Finding the Top Part-Time MBAs in Florida
Florida may not be the first U.S. state that comes to mind when rising business leaders consider where to make their mark. But don’t be fooled by the “Florida Man” meme; the Sunshine State is not only home to three of the highest-ranked “boomtowns,” but it also has the nation’s fourth-largest GDP and total personal income. It makes perfect sense why Forbes ranks Florida #7 on its 2018 “Best States for Business” list.
For prospective MBAs interested in part-time business school opportunities in Florida, we took a closer look at several stand-out options.
The Best Florida Part-Time MBA Programs
Ranked 32nd on the U.S. News & World Report list of the best part-time MBAs in the U.S., the University of Florida’s Hough Graduate School of Business offers several part-time MBA tracks.
The Weekend Professional MBA is available in both a two-year and a 16-month accelerated course to those who have completed an undergraduate business degree within the previous seven years. For those without an undergraduate background in business, a two-year track without prerequisites is also offered.
For students seeking options outside the Gainesville area main campus, University of Florida’s MBA Sunrise Center in Southern Florida offers another two-year track.
Part-time online options are also available. Tuition is reported at $26,622 per year in-state $26,622 and per year out-of-state.
Located in the capital city of Tallahassee, FSU’s College of Business offers multiple business degree options for those seeking a part-time MBA option. Overall, the program currently ranks 57th on the U.S. News & World Report ranking.
The Evening MBA format presents a seven-semester program tailored to working professionals, including a pathway for “Florida’s state-employee tuition waivers, giving state workers the opportunity to pursue an exceptional graduate business degree at minimal cost.”
The school also offers an Online MBA and a hybrid Online part-time with Real Estate track. Tuition is reported at $780.18 in-state and $810.24 out-of-state
UCF’s College of Business Administration offers two part-time MBA options, earning the 89th spot on the U.S. News & World Report part-time MBA ranking. The Evening MBA program allows a flexible pace with weekday evening classes at UCF’s main campus in Orlando.
The AACSB-accredited part-time Professional MBA program “features convenient evening classes at the UCF Executive Development Center each summer term and at UCF regional campus locations on a rotational basis.” Tuition is reported at $370 per credit in-state and $1,194 per credit out-of-state.
The Muma College of Business at University of South Florida offers a part-time MBA “designed with the full-time working professional in mind.” Located in Tampa Bay, Muma draws students from across the Tampa Bay area and boasts notable alumni such as FedEx Co-CEO and CIO Robert Carter and Dell Chief Innovation Officer Jim Stikeleather. The part-time program holds the 99th spot on the U.S. News & World Report part-time MBA ranking.
With a curriculum focused on “data analytics” and developing creativity in its business leaders, an accelerated calendar and evening courses are also offered to part-time MBA candidates. Tuition is reported at $467 per credit in-state and $913 out-of-state.
The Chapman Graduate School of Business at Florida International University offers a variety of part-time MBA options, including a Professional MBA Weekend, Professional MBA Downtown, Professional MBA Flex, and an the Professional MBA Online. In all, the school currently holds the 109th spot on the U.S. News & World Report part-time MBA ranking.
Each option is tailored to particular needs of the working professional, ranging in options from accelerated course schedules to flexibility in electives and field specialization.
Chapman’s Online program is AACSB-accredited and the school’s part-time programs boast a $103,000 average salary. Total in-state tuition is $48,000 while out-of-staters can expect to pay $54,000.
Inside the 2019 ‘U.S. News’ Best Online MBA Program Ranking
Where is the best online MBA program in the country? Who tops the charts when it comes to student engagement, student excellence, academic faculty, and more? The U.S. News & World Report just released its 2019 ranking for the “Best Online MBA Programs” in the US. The Online MBA programs at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School each came in tied at first place. Continue reading…
How Temple University’s Fox School Remains King of the Online MBA (UPDATED)
UPDATE: Since the release of this article, U.S. News & World Report has removed the Fox School of Business from its 2018 Best Online MBA ranking for reporting falsified application information. This article does not reflect the changes in the ranking.
The Temple University Fox School of Business Online MBA program has been named the best in the United States for the fourth consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report. We recently spoke with Darin Kapanjie—Fox Temple associate professor, Academic Director of the Online BBA, Online MBA, and part-time MBA programs, and the Managing Director of Online and Digital Learning—about the school’s miraculous online supremacy and what the future holds.
Staying at the top of any MBA ranking, not just in one region, but across the entire U.S. for four years, is unprecedented. For Kapanjie, it’s been long enough for him and the rest of the Temple Fox team to start guessing when, if ever, another school will take over.
“We keep waiting for someone else to claim the top spot,” he says. “To be honest, the end of the day we built a program that we believe to be the best in land. We don’t tailor our program to the rankings, it just so happens that the program we built does well in the rankings.”
Unlike many new online MBA programs, which are designed for applicants with less experience, the Fox School of Business Online MBA caters to a more “mature” demographic, he notes.
“The design of our program speaks to a more mature business professional. [Students] average over 12 years of work experience, which is unusual for an online program. That mature population helps with some of the ranking criteria. We’ve also invested heavily in the product we are delivering, we have a team of instructional designers, instructional technologist, technical support specialists, and web developers. We have built our program, marketing, recruiting, and instructional design teams from within, nothing is outsourced. As a result, this team is dedicated to the success of this program. There is a sense of pride and community around the Fox Online MBA.
Despite the Online MBA’s miraculous rise to prominent among business schools, Kapanjie acknowledges that Fox and other schools like it are still competing against traditional MBA programs. However, there are plenty of reasons to prefer the digital format.
Fox School of Business Academic Director Darin Kapanjie
“This is more of a personal preference or pressure from a busy travel schedule from work, than a more attractive alternative,” he explains. “We at Fox understand the market is changing and that online/hybrid learning is the now and will continue into the future. Personally, I believe that in a few years the hybrid and online MBA’s will dominate the market. Online education is being accepted more and more, it’s no longer viewed as a cheaper and easier solution. It’s schools like us and Carnegie Melon, UNC, Indiana, University of Florida, etc. that are dedicated to delivering quality online opportunities that are helping change that perception. Personally, I believe our online program stacks up well against most of the top ranked traditional MBA’s.”
Even with a rich tradition of forward-thinking business school programs located in and around Philadelphia, Fox manages to stand out—particularly among schools offering an online degree.
“We have made a significant investment in online education here at Fox,” he says. “Our entire operation is run in-house and is built for the future. We put a great deal of effort around the entire student experience, from inquiry to alumni. I can’t speak for other schools in the region, I can only say that we believe there is a vast market in need of a high-quality online MBA program and we are listening to that market.”
But to keep Fox’s top spot, Kapanjie acknowledges that the program cannot remain stagnant.
We are building more and more concentrations (mini-major within our MBA) and integrating several dual degree opportunities to widen our net,” he explains. “I personally believe that the dual degrees, MBA/MS, will become more popular in the next few years.”
For more information on the Online MBA at the Temple University Fox School of Business and other MBA offerings, check out our profile on the business school and head over to the official Fox Temple site.
Finding The Right Online MBA For You
With so many amazing online MBA programs available throughout the country—and without location making the decision for you—it can seem nearly impossible to choose which Online MBA degree program is right for you.
With the increasingly available option to customize your degree in a particular area of emphasis—just as most full-time MBA programs offer—students can gain a competitive edge in their field without ever having to leave their house. In addition, the kind of specialization offerings at each program may help students narrow down the perfect Online MBA for them. Whether your looking to gain industry expertise in accounting or entrepreneurship and anything in between, understanding the areas of emphasis and structure of each degree can be a big help when confronted with such a vast number of impressive programs to choose from.
We take a look at most in demand concentrations available at each of the schools in MetroMBA’s new Online metro, finding what sets each program apart and may make it the perfect degree for you.
Fox School of Business – Temple University
At Temple University’s Fox School of Business, accounting is seen as much more than just calculating numbers—at Fox, it’s “the language of business.” It’s also the most popular area of concentration for students pursuing their MBA online.
The Department of Accounting at Fox focuses on an intense study of the field of accounting, providing students with several opportunities to gain “real-world” experience in the discipline. This sort of experience provides a competitive edge no matter what career path accounting students choose to pursue, which both include and go beyond public accounting.
In addition to students who choose to concentrate in accounting, the Online MBA at Fox is already strongly rooted in the accounting discipline, with all students being responsible for taking an accounting course as a key part of the degree and its curriculum.
Hough Graduate School of Business – University of Florida
If you are looking for a flexible degree that can expand your entrepreneurship knowledge, the Hough Graduate School of Business’ Online MBA may be the perfect degree for you. One of the four options in which students can focus their degree, Entrepreneurship skills are a core part of the Hough School’s curriculum.
Students looking for a more immersive or even global entrepreneurship experience can also take the courses for their concentration within just one week on campus in Gainesville, or taken during a one week international study trip. Of course, students who don’t have the ability to take a week off for this purpose may choose to pursue their Entrepreneurship electives online, as with the rest of the core courses of the degree.
Kelley School of Business – Indiana University
Students looking to focus their MBA in finance will find themselves in good company at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Studying the discipline with the same highly ranked faculty who teach in the full-time MBA program, online students have the chance to round out their degree with electives that particularly focus on the financial applications of their MBA degree.
One reason the study of finance is so popular for online MBA students at Indiana University may be the opportunity to pursue a dual degree, combining their MBA with an online MA in subjects like Finance, Strategic Management, and Business Analytics, among other options. Such an interdisciplinary degree with a strong finance background will give Kelley graduates a competitive edge as they enter the workforce.
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Kenan-Flagler Business School – University of North Carolina
The Online MBA@UNC provides students with a world-class MBA curriculum that allows students to specialize their degree within one of eight special areas. In high demand at UNC is the Management Consulting degree, which prepares students for positions as business consultants.
Even though online programs don’t typically scream “hands on,”the MBA@UNC is build this way, providing consulting students with ample experiential learning and guided practice to gain the necessary leadership and client management skills for success in the consulting field.
Tepper School of Business – Carnegie Mellon University
The Tepper School of Business, ranked as the second best Online MBA by the U.S. News & World Report, is a top MBA for students interested in specializing in Business Analytics.
Students at Tepper have the chance to set their MBA within a particular track, and with the decision to focus on Business Analytics students will be provided with the necessary skills to transform massive amounts of data into usable and analyses to improve the worlds of both business and technology. Graduates from the Business Analytics track at Tepper have accepted jobs from such companies as Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, McKinsey, and more.
W.P. Carey School of Business – Arizona State University
Students looking to specialize their MBA in Supply Chain Management/Logistics may find the perfect degree at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. With so many of the degree’s core courses centered around logistics- such as ‘Decisions, Market Structure and Games’ or ‘Operations and Supply Management’—MBA students can use their electives to even further customize their degree with courses like ‘Supply Chain Cost/Design Issue, ‘Suppler Management and Negotiations,’ among others.
What Are The Differences Between The World’s Best Online MBA Programs?
Every year, the online MBA becomes an increasingly more attractive option for business school students. With the flexibility to pursue your degree at your own pace and the chance to choose the best MBA program for you without considering location, prospective MBAs can truly make the most of their degree. And though some may be worried about missing out on a traditional classroom experience and the community that comes with it, changing educational technology has made it easier than ever for students to play an important part in their school’s community—without getting out of your pajamas.
The new MetroMBA Online Metro has rounded up some of the best online MBA programs available to students. To help determine which program fits your needs, we take a look at what sets each program apart—and what might just make it the perfect MBA for you.
Fox School of Business — Temple University
The Online MBA Program at Temple University’s Fox School of Business has the distinction of being ranked as the best online MBA in the country, and the best online MBA for veterans, according to U.S. News & World Report. The Online MBA at Fox offers total flexibility for students, with the opportunity to complete the degree within anywhere from 20 months to six years. To help students feel connected with the Fox community, the program offers weekly live web conferencing sessions allowing students to stay connected to faculty and classmates, as well as providing one-and-one career coaching.
The Online MBA at Fox is structured around three required courses that help prepare students for the program, 36 credits that can be completed at the student’s own pace, and a final consulting capstone course that offers total business immersion. The Fox MBA has also been recognized for its benefits for frequent travelers or military members. About 17 percent of students in the most recent class had some form of military experience.
The Fox Online MBA offers a number of areas of study, ranging from HR Management, International Business, Real Estate, Statistical Science, and much more. After completing the program, students on average saw a $30,000-plus salary increase and a median salary of $105,000 three years after graduation.
Hough Graduate School of Business — University of Florida
Although online MBAs tend to be on the rise in recent years, the Hough Graduate School of Business was one of the first business schools to offer a fully accredited online degree—almost twenty years ago. Today, the Financial Times and U.S. News & World Report consistently rank the Hough Online MBA among the top programs in the country.
The Hough Online MBA is the perfect opportunity for students that travel extensively, may move while pursuing their degree, or have a number of weekend commitments. To ensure that students still get face-to-face time with the school’s faculty and classmates, students return to campus once every four months for periodic residencies, allowing them to stay in touch with the community.
The online degree at Hough can be completed in either a two-year or one-year format. Both degrees give students the chance to choose among four areas of focus for their degree: entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and international. The Hough Online MBA may also be perfect for students looking to immerse themselves in a global business education, as it offers students the chance at a Global Immersion Experience. Students have recently traveled to areas such as Argentina, United Arab Emirates, China, and Ireland.
Kelley School of Business — Indiana University
The Online MBA at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business is made up of 51 credit hours, 39 of which are required courses. The remaining credits can be used towards electives that will help students narrow the focus of their degree in an area such as Business law and ethics, economics, marketing, project management, operations, and more.
Each quarter, Kelley also offers an AGILE course—Accelerating Global Immersion Leadership Education—which frequently partner with top business schools around the globe. Students have recently traveled to such areas as India, Myanmar, South Africa, Botswana and Brazil.
The Kelley Online MBA also stands out because it offers students the chance to earn a dual degree online, pairing their MBA with an online MS in Business Analytics, Global Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Strategic Management, or Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
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Kenan-Flagler Business School — University of North Carolina
The Online MBA at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, better known as the MBA@UNC, may take students anywhere from 18 to 36 months to complete and include nine core courses in foundational business fields, such as economics, introductory finance, business strategy, operations management, and more. Students may also choose from over 30 electives to focus their degree in a particular concentration such as entrepreneurship or management consulting.
The MBA@UNC also requires students to complete two in-person immersions, which may be completed domestically or—for students interested in global business—internationally. Through the Student Teams Achieving Results (STAR) and Doing Business In (DBI) program, students also have the chance to study abroad at an MBA exchange partner school.
The MBA@UNC stands out thanks to its many post-graduate resources thanks to the Career & Leadership team. Replacing traditional on-campus recruiting, a Virtual Company Information Sessions allow executives from a variety of industries throughout the country to communicate with students about the hiring needs of their companies. Alumni can access these resources at any point after their graduation and can also take additional MBA courses as needed for their career development.
Tepper School of Business — Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business offers students a flexible online degree that is completed through a combination of online and on-site experiences throughout a 32 month period. Each week, students will have access to a 70-minute online course that allows them to virtually interact in real time. Throughout the year, they will also be required to attend six “Access Weekends,” held at the university’s various locations throughout the country. The Tepper Online MBA may be the program that provides the most opportunities for in-person contact with classmates and faculty, so students that are interested in more face time as part of their online program may be particularly interested in this degree.
Tepper students are provided with in-depth career coaching and recruitment opportunities. Students will also visit a number of major companies in the country, such as Google, Amazon, JP Morgan, and Microsoft. Within just three months of graduation, roughly 91 percent of students in the Tepper Online MBA program were offered a full-time role.
W.P. Carey School of Business — Arizona State University
The Arizona State University’s Carey School of Business online MBA degree is structured around just one course at a time, each five weeks long. Students are immersed in an inclusive online environment that allows them to interact with classmates through case-based projects.
Carey, in comparison to several other schools noted on this list, is also unique in its option of pursuing a concurrent online degree, such as a Master of Legal Studies, MSE in Electrical Engineering, or MS in Industrial Engineering.
Want To Work For NBCUniversal? An MBA Can Help
NBCUniversal is among the world’s largest entertainment companies, bringing “the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.” From television networks and a motion picture company to theme parks and Internet-based businesses, NBCUniversal is the perfect place for an MBA to put their degree to work.
NBCUniversal History
Both NBC and Universal were founded in the early 20th century, with Universal opening in 1915 as “the only moving-picture city in the world” and NBC as the nation’s first permanent radio networking beginning in 1926. Over the years, the companies have been responsible for some of the most memorable moments of entertainment history, such as the 1936 Berlin Olympics broadcast over NBC Radio, hosting the first presidential TV debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon on NBC in 1960, and the premier of now-classic films like Back to the Future on Universal.
In 2004, NBC and Universal officially became one company—NBCUniversal—joining together cable networks like USA, SCI FI, Bravo and others with Universal’s movie studio and theme parks in Hollywood and Orlando.
Why Work at NBCUniversal?
With such a vast portfolio of companies and networks within NBCUniversal, someone with an advanced business degree can find a number of places throughout the company that can benefit from their in-depth business knowledge and leadership. Roles are available at the company all throughout the country in a number of business fields such as Human Resources, Business Development, Communications, Finance & Accounting, Marketing, Ad Sales, Public Relations, and more.
Getting Your Foot in the Door
NBC Universal offers a number of Internships and Campus 2 Career programs that give opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students, with many of these opportunities can lead to full-time roles. Through the Campus 2 Career center at NBCUniversal, a number of roles are available in fields like Marketing, Human Resources, Web Content Management, Ad Sales and more.
Every semester, recruiters from NBC Universal request interns through the Campus 2 Career center. The company also hosts special recruiting and networking events, working alongside organizations such as the Society of Hispanic Engineers or the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA).
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Typically, internships at NBCUniversal run from three to four months long, coinciding with the school semesters. The internships are paid, although salary varies by department, and—while not guaranteed—can often result in getting hired for a full-time role with the company.
For recently graduated MBAs, the company also offers a number of Early Career & Leadership programs, such as the East/West Coast Page Program or the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program.
What Type of Jobs are Available?
Through the Campus 2 Career program, NBC Universal has a number of openings for interns in a variety of business departments. Below are just some of the roles currently available at the company which specifically seek MBA candidates.
- Digital Distribution MBA Intern—Universal City, CA
- MBA Strategy & Business Development Intern—Universal City, CA
- Home Entertainment: MBA Strategy Intern—Universal City, CA
NBCUniversal is dedicated to advancing the careers of individuals who are passionate about their work and want to move into higher-level management or leadership roles. Programs like the International Future Leaders Programme expose early-career post-graduates to four different roles over the course of two years, allowing them to experience work in all three of the company business units. Participants in this program will also gather together at the end of the program to work on a project with a real impact within the company. They will also attend a number of courses specifically designed to train up-and-coming managers.
Programs like the NYU Stern School of Business full-time MBA, which gives students an opportunity to focus their studies towards earning a career in the entertainment industry, give a definitive advantage. Several Stern MBA grads do, in fact, work with the entertainment giant.
Even if the path of an MBA may not be your preferred journey, you can always become a page.
