Earning your Master of Business Administration (MBA) online at the University of Tennessee (UT), Knoxville, is a great way to bolster your management and leadership skills and credentials. It’s an important journey for which you want to be well prepared.
That’s the purpose of the online MBA’s mandatory three-day, in-person orientation on the Knoxville campus: to introduce you to the program, the faculty, and your classmates so you are ready to hit the ground running when classes begin. This article explains what you can expect when you visit the Knoxville campus.
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Why We Bring You to Knoxville
The in-person orientation serves as a springboard for your online MBA journey. It’s a chance to shift from anticipation to action as you begin building the relationships that will carry you through the program and beyond. From connecting with peers and professors to engaging with staff who will support your progress, this experience is designed to help you set clear expectations, introduce you to the program structure, and immerse you in UT’s collaborative learning culture. It is the only time you will be required to visit campus or participate in an in-person event.
What the Orientation Covers
During the three-day orientation, you will:
- Participate in academic onboarding sessions where you’ll learn about the program’s curriculum and courses
- Be welcomed to the program by the deans
- Attend sessions with faculty members and student success teams
- Learn about library services and technology
- Attend a career leadership panel
- Meet your fellow students and engage in networking and cohort-building activities
- Hear from current students
- Tour the campus and enjoy social outings
- Have professional headshots taken
- Learn about UT traditions
Meet the People Behind the Program
The orientation focuses on helping students build strong and lasting support networks. During your time on campus, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with:
- Faculty members who will be guiding you through the core online MBA curriculum
- Program directors and academic advisors who will support your progress and help you stay on track
- Peers from a wide range of industries, roles, and backgrounds who will become collaborators, sounding boards, and friends
Meeting these key members of the UT community in person offers a unique advantage. It accelerates relationship-building, builds trust, and provides a sense of belonging before the online coursework begins.
Benefits of Attending the Orientation
The in-person orientation forges connections that promote success in the online program. Rather than starting the program as a name in a virtual classroom, you’ll begin with a network of authentic relationships, easing in class discussions and collaboration.
The orientation also constitutes a valuable opportunity to gain clarity and confidence about the academic journey ahead. You’ll have the chance to ask questions, set personal, academic, and professional goals, and learn about the resources available to help you succeed. These conversations help eliminate uncertainty and provide a clear roadmap for navigating the program with purpose and focus.
Beyond the immediate benefits, the orientation experience lays the groundwork for long-term professional relationships and collaboration. The connections you form in these first few days can become the basis for future group projects, study partnerships, and even career opportunities.
Students appreciate the opportunity to meet in person. One student said they were “nervous for the orientation and the overall program before coming” but that the in-person experience “really helped me feel prepared for classes starting, and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet the other students in the cohort face-to-face before starting school.”
Step Into the Haslam Experience
The UT online MBA program is designed to strike a balance between flexibility and genuine connection. The three-day in-person orientation sets the tone for a high-impact MBA experience as you meet fellow students and professors, learn about the curriculum, hear from current students, tour the campus, and enjoy social outings.
Are you ready to start your MBA journey? Schedule an application walkthrough, or apply today.