View Full Version : OBU offers GMAT workshops at downtown campus



jbrown84
07-02-2007, 12:20 PM
OBU IGS Offers GMAT Workshop
June 22, 2007


As business professionals consider getting an MBA degree, Oklahoma Baptist University is seeking to help them prepare for a required graduate exam.

OBU’s International Graduate School is offering preparatory workshops for the Graduate Management Admissions Test in July. The workshops will meet from 6-10 p.m. on the first four Mondays in July. OBU IGS is located at 111 N. Harrison in downtown Oklahoma City.

The GMAT is required for application to most MBA degree programs, including the OBU IGS 18-month graduate program. Marian Combs, OBU director of graduate programs, said a review of basic concepts can significantly increase test results.

“The content of the workshops is progressive throughout the series,” Combs said. “The sessions include practice testing, helpful hints, strategic content review and strategies for dealing with test anxiety."

The July 2 session will cover arithmetic and sentence correction. On July 9, participants will receive instruction on algebra and reading comprehension. Word problems and critical thinking will be discussed on July 16. The July 23 session will focus on geometry and analytical writing.

Cost is $50 each session. Contact Combs at 405-319-8470 for more information.

Midtowner
07-02-2007, 01:02 PM
Is OBU's MBA program even accredited?

Midtowner
07-02-2007, 01:02 PM
Is their MBA program even accredited?

jbrown84
07-02-2007, 01:31 PM
I'm not sure.

jbrown84
07-02-2007, 01:40 PM
http://igs.okbu.edu/faqs.php?section=4&catid=4&id=11

Is this program accredited?

Yes. Oklahoma Baptist University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 North LaSalle St., Suite 2400, Chicago, Illinois 60602, (312) 263-0456 and approved to award a Master of Business Administration degree through the OBU International Graduate School.

Midtowner
07-02-2007, 02:33 PM
I always look at MBAs with a small bit of skepticism. At one time, I was considering an MBA.. a long time ago :)

At the time, I was working at UCO's college newscast as an anchor/reporter. My assignment one day was to interview outgoing Chancellor for the Oklahoma Board of Regents for Higher Ed, Hans Brisch. What a great guy. His proudest accomplishment as far as I could tell was that he had managed to keep the price of education in Oklahoma very low compared to the rest of the nation (and to no one's surprise, his retirement heralded the repeal in the legislatively mandated limits to tuition hikes, thus the annual double digit tuition hikes became a way of life.. thank you David Boren.. but I digress).

After my interview, we were basically talking about my plans for the future. Carl Renfro, who I think was chairman of the Board of Regents for Higher Ed was there as well. I mentioned I planned on getting an MBA. They had actually been discussing this very thing. Dr. Brisch had a study he'd been looking at which had concluded that the average student would gain more by simply entering the workforce versus getting an MBA. An interesting study to say the least. That's probably why so many MBA programs are night classes.

Personally, I couldn't for the life of me see why anyone would go to OBU, SNU or OCU for a post-grad degree which could be obtained just as easily at UCO. The price difference is ridiculous.

I'm paying $930/credit hour for law classes. I know MBA classes are a little cheaper at OCU, but not much.

jbrown84
07-02-2007, 02:41 PM
Same reason they go to those schools for undergrad. Better quality and a different perspective.

OBU's for example, is very internationally-focused.

Midtowner
07-02-2007, 02:52 PM
I'm not sure I'm with you on the quality. UCO's academics are as good as any other school in the state.

The international focus is interesting, but to some degree, aren't all MBA programs shifting to a more international focus since big business is doing that? It would just seem logical.

jbrown84
07-02-2007, 03:36 PM
I'm sure they are to some degree, but OBU's MBA includes a required 3 credit-hour trip to Europe, so I think they focus on that even more. That's really how they're marketing it if you view the website.

As for quality, you must agree that there is a difference between a second-teir state school and a liberal arts private college. People don't pay more money for those places just because they feel like it.

Midtowner
07-02-2007, 03:49 PM
I'm sure they are to some degree, but OBU's MBA includes a required 3 credit-hour trip to Europe, so I think they focus on that even more. That's really how they're marketing it if you view the website.

As for quality, you must agree that there is a difference between a second-teir state school and a liberal arts private college. People don't pay more money for those places just because they feel like it.

Honestly, I've seen what kids at OCU, OBU or OCUSA did versus what I did in the same field at UCO... we were always better than or equal to their academics. Further, we beat them as well as OU and OSU in most of the statewide competitions (broadcasting and forensics in my department).

I'm thinking what folks pay for for the small colleges is class size (we had very small classes at UCO), and the religious instruction. Also, I think people pay so their kids can be locked up in dorms with restrictive policies. I dated girls at both OCU and OCUSA -- it's almost not worth it. You have to have 'em in at 11PM every night.. can't go up to their rooms (OCU is much more liberal than OCUSA in that regard, I spent some time up in Evan's Hall).

As far as the 3 hour "required" trip.. I still don't see that as a big deal. Every MBA program at least has international stuff being an optional part of the degree. If someone wants their degree to focus on that, that's their own business... but I do see how that gives the school an excuse to jack the tuition up :)

jbrown84
07-02-2007, 04:04 PM
I don't know when you attended UCO, but I did broadcasting at OBU, and we have consistently dominated the OBEA student awards for at least a decade.


From a marketing standpoint, that is what they are going to tell you. Different focus, better location for a lot of people in business, smaller classes, etc.

There's a lot of discrepency in the cost of education at various places. People are going to choose different things. Sometimes it just comes down to "Oklahoma Baptist University" potentially looking better on a resume than "Northern Oklahoma State University". I can certainly tell you that I didn't choose OBU so that I would be "locked up" in the dorms.

Midtowner
07-02-2007, 04:55 PM
I don't know when you attended UCO, but I did broadcasting at OBU, and we have consistently dominated the OBEA student awards for at least a decade.

haha.. we claimed to do the same thing :)

The newscast the year before I came was I believe the top in the state. Anchoring was Amy McKree (sp?), you may have heard of her :) and my fraternity brother, Justin Earley who just left a smaller city in SE Texas to be the weekend anchor at Fox 16 in Little Rock.

-- really smart guy, btw.


From a marketing standpoint, that is what they are going to tell you. Different focus, better location for a lot of people in business, smaller classes, etc.

Again, I'm betting the class sizes are very similar. Most of my classes at UCO were around 20 people, sometimes fewer.


There's a lot of discrepency in the cost of education at various places. People are going to choose different things. Sometimes it just comes down to "Oklahoma Baptist University" potentially looking better on a resume than "Northern Oklahoma State University". I can certainly tell you that I didn't choose OBU so that I would be "locked up" in the dorms.

Yeah, but seriously, who is ever choosing between OBU and NOSU?