Pioneering Boston University Online MBA

After a few set-backs with the transcripts from my Belarusian alma mater, I was finally able to start my classes on August 2, 2020. 

This class is unique. We are the first online MBA cohort in the 100-year-history of the Questrom School of Business. 

As our professors like to say:

“We all made history by being here.” 

As we students like to think of it:

“We are the pioneers.”

Indeed, this is also a very disruptive program. Look at it: the first female dean in the school’s history, Susan Fournier, was just a few months into her new job, when the idea of creating an innovative, unlike anything else out there program came up. 

They expected 200 people to be in this class. In reality, there are now 400 of us!

Four hundred people from all over the world!

It’s rather impressive to see the percentage of female students and minorities. Not long before the course started, we received some data to understand the demographic data better:

Source: Questrom School of Business 

Before the serious hard-core classes start, the faculty organized a so-called Mod 0. It’s a practice mode, with the training wheels on, so to speak. 

The idea is to get us ready to use all the technology, research databases, communication channels, etc. And, most importantly, give us a chance to meet as many people as possible. Extreme focus on collaboration probably is one of the fundamental differences from any other program out there: in order to succeed, you have to be absolutely comfortable working with your assigned team and the rest of the classmates.

 I am looking forward to learning cool stuff and applying that knowledge.