Babson College - F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business

Babson College is “highly regarded” for its Blended Learning MBA Program and is the “#1 school for teaching entrepreneurship.” The program specifically focuses on entrepreneurial studies in all of its classes. About half of the students are looking to start their own businesses, “while the other half is looking to expand functionally or enter into higher levels of management.” “There is a heavy focus on three areas: entrepreneurship (most importantly), group/team work, and management/organization.” For most graduate students, flexibility is crucial. Many MBA students want a program where it is possible to “balance both work and school” without giving up their current source of income. The Babson College Blended Learning MBA program offers the opportunity for students to attend classes both on campus and online. One student says, “I really enjoyed the Blended Format. Working in Corporate Finance means sometimes I cannot leave work to attend night class and my schedule is incredibly demanding. The blended program allowed me to be flexible while also getting the critical face time in class for discussions.” Babson students learn through “case studies,” “practical application,” and the implementation of “action-based learning.” Students even have the ability to execute what they have already learned by building “a mock business.” Two classes are usually taken at a time, one with more quantitative work and the other with more qualitative work. The structure of the curriculum adheres to the following layout: “core classes first, then electives, then capstone.” Students say the faculty and administration in the Blended Learning MBA Program are “OUTSTANDING.” The professors go above and beyond to engage students and facilitate learning. “I’d argue that the teaching effectiveness is higher than many Top-20 programs,” one student attests. Both the professors and the administration tend to be very open to feedback in order to ensure students’ educational experiences continue to show improvement. The students themselves are also “amazing.” Current students say they are “committed,” “energetic,” and “intense, but good intense.” One student says, “Our conversations are rich, our discussion board posts insightful, and I’ve learned so much from them!” Classmates use “WebEx study sessions” in order to help each other understand more complicated theories. The meticulous coursework is well “worth the investment.”