MBA at your fingertips

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Companies are encouraging employees to take online MBA degree.

Srinivas Lakshmi Kumar "� a 32-year-old IT Project Manager with Logica CMG, Bangalore "� enrolled for a Masters degree in Computer Application in 1998. Nine years down the line, Kumar has still not been able to complete the program. His globetrotting job does not allow him to sit through the classroom sessions and write exams. However, in a span of two years (2003-2005), he has been able to add an MBA degree to his resume "� all thanks to an online MBA program.

Now meet Subramaniam Krishnan, manager Datamatics. Krishnan got into work at a very young age and could not afford to study further. But the online graduate school got him the much coveted MBA degree. "My work experience so far has helped me with practical knowledge. What I wanted to build up was my theoretical knowledge.

The online MBA program allows me to set my own deadlines. With the erratic timings of a sales and marketing job, I cannot afford to join a regular B-school. Besides, the credentials of the program are high," says Krishnan.

These are but cases in point. The fact is there is an oasis of management education options for experienced employees who cannot afford to take a sabbatical from their work. But which online MBA program should one join is the million dollar question.

One such option is the Universitas 21Global (U21 Global) which set shop in India in August 2004. It's a joint venture between Universitas 21 "� a network of 18 universities "� and Thomson learning. So far U21 global has 1300 students across the globe.

U21 Global officials say 40 per cent of corporates from India form its student strength. Corporates from Singapore form 30 per cent, South Asia (Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia) comprises five per cent and Middle East 25 per cent.

In 21 months of its existence, the program has notched up more than 500 students in India "� the names include the Aditya Birla group (65), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (43), Wipro Technologies (117), Satyam Info (over 100), and Tata Consultancy Services (40).

The students of Universitas21 global are generally in their mid 30s with an average age of nine years of experience. U21Global uses the Internet as the education medium. The students have full access to a dedicated online library service and

personal assistance to access reference materials and electronic documents. Dilip Mohapatra, Global Head, Learning & Development, TCS, says: "The U21 Global offering draws global expertise from 18 renowned universities across the world and is characterised by, consistency in quality, delivery, assessments and on-line feedbacks. The content is well supported by streaming audio, video, on-line chats, discussion forums, web conferencing among students and also e-enabled student-facultyinteraction."

Education experts argue that while this may not have the immediacy and spontaniety of a physical classroom, one enjoys a more thoughtful deliberate and complete expression of a classmate's ideas and greater interaction in an online setting. Besides, it facilitates great networking.

Helen Lange, director MBA program of U21 Global, says: "As one moves up in an organisation he needs a broader understanding of the manner in which things work. And a management degree provides with the right insight. The need of the hour is right education which can provide you a better understanding of analytic management."

So is e-Learning the future of education? Yes, says Bhaskar Ranjan Das, director, recruitment west India, U21 Global. "e-Learning is clearly the future. What internet banking did to the banking industry, eLearning will do for education," he adds.