The school also hopes to double enrollment in its overall MBA program, a rather ambitious goal during a time in which other MBA programs have struggled. “We read about the demise of the full-time MBA, but we’re not experiencing that in this market,” Pickett told Greenville Business last fall. It’s exactly the approach the university thinks it needs at this time and it’s something that falls outside the traditional approach of expanding classroom sizes.
Campus support & access to traditional MBA benefits
MBA Online ensures that students can take advantage of the support and benefits the on-campus program provides, including access to more than 600 mentors, opportunities to participate in seminars and industry events, and the chance to study abroad. Also available online will be access to orientation, faculty, and career services.
Flexibility in course options
Not only does the new program give students the ability to be flexible in terms of attending courses from the comfort of their own homes or elsewhere, but it also provides flexibility in the courses they’re able to take. Along with the school’s specially developed MBA coursework, students will also be able to choose from a number of electives such as global leadership, creativity in business, and project management–all of which can also be taken online.
Related: Higher ed: We are missing the boat in online learning
Continuing on a course of success
Despite citing its need to evolve into the virtual space, Clemson has a solid track record of success with MBAs. The school was ranked as the top-ranked business school in 2018 by College Choice and cites its 95-percent job placement rate for graduates. Over the past six years, Clemson has more than doubled the size of its business degree programs at Greenville ONE, its state-of-the-art facility located off the site of its main campus.
At a time in which applications to MBA programs in the U.S. have slid for the fourth consecutive year—the most recent of which was in 2018 (according to the Graduate Management Admission Council)—Clemon’s new approach is perhaps not just helpful to busy students in this day and age, but possibly critical to ensuring the future success of MBA programs overall.
Jane Layton is the academic program director for the Clemson University MBA program. She oversees curriculum, course scheduling, study abroad programs, accreditations, rankings, academic probation, program policies, and the overall quality of the MBA program and its concentrations. In addition to overseeing the operations of the MBA program, Layton develops new academic offerings such as new programs, concentrations, and academic certificates. Her teaching impact includes ethics and leadership seminars in the corporate and business analytics programs. Layton works closely with faculty and students from all five departments that are currently located at the Greenville ONE location. Previously, she worked in several investment firms holding roles within financial compliance and private customer departments.
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