Getting started with omba
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions for getting started with OMBA! Students with access to the BU Virtual Campus should review the knowledge center for additional articles with further information about general questions and procedures.
OMBA Technology
OMBA students regularly utilize the following technologies:
– Blackboard (Learning Management System) is where the course content is housed.
– BU Virtual Campus is where you can schedule appointments with and contact your Learning Facilitator and/or Student Success Specialist, submit helpdesk tickets, engage with Affinity Groups and events, and receive messaging.
– MyBU Student Portal houses student information related to: course history, grades/transcripts, contact information, graduation, compliance.
– Yellowdig (Discussion Board System) is where you can comment and post relevant material that supports in-class learning and academic content (accessible only through your course folder on Blackboard)
– Feedback Fruits (Peer to Peer Engagement Tool) is where students can peer review content and provide reflection to feedback. (accessible only through your course folder on Blackboard)
– Pronto (Communication Software) is where students can engage with each other informally. (accessible through your course folder on Blackboard and as a mobile app)
– Students also use BU Connects, OMBA LinkedIn, Whatsapp and Discord groups to stay connected; these forums are not used as formal channels of communication for the program but rather for informal communication and networking between students. They are not regularly monitored by OMBA staff.
Yellowdig may be accessed through the Blackboard course. Within the course, you will see a prompt that looks like this: Discussion | Yellowdig for Module. Click the prompt and you will be directly sent to the Yellowdig tool designated for your specific mod.
Feedback Fruits is an integrated tool within Blackboard, and you will login only through Blackboard and do not need to log in separately. You will be automatically directed to Feedback Fruits from the links in Blackboard for assignments that are utilizing the platform (i.e. assignments that require peer feedback).
Feedback Fruits assignments will always have two deadlines in a given week, and students are required to complete the first part of the assignment on time in order to be able to participate in the second part of the deliverable. Failure to submit part 1 by the posted due date will result in being automatically locked out of part 2 of the assignment.
Course/Mod Related
All syllabi are released when the Module launches. Syllabi for your class will be located in the “What You Need to Know” folder on Blackboard. Syllabi cannot be distributed in advance of the Mod’s start date.
Organization and weekly processes will always be at the discretion of the student, as the student would know what works best for them, personally. However, the OMBA Team always recommends that students utilize the “Plan Your Week” spreadsheet that is available with every content release in Blackboard throughout your time in the OMBA Program. This spreadsheet can be downloaded in excel and the student can edit or manipulate the spreadsheet in a way that is clearest for their own work and mental processes.
OMBA adheres to a very strict late policy and assignments will not be reopened for late submissions. If you have an emergency or extenuating circumstance, please contact your Learning Facilitator through the BU Virtual Campus > Support. You will be asked for any supporting documentation to support your request. Please keep in mind, shifting or busy work schedules do not meet the requirement for an emergency or extenuating circumstance. As noted in the syllabi, late team assignments will not be accepted under any circumstances. Please review the OMBA Student Handbook on the main page of the BU Virtual Campus for more information.
Due to copyright issues, course content videos cannot be downloaded. They can be viewed within the content folder in Blackboard.
Yes, Live Sessions are recorded, and you can find those recordings in the ‘Mod Live Session Recordings & Presentations’ folder in your Blackboard course folder. Recordings are posted in this same folder by the end of the day each Friday after the Live Session.
Yes, each module (1-6) consists of weekly Live Sessions (AM and PM sessions), and a number of those Live Sessions are mandatory for the module. These dates are articulated to students in advance of the module and again in the syllabi and require active participation in the required Live Sessions. Attendance at the mandatory Live Sessions is tracked. Important content that reinforces the learning is communicated during the Live Sessions.
For MOD 1, for the five required live session dates, students must attend the session they have been assigned to with their team. For any of the non-required live session dates, students can switch back and forth between am and pm sessions and choose which one fits their schedule that week. Students should look at their mod’s syllabus for the required live session dates for the given semester. Required live dates are also available on the current students webpage.
AM/PM requirements and live session dates will vary by module. Students have the opportunity to change their AM/PM preference with every registration window. For returning students, the required Intent to Register form that students need to complete will ask for students to submit their preferred time for an upcoming semester.
No, your teams will change each Mod. Teaming is an integral part of the OMBA curriculum and having the opportunity to learn and refine your teaming skills with a different team each Mod allows for an iterative cycle of teaming. Teams are generated by various sets of demographics (i.e., industry, location, time zone, etc.) and will shift from mod to mod.
OMBA does not accept requests for teaming assignments under any circumstances.
Yes, you will have a capstone or final project in every Mod. The capstone will be different and tailored to the specific pedagogical needs of that Mod’s content. Information about each capstone or final project will be communicated to you during the semester.
Required course materials for OMBA modules will always be available in a digital format. Specific materials (textbooks, course packs, case studies) will vary by Mod. More information about the required books/materials will be shared with students enrolled for the given mod.
Physical textbooks may be available for purchase if a student wishes to obtain a hardcopy of a book, but OMBA will never require students to purchase physical books – everything will be available online. Students are advised to wait until they receive instruction from the teaching team to purchase materials and to avoid trying to purchase prior to the launch of the course.
Out of pocket expenses to students is not likely to exceed $350-$450 per module and we strive for the course materials to cost significantly less than that.
Yes, you will retain access to the Blackboard course for each Mod for five years from the date of completion of the course. We recommend saving any material that you hope to retain long-term. This is a friendly reminder that some course content will not available for saving or for download as it is considered intellectual property of Boston University.
Career & Networking
The Online MBA is best suited for mid-career working professionals with several years of work experience. The program may not be the best fit for those students looking to make a major career change. While at this time one-on-one appointments with Questrom career staff are not a service offering, Online MBA students may attend any on-campus events that are not restricted to a certain population – similar to all BU and Questrom students. Population restrictions are visible on event calendars and on our recruitment site (Handshake). Online MBA Students will have access to the BU and Questrom online networking platforms and recruitment site. In addition, students will have access to a number of online career resources available to all BU online students.
The OMBA program offers career workshops and virtual networking events catered to its students every semester. Current students with access should check the Events page on the BU Virtual Campus OMBA Link site for upcoming events.
Affinity Groups, Success Team events, BU Connects, and OMBA Facebook and Instagram groups also provide opportunities to create connections and network with other students.
Affinity Groups are a vehicle for meeting and networking with other OMBA students with whom you share common interests, industries, or demographics. To view and join Affinity Groups, visit the BU Virtual Campus>Connect. If you are interested in starting a new Affinity Group, please reach out to your Success Specialist to learn about the process.
OMBA Students do not have access to the MBA Center Portal – that website is designed specifically for residential students only.
Membership to certain residential student organizations is at the discretion of that particular club and interested OMBA students are responsible for reaching out to the student leaders directly. OMBA staff is not involved with memberships of residential student clubs.
We strongly advise OMBA students engage in our online community by joining and participating in Affinity Groups on OMBA Link to build community with your online peers to enhance the OMBA experience.
Grading
Final grades are posted no later than 72 business hours after the last day of the mod. Students can access their grades via the MyBU Student Portal. Please note: final grades will NOT be posted on Blackboard and cannot be released early under any circumstances.
If your employer requires documentation for reimbursement, students should visit the Employer Reimbursement article from the Knowledge Center on the BU Virtual Campus.
Students can track their performance in several ways: points earned in Blackboard are visible for most assignments and students can view and track their participation points in Yellowdig for a general understanding of their performance within the course. At the mid-point in the term (approx. Week 7), the OMBA Success Team will send Mid-Semester Progress Notifications to students who are below the expectation of satisfactory performance or on the cusp of not meeting satisfactory performance. Students who do not receive a mid-semester warning notice are not at risk of unsatisfactory performance at the time letters are sent out. Students are invited to reach out to their Learning Facilitator or their Success Specialists via Virtual Campus Support throughout each semester to touch base about their performance in their module if there are any questions or concerns.
OMBA follows the wider-Questrom School of Business grading standards.
OMBA utilizes the following grade categories: A, A–, B+, B, B–, C+, C, C–, and F. OMBA follows Questrom grading guidelines when assigning these letter grades. The guidelines are designed to encourage rigorous standards and prohibit grade inflation across both online and in-person programs. For typical classes, about 40% of the class will receive an A or A-. Grades in the C+, C, or C- range are legitimate passing grades and used in the case of low-performing students. OMBA also utilizes the grade of F for students who fail to meet minimum requirements. Students must have at least a 2.7 cumulative GPA or higher at the time of program completion in order to qualify for graduation.
This excerpt is published in every module’s syllabus every semester.
The Student Handbook is your best resource for grading information and related policies. The Handbook can be accessed through the BU Virtual Campus, available on the home page as well as on the Resources tab.
Financing
Though no institutional scholarships are available, the goal of Questrom Graduate Financial Aid is to make your graduate degree financially possible. Our staff will work with you to review financing options, determine eligibility, and help you select the best possible means for securing your degree. More information on financial aid can be found here.
At this time, we do not offer scholarships to online students; however, scholarships are available from a variety of external sources.
More information on tuition and how to pay your bill can be found here.
Students can review the Key Semester Dates charts on the current students page for deadlines specific to upcoming semesters.
General Student Experience
The OMBA academic calendar and key semester dates can be found here.
Students do not need to submit a request to have their ID mailed to them – IDs are sent to all newly enrolled students towards the middle of their entering semester and the OMBA Success Team will communicate this process to all students after the semester has started. ID cards are mailed via standard U.S. mail to the home address listed on file for each student in the MyBU Student Portal (please note that the home address is different from the local address). OMBA is not responsible for ID cards that may get lost in the mail. For more information, please visit the BU ID Card Knowledge Article on OMBA Link.
Current students with access to the BU Virtual Campus should navigate to the Resources page of OMBA Link to explore the multitude of resources available to OMBA students. Here, students can find helpful information such as:
– The official OMBA Student Handbook
– Communications & Engagement Guidelines for Online Students
– BU’s Generative AI policy
– Past event recordings and resources
– Access to BU’s Educational Resource Center (ERC) for various student success workshops and support
– Course planning & information
– and more!
Yes, all BU graduate students must complete the sexual misconduct prevention training by the deadline.
Access to the training will be shared with all students via BU Email by BU Student Health Services and it is expected that all students will regularly monitor their email inbox and take necessary action to complete the required training. Failure to complete the training by the deadline will result in a registration hold, and we will be unable to register you for your next course. Sexual Misconduct Training information and troubleshooting tips can be found here:
While the Online MBA does not have official pre-requisites beyond earning an undergraduate degree and meeting all admission requirements, some skills are helpful for success in the program: Excel, MBA Math, PowerPoint, and business writing are helpful for all students. Learn more about how you can prepare for the Online MBA here.
Your Student Success Specialist will support you from the start of your program to graduation. When it comes to your student experience, advising, and university resources, they are your first stop. Your Success Specialist will help you navigate the program and your life as an online student. They will help plan your schedule, share best practices for learning online, suggest ways to engage in the program community, and guide you to the various university resources you may need to enable your success in the Online MBA program. Your personal student success specialist will communicate with you regularly as you continue on this learning journey.
You can contact your Success Specialist by submitting a ticket on the Support page of the BU Virtual Campus.
Each semester, your POD (your 50-person learning group in the module) will have an assigned Learning Facilitator. They serve as your subject matter expert for each module and they are available to help you with all course related material. They will communicate with you on a regular basis about your coursework & grading, hold office hours, and be available for one-on-one meetings. When it comes to questions about your courses, they are your first stop.
Your Learning Facilitator will change with every module. You can contact your Learning Facilitator by submitting a ticket on the Support page of the BU Virtual Campus.
Please note: for Mod 0 only, you will not have a Learning Facilitator. You will meet your assigned Learning Facilitator upon the launch of Mod 1.
You will meet your assigned Success Specialist during Mod 0. Your Success Specialist assignment will remain the same for the duration of your time in the OMBA program.
You will meet your Mod 1 Learning Facilitator just before the launch of Mod 1. Your Learning Facilitator assignment will change with each module.
You can find your assigned Success Specialist and Learning Facilitator in the Support page of the BU Virtual Campus.
While we typically only offer year-long deferrals for military or medical reasons, we do have a bit more flexibility for those looking to change entry terms by one semester (from the spring to the fall, for example). Deferral requests should be submitted by email to omba@bu.edu. If a deferral is granted, the non-refundable tuition deposit is still required to hold your seat in the class. This deposit will be applied to your first semester tuition bill.
Requests for deferrals must be received no later than 10 days prior to the launch of your Mod 0 pre-work.
Please note, tuition is charged at time of matriculation and is subject to change.
Newly admitted students are automatically registered for both Mods 0 and 1 for their first semester. Incoming students do not need to complete an Intent to Register form for their first term.
Returning students should review the Registration Process articles available on the Knowledge Center of the BU Virtual Campus for information about registering or taking a leave of absence for future semesters.
Graduation/Commencement
Yes, all OMBA students will be invited to participate in commencement ceremonies on campus. Boston University holds commencement once a year in May, and students who have completed their coursework in January, May, or August of that year are eligible to participate.
The OMBA Success Team has curated a Commencement and Graduation Information webpage designed specifically for OMBA students – https://omba.bu.edu/current-students/grad-info/
After you graduate, you will have access to all the services and benefits available to Boston University and Questrom Alumni, which includes limited access to BU Libraries’ resources. For a list of these resources, please visit the BU Libraries website: https://www.bu.edu/library/services/alumni/
You can also see Alumni resources for OMBA students here – https://omba.bu.edu/alumni/