Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Schedule and location flexibility are the key advantages of an online program. Wherever you have an Internet connection and whatever time of day it is, you can work on your course and interact with your peers and faculty. An online MBA is ideal for individuals who wish to continue working full-time but who have many time constraints and are unable to attend an on-campus program, as well as those who do not have access to a quality MBA program locally.

No. You earn a W. P. Carey MBA degree from Arizona State University that is identical to the degree earned in our nationally-ranked full-time, evening, and executive MBA programs. All diplomas from our MBA programs state the same wording of "W. P. Carey MBA" and do not distinguish between full-time, evening, online, etc.

• Unlike many other online degree programs, we do not use the talking head approach. Instead, we develop modules from the original faculty lecture materials. The lecture portion of the course is delivered via custom modules created jointly by our W. P. Carey faculty and our in-house instructional developers. The modules consist of textual content enhanced with interactive mini-cases, videos, interactive exercises, charts, graphs, and various other illustrations. In addition to these modules, faculty provide interactive exercises and quizzes to help you practice and assess the learning of course concepts. Exercises often may include case discussions or other open-ended questions that encourage higher-order thinking and the immediate application of course concepts to the workplace. While we use an industry standard course management and communication system (Blackboard), our instructional design team has made in-house modifications to meet the needs of faculty and support our students' learning objectives.
• Our highly regarded faculty members are acknowledged globally as influential researchers and consultants. They actively teach in programs throughout the school of business. These faculty members hold world-wide recognition and ties to the business community.
• Faculty use team-based or collaborative learning extensively, which provides you with rich practical experience in virtual teaming that can be applied to your workplace.
• The learning model is customized for each course for optimal delivery of the course concepts being taught. However, an emphasis is made on the quality of course content and equivalent rigor to our on-campus programs.
• The online learning method used in the online program has been tested and has proven as effective as our on-campus MBA courses based on graduating classes from the W. P. Carey MBA – Online and Custom Corporate Programs. The W. P. Carey School of Business has been successfully offering its W. P. Carey MBA online since the year 2000.
• Opportunities for students to get to know one another, to work electronically with one another and to get to know faculty and staff are maximized. Students are part of a cohort and have the ongoing support of classmates, staff, and faculty throughout the two-year program.

All W. P. Carey MBA programs consist of the same core curriculum and are taught by the same high caliber faculty. The distinction in the online program is in the delivery. All diplomas from our MBA programs state the same wording of "W. P. Carey MBA" and do not distinguish between full-time, evening, online, etc. Some other points to consider:

• The W. P. Carey MBA – Online Program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which is the only accreditation recognized by the US Department of Education for graduate business programs.
• Online program courses are taught by faculty who teach in our on-campus MBA programs. These faculty members enhance their teaching by integrating their world-renowned research and their ties to the business community.
• The W. P. Carey MBA is a structured, 22-month program in which the classes are selected and set up for you (no registration paperwork on your end).
• Our $50 million endowment from Wm. Polk Carey, a New York-based financier, raised the international profile and academic reputation of the W. P. Carey School of Business.
• As an alumnus of the W. P. Carey MBA, you will have an international peer group to network with and a degree with lifelong career value.

As with any degree program, you will want to do your own comparison to find the program that best fits your needs. For more information, see the Compare Online MBAs page.

The program is designed to challenge you and to ensure you take away an abundant amount of information and skills which will directly impact how successful you are in your business career.

Each of our courses is six weeks long. For the first five weeks, you study course modules with the sixth week reserved for administration of the final exam. During each study week, you should expect to spend between 20 to 25 hours studying the assigned module, reading assigned textbook pages and supplemental articles and cases, completing weekly exercises, and submitting a weekly quiz. You also spend time reading online discussions and interacting with your peers and professors in the online discussion areas. Because of the rigor of the program, it is designed to include downtime between courses for you to catch up with work and family commitments.

Yes. Since 2000, hundreds of graduates have earned their W. P. Carey MBA degrees using this online model, either as corporate- or individually-enrolled students.

Yes. Admitted students receive a Sun Card (ASU Photo ID card) during first-year orientation. The Sun Card allows you the same level of access to campus resources as typical on-ground students. This includes access to the library and discounts on computers and software through the ASU Bookstore. Note that some facilities, such as the Student Recreation Complex, require additional fees. As an MBA student, you also receive privileged access to the Ford Graduate Suite.

The annual program fee for the W. P. Carey MBA – Online Program is essentially all-inclusive. It includes tuition, registration fees, and educational materials such as textbooks and online resources. It also includes hotel accommodations, meals, and ground transportation during the mandatory first-year orientation. Graduation fees are included in the program cost for the second year of the program. For more information, see the Tuition and Fees page.

Many of the students in the program have taken advantage of financial aid to help pay for their MBA. Generally, financial aid takes the form of student loans for the full amount of the program cost. At this time, the W. P. Carey School of Business does not have any scholarships available for online program students, but students are encouraged to investigate other sources of scholarship support. For more information, see the Financial Aid page.

The online program offers admission twice per year with programs beginning in mid-January and mid-July. To receive the best consideration for your application, see the priority deadlines under the admissions section.

No. Cohorts are administered identically regardless of start date. Class demographics and performance are also similar. Therefore, the only real difference is the seasonal weather you encounter during your orientation visit!

There is no index or formula to make admissions decisions. An admissions committee makes decisions based on all components of the application. We look at the entire application equally. Your application package should be strong and well-rounded to ensure the best consideration. All aspects of the application are taken into account. For any weakness, strength in other areas will be looked for.

The ASU Division of Graduate Studies admissions office receives and evaluates transcripts and educational documents. You may contact them at asugrad@asu.edu or 480-965-6113.

No. The W. P. Carey MBA – Online Program has no business pre-requisites. However, applicants must show quantitative ability through an advanced college math course in calculus or statistics or an above average performance (65th percentile or above) on the GMAT quantitative section. In addition, students must show computer proficiency and expertise in using an Internet browser, an e-mail package, a spreadsheet package, a word processing package and a presentation software package.

No particular undergraduate major is favored. W. P. Carey MBA students represent a number of personal and academic backgrounds. For more information, see the Class Profile page.

There is no required minimum score; however, applicants are encouraged to benchmark themselves against the current class average of 600.

Applicants may retake the GMAT more than once. The W. P. Carey MBA will only consider the highest score and does not average scores. Arrangements to schedule an exam should be made directly with a GMAT testing center (see the GMAT page under "GMAT Registration").

All official Admission Exam Scores must be received directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). GMAT scores are considered valid for a period of five (5) years from the date of the exam.

Should you decide to retake or are requested to retake the GMAT, please notify the W. P. Carey MBA by e-mail of your intended test date. Your highest test score will be forwarded to the Admissions Committee for review. Upon an applicant's written request, an application will be re-evaluated based on new GMAT scores.

If you are on the wait list and retake the GMAT, the W. P. Carey MBA will reconsider your application one time on the basis of the GMAT.

For more information, see the GMAT page.

Applicants must demonstrate quantitative ability through (1) the completion of a college level calculus or statistics course earning a C or better or (2) test with above average performance (in the 65th percentile or higher) on the quantitative section of the GMAT.

No. The W. P. Carey MBA is a very structured program that does not accept transfer credits from any other university or program. Graduate courses and grades earned at other universities will be taken into consideration in the admission process; however, they cannot be used toward earning your W. P. Carey MBA.

Completion of additional higher level education is required in order for an applicant who receives a three-year bachelor's degree to be eligible to apply to our graduate degree programs. The higher level education can be either the completion of a master's degree or at least the first year of a two-year master's degree program to include sitting for and successfully passing the end of year examinations; or, the completion of an entire two-year PG (post graduate) Diploma program that requires a three-year bachelor's degree to attend.

No. An admission interview is not required for the W. P. Carey MBA – Online Program. Applicants are welcome to contact the Office of Admissions to visit/tour the campus, sit in on a class and/or be placed in contact with a current MBA student. However, we do not interview for admission purposes for the online program unless an interview is requested by the Admission Committee after initial review of the completed application.

We require two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be on company stationery if possible, sealed, and signed on the seal. Letters should support your admission and should speak directly to your personal qualities, career focus, and potential to succeed in the classroom. The writers should be sure to include what you, as an individual, will bring to the program and how completing the program will enhance your career path.

Choose current or previous supervisors or other administrators who know you personally and are familiar with your work history, credentials, leadership strengths and career aspirations. If a supervisor is unavailable, letters may be from business associates or other business professionals.

As a student interested in a serious MBA program you should make sure the program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The AACSB sets standards for business schools nationally and internationally which support excellence in management education worldwide. This means that your MBA is internationally recognized by employers and higher education institutions. Examples of standards set by AACSB are that our programs must:

• Guide educational delivery by a carefully constructed mission
• Select and support students to produce outstanding graduates
• Deliver degree programs with qualified faculty
• Structure learning through relevant curricula
• Contribute to knowledge through research and scholarship

Arizona State University was established as a state university in 1885. The College of Business was founded in 1954, with the renaming to the W. P. Carey School of Business in February 2003. For information about William Polk Carey's $50 million endowment, see this press release.

The online program requires students to complete 12 four-credit courses (total of 48 credits) over a two-year period. Students take one course at a time, a total of six courses annually. Each individual course is six weeks from beginning to end, followed by a one-week break between courses. There are two month-long breaks from mid-December to mid-January and another from mid-June to mid-July. For more information and sample schedules, see the Format page.

On average, students can expect to spend 20-25 hours per week or three to four hours per day. Because of the rigor of the program, it is designed to provide some downtime between courses for students to catch up with work and family commitments.

In extraordinary circumstances, students may petition for a change of MBA platform. However, since each W. P. Carey MBA program covers materials on a different schedule, any change is likely to delay your graduation by a semester or more.

No. The online program is designed to provide a general MBA degree to individuals who want to develop and/or improve their management skills, irrespective of functional work area. As such, graduates from the online program can deal effectively with multidisciplinary issues and are also prepared to move readily into fields of specialization at a later point in their academic and professional development. For more information on Executive Education opportunities beyond graduation, see the Executive Education site.

The first-year orientation is mandatory for incoming MBA students as it forms the foundation of your success throughout the 22-month program. Interaction with your fellow MBA students is a critical component of your experience. During orientation activities, you develop relationships with your peers, and you meet supporting faculty and staff.

The second-year orientation is not mandatory. However, you are highly encouraged to attend. Feedback from prior cohorts reveals that the in-person reconnection with fellow students, faculty, staff and the campus itself is very rewarding and often fun. At two days in length, it is shorter than the first-year orientation, and thus less demanding on your schedule.

You are not required to participate in orientation events that include physical activity. Non-participation due to physical or psychological limitations will not be held against you in any way. However, you will be encouraged to attend the events and participate as a spectator. The physical activities in the first-year orientation are very low-impact, and most team activities are classroom oriented.