A Case Study of Management Skills Comparison in Online and On-Campus MBA Programs

This paper is unique in its comparison of full programs, rather than a comparison of courses, as previously documented in Web-based education literature. Two similar MBA programs utilizing two different delivery formats (i.e., online MBA and on-campus MBA) were studied. The Learning Skills Profile (LSP) was used to assess the managerial skills when entering and graduating the programs. A comparison of pre-MBA and post-MBA managerial skills was conducted for both MBA programs. Results show that both on-campus and online MBA programs provide positive enhancement of managerial skills; however, the online MBA program appears to provide greater enhancement of such skills.