When deciding to go back to school for my MBA, I looked for two major things in a college: accreditation and convenience. I wanted to get the most for my money, so I wanted an accredited MBA program, and I needed it to be flexible enough to fit around my full-time job, and coming baby. Illinois Benedictine University fit those needs better then any other school that I looked at. It has now been ranked 30th out of 140 schools as “Best Universities – Master’s” in the Midwest by US News & World Report 2007 and 8th in the top Midwest universities in “Campus Diversity.”

MBA Program Flexibility
When I learned about their MBA program, I found out that they had three types of classes that fit my lifestyle: traditional, web-only, full-weekend, and blended. I have now taken all three types, which is one reason that I love this university: it allows me to be flexible on the types of classes that I take. That is exactly what I need at this time of my life.

Traditional: The traditional classes that I have taken have been on-campus at the primary Lisle location. The traditional classes have met for two or three days in a week, and are set in pretty traditional classrooms that while they don’t always have the best temperature control, they usually have nicely manageable class sizes of fewer than 20-30 students. The primary benefit of the traditional classes is that you meet the classmates and the teacher and can have more intense and quicker discussions.

Web-only: some classes I have taken web-only, such as my current web-only International Business class. The on-line Angel system allows for teachers and students to have good interactions through posts, discussion boards, chat rooms, file-drops, and more. I have had a few teachers that were not fully internet savvy, but most have been great and have used the online tools to their fullest. The primary benefit of the web-only courses is that you can do most of your work on your own schedule, including lectures (power-points presentations), reading, postings, etc.

Blended: My favorite type of class has been the blended class. In these classes, you meet on-line for most of your work, but meet for one class every two weeks on-campus. This allows for the students and teachers to meet each other, to have in-class discussions, debates, and projects. This allows for the convenience of an on-line class with the benefits of a traditional class.

Full-weekend: In a great option, I was able to take some of my 2-credit hour classes as full-weekend classes. We met Friday night after work until about 9pm, then had class from 8-4 on Saturday and Sunday. After that, I would have to write a paper over the next several weeks and hand it in. Then the class was done. They were intense classes that were very beneficial, especially my class on (in essence) public speaking and presentations. This was invaluable.

Brief History
Located in Lisle, Illinois, the 108-acre campus has 10 major buildings for classrooms, laboratories, and more. It has a swimming pool, bookstore, student activities, library, athletic center, track and field, campus housing, and much more. The school was originally founded in 1887 as a school for the Benedictine monks of St. Procopius Abbey. By 1901 it moved to Lisle, Illinois where it expanded its scope, and in the 70’s created graduate, doctorate, and adult learner programs. In 1996 it became a University. It is a catholic school, and is founded upon catholic principles, but students of most every faith attend the school and feel welcomed.

Teachers
The teachers that I have had have been the greatest part of the experience. I only had one class where I didn’t feel the teacher was strong enough as a teacher. The rest have not only literally been top people in their fields (public speaking, management, accounting, etc.), some even were pioneers in their field (organizational design). The knowledge that they have been able to impart above and beyond the textbooks has been amazing. They are on top of the most current trends and theories, to the point were often the textbooks are out-of-date for their classes—and the textbooks are brand new! Since most of the MBA teachers are teaching as a second job, they are giving back their years of experience and knowledge to the next generation in a real-fashion, not just academic theory. Having been in the business world for several years, now, I can see how that level of teaching makes a huge difference. The reality matches their teaching…not always the theories.

Book Store
The campus bookstore works like most any college bookstore: overpriced textbooks, discounts on used books, and lots of candy, magazines, and other impulse items. Unlike previous colleges I’ve attended, I’ve never had any problems getting the required course-books, and the staff has always been attentive and friendly.

MBA Program
The MBA program has been active for over 30 years and has over 2,500 alumni. It has six types of degrees (from their website):

Evening M.B.A.
Online M.B.A.
Internship M.B.A.
Executive M.B.A.
Accelerated Cohort M.B.A.
Accelerated Dual Degree (M.B.A./M.S.M.O.B.)

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Location: Lisle, Illinois
Cost: $900 per credit hour


Recommended: Yes