Hello,

I know there has been discussion on this, but I am trying to evaluate based on newer information as some time has passed.

It seems like the BU online MBA although it does not have the specializations explicitly identified as UIUC iMBA has, BU seems to have more interactive and real-world approach to their teaching at least based on my current understanding of both.

iMBA is a Coursera mixed with Blackboard, it has 1 hour (or more?) lectures of talking heads (which does not work well for me), whereas BU is more interactive, is this the case?

I find that more hands on coursework whether with other students or alone works best for me personally, watching endless videos, anything longer than 8 mins. average starts to become anti-productive to my learning experience.

Does anyone have any insight into either of these programs and if either is more or less hands-on, interactive, exploring real-world scenarios, rather than being lectured to?

Also any other pros/cons are helpful.

Thank you for your assistance in advance.

There is a good thread comparing them. The big difference is that the iMBA is much bigger: more than 50 percent more credits than Boston, and the time period cannot be extended. So, it's a more deeply assessed, more extensive MBA with more of a cohort approach. 

You're looking for something that's purely synchronous. Although the BU program does have some synchronous lectures (like one 2-hour session per week), the bulk of the rest will be videos and other asynchronous learning. 

I think something like the IE Global MBA has more live lectures, but all Online MBAs to some degree will include videos longer than 8 minutes long. 

QUESTROM'S ONLINE MBA DEVALUES REPUTATION

Buyer beware! BU's Questrom OMBA program positioning is not on par with their on-campus MBA. The apparent value proposition of their OMBA derives from the on-campus program's reputation and the low entry price. But the OMBA quality isn't competitive with substitutes in this segment.
Without any data to value the program, Questrom's OMBA is riding on the reputation of it's on-campus MBA. But the the strength of correlation between a school's online and on-campus programs is generally weak. That's why online programs are ranked separately.

If your MBA investment is in the $24K USD range, then you'll get a better value from MacQuarie or Gies. But if the burnish of an MBA from BU has hypnotized you, then prepare yourself for this:

It's confusing and error prone. They've created a custom mishmash of learning platform technologies. Expect confusion for one to two months. Monitor your grades for omissions after you've submitted assignments.

It's frustrating. The professors lack sound pedagogy for online instruction. (Coursera is better.) If English is your second language, you will need outside help. Many of the assessments are poorly designed and some are biased to American English. Regardless, expect to petition at least one of your assessment scores.

It's demoralizing. Everyone running the OMBA program is overstretched. They have no time for personalization. They're also clear that you are free to exit the program if you don't like it.

Strongly correlating Questrom's online MBA and on-campus MBA programs is a mistake. If anything, in its current condition, the OMBA program would devalue Questrom's on-campus reputation. You can get a better quality education elsewhere. Include European countries in your search and you'll uncover many high value offerings.

Buyer, you've been warned!

I don't think anything here is specific to Questrom or US business schools broadly. In every case, the online MBA is more limited in its scope and experience than the on campus MBA. That is, surely, unsurprising and the reason why online MBAs are discounted. 

In similar news, the smallest Volkswagen is less spacious than the largest.