Top 50 Public Online MBA Programs in the US – 2021 Rankings

In 1795, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) became the only public university in the U.S. to award degrees in the 18th century. The School of Commerce was established in 1919 and is known today as Kenan-Flagler Business School. With more than 42,000 graduates working in all states and dozens of countries, UNC Kenan-Flagler is considered one of the nation’s top business schools.

The online MBA program at UNC (MBA@UNC) is one of the most recognized and established in the country. This 66 credit hour, STEM-designated degree program allows students to interact with faculty weekly using a face-to-face online platform. Program highlights include a customizable curriculum, on-campus summits, and experiential global opportunities that allow students to travel to major business centers around the world such as Johannesburg, Istanbul, London, Singapore, and others.  MBA@UNC students can customize their studies and refine their leadership skills with 25+ elective options in five concentration areas including Data Analytics and Decision Making, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, and Strategy and Consulting.

Students may participate in several additional programs to gain even more hands-on business and international experience. Optional programs include Student Teams Achieving Results (STAR), the Exchange Program, and Doing Business In (DBI). STAR students "students learn by doing as they take on the role of consultants to real companies,” says the school, while the Exchange Program “allows MBA@UNC students to study at another top-ranked business school in countries across the globe." Doing Business In (DBI) "gives students an opportunity to study abroad at an MBA exchange partner school."

With four annual start dates (January, April, July and October), the MBA@UNC can completed in as few as 18 months or as many as 36, depending on the students schedule and other commitments. The program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

In fall 2021, Arizona State University (ASU) welcomed 103,609 undergraduate students and 25,179 graduate students, making it one of the nation’s largest public universities by enrollment. The school’s nationally ranked programs have positioned the university as a “top-tier” recruiting and hiring institution by more than 50 of the country’s top corporations, according to professional recruiters and rankings services around the world.

Among the school’s nationally ranked programs is the MBA, which has a 70% employment rate at graduation and a 90% employment rate within 90 days of graduation.

Offered through W.P. Carey School of Business, the ASU MBA program has a flexible online option that includes just one meeting at the beginning of the program. This mandatory orientation session allows students to meet W.P. Carey faculty, staff, students, and teammates. After orientation, coursework for the 36 credit hour program may be completed entirely online.

This competitive AACSB-accredited program consists of 49 total credit hours (17 classes) and students are allowed to take just one course at a time (five weeks per course). Students also have the opportunity to customize their MBA by declaring an area of emphasis in Finance, International Business, Marketing, or Supply Chain Management.

Other program highlights include the opportunity to interact with teammates in case-based projects, an inclusive online environment, and the option to earn two degrees in less time and at a lower cost. Concurrent online degree options include the MBA/MSE in Electrical Engineering, the MBA/Master of Legal Studies, and the MBA/MS in Industrial Engineering.

Students in both the single and dual online MBA programs have the option to start in January or August.

Graduates of the program are prepared to work in a variety of industries, including Business, Communications, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, and STEM.

In the 1960s, Texas Instruments owners Cecil Green, Erik Jonsson, and Eugene McDermott watched “promising young Texans leaving the state to pursue education,” says University of Texas Dallas (UTD), “while their company recruited out-of-state talent to work at their Dallas-based headquarters.”

“Hoping to create better higher-education opportunities in North Texas, the trio established the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest — the foundation for what will become” The University of Texas at Dallas. “Rooted in an entrepreneurial spirit, UTD has grown into one of the nation’s top public research universities.”

UTD server nearly 29,000 students enrolled in eight schools and more than 140 academic degrees including top-ranked programs in Arts and Technology, Audiology, Business, Engineering, and Science. 

Naveen Jindal School of Management (JSOM) is the largest of UT Dallas’ eight schools. It houses the Online Professional MBA (PMBA), which allows students up to 72 months to complete the program. Students also have the option to complete the program in as few as 16 months. There are no on-campus requirements and students have full access to the MBA Program Office and Jindal School Career Management Center staff. 

This AACSB-accredited program utilizes "streaming audio lectures, video clips, online exams, online submission of assignments, and interactivity for group projects using discussion forums, email, and web conferencing." The 53 credit hour Online PMBA also highlights 24 hours of electives, along with an impressive 13 MS/MBA options, including six STEM-designated, and 15 concentrations. Nearly 60 elective options are available and just a few concentrations include Business Analytics, Energy Management, Healthcare Leadership and Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Internal Audit, and International Management Studies, and Systems Engineering & Management, to name a few.

Online PMBA students may also pursue specialized elective coursework through the Academic Certificate programs offered within Executive Education in addition to the programs regular MBA concentrations. Certificate options include Executive and Professional Coaching, Organizational Consulting, Project Management, and Transformational Leadership.

JSOM Online PMBA students are encouraged to participate in the school's International Study Programs, which "give direct exposure to business in a global context." Programs last the duration of a long semester, a summer term or even seven to 10 days abroad. To date, the JSOM Study Abroad Office has conducted more than 35 faculty led international study trips in more than 16 countries for the past 15 years.

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) serves 100,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff across 24 campuses and in 20 colleges and schools. As Pennsylvania's only land-grant university, Penn State has a broad mission of teaching, research, and public service. The school houses the Smeal College of Business, which offers 1300+ internship and co-op opportunities annually, 300+ career fairs and corporate recruiting events each year, and a 94% placement rate for MBAs within three months of graduation.

The online MBA program is led by the Smeal College of Business, in partnership with Black School of Business, Penn State Behrend; Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies; and Penn State Harrisburg School of Business Administration. This AACSB-accredited program consists of 48 credit hours, which includes 39 General Management credits and nine credits of concentration work.

Core coursework prepares students to become “more effective business professionals,” says the school, “by exposing them to the principles and practices essential to modern management,” including accounting, communications, data analysis, digital transformation, economics, ethics, finance, human resources, innovation, leadership, marketing, strategy, and supply chain.

An impressive 24 concentration options are available. Just a few include Business Analytics, Business Architecture, Business Sustainable Strategy, Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity Intelligence Leadership, Engineering Leadership and Innovation Management, Health Care Business, Homeland Security, Negotiation and Influence, Strategic Leadership, and Taxation.

The MBA program runs on the Penn State semester system, so in addition to a declaring a concentration, students can take advantage of other Penn State online graduate degree and certificate courses and programs.

At the start of the Penn State Online MBA Program, students must attend a five-day Orientation Residency held at University Park, Pennsylvania. The residency provides the opportunity for students to meet program faculty and fellow students while immersing in the first core course in the program, Team Performance. Students will also attend other “highly engaging sessions during the residency that focus on professional development and using online technology.”

The residency is required to start the program, and is currently offered virtually, but an on-campus option will return beginning in summer 2022.

Founded in 1856, University of Maryland (UMD) is the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland. UMD is the original land-grant institution in the state and it is one of only 62 members of the Association of American Universities, an organization composed of the leading research universities in the United States and Canada.

Serving nearly 41,000 students and employing 14,505 faculty and staff members, UMD has 388,000 alumni including famous graduates such as Co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin, Jim Henson, founder of The Muppets, and Seinfeld co-writer, Larry David.

The school houses the Robert H. Smith School of Business (est. 1920), which offers an AACSB-accredited online MBA program with six career-focused specializations. Options include Accounting, Finance, General Track, Information Systems and Business Analytics, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management. The program, which consists of 54 total credits completed over six 14-week terms, is largely asynchronous, which allows students to continue to meet personal and professional obligations during their course of study.

The school says “a small number of live online classes presented via the state-of-the-art video conferencing tool, Adobe Connect, provide the benefit of “attending” class and interacting with professors and peers in real time.” Students will also benefit from audio and video messaging, integrated multimedia, collaborative online workspaces, and career coaching. Smith’s Office of Career Services (OCS) takes students through “a phased approach” to creating their “core career portfolio, complemented with next-level learning and capstone experiences.” This entire career development protocol repeats each year so students can “get what [they] need when [they] need it.”

The UMD Smith Online MBA may be completed in as few as 24 months, while still providing “the same academic rigor and top faculty” as is offered in the school’s campus-based programs.

The online program has two three-day required campus-based residencies that “allow students to build a strong working relationship with their cohort peers and the faculty from the outset, setting the stage for academic success and professional growth, and to come together for a capstone experience at the end of the program.”

Auburn University was chartered in 1856 as East Alabama Male College—a Methodist institution. Beginning with EAMC, the school has had four official names: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, and Auburn University. Classes were first held for 80 students with a faculty of six in 1859. Today, the school serves approximately 30,737 students enrolled in 140 programs within 13 colleges and schools.

The Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, which has grown an impressive 50% over the last seven years, offers a video-based Distance MBA that may be completed in 2.5 years, part-time. The 36 credit hour program offers an optional three-day orientation at the beginning of the program and a three-day on campus residency on the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before graduation. Otherwise, all coursework for the program is delivered through the University's online student learning platform CANVAS.

Students use CANVAS to view lectures, work with team members on group assignments, ask questions and hold discussions with professors and classmates, submit homework, and access course materials. The lock-step curriculum allows online students to watch the exact same lectures, take the same tests, and communicate with the same professors as on-campus students.

Students can live-stream classes or choose to watch at the time most convenient for them. Courses are taken at the student’s own pace, with most online students taking one or two classes each semester. The curriculum includes a mix of core business classes and business electives and the final semester includes the Capstone Course, where groups of MBA students provide consultation to a number of real businesses on various topics.

In addition to optional concentrations in Finance, Marketing, Management, Information Systems, Supply Chain, Business Analytics and Human Resource Management, this AACSB-accredited program offers dual degrees (MBA/MS) in Finance, Information Systems, and Industrial and Systems Engineering as well as graduate certificates that complement the online MBA. Certificates range from nine to 24 credit hours and include Business Analytics, Cybersecurity Management, Management Information Systems, and Supply Chain Management Innovation to name a few.

Graduate research assistantships, which are awarded annually, are also available.

North Carolina State University (NC State or NCSU) held its first classes in the fall of 1889 with 72 students and six faculty members in one building. Today, NC State is the largest of the 16 higher-education institutions in the University of North Carolina system, with over 2,000 faculty members, an administrative and support staff of more than 5,500, and a current enrollment of more than 36,700 students from across the state and around the world. Through its 11 colleges, NC State offers 100+ undergraduate programs, 100+ master’s programs, 60+ doctoral programs, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

The school’s most popular majors are Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; and Engineering.

Founded in 1992 and serving more than 3,500 students, Poole College of Management at NC State offers a 40 credit hour Professional Online MBA that has six “Depth Areas” comprised of the same functional area options as concentrations, but with fewer credit hours required to graduate. Known as the “Jenkins MBA,” areas for the program include Biosciences Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology Commercialization, Financial Management, Innovation Management, Marketing Management, and Supply Chain Management. This AACSB-accredited program also offers the opportunity to earn Decision Analytics or SAP Certification. SAP is the world's largest enterprise applications software company, with a wide range of software used by more than 38,000 firms in over 120 countries.

Students in the Jenkins Online MBA program may choose the Accelerated Path, which takes as few as 21 months to complete, or the Flexible Path, which allows students to complete their degree in as little as 21 months or up to six years. Both pathways “integrate proven technology strategies to help connect” students with professors, guest speakers, and peers, “using podcasts, videos, and online presentations.” Students will work with virtual teams during discussions and on group projects. Professors also provide office hours through a virtual collaborative space, phone, email, and online chat.

The Jenkins Online MBA requires two three-day residencies on NC State’s main campus in Raleigh. In addition, students are encouraged to complete an optional International Immersion that lasts for seven to eight days. “The focus of the trip is to provide global business and cultural awareness skills,” says the school.

For 2019, travel experiences include France: MBA, Art & Science of Negotiation in Paris and Germany: MBA, Innovation & Marketing Systems in Munich. Study abroad trips take place during the Spring and Summer semesters, (usually mid-March or mid-May).

Established in 1863 as a land-grant agricultural college, University of Massachusetts-Amherst (UMass-Amherst) offered its first classes in 1867 with four faculty members, four wooden buildings on 310 rural acres, 56 students and a curriculum combining modern farming, science, technical courses, and liberal arts. Today, UMass-Amherst sits on 1,463 acres, the school serves nearly 31,700 students, and it houses the tallest research library on any college campus in the country and the second tallest library in the world.

UMass-Amherst also houses Isenberg School of Management, which opened its doors in 1947 with just 10 faculty members and 15 students. Today, this business school has a faculty of 133 educators and 124 staff-members serving more than 5,300 students. The Isenberg Online MBA enrolls more than 1,400 professionals, many with more than 10 years’ work experience.

The 45 credit hour program offers five focus areas including Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare Administration, and Marketing. Fully accredited by the AACSB, the Isenberg MBA also offers a unique opportunity for students to “try before you buy.” Potential MBA students can take up to two classes before applying to learn why the program is a good fit.

Besides five in-demand focus areas and the opportunity to experience the program before committing, Isenberg Online MBA students have an additional delivery option available to them. The Blended Option Part-Time MBA allows students to take some classes online and others at a conveniently located satellite campus in Boston, Shrewsbury, or Springfield, Massachusetts.

Serving approximately 165,000 students at 13 universities across 26 campuses, the University of Wisconsin System (UW) is one of the largest systems of public higher education in the nation. Through its statewide extension and outreach programs, the system also serves more than one million citizens. Three campuses—UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, and UW Oshkosh—have joined forces to create the University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium.

This AACSB-accredited program is the only offering among UW’s peer consortial programs to grant the degree from the MBA Consortium Program rather than from one of the partner schools. The program curriculum “combines four credits of business essentials courses, 22 credits of core courses, and ten credits of electives to cover general business competencies,” says the school, “while enabling” students to design a customized learning experience based on their individual interests.

Through electives, students may focus in a specific area or two, without officially declaring an emphasis/concentration. Elective course highlights include Corporate Venturing, Incorporation of Exchange Rates in Strategic Decision-Making, Introduction to Enterprise Resource Planning, Managing Technology in Turbulent Times, Mutual Fund Investing, Regional Trade Agreements and Multinational Corporations, and Sustainability and Organizational Management.

Other course highlights for the MBA Consortium Program include Competing Strategically in a Global Environment, Developing New Products and Services, Leading a Diverse and Dynamic Workforce, and Navigating Change amid Uncertainty. Students will also complete a capstone (Refining Your Plan for Success) at the end of the program. Coursework for the program may be completed entirely online—no campus visits required.

Graduates of the Online MBA Program will be able to “demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective leaders, who can lead a diverse and inclusive organization, identify and evaluate market opportunity, and use critical thinking and analytical reasoning to make informed business decisions.” Graduates will also be able to “create and maintain a dynamic vision for personal and professional development in a global and domestic context.”

The Online MBA at UW may be completed in 2.5 to three years.

Chartered in 1869, University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) is a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Academic Alliance. Classified within the Carnegie “R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity” category, UNL is also a land-grant university and a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).

Serving 25,390 students, UNL offers more than 250 majors, degree programs, and certificates. One of the school’s most popular programs is Business.

The College of Business offers a variety of flexible pathways to the coveted MBA. Options include the Traditional MBA and a 48 credit hour MBA delivered entirely online. Online courses for this program are offered in eight-week sessions. The College of Business also offers a Flex MBA program, which is a blend of both on-campus and online courses. However, the majority of courses for this program are taken on-campus at the “renowned” Howard L. Hawks Hall, which opened in 2017.

For the 100% online MBA program known as MBA@Nebraska, students “will never have to come to campus, which makes this option the most flexible” of the school’s three MBA programs, says the school. The program includes 10 core classes (30 hours), nine hours of breadth electives, and nine hours of electives. Specialization options include Business Analytics, Finance, International Business, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management. Online graduate certificates are also available in Business Analytics, Financial Communications, Human Resource Management, and Supply Chain Management.

In addition to the option to choose a specialization or certificate, MBA@Nebraska students are expected to participate in an internship. “Internships are designed to give students practical experience in managerial and/or administrative situations.” Students can participate in a maximum of two internships and earn three hours of elective credit for each internship, for a maximum of six hours.

Start times for the AACSB-accredited MBA@Nebraska program are January, March, June, August or October of each year. The average completion time for the program is three years, but it is possible to finish in 1.5 years. However, students are allowed up to 10 years to complete the program.

University of California Davis (UC Davis) opened in 1908 as the University Farm—the research and science-based instruction extension of UC Berkeley. Today, the school is one of the nation’s top 10 public universities and is the largest in area of the 10 campuses in the UC system and the third largest in student population. The almost 40,000 students who attend UC Davis pursue more than 200 undergraduate majors and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law, business management, medicine, and engineering. Programs are offered across eleven colleges and schools.

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management offers an online MBA program known as “MBA@UCDavis.” The school says the program offers “first-of-its-kind access to a nationally ranked University of California management school.”

The “centerpiece” of the online MBA@UCDavis experience is the live online classes, where students participate in “spirited, face-to-face conversations” with peers and the school’s “world-class faculty” on a “state-of-the-art technology platform.”

This STEM-designated MBA program requires 72 units with core courses that provide a foundation in the functional areas of business, such as accounting, economics, finance, marketing and strategy. Electives allow students to expand or narrow their interests. Course highlights include Data Analysis for Managers, Digital Marketing, Management of Innovation, New and Small Business Ventures, and The Individual and Group Dynamics.

Students may participate in a series of In-Person Residentials, where they will have the opportunity to join classmates, professors and business leaders for multiday, in-person experiences. “Planned for Silicon Valley, Davis and Napa Valley,” these residentials allow students to network and sharpen their skills.

Graduates of the MBA@UCDavis Program enjoy an 84% job placement rate within six months after graduation.

Founded in 1851, Florida State University (FSU) is the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida. Serving nearly 42,600 students. FSU is also one of the largest universities in the state serving. With notable alumni such as Benjamin Crump, Deion Sanders, Jim Morrison, and Sara Blakely, members of the New York Yankees, and over twenty current and former generals and admirals in the U.S. military, FSU also has a network of more than 360,000 alumni from Florida and around the world.

The College of Business at FSU (COB FSU) serves more than 6,000 students enrolled in dozens of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. The school offers two online MBA programs: the Part-Time MBA and the Part-Time MBA with a Real Estate Specialization. The 39 credit hour Part-Time MBA offers a General Track or a Specialization in Management Information Systems or Risk Management and Insurance. The program may be completed in two to 2.5 years or seven semesters.

Online MBA students may participate in the Global Business Seminar for Graduate Students, which provides the opportunity to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea at firms such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai, Kia and LG. The program, which also features several cultural excursions, focuses on the "globalization and sustainability of Korean multinational firms," says the school.

The Part-Time MBA with a Real Estate Specialization also consists of 39 credit hours and features a “rigorous set of elective courses focused on real estate and analysis.” The program, which also offers a study abroad option, may be completed in two to 2.5 years. As part of the FSU College of Business, both the Part-Time MBA and Part-Time MBA-Real Estate are AACSB-accredited.

On February 8, 1693, King William III and Queen Mary II of England signed the charter for a "perpetual College of Divinity, Philosophy, Languages, and other good Arts and Sciences" to be founded in the Virginia Colony. With original plans for the school dating back to 1618—decades before Harvard—William & Mary (M&W) is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in America.

A 17-year-old George Washington received his surveyor's license through W&M and would later return as its first American chancellor, Thomas Jefferson received his undergraduate education here, as did presidents John Tyler and James Monroe.

The Raymond A. Mason School of Business at W&M offers a 49-credit MBA program for working professionals. This interdisciplinary program consist of 12 courses and it may be completed entirely online. Each course is 7.5 weeks, with just 22 students per course. Students begin the program with the unique Renaissance Manager course, which explores “design thinking as an iterative approach to identifying and solving problems,” says the school.

The program also explores “the importance of both deep expertise and broad knowledge, understanding systemic connection as a part of creative problem-solving, how a willingness to experiment promotes a growth mindset, and the ability to synthesize new ideas from seemingly unrelated or opposing ideas,” and more.

Other highlights include courses such as Global Managerial Economics, Integrated Technology, Leadership for the 21st Century, Revolutionary Leader Practicum, and Strategy.

Students will attend just one on-campus residency. This Friday thru Sunday event includes speakers, team-building activities and networking functions and students will have the opportunity to “discuss core business topics such as leadership, finance and marketing, as well as current events and global issues.” Students will meet the school’s Executive Partners (EPs), “a select group of retired professionals who volunteer their time as mentors to all Mason School of Business students.”

Students can expect to complete the AACSB-accredited W&M Mason Online MBA in just two years.

Colorado State University (CSU) was founded in 1870 as the Colorado Agricultural College. Situated on nearly 5,000 acres of land, including the main campus, a foothills campus, an agricultural campus, and a Mountain Campus, CSU has an additional 4,600 acres for research centers, Cooperative Extension offices, and Colorado State Forest Service stations.

CSU serves around 32,650 students enrolled in 250 academic programs, more than 80 minors, and several professional advising tracks across eight colleges and a graduate school. The College of Business offers a Professional MBA Program that dates back to 1975—when the first “distance” offering was introduced.

Today, this 42 credit hour program is offered 100% online and it consists of self-paced lectures in step with class assignments. Focus areas include Computer Information Systems, Finance, and Marketing Data Analytics. Students may also choose to focus in “Professional Enrichment,” which consists of electives such as the International Study Trip. During this 7-10 experience, students will meet with business leaders, where they will learn international business culture, and become acclimated to environments different from their own.

Other program highlights include the opportunity to complete a business certificate. Options include Accounting, Applied Finance, Business Analytics and Accounting Systems, Business Information Systems, Business Intelligence, Ethics and Auditing, IT Project Management, Marketing Management, Nonprofit Administration, and Ski Area Management.

Including the focus area and study trip, students can expect to complete the AACSB-accredited online MBA program in as few as 21 months. However, students have the option to take up to five years to complete the program. Start dates include August, October, January, March, and May.

Founded in 1889, Clemson University is a public, land-grant research university that serves around 26,400 students. The second-largest university in South Carolina, Clemson offers more than 170 majors and minors, and 130+ graduate degree programs in 10 colleges and schools.

The College of Business launched an online MBA program in 2019 for candidates with more than two years’ work experience. This part-time, AACSB-accredited program designed for working professionals “utilizes the same corporate MBA curriculum and faculty and is designed to accelerate careers into areas of management and executive leadership,” says the school. The flexible format allows students to “select the class structure that best fits their schedule and learning style - and change it anytime during the semester.” This means, students can “join a live class through video conferencing,” allowing them to “participate fully and ask questions at any time.” Access to recorded lectures is available as well.

Other program highlights include the opportunity to earn a certificate to enhance the students’ credentials (Cybersecurity Business Practices and Reliability Engineering are just a few options), networking, seminars, conferences, and extensive resources in career planning. Students also have access to optional short-term study abroad opportunities in places such as Paris, Rome, and the UK.

Graduates of the Clemson University Online MBA Program enjoy a 95% job placement rate.

Louisiana State University (LSU) welcomed its first class on January 2, 1860. Today, the school is in the elite 1% of U.S. universities having land-, sea-, and space-grant designations. Serving 34,290 enrolled in more than 235 programs in 15 colleges and schools, LSU is known for graduating students that leave the school with zero debt and the chance to earn, on average, $12,000 more than those graduating from other universities.

The E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University (LSU) is home to the Flores Online MBA. Designed for professionals with at least five years’ work experience, this AACSB-accredited program offers six start dates annually.

Flores MBA students are required to take 14 courses (42 credit hours) and they have the opportunity to choose elective courses to create a focus. A few options include Negotiation, Persuasion and Influence, and Seminar in New Developments in Business Administration.

There are no residency requirements for the LSU Flores Online MBA and students may complete the program in as few as 18 months.

Boise State University (Boise State) was founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church. The school, which became an independent junior college in 1934, has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965. Serving 19,825 degree-seeking students enrolled in 200 areas of study, Boise State University is Idaho’s largest university. Programs at this doctoral research institution are offered in seven academic colleges, the Honors College, and the Graduate College.

The College of Business and Economics at Boise State University (COBE Boise State) offers an MBA program that is the only MBA in the Treasure Valley with AACSB accreditation.  Designed for mid-career professionals, the COBE Online MBA (OMBA) provides 49 credit hours of study in 13 courses offered in eight-week quarters. Launched in Fall 2019, the program now offers Construction Management, Healthcare Leadership, and Management Specializations.

Course highlights for the programs include Business Plan Development, Design Thinking and Strategic Management, Global Economics: Policy and Trade, Information Technology and Business Alignment, Managing Successful Projects, and People and Organizations.

Offered entirely online (campus visits are not required), the COBE MBA uses 100% digital content, “replacing traditional textbook cost and hassle,” says the school. Program tuition includes all course materials, which are accessible through any web-enabled device that supports HTML5. Students can complete the program in as few as 12 months, full-time.

Graduates of the COBE OMBA are prepared for advancement opportunities in their current careers or new positions such as Business Owner, Director, Executive, General Manager, Project Manager, Senior Manager, and many others.

Ohio University was established in 1804 as the state’s first university. Serving more than 33,000 students, the school offers 250 academic programs in 20+ colleges and schools.

The College of Business at Ohio University is a Top 15 Public Business School. It offers an AACSB-accredited MBA program that may be completed entirely online. There is no GMAT requirement for admission and students may choose from nine concentrations including Accounting, Business Analytics, Business Venturing & Entrepreneurship, Executive Management, Finance, Health Care, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Strategic Selling & Sales Leadership, and Project Management. Students may also complete an online graduate certificate that will allow them to “upskill in as few as three courses,” says the school. Students may choose more than one certificate and courses can be applied towards the MBA.

Course highlights for the MBA include Accounting for Executives, Advanced Corporate Finance, Applied Business Experience (CAPSIM), Data Analysis for Decision Making, Descriptive Analytics, Operations Management, and Strategic Use of Information Systems. In the CAPSIM course, “students will work in teams and apply course material to complete a simulated business experience.” In the simulation, each team runs a fictitious firm.

Students “will define a business problem to address, assess the organization and its context, suggest solutions, and deliver an action plan for implementing the solution. Teams compete with one another in a dynamic industry environment.” The CAPSIM course “provides an opportunity to apply many of the concepts learned throughout the program.”

The MBA program at Ohio University may be completed in just two years, full-time.

Founded in 1894, University of Massachusetts at Lowell (UMass Lowell) is a top 200 national public research university and one of the largest employers in the region. The school has 2,260 faculty and staff members who serve around 18,000 students enrolled in 190 undergraduate majors, graduate degrees and doctoral degrees. Programs are offered in six colleges and schools including the College of Education, Francis College of Engineering, the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Kennedy College of Sciences, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, the Honors College, and the Robert J. Manning School of Business.

The Manning Online MBA program has nine optional concentrations including Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare, Information Technology, International Business, Managerial Leadership, and Marketing. A General MBA is available for students seeking a broader degree.

All students will complete 12 credit hours of prerequisites (six courses – two credits each – eight weeks), the required advanced core 21 credit hours (seven courses at three credit hours each), and nine credit hours of electives (three courses at three credit hours each) for a total of 42 credit hours. Course highlights include Accounting Information for Management Decisions, Analysis of Customers and Markets, Global Enterprise and Competition, Managing Organization Design and Change, and Strategy Formulation and Implementation.

Courses for this AACSB-accredited program are offered in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. A minimum of nine credits is considered a full-time course load. Full-time students usually complete their degree requirements in two years. Part-time students must complete their degree requirements within five years. An accelerated option allows students to earn their MBA in as little as 12 months.

Founded in 1956, the University of South Florida (USF) serves more than 50,000 students at locations in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee, Florida. The school is the fourth largest public research university in Florida and one of the largest in the U.S. USF students choose from 180 majors and degree programs at the graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, in 14 colleges.

The Muma College of Business at USF offers an AACSB-accredited MBA Program that may be completed entirely online. The school says the Online MBA is not a “one-size-fits-all” program. With an advisor, students have the option to “choose electives curated for this limited access program according to particular career aspirations,” or they “may opt to select one of four concentrations unique to the online program. Concentrations include Compliance, Risk, and Anti-Money Laundering, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Healthcare Analytics.

Courses are asynchronous and the program highlights teamwork, weekly discussions, and collaboration sessions. Most MUMA MBA students are working full-time while enrolled and complete the program in two-three years. Others may choose to enroll full-time and finish in one year.

Recent USF MUMA MBA graduates are employed at international companies as well as in positions at some of Florida’s top corporations.

Portland State University (PSU) was founded in 1946 as Vanport Extension Center. When it opened, the school had 220 students. Today, this public research university serves just over 26,000 students enrolled in more than 200 degree programs in 10 colleges and schools. The School of Business Administration at PSU offers a Healthcare MBA in partnership with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) - Division of Management.

The 63 credit hour program, which can be completed 80% online and 20% in-person, “provides students the flexibility to complete an MBA while working full-time,” says the school. In-person classes are held at OHSU, and they take place two Fridays and Saturdays per term. Coursework focuses on Finance, Marketing, and Strategy; Leadership and Management; Operations and Quality Management; Understanding the Industry; and Capstone and Application Projects.

The PSU Online Healthcare MBA attracts students from all locations and healthcare roles including doctors, dentists, nurses, clinic managers, lab specialists, nurses, dietitians, and medical technologists. As part of Portland State’s School of Business, the PSU MBA is AACSB accredited, and it may be completed in just 33 months.

Established in 1890 and serving close to 40,800 students, the University of North Texas (UNT) is one of the state’s oldest and largest universities. The school offers 109 bachelors, 94 masters, and 36 doctoral degrees across 14 Colleges and Schools. The College of Business (CoB) at UNT offers an Accelerated MBA that may be completed 100% online in just 14 months.

This AACSB-accredited program has six specializations including Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Strategic Management, Supply Chain Analytics, and Supply Chain Management.

Courses for UNT’s Accelerated MBA Program are offered in eight-week sessions and the curriculum is identical to the school’s traditional MBA program. Students can expect to take 18 hours in the MBA core, 15 hours in the specialization, and three elective hours, for a total of 36 credit hours. Course highlights include Administrative Strategy, Discovery and Learning with Big Data, Large Data Visualization, Managing Organizational Design and Change in Financial Management, Organizational Behavior Analysis, and Sport Entertainment Management.

Depending on the specialization, students will also take seminar courses such as Seminar in Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, Seminar in Compensation and Motivation, and Seminar in Labor Relations.

The UNT Online MBA Program offers five start dates annually including January, March, June, August and October.

University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM Dearborn) was founded in 1959 with a gift of just over 200 acres of land and $6.5 million from the Ford Motor Company. Since registering its first class of 34 students, the school has set new enrollment records annually since 2014. Currently, the school serves close to 8,800 students enrolled in more than 200 programs in four colleges.

The College of Business at UM Dearborn serves more than 1,250 undergraduate and 450 graduate students from 20 states and 12 countries. The College houses the one of the oldest online MBA programs in the country, with options including the MBA with a Concentration, the MBA/MS in Finance, and the MBA/MSE-ISE (MBA/MS in Engineering, Industrial Systems Engineering). Programs are also available on-campus and in hybrid (on-campus and online) format.

Concentrations for the Online MBA are optional and include Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management Information Systems, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management. MBA students can complete the concentrations in Finance and International Business online, or they can take online elective courses, instead.

Students who choose the hybrid option will have full access to campus-based resources and they will participate in face-to-face events, such as professional organizations and study-abroad opportunities.

The AACSB-accredited UM Dearborn Online MBA requires 36 to 48 credit hours of study, and it may be completed within two to two-and-a-half years. Admission is rolling, so students may begin the program in September or January. May admission is also usually possible for part-time students.

West Virginia University’s research classification is R1: Doctoral Universities—the highest research activity as described by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Founded in 1867, this public, land-grant institution serves just over 29,100 students across the entire WVU system, which includes Morgantown (26,269), WVU Tech (1,645), and Potomac State College (1,193). Nearly 400 undergraduate and graduate majors are offered in more than a dozen colleges and schools.

The John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University offers an online hybrid MBA that takes two years to complete. This asynchronous program consists of 13 courses and it has two start dates each year including August and January. Students must attend two three-day residencies to meet their professors, network with classmates, and engage in experiential learning.

During the final semester of the program, students will participate in the mock venture capital fair held in Morgantown, WV where they will work with teammates to navigate through a simulation and pitch their business's needs to mock VCs. The project is part of the Integrated Global Business course. Other course highlights include Export Management, Management Information Systems, Negotiation Strategy, Personal Financial Planning, and Strategic Communications.

Students will also complete Executive Project 1 & 2, which provides the opportunity to develop and demonstrate project management skills through the preparation and presentation of a full and complete project/business implementation plan. Students may choose from several unique specializations including Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination, Energy Finance, or Integrated Marketing Communications. To enhance the degree, “Bolt On” Certificates are available in Business Data Analytics, Business Cybersecurity Management or Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination.

The AACSB-accredited Chambers College of Business and Economics at WVU also offers a 39 credit hour Healthcare MBA, delivered fully online. This program can be completed in less than two years. A Military Online MBA, Dual JD Online MBA, Dual PharmD Online MBA, and the Dual MBA/MS Nursing Online MBA are also available.

California State University-San Bernardino (CSUSB) began as San Bernardino-Riverside State College in 1960. The school’s original three-building campus welcomed its first 293 students in 1965 and celebrated its first graduating class of 59 students in 1967. Today, as a member of the 23-campus California State University System, CSUSB serves around 19,400 students enrolled in more than 70 degree programs and certificates offered in five academic colleges.

The Jack H. Brown College of Business (JHBC) and Public Administration offers a 12-course, 48 quarter-unit MBA program that may be completed entirely online. The MBA Online for Executives (formerly known as Online MBA), is designed for “qualified applicants possessing early- or mid-career experience who seek to expand their professional knowledge and skills through graduate business education,” says the school.

Courses for this AACSB-accredited program are taught in five-week sessions and students typically dedicate 20-25 hours of study time per course. Students can expect to take courses such as Advanced Managerial Communication, Corporate Strategy in a Global Economy, Information Systems & Technology, Entrepreneurship and New Ventures, Data Driven Decision Making and Project Management.

All JHBC MBA programs include a Boot Camp (0 units) to help students prepare for subsequent classes, two foundation classes (eight units) to develop problem-solving and communication skills, seven essential classes (28-units) to develop specific business knowledge and skills, and two culminating classes (four units) to apply knowledge and prepare students for subsequent career aspirations. Two elective courses (eight units) are also part of the program. Boot Camp modules cover accounting, finance, information management, marketing, and supply chain management.

The JHBC MBA Online for Executives has an open enrollment process and it may be completed in just 18 months.