Master's in Business Administration - "Ships@Sea"
The Ships@Sea Masters Degree Courses in Business Administration (MBA) is a partnership between Old Dominion University and United States Navy forces afloat.
MBA Ships at Sea Overview
Old Dominion University is approved by Navy College "Program For Afloat Education (NCPACE) to offer three "core" courses from its MBS program, via live, interactive television to suitably equipped ships. The full degree is a 48-credit hour program accredited by the International Association for Management Education (AACSB), the premier accreditation agency for degree programs in business administration and accounting. With such accreditation, the NCPACE courses are highly transferable. NCPACE students are admitted provisionally, permitting temporary waiver of GMAT until/unless applying for normal degree candidacy.
Program delivery is accomplished by linking Old Dominion University's "TELETECHNET" with the Navy-Marine Corps VTT Network. Transmission is two-way audio and video at 128 KBS. A ship-designated classroom is outfitted with monitors, microphones, a VCR and VTT connection equipments by Navy contractors. Participating units in the same battle group are linked by "simulcast" wherein each vessel sees the professor, and occasionally each other, when asking questions. Classes are supported by frequent student-professor email. The professor views all ships on a rotating basis.
The general format for deployments is either one or two courses per each "ship semester". Typically, the first semester provides one course, while one or two courses may be scheduled during the second semester, based on enrollments. Class duration is four hours, generally commencing at 1800 local time on the lead ship. Other units adjust class time based on time zone difference. As a result, the professor may be teaching around the clock to ensure a standard delivery time on deployed ships. All stations activate one hour prior to class, per a formatted message/mail from the lead ship. Each broadcast is recorded by both the ship and Old Dominion to provide backups for absentees, and cover signal disruptions.
Old Dominion pioneered the delivery of live interactive graduate courses to ships at sea in 1996 and is presently the single institution offering this education under NCPACE. Most aircraft carriers and large amphibious ships have participated during deployments, and occasionally in the United States. Classes typically consist of officers (01-06) and enlisted (E3-E9) of which two thirds are Ship's Force and the remainder embarked Air Wings and staffs. Carrier enrollments average 20-25 per course and amphibious units 15. The largest classes to date were 40 (USS EISENHOWER) and 23 (USS NASSAU), with a maximum of three battle groups (6 ships) simultaneously supported (four LANT deployers, two PACIFIC).
