Distance Learning | News

Syracuse U Shifts Online MBA to New Learning Platform

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 05/28/14

Syracuse University will be revamping how it delivers its online MBA program. The New York institution's Whitman School of Management has signed on with 2U, which offers back office services for online delivery of masters and other degrees for a number of universities.

Syracuse will move its existing iMBA program off of its current Blackboard learning management system and onto 2U's learning platform. The program, to be renamed to MBA@Syracuse, will offer live, weekly, face-to-face sessions taught by Whitman professors in small seminar-style classes.

Faculty will work with 2U staff in redesigning curriculum that includes videos, quizzes, learning modules and other interactive multimedia. Participants will also be able to interact with the new program from mobile devices.

This particular master's program includes on-site residencies at the university as well as cities that are considered major centers of international business. MBA@Syracuse students gain their degrees after completing 54 credits in 12-week-long semesters.

2U's services include handling marketing, recruitment and other aspects of building degree programs; all student admission and instructional decisions are left to the institution.

"We're taking another step forward today by enhancing our online program to best serve our students," said Kenneth Kavajecz, dean of the School of Management. "2U's demonstrated ability to support universities in delivering top-notch online graduate degree programs that drive the same impact and outcomes of a residential program will help Whitman extend our institutional reach and mission to more students and the companies and organizations they serve."

The updated program will begin accepting applications in June for the first cohort for classes that begin in January. Additional cohorts will be added through 2015.