Please be patient while we create a copy of this decision for you...
| Name | Description |
| Academics | How well does this school perform academically? |
| Academic Offerings | Does this school provide a well-rounded, challenging academic environment that will help you reach your goals? (Consider diversity of course offerings and taking classes outside of your major.) |
| Courses | How difficult are the courses offered at this school? (Consider the breadth and depth of courses offered,) |
| Core Classes | How well rounded is the set of core classes which all students are required to take in order to graduate? |
| Course Difficulty | Are the classes offered challenging with reasonable academic demands? |
| Course Selection Breadth | If you desire to take courses outside of your expected major, how available, extensive and intriguing are the offerings? |
| Courses Per Term | How fitting is the minimum number of credit hours per term to be a full-time student? |
| Reading Requirement | How well does the amount of required reading suit you? (Consider how well prepared you are for such a load.) |
| Select Classes | How flexible is the school when it comes to taking single classes while not actually enrolled as a full-time student? |
| Writing Requirement | How well do writing requirements suit you? (Consider required composition classes, required term papers, required thesis papers, etc.) |
| Auditing | To what extent will this school allow you to audit classes for which you have not paid and for which you receive no credit? |
| Degree Offerings | Does this school offer the degrees you are looking for? |
| Honors Societies | Are honors societies supported and is membership attainable? |
| Student Tutoring | How adequate is the offered tutoring help? Consider the strength of the tutoring program, the availability of tutors, the quality of the tutors and any special needs that you might have, such as help in the area of writing or mathematics. |
| Class Withdrawal | How limiting is the deadline and/or the fee for dropping unneeded or unwanted classes? |
| Academic Competition | How comfortable are you with the level of academic competition between students? |
| Academic Calendar | How convenient is the school’s calendar compared to your desired schedule? |
| Break Length | How well do the holiday breaks fit with your notion of how much time off you will need? |
| Class Times | Is the weekly class structure (i.e. Mon-Wed-Fri or Tues-Thurs) convenient for you? |
| Summer and Winter Courses | What is the overall availability of summer or winter courses? |
| Semester Schedule | How comfortable are you with this school's semester system? (Consider whether this school has standard semesters, quarters, trimesters or some other system and the workload imposed by this type of schedule.) |
| Advanced Study | If you are considering advancing beyond the average student in your field, how prepared is the school to support you? (Consider thesis options, teaching options, etc.) |
| Departmental Thesis | Does your department of study let you write a thesis in your final years? |
| Independent Research | How open is the school to allowing ambitious students to study for credit topics of interest outside offered classes? |
| Publications | How active is the school in publishing student work to academic journals and publications? |
| Student-Teaching | How open is the department to advanced students being given opportunities to teach classes? |
| Co-op Offerings | Does the school let you work in the field and attend the university concurrently and conveniently? |
| Variety | Does the school offer a wide variety of co-op offerings? |
| Technical/Non-Technical | How well suited to your major and desires is the work offered? (Consider also whether the work available is of a technical or non-technical nature.) |
| Long-Term Commitment | Are you prepared for any employer required commitments regarding post-graduation employment? |
| Increasing Pay | How fast does the employer update your pay as you accrue more academic training? |
| School Reputation | How well known is this institution for its pursuit of excellence, especially in the field in which you are interested? |
| Accreditation/Certification | How satisfying are the academic credentials of this school? (Consider whether the school is accredited to offer degrees in your desired field. The U.S. Department of Education website has listings of accrediting agencies and accredited schools.) |
| Alumni | What is the general attitude of the alumni toward their alma mater? |
| Alumni Activity and Support | How active and supportive are alumni in the year-to-year operations of the school? |
| Endowment | Does the school possess any alumni supported endowment funds or programs? |
| Degree Honored | How respected is this school's degrees by other institutions? (Consider transferring to another school.) |
| Graduation Rates | What percentage of students who start actually end up graduating? |
| Outside Perception | How well perceived is the school in the eyes of outsiders, especially those for whom you might wish to work later? |
| School History | How reputable has this institution been throughout its history? |
| School Ranking | In national polls, how well does this school compare to other schools of the same caliber? |
| Long-Term Career and Life Plans | How does this school fit into your long term plans and prepare you for the life that you seek? |
| Family Support | If you choose to attend this school, will your spouse, parents, and other family support you in this decision? |
| Financial Considerations | Can you afford to attend this school? (Consider tuition, housing, parking fees, and other fees.) |
| Scholarships | How well will this school support you financially? (Consider academic, sport, and other scholarships and financial aid that may be available.) |
| General Scholarships | How plenteous and accessible are general academic scholarships that reward academic excellence? |
| Departmental Scholarships | How well will the department for which you are applying be willing to support your academic ambitions? |
| Special Scholarships | How available are special scholarships for minorities, women, and special interest groups? |
| Grants | How well will the federal and state government as well as the school support you through grants? |
| Loans | How suitable are the student loan options available to you? |
| Interest Rate | How palatable is the interest rate attached to the loan? (Consider increasing interest rates and interest accrual while still in school.) |
| Deferment | How flexible are the payment deferrals offered by the lenders? (Consider how soon you will have to start repaying as well as minimum payments.) |
| Total Financial Costs | Is the total financial cost within your means? (Consider Tuition, Books, Computers, Commuting Costs, Living Expenses, Student Fees, Other Misc., etc.) |
| Faculty and Administration | How well does the reputation of the faculty and administration suit you? (Consider outstanding faculty, administration responsiveness and availability, etc.) |
| Faculty | How does the quality of the faculty suit you? (Consider their expertise, background, experience, availability to students, etc.) |
| Faculty Diversity | Evaluate the backgrounds of the teaching faculty. How well do they represent differing opinions from multiple places around the globe? |
| Faculty Expertise | How experienced are the faculty in their teaching field? |
| Faculty Availability | How available are the professors to answer any questions or concerns, as well as to provide mentoring? |
| Outstanding Faculty | How would you rate the faculty and their teaching ability at the school? |
| Student to Teaching Faculty Ratio | Is the student to teacher ratio low enough? |
| Teaching Professors | Are you satisfied with the percentage of teaching faculty who are actually professors and not teaching assistants? |
| Administration | How easy to work with and efficient is the school staff? |
| School President | How involved in the affairs of the school and student population is the school president? |
| Dean of Students | How does the Dean of Students' accessibility and helpfulness suit your needs? |
| Academic Deans | How does the accessibility and helpfulness of the Academic Deans (or department heads) suit your needs? |
| Bursar Office | How convenient is student interaction with the Bursar Office? (Consider the overall experience of students paying bills.) |
| Support Services | How prepared is the school to deal with the needs of current and incoming students? (Consider needs such as career assistance, computer assistance, library resources, etc.) |
| Career Services | How good is job placement aid for graduating students? |
| Information Technology | How adequate are the technologies which are in place to ensure smooth computer operation for all students? |
| Assignment Submission | Are convenient methods for submitting your work readily available? |
| Support for Student Computing | How well does the school support and encourage student computing? (Consider the availability of computer repair, Wi-Fi coverage, student email support, network backups, student software supported or required by the IT department, website space, printing, available anti-virus and other student oriented security software.) |
| Online Information Access | How comprehensive is online access to grades, financial services, and your student account? |
| Library Resources | Evaluate the quantity and quality of library resources. (Consider library hours, size of the collection, any special collections, professionalism of the staff, online access, presence of a copy center, etc.) |
| Distance Learning Technology Considerations | Is this campus sufficiently equipped to handle the demands of an online class? |
| Classroom Considerations | How well does the school perform in the online classroom? (Consider presentation quality, real-time interaction, and how you will take quizzes and tests.) |
| Material Medium | How convenient to use is the required medium to view class material? (Consider reviewing material in books, over the internet, using DVD videos, webcasts, etc.) |
| Online Presentation Quality | Are classroom presentations made with adequate audio and video clarity? |
| Real-Time Interaction | To what extent will you be able to ask live questions and interact with the professor during class time? |
| Test-Taking Method | How does the overall quiz and test-taking method rank in ease of use? |
| Computer System | How well will your personal computer system handle the demands of the online courses’ software? |
| Computer Training Courses | How well will the school train and prepare you in the software they require you to use? |
| Previous Skills | Will the skills you already know be useful at this institution? |
| Software | What is the overall effectiveness of required software? (Consider ease of use, cost, compatibility with your system, functionality, etc.) |
| Learning Curve | How easy to use is the required software? |
| Software Cost | Is the cost of required software to your liking? |
| System Compatibility | Will the institution support the computer system (Operating System, Web Browser, etc) most familiar to you? |
| System Up-Time | How reliable are the online servers for the classes in this school? (Consider when the school servers will be down for regular maintenance and the inconvenience this will cause.) |
| Web Maturity | Does the school have a well-developed system for online interaction? (Consider system stability and user friendliness) |
| Distance Learning vs. Traditional | How well does this school minimize your need to be on campus? (Consider any drawbacks or advantages to on-campus requirements such as practicums.) |
| Access to Peers | To what extent will you be able to interact with the other class members in your courses? |
| Credit Transfer Ease | How easily will class credit from this school transfer to another institution? (Consider transferring classes to another educational institution, for instance if you decide to finish your degree at another institution on-campus.) |
| Online Versus Traditional Degree | How does the marketplace view an online degree through this school versus a traditional degree? |
| Services | Are adequate services offered to online students? (Consider career placement, online catalogues/ libraries, material delivery, etc.) |
| MBA Program Components | How do you rate the overall value of the Masters of Business Administration program at this school? |
| Admission Qualifications | Are your qualifications sufficient for entrance into this school? |
| Recommendation | How does the school's requirement for recommendations from a business contact suit you? |
| GMAT | How does the GMAT test requirement for admission suit you? |
| Non-business Background | How does the school's attitude toward those without prior business experience suit you? |
| Program Considerations | How well does this institution prepare you both in and outside the classroom for a career in business? |
| Tier | Is this a first, second, or third tier program? |
| Life Impact | How does the impact of the program's competitiveness fit your life? |
| Class Style | How does the preferred method for working on class projects fit you? (Consider whether they prefer to group individuals into teams or to have projects that are more independent.) |
| Corporate Opinion | How does the marketplace view the degree offered here? |
| Networking | How well will this program allow you to meet other professionals? |
This site is intended as an informational tool only and should be used in consultation with appropriate professional advisors.
Please be patient while we create a copy of the 'Choose an Online MBA Program' scenario for you...
