Earning a Distance Learning MBA

A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at AIU will not necessarily lead to the featured careers. This collection of articles is intended to help inform and guide you through the process of determining which level of degree and types of certifications align with your desired career path.

What Is a Distance Learning MBA?

If you’re interested in pursuing an MBA degree but are wondering whether you have the time given your work and personal obligations, you may want to consider a distance learning MBA, otherwise known as a distance education MBA. Distance education programs have become rather popular: in Fall 2016 and Fall 2017, the most recent years for which data is available, the percentage of postbaccalaureate students who were taking any distance learning courses was 38 percent, and of that group, those taking distance learning courses exclusively was 28.9 percent.¹

A distance learning MBA may appeal to those who want to pursue a degree in business without leaving their current position, since doing so could mean forfeiting valuable work experience and income. Even those interested in EMBA (or Executive MBA) programs, which are built for current executives and designed to provide flexibility around busy work schedules, , might find that an executive MBA distance learning program offers flexibility above and beyond even what on-campus executive MBA programs may provide. An online MBA could also make sense for those who live in remote areas without easy access to on-campus facilities, or who have family or other personal obligations that make traditional, full-time MBA programs seem out of reach. Additionally, distance learning MBAs may be a consideration for students who wish to earn a Master of Business Administration but are concerned about attending classes in traditional learning environments.

Flexibility and Distance Learning MBAs

If you’ve spent some time learning about MBA distance programs, you probably know that certain programs include real-time components that could conflict with your busy schedule. Unlike some distance learning MBA programs that may require face-to-face time in a classroom as part of the school’s online MBA curriculum, AIU’s online MBA programs are available fully online—there are no on-campus requirements or lectures to attend at predetermined times. This particular aspect of AIU’s MBA distance education curriculum offers students flexibility in tailoring their course schedules to their personal schedules.

And just because you’re earning your degree online doesn’t mean you’re alone. Teaching and learning in AIU’s career-focused, online MBA distance education program is enhanced by 24/7 technical support availability and faculty who have real-world, professional experience in their fields.

Further, AIU’s online MBA programs are designed to be completed in one year or less. And AIU’s intellipath^® online learning tool allows you to further customize your courses by more efficiently directing your time and energy to the topics that you personally need to focus on most. Combine that with the potential for certain candidates to receive course credit for qualifying work experience or even possibly transferring up to 12 credits toward AIU’s online MBA programs,* and you might find that AIU offers something for your unique situation.

Online MBA Program Concentrations

What is the best distance learning MBA degree for you? Whether your interests lie in accounting, finance, healthcare, or a different business subject altogether, there are a number of MBA degree specialization options that could align with your interests and goals. And whether your goal is to earn a Master of Business Administration to help you as you pursue a change in career or remain in your current industry and work to become a business leader or executive, MBA distance learning offers several specialization options that could align with your interests. In fact, AIU offers online MBA specializations in the following business areas:

• Accounting
• Finance
• Healthcare Management
• Human Resource Management
• Management
• Marketing
• Operations Management
• Project Management
• Technology Management

1. Institute of Education Services, National Center for Education Statistics, “Table 311.15. Number and percentage of students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by distance education participation, location of student, level of enrollment, and control and level of institution: Fall 2016 and fall 2017,” available at https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d18/tables/dt18_311.15.asp?current=yes.
2. The Princeton Review, “MBA vs EMBA: What’s the Difference?,” available at https://www.princetonreview.com/business-school-advice/mba-vs-emba.
3. Michael Simonson Gary A. Berg, “Distance Learning,” available at https://www.britannica.com/topic/distance-learning.

* Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. Not all credits are eligible to transfer. See the University Catalog for transfer credit policies.
AIU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states.
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