I think the network is a huge factor.

我覺得網路是一大要素。

I feel like an MBA for me is a second chance.

我覺得 MBA 是另一個機會。

Is an MBA worth it?

MBA 真的值得嗎？

It's a question that many prospective students, like these, are asking themselves.

這是許多申請者，就像這些人，不斷問自己的問題。

Until recently, getting an MBA was considered a relatively safe bet, one likely to yield a big bump in salary.

直到近期，MBA 學位都被認為是一個安全的賭注，一個可以讓薪資大幅上升的機會。

But in recent years, applications to programs across the country are down.

但近年來，全國的申請者數量不斷下降。

Why, that's not entirely clear.

原因，目前還不明朗。

Some point to the strong economy, others to rising costs.

有人說是經濟起飛，也有說是不斷上升的物價。

But what is certain is that schools are beginning to change as a result.

但確定的是，學校為此正以不同的策略因應。

The Questrom School of Business at Boston University, ranked 36th last year among two year MBA programs, recently made headlines when it announced an alternative to its, roughly, $55,000 a year Residential Program.

波士頓大學的 Questrom 商學院，去年在兩年制 MBA 中排名第 36 名，最近因發表了一項可以取代一年制 MBA (學費約 55,000 美金) 的新學制而登上頭條。

A new online MBA had a ticket price far lower than its competitors.

全新的線上 MBA 課程，價格比同業要低得多。

We plan to launch in the Fall of 2020 an MBA degree priced at 24,000 and available only online on the edX platform.

我們預計在 2020 年秋季提供一項 MBA 學位，價格為 24,000 美金 (約 74 萬台幣)，且只能在 edX 網路平台上使用。

It's an MBA degree, but the product is completely different than what you would get in the full time MBA, on campus.

這是一個 MBA 學位，但內容與在全日制於校園裡上課的完全不同。

It's a completely different product designed for a different audience that has different lives, different needs, so they don't have six years experience, they have beyond 10 years experience.

這產品的定位完全不同，它是給有不同人生、不同需求的人，所以他們有十年以上的工作經驗，而不只有六年。

They're much more seasoned, and the MBA allows them to advance in the career they're in.

這些受眾更加老練，而這個 MBA 課程讓他們可以在事業上更加精進。

One of the challenges your facing, and many business schools are facing nation wide, decline in applicants.

你們目前正面臨的一個挑戰，也是許多美國商學院正頭痛的，就是申請者數目的下降。

Yes, nation wide the applications for MBA are down.

沒錯，全國 MBA 申請數下降了。

They've been down at different levels in different schools for almost five years now.

這五年來，不同學校都有不同程度的下降。

What about your school?

那你們呢？

We were down as well, but not as significantly as others.

我們申請者數目也下降了，但沒有別人下降那麼多。

How much were you down?

你們下降了多少？

In the MBA we were down, this year, 18%.

在 MBA 方面，今年我們下降了 18%。

The school's dean, Susan Fournier, says, "Her MBA program was able to fill its incoming class "with qualified students."

商學院院長 Susan Fournier 說她的 MBA 課程可以收滿資質符合的學生。

But, she also saw a need for something new.

但她也看見了一些新的需求。

I was curious was Questrom's current full-time students thought about this declining interest in their degrees.

我對於 Questrom 商學院目前的全日制 MBA 學生有點好奇，想知道他們對於 MBA 不再流行有什麼想法。

How many of you are confident that five years from now it'll have been worth it?

你們有多少人相信五年後這個會是值得的？

Meet Nari, Airian, Michael, Carolyn, Saeid and Danesh.

來見見 Nari、Arian、Michael、Carolyn、Saeid 與 Danesh。

Each of these full-time Questrom students has a different background and a different career goal, but they're all confident that their MBA degree will help them take their careers to the next level.

這些人都是全日制的 Questrom 學生，有不同背景與目標，但他們都確信 MBA 學位可以幫助他們在事業上更進一步。

Do you ever have moments when you ask yourself, is it worth it?

你們曾幾何時有沒有問過自己：「這值得嗎？」

- Yes I do. - Saeid, you do?

- 我有。 - Saeid 你有嗎？

Yeah, it's because the opportunity cost for me is really high.

對，因為對我來說，來讀 MBA 的機會成本很高。

You're a doctor.

你是醫生對吧？

Yeah, I had those moments, but when I sit in a class and I hear some new concepts, some new lessons, and it's like eye opening to me, wow, this is what this happen to us, or this what, this is happening.

對，但當我在課堂上學到一些新概念、課程時，一切好像醍醐灌頂，原來世界上正在發生這些事。

I just say, this is the right time to be here, this is the right place for you.

我只能說，這裡就是最好的地點，而現在就是最好的時機。

Carolyn, you've never questioned whether it's worth it or not?

Carolyn，妳沒懷疑過這個學位嗎？

When I hear conversations like this, I think a lot of it depends on where you were before, and it sounds like some people were really in a job that they really saw themselves in and felt deeply entrenched.

當我聽到這種對話，我的想法是，這其實取決於你之前待在哪裡，且有些人感覺對某份工作感到根深蒂固，不會想輕易離開。

For me I really wanted a big change, and I didn't know what that change would be, so I feel like I was the perfect person to leave and be excited about being here to reset and relearn.

而我真的想要一個大改變，但還不清楚那改變會是如何，所以我覺得離開公司，在這裡重置自己與重新學習是最好的。

Today, Questrom also offers a variety of specialized MBAs.

現在，Questrom 商學院也提供不同的 MBA 課程。

There's the Social Impact MBA, the MBA plus MS in Digital Technology, and the Health Sector MBA.

有社會影響力 MBA、MBA 加數位科技的 MS 與衛生相關 MBA。

Half way through my undergraduate degree in biochemistry I realized I didn't wanna do the academic thing, but I did wanna make an impact in the health sector in life sciences.

在大學唸生物化學唸到一半時，意識到我並不想做學術相關研究，但我想在衛生與生命科學方面發揮影響力。

And so I thought, the best way of doing that was to kind of, follow the money.

所以我想，最好的方法就是跟著錢走。

As an engineer, you're limited in your career choices.

作為一個工程師，職業選擇會被大大限制住。

As an engineer MBA, the door opens.

但作為一個工程 MBA，大門就會敞開。

And so now I have the technical expertise and I know how it translates into the dollar math.

所以現在我有專業技術，我也知道怎麼把它轉換成錢潮。

Have you all heard about the online program that BU just announced?

你們都聽過波士頓大學剛發表的線上 MBA 課程嗎？

You know it's not gonna cost quite as much as what you're paying for here at the residential program?

那會比起你們正在修的全日制課程要來得便宜許多。

Do you feel like, if that was offered to you as an alternative, would you have said, I'm gonna stay at home, save some money.

如果線上課程是個選項，你們會想「我要留在家，省點錢」嗎？

I was considering going to an online program when I was applying, but decided against it for a few reasons.

我本來有在考慮要選線上課程，但因為幾個原因還是來這邊了。

One is, definitely the experience.

其中一個原因當然是經驗。

You get to actually meet people.

在這裡可以與不同人交流。

It's a huge part of the value that I saw in the degree.

這是這學位很大的價值所在。

When they start offering MBAs to people through an online program, does that dilute the value of your degree?

當他們開始提供線上 MBA 課程，會覺得這降低了你們現在的學位價值嗎？

It's something I'm concerned about, but having a more specialized degree, having it specifically in health sector, I think it helps me a little bit more.

這是我擔心過的，但這裡是更專門的學位，像我主修醫療衛生，這讓我稍有優勢一點。

You're here because you wanna get more than just the education out of it, and that's the biggest thing that sets the regular MBA from the online MBA part.

在這裡你想獲得的並不只有課程上的東西，這是一般 MBA 與線上 MBA 最大的差別。

In terms of academic knowledge that one gains through a residential program, the two year program, can you get all that in an online program?

以學術知識方面而言，線上 MBA 課程的學生可以學到與兩年全日制的學生一樣的東西嗎？

You won't get the ability to go deep and to specialize.

線上課程無法徹底深入也無法精通。

Can you learn leadership in an online course?

線上課程能學到領導能力嗎？

- Yes. - You can?

- 可以。 - 可以？

Yes, but you can't go as deep as you might if you took a whole other year and took nothing but leadership courses.

可以，但沒辦法像整年專修領導力課程的人一樣深入。

Is this a good time to be a dean of a business school?

現在是當商學院院長的好時間嗎？

It's really a test for how to manage a business.

這真是考驗經營經營企業的能力。

This is a business.

這是個企業？

It is a business, and you know, we provide products that meet people's needs and the market is very, it's very dynamic.

這是個企業，我們提供不同產品來達到不同客戶的需求，且市場目前非常地活躍。

By dynamic you mean there's less demand right now?

活躍的意思是，需求變少？

No, dynamic meaning it's evolving a lot.

不，活躍的意思是它正在不斷進化。

It's challenged in some ways.

某種層面上我們正受到一些挑戰。

There are some cultural trends that challenge business, overall, challenge higher ed, so you really have to know the astute business analysis of your case.

有一些文化潮流正衝擊著企業，或說，高知識分子，所以真的得明確了解市場的需求。

I'd say 50 years ago, you know, you had two products, an undergrad, an MBA, you were good to go.

這麼說好了，五十年前，你有兩種產品，大學部與 MBA，就夠了。

Some schools today have one product.

有些學校現在只有一種產品。

We have 10 products, because the market is very complex.

而我們有十種產品，因為市場是非常複雜的。