The Northeast Region’s Top Accelerated MBAs
The numerous advantages of an accelerated MBA start with one that’s particularly appealing–low cost. And while accelerated programs are more affordable, they are by no means less valuable or challenging than two year programs. In fact, they can be quite intensive in that they allow students to leverage their undergrad business education directly to MBA studies by covering core requirements.
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.
Where Toys R Us Went Wrong, Sawyer International Business Etiquette, and More – Boston News
Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have emerged from Boston business schools this week.
Here’s What Sunk Toys R Us – MIT Sloan Newsroom
Experts from MIT Sloan offered a few choice insights into what Toys “R” Us, whose future currently remains in flux, could learn from the hiccups along its 70 year-long history.
Senior lecturer in work and organization studies Peter Kurzina writes that Toys “R” Us “ignored Amazon eating their lunch, thus failed to prepare and meet the challenge of competition.”
Associate professor of finance Andrey Malenko, a fellow MIT Sloan colleague, also critiqued the toy giant’s enormous debt burden. “If you’re running a business that might be sensitive to e-commerce, to the recession, then loading up on debt as much as [Toys “R” Us] did, it’s very risky and you probably shouldn’t do it.”
In March 2018, Toys “R” Us announced it would be closing all US and UK locations.
Read more of the duo’s analysis here.
International Business Basics – Sawyer Business Blog
The act of doing business across cultures often entails unexpected byproducts that Sawyer addressed in its recent “Business Protocol Across the Globe” forum, organized by Colombian native Laura Reales, BSBA ‘18.
“What if I wanted to move to another part of the world, like Saudi Arabia or France or China? How could I make connections with people so that I don’t look ignorant of their culture? So I decided to create a space where it was ok to talk about those differences.”
Read here to learn the answers to questions like, “What’s the proper way to present a business card in China?” and “What’s a good way to begin a negotiation in Turkey?”
Alumnus’ Company serves the Housing Needs of a Vulnerable Community – D’Amore-McKim Blog
The Northeastern University D’Amore-McKim School of Business profiled alum Andy Rosenthal, a 2007 alum who abandoned a lucrative career in hedge fund software to co-found the Terenbinth Group, which has become the “largest, family-owned provider of housing to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” Rosenthal explains his company’s model.
“We’re a real estate company focused on providing quality, safe, affordable housing to a vulnerable community,” Rosethal said in the interview. “In short, we find homes, fix them up, customize them to suit the tenants—think wheelchair accessibility, replacing door knobs with door levers, waterproof flooring, installing roll-in showers, etc.—and then rent them directly to the individuals.”
The company’s 68 homes currently accommodate more than 225 people across the state of Indiana and it’s looking to expand. You can learn more about the Terebinth Group’s plans here.
What are the Best Real Estate MBAs in Boston? – MetroMBA
Earlier this week we highlighted the three strongest Boston metro schools that can help you earn your way into the real estate industry: Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, and the Babson College F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
Regarding Babson, writer Jillan Markowitz writes:
“At Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, MBA students can pursue the finance concentration, which offers several courses in real estate. Students can rake courses like Real Estate Financial Modeling, Real Estate Fundamentals, or Real Estate Development. According to recent Olin graduate employment statistics, 10 percent of the 2017 MBA class landed jobs in real estate. This number may not seem overwhelming, but it dwarfs the percentage seen in many MBA programs (usually about two to three percent).”
Learn more about the best real estate programs in Boston here.
Gain a Global Edge with These Philadelphia International Business MBAs
Every day, it becomes easier and easier to make connections across the world, building a global network of business and resources that can help to benefit the world. Due to an increasingly global economy, possessing a deep knowledge and understanding of the way global markets work can be a crucial part of building a business career. There is almost no limit to the types of opportunities an education in global business will provide: from working in the fields of international trade, global business operations or planning or industrial development, and being employed by international agencies, non-profit organizations, governmental, or both public and private corporations.
According to Michigan State program globalEDGE, “demand continues to grow for individuals who understand the global context of business: from the logistics of international trade and cross-border investments to the cultural and ethical issues that are imbued in the practice of business around the world. By studying international business, you will learn about world cultures and societies, and be challenged to approach issues from different perspectives.”
In choosing to study international business in the Philadelphia metro area, aspiring business leaders can center themselves in a growing market at the center of United States history and global trade. We’ve rounded up some of the area’s top MBA programs that offer a concentration in international business, allowing students to gain specific knowledge and skills to make an impact in the global economy.
Fox School of Business – Temple University
Consistently rated one of the top business schools in the country, the Fox School of Business at Temple University offers students a number of opportunities to gain skills and earn a degree in the field of global business. The Global MBA program, based in Philadelphia, is taught by world renowned faculty and is designed to provide an experiential education in international economics, with live consulting, internship and professional development opportunities. Additional programs like the MBA from Temple University Japan in Tokyo and the EMBA at Temple University Paris offer further opportunities for students to gain a hands-on global experience with a strong business background.
Lerner College – University of Delaware
The MBA at University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business gives students the opportunity to concentrate in international business, providing the solid business background they will need to effectively conduct business in a global environment. In addition to U.S. citizens looking to expand their knowledge in international business and help their organizations to expand overseas, many students in the Lerner MBA program are international, returning home with a deep understanding of U.S. customs and the ability to navigate business across borders.
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Rutgers School of Business, Camden
Students interested in concentrating in International Business and Operations can do so at the Rutgers School of Business by pursuing a number of electives in the field. Students can take a number of electives in the fields of International Business and Operations Management to complete the concentration, including courses like: International Management, Global Operations Information Technology, Global Marketing Strategy, and International Study Abroad in countries such as South Africa, France, and Brazil.
Smeal College of Business – Penn State
While the Smeal College of Business at Penn State does not directly offer a concentration or major in international business, it is an available as an option. At Smeal, options constitute a briefer but still targeted study within a particular area, allowing students to gain a deeper education in Global Business while still receiving the more general education of an MBA.
The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School at UPenn, well-known as one of the top business schools in the world, provides students the opportunity to pursue a joint MBA/MA in International Studies. The MBA/MA Lauder Joint-Degree provides students a range of resources and educational experiences in global business, such as the Global Knowledge Lab, which involves students working together as a team to produce a thorough research paper/master’s thesis. The program also includes two short global immersions and an optional ten-day trek called Culture Quest, organized completely by students in the program. The six areas of concentration students may choose to specialize in include: Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin America, South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
The Premiere International MBA is Waiting For You in London
“London doesn’t love the latent or the lurking, has neither time, nor taste, nor sense for anything less discernible than the red flag in front of the steam-roller. It wants cash over the counter and letters ten feet high.” – Henry James
It could be argued that London is the quintessential—or at least the original—international destination. Both defiantly English and seamlessly accommodating for an international community, London is a city in a state of constant reinvention.
Oscar Wilde once said London was composed of “beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics,” which makes perfect sense that the city is presently and almost always the world’s global financial center (close but no cigar, Singapore). It’s no secret that the city leads the charge when it comes to gold, silver, derivatives, foreign exchange, money markets, debt securities, and international insurance. And London’s strategic location means it can stay connected to both the East and West at all times.
These reasons and so much more make London perhaps the definitive choice for b-schoolers who aspire to cut deals that bridge cultures and cross borders. For prospective MBAs with international ambitions, opportunities to interface with every conceivable industry abound in London, as do opportunities to collaborate with non-UK companies with London hubs.
We took the liberty of giving you the skinny on four London-area business degrees that will set you on a global path. Let’s take a deeper dive, shall we?
London Business School
The London Business School EMBA-Global Americas & Europe degree is a multinational collaboration that imparts the “insight, network and international perspectives” that today’s globally focused executive needs. The program—a partnership between LBS, Columbia, and the University of Hong Kong—is available in two distinct paths for entrepreneurs, managers, or executives. EMBA-Global Americas & Europe students earn two MBAs as they study in New York and London, while EMBA-Global Asia students bridge the gap between East and West as they study in Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, and London. Forbes ranked LBS’ international degree first overall in terms of its return on investment, as its 2012 class earned average salaries of $119,100 and paid back their investment in 3.4 years.
Imperial College London
The ICL’s Global Online MBA is a two-year, part-time degree that combines “innovative thinking and insight with new technology to develop practical solutions to real world issues, benefiting business and improving society.” The Global MBA is structured to maximize intimacy and in-class time, culminating in a week-long Capstone Business Game project.
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Oxford University Saïd Business School
The Saïd Business School 13-month masters-level Global Business Diploma is focused on giving graduates the tools to “undertake the senior international responsibilities which drive organizational success.” Director Kathy Harvey explains that the degree is guaranteed to “provide insights to anyone operating, or aspiring to operate, in a global environment.” Graduates will have an advanced “understanding of the issues involved in conducting business in a global landscape,” particularly “global business strategy, risk and reputation, corporate diplomacy and doing business in emerging economies.”
Cambridge University’s Judge Business School
The Judge Business School at Cambridge University Global Business concentration emphasizes cross-cultural differences; doing business in/with emerging economies; managing the multinational enterprise; and multinational organizations in social and environmental issues. The concentration was developed specifically for MBA students “seeking careers in careers at multinational organizations; small and medium-sized enterprises in sectors that are affected by international pressures; and students with a general interest in the role of organizations in global issues.”
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.
