I have recently begun my MBA program at Seattle Pacific, and am already having some doubts- particularly with the quality/maturity of students. Can anyone share their experiences regarding this program?

Thanks!

Looking here http://businessschools.collegerecruiter.com/l/10/Seattle-Pacific-University-WA it seems that SPU is more expensive than the average MBA, but has a lower GMAT and less experienced students. It has low selectivity, so I'd imagine its niche is in accepting well-funded students who cannot get into top-200 business schools. The class is very small, so I'd imagine that the resourcing of the program will be modest. Reading http://www.spu.edu/depts/sbe/gr/faqs.asp I think that many of the courses are in the evening, so part-time students can attend.

There are several other schools with average GMATs around 530 and which are not too selective which still have better outcomes:
Marshall University (Lewis) (WV)
Ball State University (Miller) (IN)
University of Portland (Pamplin) (OR)
Central Michigan University (MI)
Suffolk University (Sawyer) (MA)
Montana State University.

I think these would be a better fit for most students with weak GMAT scores, unless they were looking in particular for a Christian college like SPU.

Thank you for your insight, JK!
Your assessment is quite accurate as most of the students are Boeing employees (the company pays for the program). Since I am a self-paying student, I would like to gain as much as possible out of the MBA program, especially in terms of networking. But many students seem rather uninterested (probably because a vast majority are in their mid-late 20's with little work experience).
I am actually thinking of applying to the Warwick DL MBA program since I think it may give me better (global) networking opportunities and the chance to work with students with similar work experience (12-15 years).
What are your thoughts on Warwick?

I appreciate the situation you're in. I actually started my MBA at one (okay) school, and ended up moving after one semester to another (much better) school.

The advice I give is: get in to the best program you can, and study in the country where you want to work. If you can, take an on-campus program rather than a DL one (or a DL one that is the most on-campus) because it's face-to-face group work and discussion that builds the real network. Warwick's network is mostly in the UK.

Are you on the full-time program or the part-time one?

I'm on the part-time program due to work/family, etc. I live in the US but my wife's family is all in the UK (she's hinted several times about wanting to be closer to her family). The DL program at Warwick seems to have the majority of students from outside the UK, which is a big reason for my consideration of the program.
Another factor adding to my dilemma is that people keep tellling me that it's not a good idea to change schools after just one class!

I'm not sure. The course you have taken is a sunk cost. You need to evaluate the value of the options available to you. Warwick isn't the only UK DL programme, so consider if a modular programme, like the Warwick EMBA, Cranfield EMBA or Euro*MBA might be better. Also consider any US courses with UK roots, like Manchester in Miami.

Thanks, JK. There are a lot of programs out there, which in my opinion, has contributed to the dilution of the MBA. I'm looking to change careers and will probably apply to the Warwick DL with the committment that if accepted, I will participate in more than the one required face-to-face module. This may help make the experience a more "blended" one.
I believe the EMBA's are all on-campus programs, but will look into them as well.
If you have any other suggestions please do share them with me.
Thanks!

If you can find an MBA where the on-campus sessions are long blocks, then perhaps an EMBA in Europe might be practical? The Warwick, Purdue-GISMA, Euro*MBA and other programmes are all modular, and even with the flights aded on it might cost you less than a US MBA of much lower standing. Look at the Manchester Global MBA in Miami - that is a nice blended programme with a European qualification that has US accreditation from the AACSB.

The Manchester Global MBA sounds interesting. I'll look into it at well. Since the Warwick program does not have any application fee, I have nothing to lose.
Please help me inderstand this- a modular program is easier to navigate, right? (I don't mean the content but rather the objectives, expectations, etc are more clearly defined).

The main difference with a modular programme is that there are fewer blocks of attendance. They are designed for an international group of commuting students.

Hi There,

I am an international student and recently procured admission in SPU MBA program. After reading this post I am in two minds if I should join SPU. I have admission in Rutgers-Camden Business school and Hamline University as well.

What are your recommendations for me, please let me know.

I can't imagine why you'd look at other schools if Rutgers is an option.