There’s something to be said for living, working and going to school in Houston. According to the 2013 Annual Cost of Living Index, Houston has the third lowest overall cost of living among the nation’s most populous metros. As for housing prices, those are also 36.6 percent below average. And when it comes to higher education, last year more than 403,300 students were enrolled in higher education in the Houston area, and more than 71,700 degrees and certificates were awarded for the 2013-14 year.
So, there’s no doubt that Houston is a great place to live, work, and learn but what about if you can’t make a move to Houston or you can’t take time off of your job to earn an MBA? What then?
There’s good news. There are two MBA programs in Houston that offer an online study option for the ultimate in flexibility. And to help you make the best decision on where to go to school, we’ve outlined the top online MBAs below.
Jesse H. Jones School of Business – Texas Southern University
Students looking for an entirely online Executive MBA program should look no further than the Jesse H. Jones School of Business. Their EMBA in Energy Finance and EMBA in General Business programs are designed to disrupt your work life as little as possible. The programs are AACSB-International accredited, and the local business community has vetted their curriculum. The curriculum has also been benchmarked against some of the other most prestigious online MBA programs in the U.S.
To complete your online EMBA at Texas Southern University, students must take twelve classes for a total of 36 credits. EMBAs are admitted within cohorts and typically complete two courses per semester over six semesters. To get in, online EMBA applicants must provide two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a professional resume and official transcripts. To learn more, check out the program overview.
University of Houston—Clear Lake
The University of Houston offers an online MBA degree that ranks top ten in the nation for affordability. The program is accredited by AACSB International, which is the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Students who decide to enter the online MBA program can choose to specialize in one of four areas:
- Environmental Management
- Finance
- Human Resource Management
- Management of Technology-Leadership.
As for being accepted into the program, applicants must provide three letters of recommendation, a current resume, and a statement of career goals. Applicants should also submit a GMAT score and have a cumulative GPA or at least 3.0 from their undergrad.
Other Flexible MBA Options in Houston
And if neither of the available online MBA options in Houston fit your needs, don’t worry; there are still many flexible on-campus learning options.
McCombs School of Business – University of Texas at Austin
At McCombs, MBAs in the Evening and Executive programs have very flexible scheduling. In the Evening MBA, students only meet on Mondays and Tuesdays from 6 until 9 p.m. with the occasional weekend seminar for intensive learning. As for Executive MBA students, the necessary 42 credit hours of study take place on Friday and Saturday every other week, beginning the first weekend of September. This allows each MBA candidate to work full time while in the midst of study.
C.T. Bauer College of Business – University of Houston
As for MBAs at the C.T. Bauer College of Business, the Professional and Executive MBA programs are both incredibly flexible. Students have the option to take courses in the evening, and they can also make full use of Bauer’s study abroad programs as well as the school’s experiential learning opportunities. And for students in the Executive MBA program, there are two options for courses. Classes are either held every Monday and Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. or they’re held Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on alternating weekends.
Mays Business School – Texas A&M University
Finally, MBA students who decide that the Mays Business School is best can enjoy flexible scheduling in both the Professional and Executive MBA programs. The Professional MBA program is just 22 months in length and allows students to attend classes on alternating weekends from 6:00 to 10:00 pm on Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. As for the Executive MBA program, it is also only 22 months in length, but classes meet on alternating weekends on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.