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…
NFL Players Association Helps Players Pursuing Their MBA
When you spend seasons on end playing game after game, what sounds exciting to an NFL player? Something different that allows you to take your education one step further. At least that’s the case for Kicker Stephen Gostkowski and a couple of his teammates on the New England Patriots who are close to earning their MBAs.
The Five Most Valuable Online MBAs
Choosing an online MBA program isn’t easy. Not only do you need to look at rankings, but you also have to look at what the program offers and how affordable it is. After all, the goal of an online MBA is a great return on investment. So, how do you find the most valuable Online MBA programs?
We’ve searched through the U.S. News and World Report on the “Best Online MBA Programs” to find which ones can give you the best experience at the best cost.
The programs on this list rank in the top 25 “Best Online MBA Programs,” and cost under $1,400 per credit.
The Five Most Valuable Online MBA Programs
Indiana University
Tied for first as the best online MBA program in the country, Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business is also affordable.
The Kelley Direct Online program offers the ultimate in flexibility. Students can take between two to four years to graduate and tailor their classwork to their goals. Online MBA students will cover such topics as business law and ethics, economics, marketing, finance, operations, information technology, and project management. They’ll also have the opportunity to study abroad in one of Kelley’s global hubs located in Botswana, Brazil, China, India, Myanmar, South Africa, and Cuba.
- Cost: $1,330 Per Credit (out-of-state)
- Ranking: #2
Arizona State University
Ranked as the 5th best online MBA program in the U.S., Arizona State University’s W.P Carey School of Business won’t break the bank either.
The Online MBA at ASU is designed to work with students no matter where they live. The program is incredibly flexible with just five weeks per class and 17 total classes. Interested students can expect to take classes covering a range of topics including strategic management and global thinking. Classes start in either January or August with students taking the same curriculum taught by the same faculty as the full-time and part-time programs.
- Cost: $1,216 Per Credit (out-of-state)
- Ranking: #5
University of Florida
Ranked at 6th overall, the University of Florida Hough Graduate School of Business also offers an affordable online MBA program.
The UF Online MBA offers the ideal balance of work, life, and school commitments. Students can graduate in just 24 months without visiting campus, with courses taught by the full-time MBA faculty. Students cover the same topics as their full-time brethren with courses on financial accounting, economics, and more. There is also an optional Global Immersion Experience opportunity.
- Cost: $1,255 Per Credit (out-of-state)
- Ranking: #6
Lehigh University
Ranked at 19th on the U.S. News and World Report list, the online MBA at the Lehigh University’s College of Business and Economics is incredibly affordable.
The Online Flex MBA at Lehigh University is AACSB accredited and places high emphasis on maintaining excellence. Students can complete the program in as little as 16 months while taking classes on a variety of topics including managing financial and physical resources, corporate entrepreneurship, international business, and marketing. Students can also choose to pursue a concentration in one of six fields including: corporate entrepreneurship, finance, international business, marketing, project management, and supply chain management.
- Cost: $1,075 Per Credit (out-of-state)
- Ranking: #19
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware’s Lerner College offers the most affordable online MBA on our list while still ranking in the top 25.
Last but certainly not least, the Lerner Online MBA is designed to provide students with the decision-making skills and analytical tools to succeed. The program is entirely online with a customizable curriculum that can be completed in as little as 16 months. In addition, students can choose between five concentrations including business analytics, finance, healthcare, strategic leadership, and international business. Each course is seven weeks long and taught by a Ph.D.-qualified faculty member.
- Cost: $812 Per Credit (out-of-state)
- Ranking: #22
Runner’s Up
- University of Texas at Dallas: The Naveen Jindal School of Management’s Online MBA program is ranked #6 in the nation and costs $1,402 per credit (out-of-state).
- Hofstra University: The Zarb School of Business Online MBA ranks 36th on the list and costs just $1,596 per credit (out-of-state).
- Syracuse University: Ranked 42nd, the Syracuse University Online MBA costs just $1,500 per credit.
STEM Startups, Notre Dame’s New Master’s, and More – Chicago News
Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have emerged from Chicago business schools this week.
Why a Choice Doesn’t Feel Like a Choice When Morality Enters the Picture – Kellogg Insight
In new research co-authored by Northwestern Kellogg Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations Maryam Kouchaki finds that “across cultures, when people view a particular decision as being moral in nature, they don’t feel like they are making a choice at all, and they pay less attention to alternative courses of action.”
In other words, “people who viewed a particular issue as moral experienced a lower sense of choice when making a decision related to that issue, as compared to people who did not view the issue as moral.”
Kouchaki notes, “Even though they did the most amazing thing, it wasn’t like they felt that they deliberated. They felt like they had no choice. Their sense of freedom has been constrained and it has a spillover effect for your actual behavior.”
The study was co-authored by Cornell’s Isaac Smith and Nanyang Technological University’s Krishna Savani of Nanyang Technological University.
You can read the full article here.
Notre Dame launches New Graduate Degree in Business Analytics – Mendoza Ideas & News
Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business just announced its new one-year, 31-credit-hour Master’s of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA), designed for “pre-professional students with little or no work experience.”
In a recent release, John W. Berry, Sr. Professor of Business and Chair of the Information Technology, Analytics, and Operations Department, describes MSBA students:
“They were either recent graduates that didn’t have the work experience, or international students interested in the STEM degree who wouldn’t be able to work while earning their degree.”
According to the school, the program’s goal is to “provide a rigorous education in applying analytical techniques to massive data sets to solve business problems — knowledge that has become critically important due to revolutionary advances in information technology.”
Katherine Spiess, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs at Mendoza adds, “In addition to learning about cutting-edge data analytics, our MSBA students have the opportunity to explore the ethical dimensions of collecting and analyzing data to promote business as a force for good in society.”
You can find out more about the brand new Notre Dame Master’s of Science in Business Analytics here.
MakerGirl Thrives and Expands to New Heights – Gies School of Business News
MakerGirl, a nonprofit founded by Gies College of Business students to enable “college students to teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills to girls ages 7-10,” recently expanded its operations to include robotics and special coding classes at Northwestern University and announced plans to collaborate with DePaul University.
The goal of MakerGirl’s founders is to “impact 10,000 girls by 2023, including half from underrepresented and rural communities.”
The nonprofit MakerGirl startup is built to help introduce young women with leading STEM graduates / Photo via https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1501163298/makergirl-goes-mobile-midwest-edition
Julia Haried (’15 ACCY, ’16 MAS) and full-time employee at Deloitte, recently spoke about how invaluable the support of the school has been to the launch and growth of MakerGirl.
“In [my social entrepreneurship] class, the idea was born and incubated by myself and co-founder, Elizabeth Engele, and supported by course instructors. The idea was further launched in the iVenture Accelerator, a Gies-supported venture accelerator that gave us $10,000, mentorship, and a summer to grow MakerGirl’s impact at the Research Park. Because of these experiences, I was challenged and encouraged to solve a big social problem.”
Co-founder Elizabeth Engele also adds, “It’s so much fun and fulfilling to build a program that creates a meaningful experience for girls right now that also impacts their future. We have witnessed girls self-identify as MakerGirls after the program, which is incredibly powerful for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
She continues, “MakerGirl brings me the greatest joy when I see young girls get excited about science, technology, engineering, and math, and literally shift who they perceive themselves to be in the world.”
You can read more from the interview here and visit MakerGirl’s official site for more information.
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.
Temple, Carnegie Mellon Top U.S. News 2018 Online MBA Rankings
The annual U.S. News & World Report 2018 Online MBA rankings are officially in, with the Fox School of Business at Temple University, once again, taking the top honors.
