Pepperdine University - Graziadio Business School

At Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management, students in the Online MBA program can complete their degree in as little as two years and choose one of four elective concentrations: finance, leadership and managing organizational change, marketing, and general management. Students say that Pepperdine "is highly regarded in the business community" and appreciate the "focus on leadership development, flexibility of online courses, and excellent reputation" the program provides. Students are quick to praise Pepperdine's "rewarding" immersion courses as well as the E2B (education to business) program, which connects student groups with businesses and "offers real work practical application of course concepts with clients to simulate the consulting experience." "[The E2B program] gives you the opportunity to apply what you're learning to . . . real business operations [and interact] with top management." At the helm of their courses, "Pepperdine professors live up to their high reputation." "Each professor allows time each week to be available for individual discussion and encourages such meetings." Likewise, "the instructors are fantastic at making sure we engage with fellow students despite the geographical separation." As a group the Online MBA students are "driven . . . out-of-the-box thinkers" who "come from all walks of life in many different types of industries." As for the business school's eLearning Portal or GLEAN (Graziadio's Learning Environment and Network), students find that "it is very easy to participate and contribute during live discussions or record presentation for playback." The "very reliable and efficient" technology is "integral to the program," and the administration "actively promotes the use [of GLEAN] for team projects and weekly meetings." Overall, students find that Pepperdine's Online MBA "provides the flexibility" they need to "have a balance" and keep their workload "manageable." One student comments, "It is very important as a consultant with an often unpredictable schedule to have some flexibility in when I work on schoolwork." On the whole, students feel that "the program cares about you as a student and person."