01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, January 4, 2005

BY LINDA BORG
Journal Staff Writer

Bryant University is offering a MBA program geared toward the stressed-out professional who is juggling the responsibilities of family and career while trying to earn a master's degree in business administration.

The new program combines the convenience of distance learning with the personal attention and academic rigor of a face-to-face classroom experience.

Graduate students can take some elective courses via computer. Unlike other programs, where students communicate with their professors strictly by e-mail, Bryant students, equipped with headsets, can participate in real-time discussions with their professors.

The virtual class simulates a regular one in nearly every way: the professor, using a microphone, presents a case study, and then students can break into small discussion groups or pose questions to the faculty member.

In an informal survey of other MBA distance learning programs, Bryant found that only 20 percent offer synchronous or real-time instruction, according to Keith Murray, associate dean of the School of Business.

"The faculty and the students could be anywhere in the world," said Kristopher Sullivan, director of graduate studies at Bryant. "We provide the software. All they need is a computer."

Because this program is designed for the working professional, students have the benefit of being able to work at their own pace. Morning people can study before they go to work; night people can put their children to bed before burning the midnight oil.

Thanks to the Internet, a professor can pose a discussion question online and students can respond at their own pace.

What really sets Bryant apart from its peers is the fact that students are required to meet with their professors. Each class typically meets for several hours, three to five times a semester, in addition to the online class sessions.

"We find that students really value the face-to-face time with their professors," Murray said. "When we remove the students and the professors from each other, that interaction is lost."

Bryant University began to explore the notion of online classes when it developed customized MBA programs, which are tailored to specific industries. Two classes of students from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport have graduated from this program under a special contract with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Approximately 100 graduate students are enrolled in the distance learning program, which was launched this fall. The courses, including e-marketing, computer ethics and accounting, are offered as electives. An MBA student can take 5 out of 16 classes online.

For more information about the program, call (401) 232-6529 or visit the university's Web site at www.bryant.edu.