Online Mba Program Marketing Plan Essay

Online MBA program Marketing Plan
Shelley Leno
BUS620: Managerial Marketing
Dr. Erich Randall
April 11, 2011

Online MBA program Marketing Plan

      Online education has been the fastest growing segment of higher education. Because it is so unlike traditional classroom-based instructions, many questions have been raised as to the quality of the education offered in the online modality (Carrol & Burke, 2010). After an extensive survey of the literature, the U.S Department of Education issued a report concluding that the online or hybrid modalities are more effective then face-to-face instructions (Carrol & Burke, 2010). According to BusinessWeek, online MBA programs have surged in popularity over the past decade (Anonymous, 2010). With the increasing demands of the workplace, tighter schedules and the need for advanced degrees, many students are now relying on online programs to complete their MBAs.

      These programs are fueled by the increased capabilities of technology that allow students to successfully learn and complete their degrees outside of the traditional classroom environment (Anonymous, 2010). Understanding how online degree programs work, finding the right program, and recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of pursing a degree online are important tasks for every student to complete before enrolling in the program.
      This marketing plan overlooks these advantages and disadvantages of the online program over the on site MBA programs. I will focus on the online program as a whole, and give examples of successful online programs.

Company Overview

“Nine out of 10 people just don’t have the time or money to spend an extended period of time on campus,” says Charles Hickman, vice president for academic affairs at Quisic, an e-learning company in Los Angeles that is planning an online MBA (Yunus & Khaled, 2008). Online MBA programs enable students not only to learn marketing theories inside the classroom but also to apply the...