The past few weeks have brought about many new programs and rankings within the online MBA world. There are high quality schools adding new online MBA programs all the time. Accredited and highly reputable schools are adding online MBA components to their current MBA program offerings, giving prospective students more flexibility as they pursue the next step in their career. The past month has brought two new online MBA programs for students to choose from, one from the University of Miami and one from Washington State University.
Also available for the prospective MBA students are two new online MBA rankings. There are hundreds of programs for prospective students to research to find the right fit. Rankings can be incredibly helpful because they can provide quantitative data associated with programs to help students make their choice. But while reviewing rankings, students must keep in mind the methodology and the purpose of the ranking in order to view the data with the proper lens. Each ranking puts an emphasis on different aspects of programs and thus produces a different ranking. The rankings recently released are the US News & World Report Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans and the Princeton Review's Top 25 Online MBA Programs.
New Online MBA Programs
The University of Miami recently announced the launch of a new online MBA program. The University of Miami already appears in the top 50 programs listed in the US News & World Report top MBA programs in the country. Now Miami uses their nationally acclaimed curriculum and professors in an online format.
Miami's program consists of 42 credit hours, can be completed in 24 months, and gives three different start opportunities: January, May, or September. The program strongly encourages a beginning on-campus program orientation weekend and a separate week-long residency, but does give a distance alternative in the event that it is not possible. Courses within this program includes: Foundations of Marketing Management, Essentials of Economic Theory, Financial and Managerial Accounting, Statistical Analysis for Managerial Decision Making, Legal Implication in Executive Decision Making, Operations Management, Management Information Systems, and Strategic Management.
Also recently announced is a new joint MBA and Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Washington State University. WSU's College of Pharmacy and Carson College of Business are partnering to offer a multi-dimensional program to prepare pharmacists to be leaders in their industry and communities. Students will be able to finish their pharmaceutical studies and add a foundational business education as well as skills and training in management.
Because the MBA curriculum is delivered online, the students are able to take business courses for the elective requirements and complete both programs in as little as four years. Students must apply and be accepted to both colleges and start as early as this upcoming summer.
New Online MBA Rankings
US News & World Report is one of the most highly reputable producers of rankings in the education field. Last month, US News & World Report published a new ranking for the Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans. Online programs carry multiple benefits for veterans and active-duty service members given the flexibility and accessibility.
The schools within this ranking were valued based on many factors including reputation and affordability. The difference between this ranking and the general online MBA ranking from US News & World Report is that the schools within the veteran's list are additionally ranked on their certification for the GI Bill and participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program in order to give added financial benefit to servicemen and women. Coming in at the number one slot in the ranking is Indiana University-Bloomington, with Temple University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill coming in second and third respectively.
Also newly available in the ranking world is a brand new Top 25 Online MBA ranking from the Princeton Review. The Princeton Review states that this ranking is quantified by "comprehensive surveys conducted in the 2014 academic year of students and administrators at MBA programs offering at least 75% of their program of study online." This ranking offers a significant amount of data on each school and program, including application information, students and faculty information, contact information, as well as program content. The ranking lists the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the number one spot, then Indiana University-Bloomington and the IE Business School in Madrid as number two and three respectively.
