NSAtoMBA

I saw the message that we can use FIN 740 as an alternative to one of the Data Analytics requirements, but I don't see it on the course rotation. Anyone have any insight as to which terms they might be offering this class (other than Spring AP2)?

Unless I make changes to AP2, I'll only have MKT 701 and ISDS 710 remaining after Spring. Looking to replace ISDS 710 but I don't want to take 740 until I've done FIN 701 this AP2.

From the description, 740 sounds like it might be a more difficult class but much more applicable than ISDS 710 from a DA perspective.

This is completely off topic of the LSUS MBA but it just blew my mind. I know most people don't take Liberal Arts very seriously but I find this ridiculous.

I was looking thru the LSUS catalog and stumbled onto their Masters in Liberal Arts program. Ten 3-credit classes sounds on par with other graduate programs, including ours, BUT five of those classes are 3-hr seminars/lectures. A sixth class is a workshop where you work on writing a thesis draft. Another class is simply submitting the written thesis. That class is only graded on a pass/fail basis but I guess fail is too harsh of a word so they call it pass/no credit. So three electives is the only real coursework to get your graduate degree. The first core class in the program is LA701; a 3-hr seminar defending Liberal Arts as being a worth-while education.

Still costs the same as any other Masters degree... just an accredited diploma mill?

ramzy, you have email

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I just got an email from the MBA program telling me I need to take a 35 question Proctorio proctored end of program exam as part of their AACSB accreditation. While this is not a "test" as they put it (wont impact GPA, graduation or anything) I wonder what the content will be like. Hoping its not ISDS705 heavy! Anyone else get this email?

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Although I'm well over 20 years into my career, I just finished my undergrad in Business a couple of years ago (also from an AACSB school) -- so my experience there may have some bearing. In that program, everyone had a Capstone class as the final class before graduation. The last assignment in that final class was to take an external assessment, quite possibly the same as you are being asked to take. In LSUS it is not part of any one class (probably because we don't have a specified final class at the end of our program) and has ZERO bearing. With my previous school, you might as well say it had no bearing. I think it accounted for < 0.5% of our grade in that final class... but they wanted us to take it.

The test was all-encompassing and gave results at the end showing your percentile ranking compared to students finishing Bachelors in Business degrees as well as MBAs. I believe it also showed how the school matches up.

I was apprehensive about taking it because, well, I didn't want to realize that I didn't learn crap compared to other business students or feel like my school didn't teach me anything. I briefly considered not taking the test since I was going to get an A whether I took it or not... BUT it was interesting to see how I stacked up. It helped give me a better appreciation for what I got out of my undergrad degree program since I ranked very high among other BBAs and even scored well among MBAs.

We occasionally debate on this board as to the depth of our LSUS education compared to other business schools. Some say that, at a fraction of the cost, we get the same education without the name recognition of "better" schools. Some say LSUS is just sub-standard education compared to "better" schools. This test may be your one chance to answer those questions for yourself. If you bomb the test, who else is gonna see??? Perhaps it puts heat on LSUS to improve. If you do well, you reaffirm to yourself that you made a good decision in choosing LSUS.

Anyway, there are reasons to take it and reasons to pass it by... just wanted to pass on my somewhat recent experience (if it is, in fact, the same assessment).

I took the LSUS program for the same reasons as most of you. I would have preferred a local option allowing me to interact/network/study with professionals in my area, but that wasn't practical and also a very acceptable loss for all the benefits of LSUS online.

I see incessant grumblings about a few classes being overly tedious with minimal benefit; sometimes it is just a specific instructor while sometimes it seems to be the class... regardless of instructor. I really don't want to invest 40 hrs per week in a course without getting a ton of bang for that buck (other than our piece of paper at the end).

I'm thinking of mitigating both the above issues by taking a couple of classes locally. General LSUS guidelines are that we MAY be approved to transfer in six Masters-level credits (two classes). With that said, I will have the following classes remaining:

ISDS 710
MADM 760
MKTG 701
FIN 701

I'm looking at trying to take MKTG 701 and MADM 760 locally. I hear FIN 701 is hard but educational and beneficial. ISDS 710 seems in total disarray but may be decent if they iron out the "R" bugs... or I can replace it with FIN 740 which could be very difficult but teach me a ton.

Am I exaggerating the bad work/benefit ratio of MKT 701 or MADM 760 or does this seem like a rational course of action? Has anyone else transferred in credits after starting the LSUS program?

Geaux,

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The job market for senior-level leadership within the small geography I'm tied to is fierce.

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You're in the Atlanta area right? I work a bit outside of Atlanta, in Augusta. What industry are you in?

I'll respond... but only so I can mock Pine :-)

Sorry, nothing to add on the LSU question; I'm in the Shreveport program.

Baroq,

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That passion for the subject shines through and drives his passion to help others love it, or at least learn it. The class is NOT easy, I struggled pretty hard and put in countless hours every night in order to barely earn my A. My strategy was going over the three assignments and assessments over and over again until I was absolutely sure my answers were 100% correct. By getting mostly 100's on the "easier" stuff, I was able to squeak past the end of week assessments.

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Almost five weeks down in the class and all your insights to ECON705 are bearing true. I instinctively started taking the same route as you did... control what I can by making sure I got 100s on all the preliminaries each week so that I have a little wiggle room on the final assessments.

Dr. S constant engagement in the class is showing and everything is just clicking now because of his explanations. He puts in huge effort. I totally see his "Gold Status" now.

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That sounds like a good plan. I didn't know earlier, but it seems ISDS 702 is a good preliminary course for more than just ECON 705.

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I see the announcement for FIN740 actually recommended ISDS 702 as a good class to take first. I really think the school push this as a preliminary class to be taken as early in the program as possible.

GeauxUF and Baroqen - I very much appreciate all your insights.

Understand what you say about gold standard does not equate to easy. I'm actually excited about this class. There is a ton I can learn and apply to my work life, just hope I didn't dig myself in too much of a hole in the first week. With the way he grades, it is hard to recover from any one bad week. Regardless, will benefit from the class and he IS a very engaged instructor.