Weighing up the pros and cons of studying your Master of Business Administration (MBA) online vs in person? There are important factors to consider, including flexibility, cost and the quality of the program.
While many MBA programs are transitioning to fully online delivery, we believe there are 4 distinct benefits of studying an in-person MBA to maximise your career and student experience.
What are the benefits of studying an in-person MBA?
1. More networking opportunities for lasting connections
One of the main reasons professionals enrol in an MBA is to develop their network. Studying your MBA face to face presents a myriad of opportunities to do this. Attending in-person MBA classes allows you to get to know your peers on a deeper level than in online MBAs. This occurs from:
- having valuable in-class discussions
- hallway chats before and after class
- the time you spend together working on group projects
- debriefing at social events after a busy week.
What puts the UQ MBA in a league of its own is the people. Affectionately known as ‘the cohort effect’, the shared experiences you’ll enjoy with a close-knit group of peers can lead to friendships that will last a lifetime. Beyond the diverse, highly qualified professionals you’ll study alongside, you’ll also have opportunities to make connections with:
- our leading academics and industry experts
- our global alumni network.
It was important to me to travel from the Sunshine Coast to attend MBA classes in Brisbane because you can get so much value from connecting with your peers and your lecturers in person. There are things you can learn from others when you’re in the same room that you’d miss out on if you only study online, such as invaluable conversation before, after and between classes.
The connections you build during your MBA can lead to exciting career opportunities and relationships that will support you throughout your career. Many UQ MBA students start innovative projects and businesses together. Others are in positions to recommend each other for jobs or projects.
“I’ve made lifelong connections with my cohort and gained a support network that spans across industries. It’s a fantastic feeling to know I have many people I can count on for trusted and expert advice.”
– Kevin Balshaw
2. Better quality of classroom discussion
Many people study an MBA to challenge their thinking and test new ideas through rigorous debate. Studying your MBA in person allows for rich and in-depth conversations that lead to real insights and innovation.
UQ MBA alum and lawyer Ben Ricketts explains:
“The first thing that struck me when I started my MBA – I was in a room that wasn't full of lawyers. There were people from all career backgrounds, and they all had one thing in common: they were all motivated go-getters. It reminded me of all the reasons I studied law in the first place: to change things for the better.”
3. Hone in-demand graduate business leadership skills
The 2022 QS Global Employer Survey revealed employers thought the most important skills for MBA graduates to possess were teamwork, problem-solving, flexibility, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Each of these skills are strengthened by dynamic classroom interactions and practical exercises in the UQ MBA. Studying in person allows you to openly collaborate with your cohort, diversify your problem-solving thinking, and communicate your ideas with confidence in front of industry professionals. By working on group projects and engaging in class discussions, you’ll learn to read the room and detect subtle nuances of behaviour or emotion.
These skills will be invaluable when you’re pitching ideas to clients, interviewing potential candidates or managing teams.
The UQ MBA taught me how to collaborate effectively with different people to get things done. I can now debate with our CFO in his own language, which he very much appreciates.
4. Employers value in-person programs for skills development
Two thirds of employers believe in-person programs impact stronger technical skills than predominantly online or online-only programs, according to the GMAC Prospective Students Survey (2023). This perception is strong in most of the world except for the United States, where only 44% of employers surveyed see in-person programs as best for skills development.
Why study your MBA at UQ?
At UQ Business School, we're proud to offer a quality MBA experience shaped by lifelong personal and professional relationships. By developing these connections, your enhanced local and global networks will help you discover exciting career opportunities.
The cohort effect
Our in-person program connects students with people from all backgrounds with a shared passion for creating positive change in their communities.
Our students come from a range of industries, with an average of 12 years of work experience and around 6.5 years in management. The diversity and quality of our cohort leads to engaging classroom debates that challenge our students to think and see the world differently.
The insight provided by my peers was often just as valuable as the content delivered by the academic staff and was a major source of my personal and professional learning.
Wider networking opportunities
The UQ MBA connects students with a diverse alumni community and relevant contacts through industry projects, global student experiences and exclusive events to position you for career success.
There are 3 things you can get out of doing an MBA: the content, the way the content is taught, and the relationships with the people you take the course with. I thought that last thing, the people you study with, would be an important part of the MBA and looking back, they’ve been an incredible part of my career journey so far. I don’t think I’d be where I’m at without that network of those people.
Central location
The UQ MBA’s location in the heart of the Brisbane CBD makes it convenient to interact with other professionals. You can learn from your peers and network in class, at an event or over a coffee at one of the nearby cafés.
“For me, a non-negotiable when looking for an MBA program was the face-to-face component. I knew it would be easier to juggle an online MBA with my other commitments, but I wasn’t doing the MBA to get a piece of paper. I wanted it for the interaction and network I’d develop during the process. I can’t recommend a face-to-face MBA enough.”
– Helen Barker
Are there any downsides of an in-person MBA?
One of the most common reasons people don’t like in-person study is that it doesn’t offer the same flexibility as many online programs.
With multiple ways to structure your studies around other commitments and priorities, the UQ MBA’s focus on in-person learning works to enhance the program’s adaptable delivery. You can enjoy studying online, in person at our Brisbane City location, or a mixture of both, depending on your schedule.
The quality of people you’ll study with, along with the personal and professional relationships you’ll form, demonstrates the value of an in-person learning experience and puts the UQ MBA in a league of its own.
