There are several online colleges in the US and TUI University is one of the few that is accredited by the Western Association of Schools of College. TUI offers much more than just an MBA as it also offers undergraduate degrees and a research based PhD program. This review focuses on the MBA program.
Requirements for Online MBA Degree
TUI University’s online MBA program follows the standard format for most MBA programs but is offered exclusively via the online format. In order to graduate a student must complete 11 courses and each course is a 4 semester hour course. There is a core set of seven courses with the following titles.
Additionally, it is possible to have a concentration or focus in the areas of Business Research, Conflict and Negotiation Management, Criminal Justice Administration, Entrepreneurship, Finance, General Management, Governmental Accounting, Human Resource Management, Information Security and Digital Assurance Management, Information Technology Management, International Business, Logistics, Managerial Accounting, Marketing, Project Management, Public Management, Strategic Leadership and Quality Management.
Each of these concentrations requires four courses and as students earn their degree, it is possible to earn a graduate certificate in their chosen focus area. This certificate can enhance a resume and acts as a reward for students to earn part way through their degree program. It also makes it possible for studenst to have something to show for their efforts in the event they don’t complete their online MBA degree.
Tuition and Military Discount
There is no application fee to apply for the TUI MBA degre. The cost of tuition is only $345 per semester hour as of November 1, 2008, so each course costs $1380. This means that a student can earn a fully accredited online MBA degree for only $15,180. This may seem expensive to some, but with an MBA as part of resume, typical job hunters can expect to add $10,000 to $15,000 to their starting salary according to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).
For the military and veteran students, the tuition is discounted to $250 per semester hour.This reduces the course cost to $1000 and thus the total cost to $11,000. For those veterans using the Montgomery GI Bill, taking two courses meets the requirement for full time attendance. Those veterans are also entitled to an educational benefit of $1368 for a single veteran from the Veterans Administration. Due to TUI being a distance learning program, the post 9/11 GI Bill is not recommended for those veterans who are eligible for either the Montgomery GI Bill or the Post 9/11 GI Bill, as it will only pay the cost of tuition and not the housing allowance.
Research Focused Faculty
While TUI University is not a top tier MBA school like Harvard, Princeton or Northwestern, the all faculty members have a PhD and the professors are involved in research. This has been demonstrated for the last 5 years by TUI’s involvement in the Academy of Management’s annual meeting. TUI routinely has a paper presented at the meeting. In addition, it frequently has professors who are published in several of the Academy of Management’s various journals.
Even though the faculty has a research focus, they also have extensive experience in business and consultancy. TUI also recruits from top schools in addition to hiring some of their own graduates. A significant number of the faculty have also obtained their degree via distance learning, and this provides faculty members with an understanding of the challenges associated with being a distance learner.
Overall Assessment of TUI University Online Degree MBA
Overall, the TUI University MBA is challenging but achievable, and will enable the graduate to add MBA to the resume. It provides the graduate with a good overall knowledge and an opportunity to concentrate in a particular area that can assist in job hunting. The university is best known among Army and Air Force communities, but has been making inroads to the other services. While the university is only 10 years old, it has grown to a very respectable 10,000 students.
The downside for TUI University is that there is limited opportunity to build relationships with other students or participate in internships as most students are fulltime employees. For the price of tuition and the ability to complete the degree from anywhere in the world as long as there is in internet connection, it is difficult to beat. Go ahead, visit their web site and request information. Information is free, knowledge is freedom!
Note: As of January 24, 2011 the university has changed its name to Trident University International.
Mark Butler - Mark Butler is a Navy veteran and the author of The Coffee Break Guide for Veterans Seeking Federal Employment.
Join the Conversation