University of Massachusetts - UMassOnline

I transferred to Umass Online to pursue an IT degree. From the beginning i should have known i had made the wrong decision. My troubles started with trying to sign into my student account site. I was unable to log in and spent hours online with "tech support" trying to log in. The classes are horrible and don't really utilize today's technologies. I decided to withdraw after realizing i was learning nothing. Oh, and be careful what classes you select. I enrolled in a 1 hour biology lab that was $1080. 1 Credit = 1080 while my other 3 Credit classes cost exactly the same, doesn't logically make sense.

The UMASS program is a terrific program. My solitary complaint is that the BlackBoard infrastructure is old, so the use of technology is less than ideal. I was able to do much of my last two semesters using my iPad, but there were times where I needed a desktop to submit assignments and watch certain videos that required Flash. The professors are very very good. Of the 13 classes I took, I would say at least 6 of the professors were spectacular. They were engaged, provided meaningful feedback and were well organized. I had to request a couple of them be flexible due to my many work conflicts and they all helped me where needed. Most importantly, I learned a lot. I was able to apply my years of experience and I'm looking forward to applying what I've learned to my job.

I began the Early Care & Education in the Fall/2010 semester and completed the program in Summer/2011. I had attended another online school previously and UMass allowed me to transfer the maximum credits in toward my degree. I had to complete 45 in residence credits. The purpose of this program is to allow seasoned professionals to receive college credits from their work/life experiences. The student is required to write a portfolio demonstrating learning through experience. The portfolio is then evaluated by your advisor and/or other professionals in your field depending on how many credits you seek. If you seek 16+ credits, you need to write a longer portfolio. I sought 25 credits and was awarded 24 out of the 30 credit maximum. The program is delivered in the typical online school format, which consists of discussion boards, papers, reading assignments, and quizzes/tests on material. The main communication between the students and professors takes place via the discussion boards. This program is rigorous, but wonderful. The professors are really knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive. You get to choose your advisor (by taking the intro course they are teaching). You have the same advisor the entire time you are in the program. My advisor was excellent. She was always responsive to my emails and checked in with me frequently. The moral support that she provided was invaluable as well. I completed the program while working a full time job as a preschool teacher. While it was tough to do so, I was committed and my advisor pushed me to succeed. I attended the commencement ceremony and was excited and proud to have graduated from a respected institution rather than a "virtual" one.

I entered this program Spring of 2010 and was really let down. Basically the professors post reading assigments and have you respond on a discussion board. No video, no lectures. I was expecting streaming video of lectures as the program advertises the ability to "attend live in person or completely online." I can go to a library and read books. I expect much more from a reputable institution.

I generally encourage people to answer two questions when considering an MBA: 1. What resources are you willing to dedicate (be it time, energy, and money) towards attaining your degree? 2. What do you hope to accomplish by getting an MBA? By answering these two questions, you will have a better sense as to the right program for you. Regarding question 1: If you are not in a position to spend two years full-time, or to do a part-time B&M program, I don't think you can do better than UMASS. There are a lot of programs out there that are not fully accredited (the University must be regionally accredited, and be an institution that people around the world know of and hold in high esteem). When you consider price, convenience, and reputation, I think UMASS comes out on top. To be clear, there are certainly benefits to going to full time programs or part-time programs at highly-ranked schools, but if you can't fit those options into your schedule/budget, UMASS is as good as it gets. By the way, I have four more courses to complete my degree, and have been very impressed with the caliber of the students (many of them have doctoral degrees and are already successful in the business world) and the faculty. Good luck to all of you!

Very solid program, I graduated in May '08 and the DL MBA helped me land a spot in tenure track academia. I also have a graduate degree that was obtained through the traditional B&M route from a well-known university, and I can say without hesitation that the online MBA through UMass was similar in rigor and support. I have no regrets.

Great University to complete a degree at. I finished my MBA program in May 2008 and have been successfully working in the Boston area since then. The technology and support were amazing. The tution was much cheaper compared to other online offers and on top of that i was able to secure Financial Aid for my final year.

Graduated with UMASS MBA May '08. As a busy professional that works 60+ hours a week I needed an MBA program that would enable me to complete coursework on my own time. The program was comprehensive and challengeing. One area that could be improved would be to have more video lectures rather than power point presentations with recorded audio. Also, I believe this program is designed for business people that have a certain ammount of real world experience. Students that jump in right out of undgradutate school will likely find that the professors take a certian ammount of business experience among students for granted. All in all, a great program and one of the best bangs for the buck out there. One last thing to note is that the MBA diploma that you recieve does not differentiate at all from the MBA diploma that on campus students earn.

Every semester brought improvement in the areas that needed attention. Not sure how long the program has been offered, but UMASS constantly assessed and made changes where needed. The only consistent problem with the program was lack of support from personnel. At times I felt lost, but with the help of classmates I always managed. The professors are top notch! In the beginning some where not as organized as needed for an online program but the bugs were worked out and things run very smoothly now. The material and the professors are easily accessible. UMASS offers a outstanding program. I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity.

I found this program to be extremely regarding, completing it in just under 2 years. There is no stigma attached to the degree, as it is the same as the FT MBA offered on campus (the paper says nothing). This is a testament to just how rigorous the program is. The courses are all challenging in their own right, but the Corporate Finance and Production & Operations Management courses were truly impressive. The professors are all very responsive and approachable (despite being virtual) and go out of there way to make classes interactive and provoking. This degree is not for the weak, and they more than cure you of the misconception that online degrees are the easy way out. Great bang for the buck, and I apply the lessons every day, as an engineer.

Excellent teachers and support for online classes. Technology could be better with lectures posted. Only thing which is a downside is that the program is too structured. They should offer half of the courses required as electives. But the best bang for your buck still out there.

Great program. The professors are very helpful and always available for questions. I have not experienced any major technology glitches the whole time I was taking the course. Depending of the course, the work load can get heavy. The course material is very up to date, and the case studies are very interesting. I enjoyed the elective courses more than the core courses. I am glad that UMASS MBA program is moving up in ranking. Areas of improvements: Offer more elective courses.

I'm almost half way through the program. Great professors for the most part. To date, I've six professors. I'd categorize one as good, two as very good, and three as excellent. Irregardless of how I rank them in terms of effectiveness, they're all been very responsive and have, to a person, leaped at the chance to be helpful. They respond to emails evenings and weekends as if it were during standard business hours. I even got quick responses last Spring ('06) when Amherst was flowing with flood waters and many systems in that region were down. I've been pleased with the rigor of most classes. And I have a law degree, so I understand rigor. The MBA professional program is part of the Isenberg school, and their full-time MBA is currently ranked 56th in the nation by USN. Both online and FT programs are AACSB-accredited, the gold standard in the U.S. The price for an MBA runs in the mid-$20K range. While not the least expensive option, it is far from the most expensive, and actually runs about the same as a number of the for-profit programs that are of paltry utility by comparison. Given the reasonable price--for an MBA program, that is--and the steady climb in the rankings that the program has experienced, I'd consider it an excellent value.