30 second interview: Penn State iMBA

Dr Ashutosh Deshmukh, program chair of Pennslyvania State University's iMBA program, on the future of online/distance MBA programs

In 5 words, describe your online/distance MBA program. 

•    Integration, multidisciplinary-thinking, teamwork, and networking

How would employers of your online/distance MBA program describe your graduates?

•    Capable of approaching any corporate problem from multi-disciplinary perspective
•    Understand management theories and tools and know how to use them in the real-world
•    Superb F2F and virtual team players

What 3 questions should candidates ask themselves when deciding whether your b-school’s program is right for them? Why these questions?

•    Am I thinking about moving to senior management?
•    Can I function in virtual, team-based environment?
•    Am I ready for a program that requires serious commitment?

What is the most common reason for candidates choosing your b-school’s traditional MBA program over your online/distance program? 

•    We attract entirely different clientele for our program and we have never encountered anyone choosing our school’s resident program over online program. 
If there is one distinctive feature about your b-school’s online/distance MBA program which puts it among some of the best in the world, what is it?
•    Term 3 residency, which is unique in the MBA programs in the world. 

Where do you see the future of online/distance MBA programs?

•    The online programs will become programs of choice for working professionals.  The resident programs will always exist but for manager on successful career tracks, online programs will be a tremendous opportunity. 

Are there new trends in online learning which you’d incorporate into your program in the near future? If so, what are they?

•    Gaming
•    Mobile applications
•    We already use social media, simulations, blogs, video, Adobe Collaborate, and virtual teams. 

What is the next stage in the evolution for your online/distance MBA program?

•    Tighter integration of courses, deeper and closer ties with the corporate world, more emphasis on team-work
•    Enhancing opportunities for networking

What is your position on MOOCs? What effect (if any) do you believe this will have on your b-school’s online/distance MBA program? 

•    We do not believe MOOCs in the current state pose any dangers to our online program.  We focus on small classes, team interaction, corporate residencies, and student engagement.  These issues are not handled by the MOOCs for now.  It seems unlikely that any university will make investment in these areas when the courses are free and not used for credentialing.