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Abstract
Since their inception, business schools and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs have been the subject of debate, probing reports, harsh criticisms, intense competition, and increasing demands from stakeholders. Many business schools have reacted by engaging in introspection and reflective change. The development of MBA programs with alternative formats, including accelerated one-year programs, illustrate one responsive reform undertaken by select business schools. Yet, despite the proliferation of these programs with alternative formats, there remains little research on graduate management education and even fewer studies which focus on the one-year MBA option. This study endeavored to fill part of this gap through the examination of the one-year MBA programs at Boston University, Emory University, and Southern Methodist University. The primary source of data included the transcripts from semi-structured interviews with 20 administrators and faculty members at these three institutions. Web and archival documents also were analyzed to create comprehensive case stories for each of the programs. The purpose of the study was to gain a greater understanding of the emergence, value, and standing of one-year MBA programs within the greater landscape of professional business programs. Based on the comparative analysis of the case studies and existing literature, several key findings emerged, most notably that both market demands and economic pressures contributed to the emergence and development of one-year MBA programs. Additionally, this study found that one-year MBA programs can provide institutions with valuable market distinction as well as satisfy student demands for MBA programs to be faster and less expensive. An unanticipated finding was the discovery that de facto one-year programs have been an option for MBA students for the better part of the MBAs existence. Without being recognized as a formal alternative program, these de facto options have existed to serve MBA students who have completed business core courses at the undergraduate level. This unrecognized alternative format has offered students the ability to move through the curriculum at an accelerated pace and without repetition of previous coursework. After a discussion of these key findings, recommendations for practice and future research are offered.