NU online master's programs show increasing popularity

By Jared Hanna
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Charles Egner wanted something that could offer him a substantial education without leaving the comfort of his home.

The closest university to him that offered a Master's in Business Administration program was 60 miles from his home, meaning he would have to travel up to three hours each day to get to class.

"I did not relish the idea of commuting three hours a day, especially in the winter, to attend class," Egner said.

A distance, online program was ideal for him, and Norwich was the answer.

Most students like Egner find that "distance education" is very compatible with a busy schedule.

"I was attracted to the online format through Norwich," Egner said.

Norwich University currently offers four online graduate programs to students all over the world, according to Fred Snow, dean of distance education and new business initiatives.

"We have students from five different continents," Snow explained.

Started in 1995, the first NU online graduate program was the Master of Arts in Diplomacy program.

"It really wasn't populated until the MBA came on in 2000," said Snow.

Since 2000 there has been a significant increase in enrollment into the four graduate programs.

"We're coming up to 15,000 inquiries per year, now, which should generate easily 800 to 1,000 students in the program," Snow said. "We have a tremendous retention rate; we maintain 90 percent of our students."

The programs include Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Diplomacy, Master of Justice Administration, and Master of Science in Information Assurance.

The Norwich MBA Online Program is streamlined and structured to allow busy working adults to complete a master's degree in less than two years. The coursework is composed of six six-credit seminars that last about 11 weeks.

"We wanted to put together a program that was very convenient for people. Convenience means not having to go to class at night or on the weekends," Snow said.

The online programs are accessible to the students at any time, any place, no matter what their schedules may be like.

There are "asynchronous" conversations going on all the time, making it easy for the student to make contact with other students and instructors at any time, he said.

"A student can log on at three in the afternoon, post a discussion, and then go back at seven at night and see more discussions posted," Snow explained.

The Norwich online programs are offered round-the-clock, 24 hours per day, and seven days per week. Technical help and any academic problems or questions are answered within 24 hours. It takes about 48 hours to receive graded assignments.

"It's a very, very responsive system, and we are proud of that; people don't get caught in virtual nothingness," said Snow.

The four online programs have 30 instructors. The average class size is 12 students.

"We are trying to be true to the Norwich tradition of a lot of attention and smaller class size," Snow said.

"I have found the Norwich University MBA program to be intellectually challenging, professionally cogent, and exceedingly rewarding. The faculty is top-drawer, having both an impressive academic background as well as real-world experiences in each of their fields," said Egner. "I have also been thoroughly impressed with the quality of my fellow students and their commitment to this unique educational experience."

The 18-month program is capped off with a one-week residency on the university's campus. This is a time for the students to actually see one another, meet with faculty, and see the campus itself.

"We want them to experience Norwich and get a feel for the campus and all the people they have been studying with," Snow said.

Students in the MBA online program study The Rock of Ages Corporation. When they come to Norwich, the students go to Rock of Ages in Barre, Vt., and sit with the executives.

"That knits it all together," said Snow. "They are able to see what they are studying, unlike a case study or being stuck in a book."

Candidates must have a BA or BS from an accredited institution. For engineers and other technical professionals, undergraduate GPA must have been at least a 2.40. For non-technical majors, the GPA must have been at least 2.70. Candidates with GPAs below the levels will be required to take the GMAT, and each will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

"Frankly, when I decided to pursue a graduate level degree, I shopped around to all the universities offering online programs. I vigorously compared each program and discovered that Norwich, in my opinion, had the best program, with the fewest barriers to entry, the shortest program length and the best price," said Egner.

Candidates with a bachelor's degree in fields other than business will need to take the online prerequisite seminar before beginning the MBA seminars. Candidates must have at least two years of work experience before their first seminar.

"The maturity and discipline that comes along with work experience is vital to success in an online program," Snow said.

The 2002-03 comprehensive fee per semester for the MBA program is $6,090, which comes out to be $472.50 per credit hour. There is a $150 textbook fee per seminar and $105 technology fee per seminar.

"I firmly believe that Dean Snow put together one of the best MBA programs for the right price in the market today," Egner said.

Norwich University offers its students an "abiding" 184-year-old reputation full of values and traditions, Snow said."Norwich is 184 years of academic heritage; people like to become part of that; they like to become part of something substantial and permanent."

Like NU and its close-knit community, the online programs bring students together from all over the world. Many of the students who are in the online graduate programs make life-long friendships and business acquaintances with other students involved in the program.

This year marks the first commencement for the MBA online graduate program. There are 70 students graduating from the online master's program.

"One of the reasons why we are growing so fast is that in a world of dotcom facelessness and Internet grayness, our program stands out," said Snow.

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