Deciding to do a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is a daunting prospect – and rightly so. Considering the demands of this rigorous and time-consuming programme, among the top considerations for any prospective student should be whether an institution is geared towards helping students achieve study success – especially for those who are juggling both studies and a career.
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) remains one of the most popular postgraduate degrees. It is easy to see why, as according to the most recent MBA index published by the Financial Times, MBA graduates find their salaries more than doubled within three years of graduating with the degree. There are many additional advantages too, like increased job opportunities and gaining a valuable network of peers and contacts.
In a world that is becoming increasingly chaotic and unpredictable, the demand for responsible and knowledgeable business and change leaders is bigger than ever before. “We are looking at a world that is still adjusting to post-COVID-19 conditions, with hybrid working situations, complex team dynamics and other variables thrown into the mix,” says Dr Jane Usher, head of department for Milpark Education’s business school, a leading private educational institution based in South Africa.
Milpark offers a fully online MBA programme that is accredited by AMBA (the Association of MBAs) and consists of a multi-disciplinary MBA, with a focus on ethical and sustainable business practices to develop socially responsible business leaders in the context of accelerating technology and change.
The MBA is a transformative experience, says Dr Usher. “Many students don’t realise that the person who emerges from the MBA qualification is quite changed from the person who started the course. There is significant personal growth that takes place.”
The entire study experience is online, allowing students to plan their study time around their work and social commitments. This enables self-regulated learning where the student is the driver of their learning, and they are able to take greater responsibility to engage deeply in the learning experience. “The beauty of the online offering is that it is flexible, modular, and adaptive. The programme is academically rigorous and all assessments are related to the work environment where the student is expected to apply what they have learned to their specific context ” says Dr Usher.
Much of the learning is asynchronous, taking the form of online participation discussions and self-led learning. The synchronous part of the learning consists of online lectures, virtual group sessions and one-on-one sessions with lecturers. Smaller classes mean there is more focus on individual student voices, an advantage over traditional lecture rooms, where up to 300 students may be present. Online counsellors, programme managers, faculty and adjunct faculty are also on hand to help provide academic as well as socio-psychological support and mentoring.
For professional rugby player, Philip van der Walt, doing the MBA through Milpark was the perfect solution when it came to structuring his study time around international rugby tours and exhausting training sessions. He found the various online platforms helpful and motivational. “At one point I had to write an exam while on tour in New Zealand with the Sharks,” he remembers. “So that was a bit hard, but Milpark really supported me at this time.”
Dr Usher says lecturers go out of their way to accommodate all students – whether they are Springbok rugby players or not. “We understand what South African students are going through and we want to help them achieve their potential, which ultimately also assists us in the goal of equipping South Africa with the business leaders it needs.”
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