The Business Question:

The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University is a robust business school that offers multiple MBA options for aspiring professionals.

The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University wants to revise its business school class format and potentially add a hybrid learning option to attract more students from a broader geography by giving them greater flexibility.

The school wanted to understand the size of the market for a part-time MBA program, the impact of moving from in-person to hybrid, and what prospective students are looking for in an MBA program.

This is where MDRG came in.

The Approach:
A Hybrid Approach For A Hybrid Program

MDRG recommended a two-phased approach involving both qualitative and quantitative survey methodologies.

First, we ran a qualitative study amongst current students and alumni to understand the pros and cons, as well as the interest in each format: in-person, remote, and hybrid.

Then, we validated the qualitative findings through quantitative research. This method also helped determine the size of the market for part-time MBA students among consumers in New Orleans and the surrounding communities, and the impact of moving from in-person to hybrid.

This approach allowed us not only to judge the general interest in and market potential for a hybrid program, but also deeply gauge students’ motivations for selecting that format, and barriers to enrollment.

This research will inform the way The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University positions the program, and how they structure it to help appeal to more students both locally and from a broader geography by giving them greater flexibility.

This helped The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University learn...

• The value of the 'Tulane' Brand
• The program format that gives The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University an edge in competing with rivals
• The program format that gives The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University the broadest reach  
• The rank order and magnitude of the importance of the components (brand, cost, money, concentrations) on the ultimate decision of where to go

What Did We Deliver?

With the hybrid qualitative-quantitative approach, MDRG was able to deliver a full understanding of the MBA journey, from consideration to graduation. The quantitative market sizing will help inform where to focus their recruitment efforts and what their expected ROI could be in those areas.

We also were able to deliver a much more in-depth profile of what prospective students are looking for in an MBA program and where they see the value—both from the degree and from the school itself.

Using this information, MDRG made informed recommendations on how to move forward with the hybrid MBA program with data-backed insights and qualitatively-substantiated findings.

The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University will use this information to launch its hybrid program and further strengthen its position as an educational leader in the New Orleans area.

With a better understanding of the market, The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University is poised to launch a hybrid program that meets the needs of prospective students.