Flexible, affordable, better: The rise of the online MBA

The future of the MBA is online — and it’s better.

Two reasons: flexibility and affordability. There’s no need to quit your job, move states, leave behind families and use your entire savings to earn an MBA anymore. As more business schools take this popular graduate degree into the virtual world, you can take the programme from anywhere and fit it around your schedule too. 

With more online MBA offerings, however, comes many variations. How do you choose? For this, it’s best to turn to satisfied graduates. According to one survey, the happiest graduates are those who would, first and foremost, recommend their experience to a friend or colleague. It’s the ultimate test. 

They also emphasised on the importance of quality professors; how accessible and responsive they were; how their live and asynchronous classes lived up to their expectations; opportunities for teamwork and to apply what you learn; and so forth. 

How you answer the above questions will determine which business school online MBA is the right fit for you. Here’s our selection of the top four in the US today: 

University of Massachusetts Lowell

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Great value. Accelerated courses. Flexible options. The University of Massachusetts Lowell’s online degree programmes are top-ranked for quality,  helping you to build the confidence to lead, expand your network, and advance your career — all on your terms.

Leadership requires more than experience alone. It demands advanced strategic thinking; finesse in managing people; mastery of global economic principles; and deep self-awareness. You can achieve them all through UMass Lowell’s Online MBA.

Here, students get to choose from concentrations in Accounting; Business Analytics; Entrepreneurship; Finance; Healthcare; Information; International Business; Managerial Leadership; or Marketing. These specialisations cover the latest advances in technology, digital trends, design thinking methodologies and authentic leadership.

Most importantly, you’ll learn from leading industry experts and world-class academics. As described by Poets & Quants, it’s a “fully remote, all-bells-and-whistles programme for just US$19,650, the only programme among 35 in our ranking that is below US$20K.”

Delivered through UMass Lowell’s AACSB-accredited Manning School of Business, the online MBA will help you develop future-focused leadership capabilities, allowing you to move quickly and think differently in ways that a traditional MBA does not. “The education I received at UMass Lowell was excellent and it really prepared me for the job market. It wasn’t purely case studies and textbooks. We ran simulations and competitions to understand how concepts work in a tangible, real world environment,” shares online MBA graduate Kevin.

The University of Texas, Arlington

Source: University of Texas, Arlington

Founded in 1895, the University of Texas, Arlington is home to over 60,000 students. UTA students receive real-world experiences through academic, internship, and research programmes. 

Here, students are spoilt for choice with more than 180 baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degree programmes available. Whether you are at the undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral level, all programmes combine academic excellence and incisive research with exceptional global business connections. 

As a global leader in business, the College of Business drives transformation through the fusion of business, technology and an entrepreneurial mindset. A UTA Business Administration MBA will challenge, inspire and provide you with up-to-date business knowledge. 

Through this programme, students learn hard and soft business skills including leadership, teamwork, relationship building, and project management. Modules covered include functional areas of accounting and finance; information technology; marketing; operations management; organisational behavior; and strategic management.

The college attracts brilliant minds and provides the environment to foster innovative and entrepreneurial thinking, resulting in ground-breaking ideas that unlock business opportunities. Their life-long professional development service and global alumni network ensure graduates go on to have long and successful careers in various industries all over the world.

Kansas State University

Source: Kansas State University

At Kansas State University, you will be given the skills to transform your career, your industry and even the world we live in. The university has one mission: to foster excellent teaching, research, and service that develop a highly skilled and educated citizenry. How is this achieved? Through its commitment to quality programmes.

Business leaders of tomorrow must think differently if they want to drive innovation, and leverage the opportunities of our evolving world. KSU’s programmes at the College of Business are designed to help you do just that. 

The university’s online Professional MBA is ranked 35th in the nation by US News and World Report — offering flexibility and a true professional advantage. This online study option is geared to the skills development needs of emerging managers, and provides the flexibility to manage your workload. 

Here, graduates think strategically, work collaboratively, and view problems from a global, visionary perspective. All of this is done through personalised attention, access to career services and faculty-led travel experience. 

Oregon State University

Source: Oregon State University

With a mission to serve all learners, Oregon State University delivers innovative, high-quality courses and programmes. The university’s College of Business has curated 28 business and design degree programmes that are designed to meet the needs of the fast-paced business environment. 

Students choose the College of Business at Oregon State University’s online MBA for its academic rigour, its intellectual challenge and its proven ability to greatly enhance student career prospects. They’re also drawn by its flexibility; you can study the subjects you want, in the order you wish. 

Future growth and economic prosperity will be driven by leaders who have the skills and knowledge to inspire excellence, growth and change. These are the attributes that define an Oregon State University online MBA graduate.

It is a rigorous and relevant programme designed to provide you with a breadth of business knowledge, skills and insights. The online MBA offers concentrations in the following area: Business Analytics; Supply Chain and Logistics Management; Organisational Leadership; and Marketing. It can be completed in 30 months and students who opt for the accelerated programme can finish in 21 months.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International