The William & Mary Advantage
At the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, we strongly believe that online education doesn’t have to be impersonal. That’s why we’ve crafted support services, a digital platform and online classroom for our programs to emphasize collaboration and networking throughout your coursework.
We know that an online master’s degree program can seem daunting. We strive to help each of our students achieve their highest potential during their William & Mary online program with comprehensive and committed student support services. Read on to learn how career resources, networking and the online experience at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business have been designed to promote your success.
Get More From Your Degree
Build your brand at a university known for breaking barriers, championing integrity and channeling academic grit since its inception. Through our exclusive career and alumni services, the Raymond A. Mason School of Business delivers a robust suite of tools that can aid in job searches, interview preparation, networking and more.
Experience a Standout Digital Learning Environment
The simple and user-friendly digital environment we’ve built for our online programs brings together all of the tools you’ll need to succeed in your online studies and organizes them in one easily accessible place. Before diving into a course module or completing an assignment, you can quickly review weekly objectives and tasks from the homepage of our learning management system (LMS) or take advantage of dynamic communications tools to interact with your faculty and classmates.
You will also have access to the W&M Connect mobile app, a multi-touch online learning platform that allows you to complete your coursework, interact with faculty and fellow students, and stay connected with the William & Mary community—all in a way that seamlessly integrates with your life and keeps you fully immersed in the online experience.
Experience the LMS
Watch our video for a taste of the dynamic, collaborative coursework and networking potential you’ll encounter in our online courses. The video features the online experience for the MBA program.
In-Person Opportunity: The Residency Weekend
Our online graduate programs feature an on-campus opportunity to visit our historic campus. Held twice a year, the Residency Weekend is your opportunity to connect with peers, professors and other staff members on campus in Williamsburg, Va. Online MBA and Online MS in Marketing students are required to attend at least one Residency Weekend during their tenure. For all other online business programs, this weekend event is optional. You can attend more than one event if you so choose.
Throughout the weekend on campus, you will enjoy networking opportunities and hear from faculty and guest speakers on trending business topics. Each weekend features a core theme that reaches beyond topics that are covered in the classroom (e.g., AI in business, DEI, etc.). You’ll apply the weekend’s lessons through a group project that allows you to collaborate with fellow students. Students leave feeling energized and further connected to the William & Mary community.
Beyond the Residency Weekend, the Online Graduate Student Advisory Council (OGSAC) is devising more optional on-campus events to build a greater sense of community for online business students.
Global Immersion
The Spring 2025 semester marked the launch of the first Global Business Immersion for the Mason School of Business’s online programs, giving students a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of culture, commerce and international strategy in Italy and Greece.
Led by Professor Jim Olver, in collaboration with Neina Osibogun, interim associate dean of Online Programs and director of Student Experience and Affairs, the experience included visits to organizations such as IFAD, Renault Group, ENIT, the Port of Piraeus, startup accelerator egg and olive oil producer Oleosophia. Students gained firsthand insights into global industries including agriculture, automotive, tourism, logistics, entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Beyond company visits, students explored historic landmarks and enjoyed local cuisine, enriching their understanding of the cultural and economic landscapes in which global businesses operate. They synthesized their learning and brought the experience back into the online classroom through multimedia assignments and a final reflection.
The trip was a powerful addition to students’ academic journeys and highlighted the value of global perspectives in business education, an experience we will continue to provide online students in the future.
Everyday Life in Our Online Programs
Any worthwhile graduate program is a serious commitment that will require you to prioritize and manage your time in ways you may not be used to. But it doesn't have to be overwhelming, and at William & Mary, we strive to make our online programs truly manageable on any schedule.
We’ve put together this breakdown of a typical day-to-day experience in our online programs to help you envision yourself as a successful W&M online student.
WEEKLY COMMITMENT
A typical weekly commitment for our online programs is 20 to 25 hours of work. This can fluctuate throughout a term depending on assignment due dates. There are no mandatory login times for our online programs, so this workload can be distributed however you like to fit your schedule.
COLLABORATION
Group work is a significant part of our online programs. Our students use several methods to work together, the most common of which is coordinating to schedule evening group chats that fit everyone’s schedule and working collaboratively in a shared Google doc.
DIGITAL TOOLS TO STAY CONNECTED
Our students regularly use platforms like Zoom for audio and video chats with each other and with faculty. The LMS also features public discussion boards that can be used to reach out to and communicate with multiple students and faculty at once.
Leadership & Business Podcast
Mason’s Leadership & Business is an award-winning podcast series that features the latest and best thinking from today’s business leaders. Each episode features subject matter experts discussing strategies, tactics and information to help you become a more effective leader, communicator and professional.
New Online Student Orientation
All online students are required to attend William & Mary’s New Online Student Orientation, an interactive virtual seminar that helps prepare students for success in our rigorous programs. If you have any questions or concerns about your courses or about studying online, the program or matriculation, the orientation is the perfect time to get answers.
Your student success coordinator will cover an array of topics in the New Online Student Orientation, including:
- An introduction to William & Mary and the Raymond A. Mason School of Business
- Tips for managing your work/life balance while in graduate school
- Educational expectations for the program
- Academic policies and standards
- The virtual classroom and learning management system (LMS)
- Tips for networking while studying online
- Advice for making the most of your digital learning experience
By participating in orientation, you can start the program already acclimated to the virtual classroom, so you’ll be comfortable and able to hit the ground running on the first day of class!
Student Success Coordinators
As a student in one of William & Mary’s online graduate business programs, you'll receive support from a network of people who are dedicated to your success in the program. Prior to the first day of class, your student success coordinator will contact you to help you develop your personalized success plan. Your student success coordinator will continue to offer support throughout your program as part of an extended network that includes faculty, peers and cutting-edge technology.
Meet Your Student Success Coordinators
JAC COOPER
757-707-8328 ext. 329
jacooper02@wm.edu
MIA PANCOE
757-707-8328 ext. 338
mpancoe@wm.edu
Celebrate Your Achievements
Commencement Weekend, held each spring, is an exciting time to celebrate your achievements and participate in the university’s rich traditions. From ringing the Wren Bell to crossing the Crim Dell Bridge, as an online student, you will have the same opportunities as on-campus students to take part in these graduation weekend activities.
To celebrate the last day of classes in the spring, graduating students have the opportunity to ring the ceremonial Wren Bell. Online students enjoy this same opportunity during Commencement Weekend. The cheerful echoes of the bell can be heard throughout campus.
Ahead of the Commencement ceremony, take part in the “Walk Across Campus.” This walk begins in the Wren Building and culminates at Walter J. Zable Stadium. Along the way, you’ll cross the Crim Dell bridge, an iconic (and exceptionally photogenic) campus location. Campus lore states that two people crossing the bridge while holding hands will be lifelong friends. Cross the bridge with attending members of your cohort and carry them with you after graduation.
More Than a Degree.
This Is Your Launchpad.
A William & Mary education is not just a degree but a unique connection to a tight-knit community of students, alumni, bold educators and driven, principled, connected leaders. Build your brand with a university known for breaking barriers, championing integrity and channeling academic grit since its inception.
The Raymond A. Mason School of Business imparts essential business knowledge and builds the dynamic mindset necessary to lead in today’s challenging and rapidly changing business environment. As an online graduate business student, you will:
✓ Graduate with the perspective to envision and enact positive
change
✓ Access mentorship and experiential learning opportunities
✓ Receive personalized career support
✓ Build a lasting network to bolster your career for years to
come
This will only take a moment.