Saturday, October 10, 2009
MIDWAY COLLEGE TAKES ELITE TEACHER EDUCATION DEGREES ONLINE
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
CSU Monterey Bay students can earn MBA's online
When Tami Corum leaves work as a chief financial officer, she goes home to her spouse and a 6-year-old son, and studies for her master's in business administration degree online.
"Some days I feel like my brain is full," said Corum, part of the first group in CSU Monterey Bay's online executive MBA program, which began in 2007.
Corum, who grew up in Boulder Creek and lives in Aptos, has been chief financial officer at several small companies and is now at Elyxir Distributing in Watsonville.
Corum said she could have gone to an MBA program in a traditional setting, "but it would damn near kill me."
She considered a program that would have meant some weekends in San Francisco, but settled on CSUMB, a place she had visited once.
"The flexibility is a big asset," said Corum, who averages about two hours a day on her MBA studies.
Corum said she was about to turn 40 when she decided to seek an MBA.
"With me, there's a love of education," said Corum.
She'd also like to teach at some point.
"It's been a long-standing goal of mine to teach at the university level," Corum said, where an MBA is usually required. She said it's something she could do part-time in addition to her regular job.
Scandals in the accounting industry in the last few years have been "heartbreaking," Corum said.
"I hope I can bring back some credibility to the profession. Accountants are not just bean counters. We're leaders."
It's called an executive MBA program because the program is for people with job experience.
"We're looking for individuals with at least seven years of work experience," said Murray Millson, the business faculty member who heads the program. Students entering the program should have at least three years in a leadership position.
The students "are usually 30-plus, up into their 50s," said Millson. Enrollment is about 40 now, and is expected to grow. There are four times a year that students can enroll.
As they enter the program, students become part of a "cohort," sort of electronic classmates, and have online discussions about what they've learned. The cohorts range from five to 13 now, but will get bigger.
The curriculum includes organization and leadership, accounting and finance, micro-macro economics, innovation and technology management, marketing and entrepreneurship, global business and business strategy.
The 24-month program costs $38,800, which Millson said is a lot less than some other programs. MBA students often get money from their employers to defray costs, Millson said. He doesn't know how many online MBA programs are in the country, but said the number is growing.
Bill Ballas, 54, director of communications for Tri-City Health Center in Fremont, joined the CSUMB program in April. He's had a long career in health care, usually in larger companies with a narrower job focus.
What he has gleaned from his studies "have already meant a lot to my job performance," said Ballas.
He said Marylou Shockley, head of CSUMB's business department, emphasizes "think and link" for students to apply what they've learned to their jobs. He spends about 15 hours a week on his studies.
Ballas said he gets "a real nugget" of information about every other week. He enjoys communicating online with the others in his cohort, although he's never met them in person.
"There's a lot of very intelligent people" enrolled, he said.
The EMBA students aren't necessarily looking for another job, but want to increase their skills or move up in the company, Millson said. Ballas and Corum said they're happy where they are.
Ballas, who has taken online classes before, likes the convenience. "You can just cut to the chase when it's online."
Top Online Education Degree Search
Thursday, October 1, 2009
ONLINE GRADUATE DEGREES BOOST JOBSEEKERS SAYS MBA ONLINE LINK
Having an online post graduate degree can really maximize potential in the current employment situation. It is a very effective tool for career advancement that is as flexible as it is economical. It allows working professionals to stay employed while earning a degree and costs less than traditional graduate school.
The popularity of online post graduate degrees is growing and the demand for accredited colleges has led to such prestigious institutions as the University of Phoenix, University of California, Drexel University, ITT Technical Institute and Harvard University to add online programs.
Studies have found graduate training to be closely related to professionals gaining employment in their chosen field. Most of these conclude that the employee with a master's degree usually advances their career or finds employment in the field he or she received their post-baccalaureate degree in.
"Obtaining an online graduate degree is an investment for anyone who wants to earn a higher salary in their chosen field," said Susan Rust co-founder of MBAOnlineLink.com. "It also allows those individuals who are already working full time the opportunity to earn a degree in their free time."
It is so important to have sufficient training and credentials when competing for jobs in such trying economic times. Continuing education with an accredited online college is an easy way to tailor instruction to fit any schedule. It is also available at a better price than traditional graduate schools. In today's job market, having an online master's degree gives an individual the competitive edge they need.
ONLINE MBA CLASS FLEXIBLE
"Some days I feel like my brain is full," said Corum, part of the first group in CSU-Monterey Bay's online executive MBA program, which began in 2007.
Corum, of Aptos, has been chief financial officer at several small companies and is now at Elyxir Distributing in Watsonville.
Corum said she could have gone to an MBA program in a traditional setting, "but it would damn near kill me."
She considered a program that would have meant some weekends in San Francisco, but settled on CSUMB, a place she had visited once.
"The flexibility is a big asset," said Corum, who averages about two hours a day on her MBA studies.
Corum said she was about to turn 40 when she decided to seek an MBA. "With me, there's a love of education," said Corum.
She would also like to teach at some point. "It's been a long-standing goal of mine to teach at the university level," where an MBA is usually required, Corum said. She said it's something she could do part-time in addition to her regular job.
Scandals in the accounting industry in the past few years have been "heartbreaking," Corum said.
"I hope I can bring back some credibility to the profession. Accountants are not just bean counters. We're leaders."
It's called an executive MBA program because the program is for people with job experience.
"We're looking for individuals with at least seven years of work experience," said Murray Millson, the business faculty member who heads the program. Students entering the program should have at least three years in a leadership position.
The students "are usually 30-plus, up into their 50s," said Millson. Enrollment is about 40 now, and is expected to grow. There are four times a year that students can enroll.
As they enter the program, students become part of a "cohort," sort of electronic classmates, and have online discussions about what they've learned. The cohorts range from five to 13, but will get bigger.
The curriculum includes organization and leadership, accounting and finance, micro-macro economics, innovation and technology management, marketing and entrepreneurship, global business and business strategy.
The 24-month program costs $38,800, which Millson said is a lot less than some other programs. MBA students often get money from their employers to defray costs, Millson said.
He doesn't know how many online MBA programs are in the country, but said the number is growing.
Bill Ballas, 54, director of communications for Tri-City Health Center in Fremont, joined the CSUMB program in April. He's had a long career in health care, usually in larger companies with a narrower job focus.
What he has gleaned from his studies "have already meant a lot to my job performance," said Ballas.
He said Marylou Shockley, head of CSUMB's business department, emphasizes "think and link" for students to apply what they've learned to their jobs. He spends about 15 hours a week on his studies.
Ballas said he gets "a real nugget" of information about every other week. He enjoys communicating online with the others in his cohort, although he's never met them in person. "There's a lot of very intelligent people," he said.The EMBA students aren't necessarily looking for another job but want to increase their skills or move up in the company, Millson said. Ballas and Corum said they're happy where they are.Ballas, who has taken online classes before, likes the convenience. "You can just cut to the chase when it's online."