Format

Flexibility
Whitman iMBA students are required to attend one-week residencies three times per year during their enrollment in the program. Following the residencies, students participate in their courses on an asynchronous basis using a Web-based course management system. This format allows students the flexibility to organize their learning time in concert with their professional and personal lives. There are no required meeting times per week, although classes may involve a weekly assignment. Students typically complete the iMBA program in three years.

The Residency Week - About Syracuse, NY
The residency week is the start of the iMBA experience each term. Residencies are offered on the SU campus in January, May, and August in Syracuse, NY. A residency week begins on a Saturday and concludes after the last class the following Thursday. During the residency week, students take exams and classes. Classes are taught by the same faculty who teach in the full-time MBA program. Faculty have no other teaching commitments during the residency week. Residency classes are similar to those in a traditional program with more intense class time and concentrated material. Outside of residency class hours students spend time reading, working on assignments, attending events, and getting to know classmates and faculty. Optional additional residencies are offered periodically in other cities in the U.S. and abroad.

The Web-based Weeks
The time between the residencies is the heart of the iMBA experience. The iMBA program utilizes BlackBoard technology for course management and communications. This online collaboration tool allows students and faculty to easily maintain contact and share information across time zones. Between residencies, students are busy completing assignments and preparing for upcoming exams. Final exams are proctored and are taken on-campus on the first day of the following residency.

International Residencies
Additional optional residencies are offered periodically abroad. International residencies offer unparalleled opportunities for a study abroad experience in a professional, intensive setting. Students typically take one or two courses in connection with the international residency. It is possible to participate in multiple international residencies during a student’s enrollment in the iMBA program. Past sites have included: London, Bermuda, Shanghai, Dublin, and Florence.