Time for an MBA? Programs for the working professional are more convenient than ever.

• Author: Tricker, Jennifer
• Position: Education

Going after a master of business administration while a working professional used to be unusual, but not anymore. Juggling work, family and graduate-level education no longer means having to make serious sacrifices.

There are weekend programs, fully online solutions and a mix of hybrid offerings to fit anyone's schedule. In some instances, universities come right to your employer's doorstep for on-site learning. A highly motivated student may feel most comfortable in a totally virtual classroom where coursework, readings and tests are all conducted on a personal laptop. Those seeking the solace of classmates have several cohort programs to choose from as well.

Of course, an MBA may be achieved as a general degree, but increasingly the degree can be pursued with specialty concentrations, such as entrepreneurship, finance, production/operations management, management information systems (MIS), leadership or international business. Most programs can be completed in two to tour years.

Ball State University in Muncie has been in the forefront of developing off campus distance learning, with courses delivered via technology to sites across the state, including Ivy Tech classrooms, high schools, and commercial and industrial workplaces. According to Inga Hill, assistant to the dean of graduate business programs at Ball State University's Miller College of Business, about 60 percent of MBA students are off site and don't regularly attend classes on campus in Muncie. Although not in the classroom physically, thanks to live video stream, students can attend via the Internet and are actually called on by the professor to answer questions and participate using cell phones and email.

The Weekend Executive Program, an offering of the MBA program at Purdue University's Krannert School of Management in West Lafayette, meets every Saturday throughout the entire academic year, but takes the summers off, explains Bill Lewellen, director of executive education programs. At two classes per semester, Lewellen says this 48-credit-hour program can be completed in three years.

The executive master's in business (EMB) has a much farther reach. The EMB begins in July and follows the same 48-credit hour curriculum, but is packaged quite differently It is held in two-week blocks of time that meet during six residencies over a 22-month period. During each of the six residencies, students must travel to and stay on campus, attending all day classes six days per week.

...