Most MBA programs, regardless if full-time, part-time or executive, deliver content through the traditional means of lecture, class or group discussions and team work. However, in the last 10 years there has been a departure from the traditional delivery methods and in increase in more creative and flexible means of delivering content.

Hybrid Programs

The hybrid program combines the on-campus lecture delivery of a traditional classroom with remote site teaching so students do not have long distances to travel for all classes. This method can be found in smaller cities that are serviced by institutions from a large city some distance away on a part-time or intermittent basis with the students gathering with a larger group occasionally at central locations.

Another example of a hybrid program is one that has the majority of its content delivered via some online system but requires students to come to a main campus on a monthly or quarterly basis. This type of program gives students the benefit of convenience with the face-to-face value of meeting with main professors occasionally. This method also provides the participant with some level of peer interaction to help stimulate learning.

On-Line Programs

Online programs deliver content either via material published on the internet (sometimes called roll and scroll programs) requiring the student to read excessive amounts of material from their computer screen or the online program may use a combination of video streaming or movie clips, downloadable reading material, asynchronous and synchronous communications, chat rooms or other types of discussion boards. Discussions can be conducted through email, dedicated intranets, or by using some interactive collaborative application that facilitates small group discussions.

Distance Programs

Distance program delivery differs from the online delivery in that there are more dynamics in the content delivery allowing the students to feel more engaged in the classroom environment.