Recent years have seen a growth in alternatives to traditional business education. Online options have promised more flexible study formats and often a more tailored approach towards knowledge and skills-building.
But at Quantic School of Business and Technology, blending elements of the traditional business school journey with a study experience that’s both accessible and engaging is the top priority.
Since the school was founded in 2014, more than 17,000 ambitious professionals have enrolled in its online programs, which include an MBA and Executive MBA, as well as specialized master's degrees and executive education.
Students have been attracted to its unique approach. Quantic MBA reviews highlight elements such as the innovative Quantic instructional learning method and the school’s use of edtech. More recently, the school has evolved alongside the rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI), further innovating students’ learning experience with an MBA that’s future-ready.
So, in a world that’s increasingly looking toward an AI-driven future, what does the MBA of the future look like?
Accessible learning through innovative course delivery
At the heart of the Quantic study experience are curricular elements that have long been part of the business school experience. Quantic MBA students learn about topics ranging from operations management to accounting to economics. Likewise, the EMBA teaches business fundamentals alongside leadership and corporate strategy.
With a stackable structure, each module is composed of several lessons covering the breadth of a topic. Students can access a summary of the highlights of each course, a list of resources, and a relevant case study.
However, unlike other pedagogies, Quantic students can learn all of this via a mobile app, accessible anywhere and at any time. They can learn at home, on the way to the office, or even download lessons to study on a plane—making the most of the opportunity to learn alongside busy schedules.
As they navigate the course material, students also have round-the-clock access to the school's AI Advisor, a chatbot powered by OpenAI which can respond to their questions regarding coursework, preparation for exams, and administrative queries including scheduling. Another tool, AI Tutor, can assist students in-class by answering questions directly related to lesson topics as they cover them.
“Most of the content I had been familiar with before, but I was most impressed with the way that Quantic lined it up and the way it was taught through the app,” explains Alex Fang, who graduated from the Quantic MBA in 2022. “It was one of the better mobile learning environments that I’d ever seen.
“They made it easy for you to learn, easy for you to digest things. All the content was in bite-sized increments, so it was very easy to absorb.”
Quantic modules are gamified to provide a more engaging learning experience. As they progress, students must refine their knowledge on each topic before undertaking final exams. Self-paced up-to a point, students can only take exams once all relevant course content has been completed. They must also complete them within a specific time frame.
This approach means Quantic students keep to a pace that’s more similar to traditional programs than most online alternatives. The MBA, for example, must be completed within 15 months. For Katarina Lechner (pictured), who recently graduated from the Quantic EMBA, this balanced approach was necessary to ensure she got the most from her studies.
“Because of the personality that I am, sometimes I need the pressure of a deadline to finish things off,” she explains.
Maintaining traditional benefits of an MBA
Alongside pacing, Quantic MBA and EMBA students can also avail themselves of several other opportunities more often associated with in-person than online degrees.
Much of the Quantic learning experience involves students working together during group projects. Using a networking tool on the Quantic platform, they can find fellow students in nearby areas to collaborate with.
“You get the materials that you have to work on, then within the group you need to figure out how you will work, and how you’ll meet up and communicate, just like any real-life project,” explains Katarina.
The same tool can be used to connect with alumni across the globe. It also provides students with the ability to find and attend community events run by Quantic, as well as the school’s clubs and associations.
Katarina, who studied the Quantic EMBA while living and working in Switzerland, used the networking tool to engage with a community of around 60 Quantic alumni and students based in Zurich.
“They have quite a big community here already, which surprised me actually,” she explains, adding that those she met were often like-minded professionals with similar interests to her own.
Other forums and channels allow members of the Quantic community to support each other with career advice and even sharing job offers. Likewise, while studying the program, students can easily connect with professors if they have questions.
“As much as you want to invest in it, you can,” says Katarina.
Unlocking career potential
Like all forms of business education, the Quantic learning experience is designed to benefit students when it comes to both launching and progressing in the next stages of their careers.
For Alex, he reflects that enrolling in the Quantic MBA without having to take time out of his career made it a better fit for his own journey. Studying the Quantic MBA allowed him to gain a more holistic understanding of business, which was helpful when planning his next steps.
"It was a good way for me to kind of rethink the how I looked at my career and how I looked at just business in general," he says.
For Katarina, enhancing her knowledge with core business expertise in areas such as finance, strategy, and entrepreneurship benefited her in real-time as she was able to apply them in her role as head of product at IT services firm, Legartis, where she continues to work today.
“I utilized quite a lot of things because that was the class we were taking at the time, so it gave me some interesting perspectives that I wanted to try out,” she says.
She feels that taking the step to gain further education via the Quantic EMBA will give her an edge as she continues to progress in her career: "This is really something that fits with your work life—it's a very big plus that can set you apart from other candidates."
