Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Potential students are seizing the chance to go for online MBA-style programmes that offer flexibility, affordability and are tailored to their needs as they question the value of a traditional business school qualification.Rivals to long established schools are queueing up to offer training: from full MBAs offered by digital, mobile-first platforms such as Quantic to online mini versions from leadership development specialist Abilitie. Coursera and LinkedIn Learning meanwhile facilitate a tailored approach of stitching together short, intensive courses.The shift online means that MBA applicants are no longer limited by geography, price or rigid structures as rivalry builds up between traditional and potentially disruptive providers.“I wanted to go to a top business school, but I didn’t want to accumulate $200,000 in debt and lose two years of work experience and salary,” says Victoria Caña, a management consultant turned game production manager in Los Angeles, who oversees content for the Pokémon digital card game. Instead, she chose to study an MBA with Quantic, which uses artificial intelligence for the role of adviser and tutor. “The programme was online, self-paced over 15 months and only $15,000,” says Caña, who completed the MBA in November. The AI-powered adviser provides instant, personalised guidance for coursework, career matters, administrative tasks and exam preparation, acting as an always-available support system. The tutor meanwhile works within lessons, delivering real-time, context-specific explanations that allow students to spend more time on topics they are struggling with, or go deeper on aspects they are most interested in.“There’s a common belief that the main value of getting an MBA is building a professional network,” she adds. But, given her networking experience allied with her work at Deloitte and studies at New York University, Caña’s focus centred more on the academics of business.“I wanted to sharpen my knowledge in finance, accounting and economics — the hard skills that often keep women from breaking the barrier to hit the executive level,” she says.One in five respondents in the latest Tomorrow’s MBA survey said they are considering alternatives to traditional business schools, long considered the gold standard for career advancement, when acquiring the skills they need for their careers. For many, new forms of online business education offer a more accessible route to career growth, says Andrew Crisp of consultant CarringtonCrisp, which commissioned the report.“There are now options for people who like the idea of having the M-B-A initials on their résumé, but who are never going to afford to go to Harvard or London Business School,” says Crisp. “Mini MBAs” and short courses enable learners to sample business education before committing to a full programme, he adds.Completion rates on online courses are often lower than on traditional face-to-face programmes. But Quantic co-founder Tom Adams says technology is helping to drive up participation. “Unlike most online alternatives with low graduation rates, we deliver strong outcomes by replacing often boring lectures and reading assignments with highly interactive app-based learning and group projects,” he says.The Quantic curriculum is developed by a team of in-house faculty who collaborate with professors from institutions that include Georgetown and INSEAD. Abilitie seeks to engage its participants with short hard-hitting lessons in its “12-week MBA”, which costs $2,350 and is based on active learning through business simulations. “We put our candidates into competitive, AI-enhanced, team-based simulations in which they run organisations over 12 weeks,” says Nathan Kracklauer, Abilitie’s chief research officer. “It’s an engaging way to introduce business concepts and provides a proving ground to practise new skills.”Tim Grosshuesch, director of service offerings at Minneapolis consulting firm Atomic Data, says he found the Abilitie programme practical and efficient. “The course was something I could fit into an already busy schedule and do during nights and weekends,” he says. “The simulations we ran, in group work and with artificial intelligence, helped turn theory into practice, and I was also able to expand my network beyond my industry.”Others look for a more customisable education experience. Joshua Schreiber, a Miami University student and co-founder of career marketing agency GenZcruiting, says he’s using LinkedIn Learning — where a subscription costs $39.99 per month — to complement his first degree with his own choice of course for an MBA-style education. “The hidden truth about top MBA programmes is that you aren’t paying $200,000 and more for the educational content, but for the network,” he says. “With LinkedIn Learning, I have the ability to learn the same content, often taught by industry leaders, while also building my own network and personal brand.”Last year, LinkedIn Learning created a specific “learning path” that guides its students through core subjects and skills covered by MBA programmes. Business school academics teach some of the courses, but the idea is not designed to replace a full MBA experience, says a LinkedIn spokesperson.Some schools are offering bite-size programmes on Coursera. For Hasari Teddy, an account executive in Mexico City for sales automation platform Apollo who has studied 20 massive open online courses, completing the Business Foundations Specialisation course by Wharton on Coursera was the starting point. “I realised that Coursera offered a wealth of opportunities to learn from top-notch professors at my own pace and for a fraction of the cost,” Teddy says. “Students can focus on the content they need rather than following a rigid, linear curriculum like an MBA.” For Nikolaz Foucaud, Coursera’s European managing director, the benefit of short courses and the credentials they earn is that they allow people to build their skills incrementally.The line between traditional and non-traditional providers is blurring. Coursera, for example, now partners with 29 universities, including Imperial College London and the University of Illinois, with whom it offers an online MBA accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. “Business schools are evolving to meet the changing needs of professionals by offering greater flexibility and specialisation,” says AACSB president Lily Bi. “As a result, business school remains the best return on investment for individuals seeking careers in business.”Alternative providers are capitalising on knowledge produced by business schools, but they are not the source of it, says Barbara Stöttinger, dean of executive education at HEC Paris. “An MBA is not just three letters; it is a mastery of business administration,” Stöttinger says. “I am not saying that what you get at non-business schools could not be of any value, but the pedagogy plays an important role.”
