For graduate students like Eric Mayer, the new online MBA program will allow for greater flexibility and elasticity with course availability and ease of access.

According to Mayer, who is currently finishing his masters in microbial biotechnology and has been taking masters in business administration courses on campus, the program will allow him the opportunity to move out of state while still retaining his earned MBA credits.

“The online MBA seems to be the best chance for me to finish the degree from out-of-state location,” Mayer said. “Otherwise I would have to enroll in another school which may not accept my credits or I would have to drop the MBA all together and waste the credits earned up to this point.”

This is exactly the opportunity Steven Allen, associate dean for graduate programs and research in the college of management, had in mind when he created the online MBA task force a year and a half ago.

“We have a unique and outstanding MBA program,” Allen said, “and we think this online option will augment the availability of our program.”

According to Allen, the program will have many similarities, as well as a few differences, with the on-campus MBA option.

“Even though we’re trying to make the convenience of an online education available to people in the greater region,” Allen said, “it’s still an N.C. State MBA degree. It’s going to be hard to get into, and there’s no guarantee of a degree after you’re admitted.”

“The program will be taught by the same faculty and will hold students to the same academic standards,” Allen said.

Two major aspects of the program that Allen said were crucial to the development of the students are a four-day communication training shortly after students begin the program and an international studies trip to east Asia or south America about a year into the program.

“Competition in business today is global, and for companies to be successful they have to understand competitors that they may face tomorrow,” Allen said. “We want to make sure that all of our students, when they exit the program, have a mindset that gets them thinking about opportunities and threats outside the American borders.”

Additionally, Allen said the program will not be conducive to students who wish to start the MBA program and complete a dual-degree programs, since the group will be acting as a “cohort” in taking classes.

The program, according to Allen, seeks to award degrees after two years in the program. There will be, however, flexibility in scheduling.

“Life is going to happen,” Allen said, “and we will deal with those cases on an individual basis.”

Scheduled to launch in fall 2011 with 30-35 students, Allen said he hopes to deliver 30-35 degrees from the program in August 2013.

The idea of online degrees is something that is catching on quickly in the UNC system, according to Allen.

“The UNC system has made growth of online education a priority, and I expect there to be more online opportunities available on campuses statewide,” Allen said.

Fayetteville State and East Carolina currently have online MBA programs, and other system schools are headed in that direction, according to Allen.

“UNC-Chapel Hill is announcing a similar program soon. We beat them to this one,” Allen said with a smile.

For Mayer, the online program has the potential to be beneficial, but it also has the opportunity to be unsuccessful.

“The online version will be more beneficial on several accounts, but also less beneficial in other areas,” Mayer said.

“Online learning allows more variety and diversity of students to interact who may be in other parts of the country,” Mayer said, “however, distance learning may hinder the team-building that is a big part of the MBA experience.”

According to Allen, the first online MBA class of students will be crucial in steering the direction of the program in the future.

“We will certainly welcome feedback from [the first class],” Allen said.