OMBA Program Kick-Off and Orientation

Your To-Do List

A successful professional would never walk in unprepared for their first day of work at a new company, and newly admitted OMBA students will want to follow the same philosophy as they prepare for their first week of classes. It is recommended that students immerse themselves in the events of the upcoming Orientation Week, log into their UofL email, get to know the resources available to them, and check out the orientation course in Blackboard Organizations to review important and helpful information before they begin their MBA journey. Make sure to complete the tasks in the list below.

  • Activate UofL account and gain access to User ID
  • Log into ULink
  • Log into Blackboard
  • Log into UofL email
  • Review the Graduate Handbook
  • Complete the statistics prework
  • Complete the Predictive Index (PI) Assessment
  • RSVP for ONE of the orientation sessions
  • RSVP for the Leadership Welcome
  • RSVP for the Virtual Networking
  • Attend the Leadership Welcome
  • Attend one of the orientation sessions
  • Attend the Virtual Networking

Orientation Week

Leadership Welcome

Before Orientation, students will have the opportunity to hear from the leaders in the College of Business, including the dean and program director. Leaders will welcome students to the university and the College and share their wisdom on how students can be successful in their online program.

RSVP for the Leadership Welcome: Tuesday, August 13, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Orientation Sessions

Students are required to attend only one of two orientation sessions to meet with their support staff, be informed about their program matriculation, learn what a typical online MBA class looks like, and learn about student career support. Students will also have an opportunity to ask the support staff questions.

RSVP for Orientation Session 1: Wednesday, August 14, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

RSVP for Orientation Session 2: Thursday, August 15, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Virtual Networking

Students will have an opportunity to “mingle” and network with College of Business online graduate students and the support staff from the Online Programs Office. This is a great opportunity to meet with cohort members and fellow online graduate students within the College.

RSVP for Virtual Networking: Sunday, August 18, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Onboarding

Cardinal Choice Kick-Off Session

Each incoming OMBA student is required to sign up for a Cardinal Choice Kick-Off Session. During a Cardinal Choice Kick-Off Session, students will meet their support staff, tell the support staff about themselves, learn more about the Cardinal Choice Assignment (CCA), and gain clarity on how the CCA fits into their MBA experience at UofL. Students receive the signup link via email.

Predictive Index (PI)

Students will be placed on permanent learning teams with several cohort members. To add to the success of these team experiences, students will be asked to take the PI assessment as part of the admissions process. The PI is a behavioral analysis tool that measures cognitive reasoning and inherent motivating needs. Students will receive a link via email to complete the online assessment once their deposit has been paid/waived. Each student’s results will be shared with them so that they can best understand and utilize this new bank of insightful information throughout their graduate school experience.

NOTE: The invitation to complete the PI assessment will be from the email address noreply@mailer.predictiveindex.com.

OMBA Program Orientation Course

Along with Orientation, students must complete their OMBA Program Orientation course  on Blackboard Organizations. The OMBA Program Orientation course will provide insight into what it takes to be a successful online graduate learner, offer guidance about working as part of an effective team, and review frequently asked questions. The Online Programs support staff will enroll students in the orientation course once their deposit has been paid/waived.

Statistics Prework

Additionally, the OMBA program requires the completion of a statistics prework session. The prework is designed to help prepare students for their MBA 631: Intro to Statistics & Data Analytics course. While the prework is required, it does not count for course credit, and it also does not have any associated costs. The College of Business admissions team will register students for the prework once their deposit has been paid/waived.