Bacon, Eggs & Toast With An MBA Degree

REACTION HAS RANGED FROM ‘IT’S A VERY COOL IDEA’ OR ‘YOU ARE VERY BRAVE’

Reaction to Kogod’s breakfast MBA has ranged from “that is a very cool idea” to “you are very brave,” says Klein. “I just came back from a part-time MBA conference and the students are very excited. People who are starting to look at this say, ‘This is the only way I could get an MBA. I am too frazzled at the end of the work day. I’ve got to take my kids to soccer or dance. I just can’t make that happen.’”

The new program also provides some differentiation for Kogod in a hotly competitive market. Georgetown University’s McDonough School has been in the evening program space for the past five years, and the University of Maryland boasts a fairly large evening program in the D.C. area as well. George Washington University’s business school also is a player. “You can’t sit still and say we’ve been doing this for the past 25 years,” says Klein. “We have some formidable institutions in the marketplace.”

Klein is hoping the new program will make more people view Kogod as an innovator in business education. “We’re an industry that is waking up to the fact that we need to meet the students where and when they want to go to school,” believes Klein. “This is that last little sacred space. My guess is someone is probably trying to figure out a lunch-time MBA. We hope we bring some leadership to this conversation.”

INSPIRED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO’S ROTMAN SCHOOL WHICH HAS A MORNING MBA

The school will require the GMAT or GRE for entry into the program which is largely aimed at working professionals with five to ten years of experience.

Klein said she was especially inspired by Rotman’s morning MBA, which has students come two mornings a week from 7 a.m. to 8:59 a.m. over 32 months. Rotman’s program is all face-to-fade with no virtual learning. “When you deliver part of a program with a high technology component, you’ve got to pay attention to detail. People can be forgiving when they come to class, but if you don’t understand the logistics and the need for concierge-style service, you can get derailed.”