The William & Mary Online Classroom
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 the digital platform and online classroom for our online programs to emphasize collaboration and networking throughout your coursework.
But despite this, 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 W&M online program with comprehensive and committed student support services. Read on to learn how the online experience at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business has been designed to promote your success.
Explore Our Online Experience
Our 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.
Experience the LMS
Watch our video for a taste of the dynamic, collaborative coursework and networking potential you’ll encounter in our online courses.
For an online course, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of interaction with fellow classmates and professors. Each course has an element of collaborative work where students are assigned to groups and instructors are on hand to assist when required.
MBA '19
W&M Connect Mobile App
The W&M Connect mobile app is 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.
The W&M Connect app also allows instructors to see the content available to students and helps them keep track of assignments and additional information relating to the class.
- Access course content on the go
- Participate in discussions with your fellow students and instructors
- Track your grades
- Receive announcements from instructors for your courses
- Keep your calendar and schedule organized
- Stay up to date with W&M news and events
- Contact your Student Success Coordinator for support and assistance
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. This experience began as an Online MBA residency and is now open to all students in the Mason School of Business. 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 in Williamsburg, 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 (ex. 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.
The Residency Weekend is a networking opportunity; being able to meet people and see new faces and see the group of students that I’ve worked with, as well as new ones that are in different programs that I don’t have the opportunity to interact with, it bridges that.
Everyday Life in Our Online Programs
Any worthwhile master’s degree program is a serious commitment, one that will require you to prioritize and manage your time in ways you may not be used to. But this 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 are 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 Zoom and Skype 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.
I am constantly amazed at how insightful and intelligent my classmates are in the class discussions, group assignments and Twitter feeds. I learn as much or more from them as I do from the professors and materials.
MBA ’19
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.
In addition, you’ll have access to 24/7 technology support, academic advising, career services, and other student support services offered by William & Mary and the Raymond A. Mason School of Business.
Meet Your Student Success Coordinators
Gabby Coombs
Gabby has eight years of higher education experience, where she worked in admissions, recruitment, event planning and management, and academic advising. Now at the Mason School of Business, she is excited to apply her student services and advocacy skills to support William and Mary students in achieving their goals. Gabby holds a MEd in College Counseling and Student Affairs, as well as a BA in Creative Writing.
Meg Seth
Meg has three years of higher education leadership experience in engagement, student affairs, and career services. In addition to their work in higher education, they are a Nationally Certified Counselor and have nine years of experience in counseling and advising. Meg earned a BA in English and an MEd in College Counseling & Student Affairs. They have a student-first mentality and they are excited to support students pursuing postgraduate education at William & Mary's Mason School of Business.
New Online Student Orientation
All online business program students are required to attend William & Mary’s New Online Student Orientation, an interactive virtual seminar that helps set students up 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 grad 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!