An MBA has always been a weighty qualification that is valued highly for high-level positions. However, in recent years, a lot of colleges, including well-respected schools like Washington State University, have made it possible for people to study for and take their masters in business administration online. In the early days of online qualifications, employers tended to mistrust them, as there was a lot of differences between schools and some degrees could simply be bought.
This is not the case now, however, and employers are beginning to recognize online degrees as being just as worthy as their traditional counterparts.
Here are three reasons why we in HR should take people who have an online MBA just as seriously as those who studied for their MBA at a conventional university on campus.
Online Degrees Show Self-Motivation
While completing a master�s level degree program in any way is a feat, doing it on your own time shows a lot of self-motivation and time management skills. Without deadlines and with lectures and assignments you can complete when you want to, fitting them around your other commitments, online MBA graduates have proven that they can knuckle down and avoid procrastination and that they really wanted their qualification enough to sacrifice their free time. These are qualities that can make someone very appealing as a potential hire.
Online Degree Holders Are Tech Savvy
Being good with IT is something that is expected in almost every profession now, but someone who has achieved a degree of the kind of stature of an MBA using the internet is going to have very strong skills in this area. Watching lectures in real time online, communicating with tutors and other students over the web, and using cloud technology will all be things this candidate is completely familiar with. Without even realizing it, an online master�s holder will have learned to use a lot of technology and will also very much appreciate its value. This makes for a technologically savvy potential employee who will be likely to look for ways of using tech innovation to further a business.
Online MBA Programs Make an MBA More Accessible to Diverse People
It has been proven in many studies that having different types of people in a company makes it more effective, and the availability of online MBA courses means that people who may not have been able to attend a university to do an MBA, such as those with family commitments or physical disabilities, or those who simply can’t afford it, can fulfil their potential. You can find people with a lot of talent and interesting experience to bring to the table among those who could only do an MBA online.
The business world is beginning to take online degrees seriously, and there are good reasons why. In HR and recruitment, we need to recognize the value of these qualifications and how they can even represent some extra skills not proven by a conventional degree!