Online Student Experience at Seattle U
Faculty at the Albers School of Business and Economics are here to do more than simply teach a class. They’re here to convey a set of human ideals alongside overarching best business practices. To help students like you fully grasp the intent of our Online MBA program, our expert faculty members are committed to delivering a hands-on learning experience that keeps you engaged and facilitates close connection with your cohort peers.
Our online student experience is designed to elevate this engaging, professionally focused approach. From the intuitive structure of our online learning management system and the features designed for real-time interaction and collaboration to the accessible points of contact and remote technical support, our online student experience is all about giving you a dynamic space in which to learn and succeed.
Student Success Coordinators
Faculty and cohort peers will support your online student experience at Seattle University, and there is more. Once you have been accepted into the Online MBA and are ready to enroll in classes, you will be connected to a Student Success Coordinator who will work with you for the duration of the program. Your Student Success Coordinator will then help you create a personalized success plan—ensuring you reach graduation day in your desired time frame—and they will provide dedicated support as you work through registration, navigate the online learning management system, and manage your finances.
We Support Your Success
Your extended Seattle U network includes cutting-edge technology features, comprehensive academic advising and career services, 24/7 access to technical support, and more. Learn more about the full range of support services available to you as an online student—contact an admissions outreach advisor today.
Video Transcript
I definitely appreciate them being very understanding of everything. You know, understanding that we have work, understanding that we have families, uh, and being able to with us, being able to ensure that we succeed within the program. And I thought that was very beneficial. Uh, I would always be able to email my professors and get a timely response, which was perfect.
How I was prepared for my career goals was because I had a very great support system. Uh, and a part of that, a component of that support system was my student success coordinator, a shout out to Holly.
And then as well as my classmates. Um, they were very supportive. They were very helpful. Uh, if I didn't understand something I always had someone I can turn to, to kinda really help me out and push me along the way. My instructors were very supportive and very helpful, uh, and very understanding. I think that's the largest component for me, is being understanding because, you know, in life we go through a lot of different things, a lot of things have changed. A lot of things can happen, but you know, being able to work with people that can understand, you know, changing environments is very, very important.
Seattle U made sure that their professors are great instructors, as well as their people, as well, that can kinda relate to the students.
New Online Student Orientation
Our online experience is a student-centered, holistic experience. So, before your first class, you will be asked to participate in the Albers New Online Student Orientation. This interactive virtual seminar is another step toward ensuring your success in our online graduate business programs, as this is a dedicated opportunity to get answers to any questions you may have about studying online, program specifics, matriculation, remote engagement, and other relevant topics.
During orientation, you will:
- Feel prepared for your program and life after graduation as you gain access to all of the university’s perks and benefits, including career services and alumni connections
- Begin to feel empowered and connected to the Seattle business community
Hosted by your Student Success Coordinator, the New Online Student Orientation includes the following topics:
- Introduction to Seattle University and the Albers School of Business and Economics
- Tips for managing work-life balance while in graduate school
- Expectations for program participation and performance
- Academic policies and standards
- Navigating the learning management system
- Best practices for studying and networking online
Residency Retreat: An Exclusive Online MBA Experience
In early October 2019, the first cohort of the Online MBA program traveled to Bastyr University, just outside Seattle, for the inaugural Online MBA residency retreat weekend. These lucky few were the first online students to enjoy this transformational event that has been a cornerstone of the MBA experience at Albers for years.
Below, we’ve recapped some highlights from this exciting weekend to give you a glimpse of how it forges strong bonds with your classmates, jumpstarts your development as an empathetic leader, and helps you hit the ground running on your Online MBA coursework. Learn more about the Online MBA residency retreat.
Form Meaningful Bonds
The residency retreat weekend offered plentiful opportunities for students to meet, bond, and network, both scheduled and spontaneous. The weekend kicked off with an ice-breaking happy hour near Seattle University’s Capitol Hill campus; closed with a formal brunch featuring Albers’ faculty and leadership; and was interspersed with many other opportunities to chat, share a meal, and build relationships.
Grow Together in the Great Outdoors
Even though it took place on a university campus, the retreat was not confined to the classroom. Online MBA students worked together to complete a challenging rope course, engaged in other participatory team-building activities like trust falls, and separated into groups for guided and informal conversations, all surrounded by the beautiful natural scenery for which the Pacific Northwest is famous.
Learn Like a Professional
Everything our students encountered over the course of the weekend was part of it for a reason. The entire experience has been built on a foundation of adult learning (or “andragogy”) theory, a set of principles that empowers adult learners to take part in their instruction, provides space for experience and mistakes as the basis for learning, emphasizes direct relevance to adult learners’ lives, and focuses on problem-solving rather than memorizing rote content.
Don’t Forget the Nuts and Bolts
The final day of the weekend saw our Online MBA students meet their faculty in person over brunch and take part in a program covering the goals and mission of the Online MBA program and some key administrative information all new students need to know. It was a welcome return to reality that left our students refreshed and ready to tackle any challenge that might come their way in the first quarter of their coursework.
