A Closer Look: Oklahoma Christian University Online MBA
January 26, 2012
The online MBA program at Oklahoma Christian University combines an affiliation with the Church of Christ and an emphasis on personal connections with students to deliver a solid understanding of practical management principles.
“We get involved with people’s lives. We get to know your goals,” MBA program director Dr. Ken Johnson said. He explained that the personal connection is a central theme of the program to ensure student success. This process starts at application and continues after graduation.
The online MBA is rooted in the course work that students take on campus. The courses are taught by the same faculty members, who come from a variety of professions and business experience. Core courses include ethics, economics, finance, global perspectives, leadership, management, marketing, organizational issues, and technology.
The program is structured to propel student interaction with weekly deadlines. According to Johnson, students are monitored closely and actively engaged in discussions about their work by faculty, other students, and the program directors.
School Report: Oklahoma Christian University Online MBA | All Online MBA Programs
Johnson, who has managed the MBA programs at OC since 2002, said that the program has continued to expand, growing from 56 in 2002 to 250 students in 2012. OC’s traditional cohort-based campus program launched in 2000. A fully online program was added in 2008, spurred by student demand for more learning options.
“We’ve been blessed with students that want to succeed and a faculty that includes working professionals who bring real-world examples into the classroom,” Johnson said.
The school’s faculty includes an executive from Boeing, lawyers, bankers and CPAs. Nearly all faculty members have terminal degrees and three are currently moving toward completion their doctorates. In addition to the program’s 12 full-time faculty members, there are 12 adjunct professors.
Faculty, staff and students are held to high standards, Johnson said. “There’s an intentional, personal feel to the program.
“We communicate directly with the students and enroll them in their classes,” Johnson said. Staff and faculty aim to learn as much as possible about each student during orientation and ongoing assessments to help guide the students’ individual goals.
The program’s ethics course uses a syllabus that includes New Testament scripture to drive discussion of Christian precepts in a business environment.
Johnson said the school had made a conscientious decision to employ proctored exams and assignments to spot-check the integrity of the program. While most of the students in the OC program are within 50 miles of the school, students from out of the area can arrange an alternative proctoring location.
– Sean Gallagher, @seangallagherla
