We will conduct a demonstration of a creative online, self-paced course that covers the business fundamentals necessary for a student entering an MBA program without a business degree. This course is a unique collaboration among faculty, instructional designers, and the textbook publisher.
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree has been a popular choice for continued education across disciplines since its inception in the early 20th century. Today, MBA programs have become even more popular because of a prevalent need for post-Baccalaureate education as a criterion for continued advancement in the workplace. Because MBA programs are not limited to those who hold a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in a business discipline, most require the completion of a set of undergraduate business courses as a prerequisite to MBA program admission. This requirement may take several semesters to complete and may be quite expensive, thus creating a critical barrier to entry for many potential MBA students. Schools and colleges of business have implemented many different solutions, including biterm courses, online courses, and on-site courses. Yet, in most cases, the solutions are still expensive, rigid in structure, and require months (often more than a year) to complete. This session will demonstrate the creative collaboration among business college faculty, the university’s instructional designers, and the textbook publisher to create a unique fully digital, self-paced course to provide instruction in the business fundamentals necessary for a student entering the MBA program without a business degree. This course can be completed in as few as seven weeks or as many as nine months, and the student can select the order in which to complete the eight subject areas within the course.