Capella University's Online MBA Program Featured in ''Getting Your MBA Online'' Book; Capella Lauded for Strong Coaching Services That Help Learners Apply Knowledge

Business Wire, August 23, 2005

MINNEAPOLIS -- A new publication, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Your MBA Online, praises numerous features of Capella University's online MBA program. In particular, author George Lorenzo cites Capella's "innovative Professional Effectiveness Coaching core," which pairs learners with professional business coaches who help them apply their new knowledge to their current positions and develop and implement career plans.

One of Lorenzo's top criteria for choosing an online MBA program is a "strong focus on gaining practical knowledge that you can immediately use in your workplace." Capella's coaching program is specifically designed to achieve this aim, says Barbara Butts Williams, director of Capella's online MBA program, who is quoted in the book: "The intent of the personal coaching relationship is to help learners stretch their skills in key areas of performance improvement and apply what they learn right away, so they can demonstrate an impact on results within their organizations and help reposition themselves for success."

Capella's focus on competency-based learning is also cited in the book, along with its "sophisticated online admission process" and its online Career Center, which provides job-search and career-advancement information, as well as an "Ask a Career Counselor" email service. "Career services is one area of online MBA programs where students generally lose out," says Lorenzo, before offering Capella's Career Center as an example of some of the few "very sophisticated career-development services" offered by online programs.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Your MBA Online, published in July 2005, is one of the newest releases in the popular "Complete Idiot's Guide" book series, which offers how-to information on such topic areas as business and personal finance, personal enrichment, and science and technology.

About Capella University

Founded in 1993, Capella University is an accredited(a) online university. Capella University offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services and psychology, plus a Bachelor of Science program with 10 specializations in business and information technology. The university currently serves nearly 13,000 enrolled learners from all 50 states and 55 countries. Central to Capella's approach are achievement-oriented learners, expert faculty, and a university staff that is passionate about each individual's success. Capella is a national leader in online education, committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth. Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).

(a) Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, located at 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, (312) 263-0456, www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org.