Latest / Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast / Episode 312: The Flex MBA Online at Georgetown McDonough

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Episode 312: The Flex MBA Online at Georgetown McDonough · Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast

• 0:15
  Speaker A: Welcome to the Clearadmit MBA Admissions Podcast. I'm your host, Graham Richmond, and today we're going to be exploring an increasingly popular format for management education, an offering known as the Flex Online MBA. Is it part time, full time? Online? In class? We'll explore these questions and much more, and we're fortunate to have a very special guest with us today. Her name is Sudeepta Dasmohapatra and she is the senior associate dean of the MBA programs and a professor of business analytics at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business. Let me give a brief bio before we bring Sudipta onto the show here. As I mentioned, she's the senior associate Dean of the MBA programs and a professor of Business analytics at McDonough. Prior to her dean appointment, she served as the Academic Director of the Master's in Business Analytics at McDonough, having launched the program in the spring of 2021. She has extensive experience in teaching, research, and practice in data science and analytics and its applications in marketing and healthcare. Sudipta previously served as the Director of the Master's in Statistical Science at Duke University and also worked jointly as a Faculty of Business Analytics at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke. Welcome to the Clearment Podcast, Sudipta.
• 1:32
  Speaker B: Thank you, Graham. It's great to be here, and I'm looking forward to talking about my experience with the MBA program and sharing everything that potential students would want to know about the Flex MBA online.
• 1:44
  Speaker A: Excellent. Yeah, we're really thrilled to have you. And so the first thing I wanted to jump in on is I think most of our listeners have a sense as to what a traditional kind of full time two year MBA is. And many understand that the MBA degree can also be earned in several different kind of part time formats, whether that's like evenings or weekends or online and for different levels of experience, whether they're managers or young professionals. But I just wondered if you might be able to clarify how these various part time offerings work in terms of their structure and duration.
• 2:15
  Speaker B: Yeah, that's a great question. Thank you. Part time programs, including evening MBA and online formats, offer a lot of flexibility for working professionals to pursue an MBA while they are continuing to work. And so if you think about the evening MBA programs, those are specifically designed and tailored to be held during the evenings and sometimes during the weekends. Right. These allow the students to attend after their workday is over. And so these programs usually involve in person on campus classes during the week or during the weekends. And so the duration of these evening programs can vary sometimes, and most of the times, I would say that they are longer than the full time MBA programs. These range from anything from two years to four years timeline, depending on the program and the number of courses that they take during each semester. Then we come to the Hybrid MBA programs. Hybrid MBA programs blend in person and online learning. And so these programs definitely provide a mix of both on campus classes and online coursework. And so they do offer the flexibility to the students to allow for some face to face interaction as well as the online component. And generally I would say that the duration of these programs can be similar to an MBA full time program of about two years, but they can also accommodate part time schedules. And then finally, I want to come to the online MBA programs and these are delivered mostly online, allowing the students greater access to course materials, the lectures, assignments and all of that remotely. And they are great for working professionals as well. So one clear advantage that I would say that online MBA programs have is that the student can pretty much study from anywhere that has internet access. And again, the duration of these programs are generally about three years or more, but they can be completed earlier with accelerated options as well.
• 4:18
  Speaker A: Okay, interesting. Yeah, I appreciate you kind of laying that out because I recognize that the landscape is filled with these different sort of formats and things, so that's helpful. I want to talk specifically for a moment about online education and what the value is. I just feel like the world has changed really dramatically. In part, the sort of online stuff seems to have been accelerated by COVID. But could you just shed light on online offerings, especially as they relate to more traditional in person offerings? And I guess is the curriculum usually the same? Is it different? How does that work?
• 4:52
  Speaker B: Yeah, that's again a great question because as you mentioned, Graham, this whole online and hybrid delivery mode was accelerated because of the pandemic. But online education itself has started to gain traction even before that. There are some really valuable advantages in the context of MBA programs for online students that want to take this online. And so one of the clear advantages is the flexibility and accessibility that I talked about earlier. You can study from anywhere and when you have time. This is particularly valuable for working professionals who may have other job responsibilities or other commitments that make it challenging for them to attend classes on campus at specific times. Right, so it eliminates the geographic constraints, allowing the students from across the world to basically access high quality MBA programs without the need to relocate. The other advantage of online programs is to customize it and learning, which is self paced, right? So it allows the students to progress through the courses at their own speed. So some of the students can accelerate and finish earlier, while others can take more time if it is needed. I would also say that yet another advantage, which is very similar to evening or flex programs, is cost efficiency. Now, this is because the students don't have to forego their income while they are studying as well. It's great there are several advantages to this and I would say finally, these programs, they generally attract students from a variety of industries and geographies and so they foster a very, very diverse cohort. And this diversity can enhance lots of networking opportunities and exposure to different perspectives as well as can really help them with the career opportunities that these students are facing. So again, lots of advantages. Schools have come a long way in learning how to basically offer these programs in a way that they are similar to, I would not say exactly similar to in person experience, but quite similar to an in person experience with lots of collaborations and other kinds of networking opportunities.
• 7:05
  Speaker A: Yeah. One of the things you just touched on that is fascinating to me is this idea that if you do a part time offering and you're having to go to campus, like you said earlier, evenings or weekends, there's going to be limitations in terms of how fast you can do it because you're still working and you've got to get to campus. Whereas in the online environment, obviously, it sounds like there's a lot of room for either going at whatever pace you want, like a slightly slower pace, or doing it relatively quickly. And I think you mentioned earlier, almost as fast as you might do a traditional kind of full time MBA. That kind of is a great segue though, because I feel like one of the things that we really wanted to focus on today in our conversation is I want to learn more about how there are a lot of part time programs out there that are being referred to as, quote, flex. And I just want to unpack that term and better understand how is a Flex MBA different or similar to a traditional part time MBA program? And specifically, like, how does I know you have this Flex online program at McDonough and how does that differ from a pure online offering?
• 8:10
  Speaker B: Yeah, so I think this is really interesting because the term flexible could mean pretty much anything as you can imagine in the context of MBA programs. However, this generally refers to programs that offer a high degree of adaptability in terms of class schedules and learning formats and course delivery methods. And so a flexible MBA online program, I would say, is designed to accommodate the needs and preferences of working professionals that makes it easier for them to balance their job, their personal life and education and they can really complete this at any point of time. And so traditional part time programs often had a fixed schedule of in person classes that are held during the evenings and weekends, as I spoke earlier. And these programs may not offer as many online or hybrid options such as class times schedules or customized learning styles that online or hybrid programs offer. If we look at the McDonough School of Business flexible MBA online, this program is designed very, very carefully and curated really to offer the flexibility of online learning while really maintaining a strong sense of community and engagement, which is core of Georgetown. So we combine asynchronous online coursework with synchronous virtual classes. This allows the students to interact with professors and peers in real time. And so the program combines online learning with unique in person experiences to provide a very flexible yet very comprehensive educational experience. Our curriculum is the same as that of the full time program, so all the core courses happen exactly the same as that of the full time program or the Flex program. They have a range of electives and in fact, I would say that there are much more electives and faculty is very excited to provide online electives and new online electives to students. And so there is going to be a lot of other types of options including fully 100% synchronous options as well as 50 50 synchronous 50% asynchronous in a really great environment online platform that the students are going to see. So in addition to that, we also offer two in person residencies, one at the beginning of the program and one in the second year, which allow the students to actually come back to campus and go through some in person courses as well as meet with peers, faculty and students, and lots of networking opportunities and to get immersed on campus. And I would also like to mention that this program also includes the Global Business Experience, which is a McDonough signature. And this provides hands on international exposure to the students through short intensive trips. And it sets it apart from pure online offering by providing students with valuable global perspectives and networking opportunities. And so again, lots of flexibility to students to complete their degree in 24 months, as little as that to all the way to 60 months. And so it has an option to fit their career advancement into their work life and school balance.
• 11:39
  Speaker A: Yeah, I have to say I'm a fan of this idea of bringing them to campus a couple of times, as you said, for these residencies and then having the online courses where there's some synchronous, some asynchronous just allowing this sort of flexibility, but it still feels like they're in a group. That's kind of my next question actually is really about how does group work happen? I mean, it sounds like there are a number of times where they're going to be together in person, but also where they're taking classes at the same time online. But I just kind of curious to know, does the flexibility create any challenges in terms of bringing students together on like project work or how is that sort of tackled?
• 12:20
  Speaker B: Yeah, I think that's a very interesting question and a really good one. Group work in flexible MBA programs can indeed present unique challenges, which I'm going to talk about, but there are incredible opportunities as well because of the nature of the program. Actually however, I would say that we have excellent tools and techniques now to engage the students during the classes, online classes as well as outside of the classes. So the first thing is the online platforms, right? So we employ advanced online learning management systems and I know a lot of other schools as well. And so there are virtual collaboration tools that actually really help to facilitate the group work. And these platforms allow the students to communicate, collaborate and work on projects together on virtual environments. Faculty often would structure their assignments with clear guidelines, with objectives and deadlines that really make and help leverage the groups that the students are in to help them work together. So group members many times are required to coordinate and collaborate to complete these assignments very effectively. I myself teach in our online program, online MBA program. And we have online discussion forums, we have breakout rooms during the sync sessions that actually encourage these kind of peer interactions. As you might know, MBA programs are very well known for a lot of group work. And there are group assignments that basically force the students to come together during mutually convenient times for virtual meetings, for brainstorming sessions and or to complete a report or a presentation. And so at McDonough we use strategies to group the students effectively for a semester. And we might consider students'backgrounds their time zones, their area of expertise, when we are really forming these groups in order to make sure that we are maximizing the collaboration and the learning outcomes out of this. Another thing that I talked about earlier is the program's Immersive Global Business Experience and that provides opportunities for students to collaborate in person, in groups for global projects. And these experiences really foster very, very strong bonds among the students. I want to talk a little bit about challenges because you asked about that as well. So while the flexibility of the program like McDonough's Flex MBA online, basically we allow the students to balance their studies with the work and personal commitments. But there's a lot of onus on the students as well. For example, this kind of a program really requires time management and communication skills to ensure successful group work that you're talking about. And we have physical distance between the students. Some students are from the Pacific time zone, whereas others are in the Eastern time zone. And so time zone considerations have to be taken into account during the group work and that presents some of the challenges. So when we are designing teams, we actually take the time zone into consideration as well. And so we basically really try to leverage the technologies and best practices in online education to facilitate any kind of collaboration despite all this physical distance. So again, there is challenges because again, time management, communication, making sure that you know what others are doing, what time zones they are in. So students really have to have the right tools, the strategies and a commitment to teamwork in order to successfully navigate group work in a flexible MBA environment.
• 15:54
  Speaker A: Got it. That's really helpful. I mean, I feel like even if there are some challenges, it just seems like having this flexibility, there are a lot of perks to that too. And so it sounds like kind of the best of both worlds in terms of being able to do some things online and have that flexibility. It's great that you're grouping people too, in terms of time zones and things. So that's smart. I did want to ask a little bit about, I guess what we would call kind of on the kind of the output end of the program. And I think a lot of people, when they're thinking about a full time in person versus maybe more of a part time or online Flex type offering, they're wondering about the provision of career services. And so I just wondered if you could walk us through what kind of access do students have in the Flex Online MBA to the Career Center and all those kind of services that come hand in hand with that?
• 16:47
  Speaker B: Yeah, again, great question, and I think this is one of the most important questions that the students have for us. What is the ROI for us as we are thinking about this MBA program? And so we are very committed to providing career services and support to all our MBA students, regardless of the program format. So at McDonough, we have a dedicated career services team. They specialize in working with not only the full time students, but also the part time and the online students. So our students who are in the Flex MBA online program have access to first virtual career support from these folks. So this includes one on one career counseling sessions that are conducted online, resume, cover letter reviews, interview preparation, career coaching and lots of online resources, including, I would say, job search platforms, industry research tools, databases of employers, and a lot of facilitation of virtual networking events. Webinars alumni connections to help these students to expand their professional networks. And in addition to that, students that are in and around the DMV area can surely attend any and all of the in person events that happen here related to career services. So our career services teams make sure that all students, no matter where they know and which program they're in, are informed of all of these in person events as well. And so any of our students can join these events at any point of time. So our Flex MBA program, for example, before the online has existed for several years. And so we have professionals in our career services team that have the experience and they understand the unique needs as well as the schedules of these working professionals that are pursuing this kind of an MBA. So we assist the students in finding job opportunities that align with their career goals. No matter what program they are in. And so I would say that the delivery of these services may be virtual, right, for the online students and these are tailored to their need, but the goal remains the same, basically to assist the students in achieving their career objectives. And one other thing that I would say because I've been involved in online teaching and directing a variety of online programs in my career, I would say that when you are in an online program as a student, one of the things that the students need to really leverage is the network that their cohort and their fellow students are bringing. Right. We have students that are from a variety of fields, they're all working in a variety of different roles across several industries, across different geographies. And so we strongly encourage these students that are working in flex and that are in our flex and online programs to really value their cohort. Right, because the students are really looking into, if you are looking into getting into a specific type of industry or a specific organization, look into your cohort and you will find somebody who's there at a specific position, at a particular geography, and at the industry. We really encourage the students to do that. And in my experience, many of my students, I came here to start or launch the master of Science in business analytics program, which is an online program. And I would tell you that many of our students have gotten jobs by just kind of networking across their cohort itself. We strongly try to encourage that among the students there. So, again, lots of opportunities for students that come here. We offer several career related opportunities for them outside of their cohort and within their cohort as well.
• 20:38
  Speaker A: Yeah. And I will say I love the fact that at McDonough, at least, regardless of the program, the career services mandate is to help everyone land the job they want or accelerate their career in the way that they want. That's not true at every school. There are some schools where there's sort of gating that happens where like, oh, the full time students get one kind of set of resources and the part time get another. So it's great to hear that. While we're on the subject of careers, this is probably a question you get a lot, but I'm kind of wondering, is it possible to pull off like a career switch via a kind of flex online program? And if so, how do you recommend people go about it? Because normally they're working while they complete the program. And so when you think about a full time program, someone quits their job. And so if they want to make a switch, they're looking for a new job just by virtue of coming to a full. So how does it work when you're in a part time or online flex type program?
• 21:32
  Speaker B: Yeah. And it's possible to successfully make a career switch I would say through a part time or Flex MBA online program, although I would say that it does require careful planning and some strategic steps on the student's part. Right, so I would think that my career services team here would say that first and foremost, the students should clearly define their career goals and even before, you know, while they're applying and even before they apply, right, so what industry or role do you want to transition into? What are your long term career objectives? Do you have a well defined goal and have you done some research on the industry or the field that you want to enter? Right, so all of this, especially having a well defined goal, is going to guide the students choice through the process of where do you want to go and what type of delivery mode you should get into. I would say the students themselves need to understand the key players, the trends, the skills that are required, any certifications or qualifications that are necessary for them to pivot into a particular type of industry, or the career switch that they are planning to make and they are desiring. In addition to that, I would say that selecting a part time or a Flex MBA online program that aligns with their career goals is very, very important. So they need to ensure that the program offers relevant coursework concentrations and networking opportunities in their desired field and then taking advantage of the full advantage of the career services offered by the MBA program. Many times we see that the students don't think about that until almost the end of their program. And in fact, I would say that think about it before you're even applying, right, where you're going, what type of career services are providing, emphasizing the transferable skills on your resume and during the interviews while they're in the program and trying to switch the careers, very, very important. And then I would say that one thing that we miss out on most of the times and especially the students don't think about is the relevant mentorship that they can get from the alumni, right? So our career services team, for example, can have run a program called the Peer Mentor Program. Now that really peer Mentor program and or the Alumni Mentorship Program, both, and especially the Alumni Mentorship Program can help identify mentors or advisors in their desired field who can provide guidance, share insights, and offer valuable advice on navigating the transition. And really there are people that are industry specific. So our career team is organized such that there are industry specific folks that can really coach the students as well. So all that is important for the students to really take advantage of. And finally, I would say the last thing is to build a personal brand is very important for career switchers. So creating a strong online presence through platforms like LinkedIn, sharing relevant content, connecting with professionals in the desired industry, and showing the passion for the field is going to get them where they want to. So all of these things, again, it's entirely achievable with dedication, persistent, and a strategic approach. Again, all of these things that I talked about is going to really help.
• 25:00
  Speaker A: Yeah. And that's actually not so different from what we talk about regularly on this show. At least a lot about the importance of coming into any MBA program with a kind of path in mind that you want to follow so that you can take the right electives, talk to the right alums, work with career services, et cetera. So it sounds like all those things are true in the Flex Online program. I guess I wanted to kind of talk a little bit more about the challenges of attending one of these programs while working. And I wanted to throw in another ingredient, which is family, right? So in some cases, people doing a part time program or online program, they might be married, they may have children. When you look at the Flex Online program, are there benefits to doing it that way in your mind versus, say, a traditional part time program when you have these other things to juggle?
• 25:51
  Speaker B: Again, this is one of the most asked questions, I think, for us when we do our info sessions. And so I would say that most of our students in our first batch of Flexmba Online have a family. Most of them are married. They may also have children, and I personally have gone through that. My husband went into a program while he was married, of course didn't have any children at that time, but we did this ourselves. And so I would say from my experience that balancing work, studies, marriage, parenthood, all of this is very challenging. But both Flex and traditional part time MBA programs can offer benefits that really can accommodate these responsibilities well. So the first thing is the flexibility that I talked about. The primary advantage of a Flex MBA Online program is its flexibility, because it allows a potential student to basically choose when and where you study from, which can be especially beneficial when we have family commitments, right? So we can adapt our study schedule based on the family's needs. I would also say that yet another advantage is the reduced commute, which many people probably have learned after the pandemic. Flexama Online programs often eliminate the need for commuting to campus, which can save valuable time that can be spent with the family. I would also say that most of these programs are designed to integrate seamlessly with work and personal life. So, for example, for us at McDonough, the students go through two courses at one time and not any more than that, so that they really can take these, spend enough time and learn from these two courses at one time, rather than having three, four, five courses at one time, which is really going to be very tough for them. We also offer our synchronous live sessions from eight to 930 at night so people in the east coast can put their kids to bed. From the west coast, they are just finishing their work and they can kind of come in and they still have time for dinner afterwards. Right? So we try to make sure that we are also accommodating the students and their virtual classes and assignments that can happen after hours or during the periods when it's very convenient for their families. I offer my office hours and our Tas and tutors offer our office hours during the weekends and in the evenings to accommodate their family and other kinds of commitment as well. And lastly, I want to say that the students family themselves are a great source of support. I would say during the MBA journey. The Flex Online programs basically allows the students to be present for important family events and responsibilities while they are pursuing their education and they need to really rely on this support as well. So, as the traditional part time MBA programs offer a structured schedule, the Flexi MBA Online basically offers courses and classes that can be completed at the students designated amount of time that they have and when and where they want to take it from. Lots of differences I would say, between Flex Online and traditional part Time programs. And I would say that if students are trying to pursue either, any of these can work for them given their family's needs, the time management, the support network that they have, the financial considerations that they might have. And ultimately the choice between the Flex Online and traditional part Time programs are different based on somebody's unique preferences and their circumstances and the level of flexibility that they need in order to successfully balance their work, studies, marriage and parenthood.
• 29:47
  Speaker A: Got it?
• 29:48
  Speaker B: And so any of these programs can be tailored to suit somebody's family situations and more so, I would say the Flex MBA Online programs are more so, very tailored to students that have families can work to try to balance both their work and their families and the program itself.
• 30:07
  Speaker A: Got it. So I think I know where you're going to go with this next question I had and it was about if my job requires extensive travel, can I still complete a Flex Online MBA? And my guess is you're going to say absolutely. And that for many of the reasons you just kind of cited, it has this ability for you to but there are some people who are literally maybe they're a consultant or where they're like on the road every week at a client or how does this work for them?
• 30:32
  Speaker B: Yeah, and I think you are absolutely right. This is where the online format is the most useful. Right? Because the Flexmia Online programs are basically designed to provide the flexibility needed to accommodate the schedules of working professionals. I have had. Many students that have been consultants and have successfully completed programs within the timeline and a shorter amount of timeline, although they have had to travel internationally as well. One of my students I remember was doing a final Capstone project assignment and they were sitting in an airport lounge and he was the team lead of that particular team and they did it successfully, really well, one of the best ones that I've seen. And so I would say that there are some strategies that students will have to build into the program to help them successfully navigate and balance extensive travel. So I've seen what really works for these students is if you're planning ahead, sometimes you can't, but most of the times you can plan ahead. So plan your travel schedule as far in advance as possible because then the students can anticipate what are the busy periods and then they can really adjust their coursework accordingly. I think communicating with the professors is really key. I mean, I tell all my students in my online stat class that please make sure that you let me know when your travel schedule is and ahead of time. Tell me whether you're going to be attending this class or you have some trouble. I'll make sure that I'm available afterwards to talk to you about what you have missed and anything in the recordings that you don't understand. Informing the professors and program, I would say advisors about the travel commitments is really important because many of our instructors here at McDonough in online programs are very understanding and they will provide guidance to the students on how you can manage your coursework while you're traveling. There are a couple other things that I want to mention. First of all, establishing a routine is very important for folks that are in consulting and are extensive travel engagement because if you don't do that then things are going to fall through the cracks, right? So whether it's on the plane or your hotel room or during the downtime, having a consistent schedule can really help students stay on track, right? So that time management. Using calendars to do list and productivity apps really kind of help to organize the study schedule as well. And then planning for, I would say time zones very important and mindful of sometimes students know I was in the east coast, but then now I'm traveling somewhere else and I forgot about when the sync session was supposed to be. So making sure that they are planning when they are traveling across time zones, frequently being mindful of the time differences is absolutely essential. And this morning before talking to you, I was talking to one of our Flex Online students. And one of the things that I told her when we were talking about the course and what kind of resources she can use, utilizing the support services that the school gives you is very important. And I think students forget about that because they're trying to juggle so many things. So reaching out to support services, for example, at the McDonald's School of Business, all of our students and cohorts have advisors. And so our program advisors are very helpful. And so students should reach out to them, the academic advisors and the tech support people, if you have any challenges during your travel, reach out to them and they're going to be very helpful. So all in all, I would say staying organized, managing your time effectively and leveraging resources, those are the three things that can help the students successfully complete their online program while they are traveling and meeting the demands of their jobs.
• 34:30
  Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. And it sounds like so what I'm hearing kind of from you is that whether you're traveling, whether you're juggling a family or trying to engineer a career switch, I mean, the program is really nicely tailored to be able to accommodate these different things and there are a lot of resources available. I did want to ask one other thing, and this is more kind of a fun thing, but when I think back to my time in business school, I think a lot about kind of outside of the classroom stuff clubs, whether it's industry specific clubs or whatever it may be. So are there student clubs when it comes to these sort of part time or flex offerings and just anything you can sort of share about that aspect of the kind of program?
• 35:12
  Speaker B: Yeah, I think the student experience while they are in the programs is so important. And I think, again, this is a great question because many of the online part time and flex offerings that you would see across different schools do not offer access to student clubs. Right? So again, student clubs exist as part of part time or online flex MBA online offerings, but they may not be available across different schools. And so students need to think about that when they are also applying to different schools. So at McDonough, we have over 40 active student clubs and organizations and these are available to all of our students, whether they are full time, they are part time, they're online. So any MBA student can join a club and use this to their advantage. And so our clubs currently range from industry and career related, for example, consulting club, or real estate or clean energy or finance, marketing, et cetera, to we have social clubs and these are clubs such as Gourmet clubs or Humor club, wine club, tennis club, explorer club. I mean, you want to travel, you can have a club that can actually do that. And then we also have affinity clubs which are great for students that are identifying with a certain affinity. And so these clubs I would say, are integral part of student experience and they provide lots of opportunities for students to engage and learn from classmates, faculty, staff right. And the greater Georgetown community. And so I would say that currently all our clubs are required to have at least one virtual event every semester. And this is so that any of our students can basically attend that. And then many of the clubs have virtual meetings, they have virtual discussions, they have video conferencing which is open to any student, right, so that are part of that club. And so there are extracurricular and co curricular learning opportunities as well. We have off campus treks that these students can take advantage of. We have social gatherings at different hotspots across the cities. So, for example, some of our students, over summer, they did happy hours in Seattle and Chicago and Boston and DC and New York. And so we do all of these events that are also the students can take part of as part of a, you know, lots of opportunities. I would say that the Flex and Online students should absolutely take advantage of taking on leadership roles within these clubs if they have the time and can do it because that can significantly enhance their networking and leadership skills and really add a lot to their valuable experience, to their resumes. And also I would like to say that Graham, if there's a club that does not exist, any student, whether they are online, flex, or full time, can actually apply to create a new club of their own, right? And they can have students. And so all of those opportunities are available here in McDonough clubs is one. But you asked about other kinds of opportunities similar to that. So Flex Online students, I would say, can be part of student government association as well. So that's the governing board of elected students that represents the interest and initiatives of the Flex student body. So if you want it, you have the time. There is opportunity, all kinds of opportunity available.
• 38:39
  Speaker A: Yeah. And it's great to hear, I guess, similar to how McDonough handles kind of career services. It sounds like what you're saying is student clubs are for everyone, regardless of which specific program they're in, whether it's part time or Flex Online or full time. So that's great because that means there's a lot on offer, I feel. Yeah, we've covered a lot, but I wanted to know if there anything we missed or that you wanted to share about earning this kind of degree, a Flex Online degree, and specifically at McDonough's or anything else that you wanted to share.
• 39:11
  Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I'd just like to finish off by saying that we understand at McDonough here, we understand that applying for an MBA program is not an easy decision. But one of the great things today is we can offer these things in these programs in diverse modalities and delivery mechanisms, right? So students needs every type of student that they have. If you have a certain type of need, you want to go for a certain type of modality, you can absolutely get the degree in any kind of format. The curriculum is the same, the faculty is the same, and it offers you lots of opportunities for career related things, for joining clubs and organizations as we talked about, and for networking as well. And this is not only an online program, but we do offer residencies where the students get to come together and we feel that that is such a big part of the program because you don't go just online and you don't know your cohort. Once you're here on the hilltop on campus, you can really experience what this is all about, what Georgetown is all about, what McDonough is all about, and also you get to know your classmates, right? So that has really worked for us, I would say. I also want to mention to any kind of prospective applicants that the specific structure and duration of the online MBA programs can really vary by institution and program. And so prospective students should carefully review the program details, the admission requirements and the curriculum to really choose an option that best fits their needs and their learning style. We have advisors here, admission advisors that they can reach out to and they can talk to you about what your specific needs are and they can tell you whether McDonough offers that. We also have career advisors or program advisors that can speak with prospective students. And lastly, Graham, I think one thing that I did not mention is the accreditation and program reputation. Those two are really important factors to consider when the students are selecting a part time or an online MBA program because that can really help you in navigating through your career and getting the best ROI that you are looking for. So any student that wants to apply to the Georgetowns program, you're very welcome. And please go onto our website, check out the details of the Flexmba online program we have now students that are part of this program and they can really help mentor and talk to you guys if you need more information. So thank you very much.
• 41:56
  Speaker A: Yeah, no really appreciate you shedding light on this. I know I've gleaned a lot from this conversation and I'm certain that those tuning in have as well. So sudipta, I just want to thank you so much for joining the show. It was an absolute pleasure to have you.
• 42:10
  Speaker B: Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. It was great talking to you and kind of relay what my thoughts are and experiences are in this area.
• 42:18
  Speaker A: Yeah, no really terrific. That's going to do it for this special episode of the Clearadmit MBA Admissions podcast. Thanks for joining us and please remember to rate and review the show wherever you may be listening. Sam.