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Taking Energy Online University of Tulsa Collins College of Business United States Administrators at Collins College have been acutely aware of the com- petition presented by the proliferation of online programs, says Linda Nichols, associate dean and director of graduate business programs. While the school does not offer a general MBA online, its administra- tors decided to enter the virtual education market by drawing on one of the university's signature strengths—a focus on the energy industry. The school's online masters in energy business (MEB) degree, launched this fall, involves professors from the business and law schools who specialize in the energy industry, as well as experts from the university's McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering. The MEB program will be delivered completely online, although students will be required to come to campus for an initial two-day orientation. The school expected to enroll about 20 students in its first MEB cohort, but the program actually has enrolled more than twice that number. This year's cohort includes students from Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania—and even Nigeria. Energy "is a unique niche that we believe we can fill well," says Nichols, who specializes in energy accounting and financial report- ing. If successful, she adds, the MEB could be a foundation for future online programs. Emphasizing Accreditation T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) Karnataka, India In India, the market is "very satu- rated," with approximately 3,700 business schools, says R.C. Natara- jan, director of TAPMI. He explains that India's higher education system also is very regulated, which leaves self-financed private schools at a disadvantage. But that kind of saturation means that only the strong survive. "Close to 150 schools have filed for dissolution with the regulatory authority," Natarajan says. More- over, new campuses for the govern- ment-supported Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are open- ing at a faster rate. "The IIMs are increasing their student intakes," says Natarajan. "That competitive 34 September/October 2012 BizEd scenario means that private schools fall below the IIMs in the pecking order of choice among potential students. While a dissolution frenzy has begun at the bottom, the com- petition at the top has become more fierce." TAPMI will remain competitive by highlighting its AACSB accredi- tation, says Natarajan. TAPMI and the Indian School of Business are the only schools in India to hold that credential. By stressing that dis- tinction in the media and through its promotions, TAPMI will position itself to forge stronger alliances with Western schools in its management development programs to "make us more visible to executives," Nata- rajan says. He believes this strategy also will give the school an edge when it comes to student recruit- ment and academic partnerships. Joining Up UCLA Anderson School of Management Los Angeles, California UCLA Anderson views models of shared delivery between and among schools as a key strategy to address the industry's need for more global programs. Most recently, the school entered into shared delivery models for two of its executive MBA programs, the UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA with the National University of Sin- gapore and the UCLA-UAI Global Executive MBA for the Americas with Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Santiago, Chile. Students in both programs attend classes on both campuses, as well as other sites, and receive degrees from both institu- tions involved in the partnership. Such partnerships allow schools to design more comprehensive global programs while still playing to their strengths, says dean Judy Olian. "Business students know that they need this kind of program to become future global leaders," she adds. "We know we have to take the steps to offer it."