized periodically in Munich, Geneva and Barcelona.

Right from the very beginning, communication skills are at a premium in accomplishing the diverse challenges the course demands from its individual participants. Personality development, such as leadership skills and the capacity to work effectively in multinational teams of people from diverse industry background, are inherent components of the program.

The online MBA still provides important networking opportunities

The decision to run through the demanding and somewhat costly endeavor of an MBA program is often made on the basis of estimating the return on investment that the degree and associated training promises to students and companies that may provide sponsorship to candidates. Clearly, an advanced business degree represents a significant investment, not only in terms of the tuition fees to be covered but more importantly perhaps due to the costs incurred through downtime or short-time work of a candidate.

Conveniently, European University’s online MBA program offers participants the opportunity to work and study at the same time, thereby reducing such “opportunity costs” to a minimum and expediting the return on investment by allowing students to immediately apply lessons from their coursework to their current jobs. Classes are often held in the evenings or at weekends to get as many participants together in virtual classrooms and allow for valuable collaboration and networking.

Video recording enables European University students to make up and to recap each teaching lesson. Teaching is carried out in the most flexible and efficient way both for MBA students and for the company they might be committed to while studying. As candidates are familiarized with procedures and practices of a diverse range of business disciplines, they gain a broader view of their business organizations, and an improvement in interdisciplinary competence is the logical consequence.

Certainly, the intellectual capacity, business skills and leadership qualities developed during the program cannot be measured mathematically and perceived as static or absolute values. However, intangible gains that come from completing European University’s timely and diverse education in the long-term will unequivocally outweigh the time and effort, as well as the monetary burden, of the online MBA program.

Personal growth and the networking opportunities weaved into the course may be as important for a company as a career-setting degree, and will most likely provide the confidence for a strong performer to commit long-term to a company.

This article is sponsored by the European University Business School.