Syracuse University iMBA Distance Learning

The iMBA offered by the Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University is a Distance Learning MBA Course delivered online. This article is a review of the iMBA offered by the Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University.

About Syracuse University

This history of Syracuse University (SU) started in 1870 when they promoted equal education rights for men and women. The first bachelor degree course offered by Syracuse University was the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that started in 1874. In 1946, Syracuse University tripled their enrolment with the return of 9664 returning World War II veterans.

Syracuse University advocates the idea of scholarship in action, i.e. education that is not static. SU is a place where students becomes leaders and they hopes to elevate the community through new ideas.

Syracuse University is located in Syracuse, New York, at approximately 250 miles northwest of New York City. The faculty members consist of 909 full time faculty members, 106 part-time faculty and 447 adjunct faculty. About 88% of the full time faculty members have doctorate degrees or professional degrees.

Students at Syracuse University come from 50 states and more than 115 foreign countries.

The Whitman School of Management of Syracuse University was established as the College of Business Administration in 1919. In 1920, it was the 16th collegiate business school in U.S. to be accredited by AACSB.


Whitman School of Management launched its first MBA program in 1948. In any given year, Whitman School of Management is the home for nearly 2000 graduate and undergraduate students.

iMBA – The Distance Learning MBA for Executives

The iMBA is an online MBA course developed for executives. It is a distance learning MBA course that is delivered online with limited residency. The Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University has more than 30 years of experience in delivering their MBA programs in flexible format combining residency and distance learning.

Residencies are held on the SU campus and in other areas in U.S. and abroad. The entire MBA distance learning process is supported by full-time faculty and online course management system.

The iMBA program features the same curriculum, faculty and degree as full-time MBA students. In fact, if they wish to, they could even participate in all extracurricular activities organized by the Whitman community.

The MBA degree for the iMBA program is also accredited by the AACSB International and is identical to the MBA degree awarded to other full-time MBA students of the Whitman School.

New students enrollment into the iMBA at Syracuse University takes place in January, May, or August.

Format of the Syracuse University Distance Learning iMBA

All distance learning iMBA students are required to attend one-week residencies three times a year during their MBA program. After that, iMBA students participate in their courses using online course management system. The online MBA course allows students the flexibility to organize their learning in concert with their professional and personal lives. Students typically complete the iMBA program in three years.

Distance Learning iMBA students begin their all their terms with the residency week that is offered in Syracuse University’s campus. A residency week begins on a Saturday and concludes after the last class the following Thursday. Students take classes and exams during the residency weeks. When not in classes, students spend their time reading, working on assignments, attending events and getting to know students and faculty.

Online MBA Students may also opt for the residential weeks that are periodically offered abroad. International residency is a great experience in a professional, intensive setting. iMBA students may also participate in multiple international residencies. Typically, distance learning iMBA students take one or two courses in connection with international residency. Examples of the international residency include London, Bermuda, Shanghai, Dublin and Florence.

Other than the residency weeks, students attend the distance learning iMBA course using the online course management developed by Whitman. The online tools allow students and faculty to easily maintain contact and share information across different time zones. Final exams are taken on-campus during the first day of the next residency week.

Curriculum of the iMBA distance learning course at Syracuse University

The distance learning iMBA core curriculum is designed to give participants broad, strategic managerial perspectives as well as tools for analyses and decision-making. Students are free to choose the combination of elective courses that best meets their individual needs and interests, developing greater specialization or greater breadth, as they see fit.

The followings are the Core Courses offered:

• Data Analysis and Decision Making
• Economics for Managers
• Financial Accounting
• Global Entrepreneurial Management
• Leadership in Organizations
• Managerial Finance
• Managerial Accounting
• Marketing Management
• Operations Management
• Strategic Management
• Law and Public Policy
• Management of Information Systems

In addition to the Core Courses, iMBA students are also to choose any six of the following Elective Courses:

• Business and Government Relations
• Corporate Venturing
• Designing High Performance Organizations
• Entrepreneurship and Digital Commerce
• Distress Investing
• Employment Law
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Fraud, Corporate Governance and Sarbanes-Oxley
• Innovation Management
• International Business Law
• Intro to IT and E-Commerce
• Legal and Ethical Environment of Business Leadership Dynamics
• Marketing and the Internet
• Market Research
• The MIS Database
• Organizational Process Consultation Skills
• Venture Capital

Class Profile of iMBA at Syracuse University

There are approximately 250 students studying for the distance learning iMBA at Syracuse University. The average age of the students is 36, with an average 11 years of working experience. 67% of the students are male students and 33% are female students. The average annual salary of IMBA students are $70,000.

7% of the distance learning iMBA students are international students and 23% are from ethnic minority group. International students come from Australia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Germany, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

About 33% of distance learning iMBA students have a bachelor degree from business/economics, 36% are from engineering/science with the remaining 31% from social science/humanities studies.

More than 20% of the iMBA students are already holding at least one master’s or doctoral degree, mostly in sciences and engineering.

Students Testimonial of the distance learning iMBA at Syracuse University

All students come from different background and have their own stories to tell. For most students, IMBA is their first experience with distance learning and with Syracuse University.

The following is just one of the many of the distance learning iMBA student’s stories, told by student Niclaus Sims:

It was while attending the National Black MBA Association conference in Atlanta with a group of Whitman MBA students that Sims was offered a position as a business analyst with the Target Corportation. Sims recently led an iMBA team in the Panasci Business Plan Competition and plans to participate in the Velocity Conference in 2008 where he will meet with CEOs from high potential businesses and the venture capitalists funding them.

Sims says he chose the Whitman iMBA program because of its flexibility and its entrepreneurial sprit. “Now in my third semester of the program, I’ve found several applications from my studies for my career and personal entrepreneurial aspirations. Building a network of associates through interactions from the residencies in Syracuse as well as the summer residency in London has been one of the jewels of the iMBA program.”

Admission Criteria for iMBA at Syracuse University

Admission to the Whitman iMBA program is highly selective. To be considered for admission, an applicant must possess at a minimum:

• A bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited college or university, and

• Five years or more years of post-graduate full-time work experience
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are not required as part of the application process. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for applicants whose native language is not English.

Candidates applying for admission into the Syracuse University iMBA program are evaluated individually, with special consideration given to professional experiences and accomplishments. Prior academic success and communications skills from the application essays also carry some weight.

For International Students, the following additional criteria applies:

TOEFL Requirement
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all applicants for whom English is not the primary language. A minimum score of 600 (paper) or 250 (computer) is required. Generally, scores no more than two years old will be accepted. The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service.

Student Visa
The iMBA program requires three residency weeks per year of enrollment. It is possible that international iMBA students will need a Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) to apply for a (F-1) Student Visa in order to attend residencies. Although a visa may not be necessary, individuals from Canada, Mexico, and adjacent islands are also subject to this requirement and may need the Form I-20 to enter the U.S. Please note that immigration law prohibits individuals with B-2 Tourist Visas from studying in an academic program. The Slutzker Center for International Services at Syracuse University will contact admitted applicants to the iMBA program to determine necessity of a student visa for iMBA residencies.

To conclude, the Syracuse University iMBA Distance Learning program offered by the Whitman University is a definite choice for many potential students.