A Master's in Business Administration, or MBA, is a business degree that gives students managerial and financial skills. MBA degrees can build on a student's undergraduate work in business (or a related field), while also giving students the management and organizational skills required to coordinate large teams of employees. Students from non-business backgrounds can also gain and apply these skills, especially in markets where they have specialized knowledge, such as a nursing major specializing with an MBA in Healthcare Management. There are endless routes that MBA programs can provide, and online degree programs are some of the most convenient and cost-effective programs available. So let's take a look at the 15 Best Online MBA in Massachusetts!
FINDING AN MBA DEGREE
Each MBA program will have unique strengths and benefits for students looking to advance their career goals. Many MBA programs allow students to choose a concentration area, which will be the main foundation for their elective coursework. Students take between three to five courses centered around a topic such as Accounting, Finance, Healthcare Management, or even Sport Management. These programs allow students with a strong inclination towards their future career goals to narrow the focus of their studies and gain specific, practical knowledge relating to these fields. Other programs have a broader curriculum, which encourages students to gain knowledge in a diverse cross-section of subjects and areas. Students may only take one or two elective courses, or the entire curriculum course sequence may be pre-set. These programs are often structured in cohorts, allowing students to build strong connections with their peers, which helps them to grow academically and professionally.
The diverse range of program structures and specialties allow graduates to pursue a wide range of career options. The training in management allows anyone working in a facet of business, from accounting to human resources, to take the next step in their career and begin managing teams of individuals. The modern business world is becoming more mechanically and geographically diverse each day, making the modern and technologically based curricula of MBA programs more valuable to future employers. According to the Bureau of Labor Management, careers in International Financial Management come with a median annual salary of just over $125,000 per year! And this is just one of the many growing, well-paying specialties open to MBA students after graduation.
RANKING THE 15 BEST ONLINE MBA IN MASSACHUSETTS
Online MBA Today uses eight metrics to grade each school: Quality of Online Programs from U.S. News, Mid Career Pay from Payscale, Student Review Score from Rate My Professor, aggregate reputation score from other ranking sites, and Percentage of Online Programs, SAT Scores, Average Net Price, and Retention Rate from the National Center for Education Statistics. For a comprehensive breakdown of how we categorize and source data, please visit our methodology page.
#1. NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Northeastern University, located in Boston, is a private university. Northeastern offers an online Master of Business Administration program, which is designed to be completed in around two years. Students are required to complete 50 credit hours of coursework, divided between 13 core courses and five elective courses. Courses from the core sequence include Managing Information Resources, Creating and Sustaining Customer Markets, Global Competition, and Market Dominance. Electives are geared towards a student's chosen area of concentration, such as Finance, Healthcare Management, Innovation Entrepreneurship, and Supply Chain Management. Each concentration requires students to complete three courses, leaving them with two additional electives that they may complete at their discretion. The final courses in the program focus on Strategic Decision Making and Enterprise Growth and Innovation.
Northeastern's MBA focuses on professional experience, and so they do not require GRE or GMAT scores as a part of the admissions process. Applicants to the program are expected to be currently employed with five years of demonstrated professional experience. Northeastern offers optional residencies for students who wish to supplement their online learning with on-campus experiences. There are even opportunities for international residencies, where students can learn skills applicable to the global business market. Graduates from the Northeastern MBA program now work for a number of noteworthy organizations, including Liberty Mutual, the United States Military, Verizon, and EMC. These alumni also fill a diverse cross-section of roles at these companies, focusing on topics such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and production, or government and policy, among others.
Format: Online
#2. BABSON COLLEGE
Babson College, located in Wellesley, MA, is a private college. Babson has a blended-learning format Master of Business Administration program. The program is designed to last 21 months and includes multiple self-paced learning options for students. Students in the blended program take a mixture of evening and online courses. Most core courses are taken in-person and most elective courses should have an online option. Blended learning students are assigned a class cohort that takes courses with them throughout the duration of the program. Students are required to complete 45 credit hours total, which includes 27 hours of elective courses. Core courses focus on leadership through three lenses: Opportunity & Design, Innovation & Growth, and Entrepreneurship.
The average student brings five to ten years of full-time work experience to the program. Elective courses are available online, but part-time MBA students are allowed to take elective courses in any of the available formats: on-campus during the day or evening, blended/hybrid, fully online, weekend intensives, or electives abroad. The most recent cohort of students entering the part-time MBA program included 44% female students and students had an average GPA of 3.06. Babson has been rated by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review as the No. 1 school of entrepreneurship. Babson also offers a blended-learning MBA program through their Miami campus. The main campus MBA is not visa eligible, while the Miami campus MBA is visa eligible.
Format: Hybrid
#3. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS – AMHERST
The University of Massachusetts Amherst, located in Amherst, MA, is a public university. Amherst offers an online Master of Business Administration program, which requires students to complete either 39 or 45 credit hours of coursework, depending on whether or not they choose to pursue a concentration. Students complete 36 credits of core/foundation coursework, including classes such as Business Law, Corporate Finance, and Leadership & Organization Behavior. Students then choose three elective courses, which are worth either one or three credits depending on if they are being used to complete a General MBA or an MBA with a specialization. The Amherst MBA program offers specializations in the following areas: Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare Administration, Marketing, and Sports Management.
Applicants and prospective students are allowed to take two courses before they apply to the MBA or while they are working on their application. Students in the program come from a wide range of different geographic and professional backgrounds. Students represent all 50 states and have served in positions as doctors, attorneys, entrepreneurs, scientists, CFOs, and marketing managers. Amherst also offers a part-time on-campus MBA program, which includes the option of taking one course online, while taking another at a satellite location. Amherst has satellite locations in Boston, Shrewsbury, and Springfield. The Isenberg School of Management has a number of corporate partnerships, providing financial and professional benefits to students. These partnerships are with companies including TD Bank, Yankee Candle, Caesars Entertainment, and Pfizer Inc.
Format: Online
#4. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS – LOWELL
The University of Massachusetts Lowell, located in Lowell, MA, is a public university. Lowell offers an online Master of Business Administration program, which can be completed in as few as 18 months. The program includes 30 credit hours of coursework, which includes 21 hours of core courses and nine hours of electives. Students may select three electives from a focus area to earn a specialization in that area, in subjects such as Accounting, Information Technology, International Business, Finance, or Marketing. The core curriculum includes classes such as Managing Organizational Change, Customers and Markets, and Management Information Systems. The final course in the program is a Strategy Formation and Implementation course, which focuses on positioning a firm within its competitive environment to best meet its organizational goals.
Students without requisite coursework in certain foundational subjects, such as accounting and finance, may be required to take up to 12 credit hours of foundational coursework before beginning their graduate study. If students need to complete all of the foundation courses, then the program credit requirement is 42 credit hours and the time-to-completion will be increased. Lowell accepts applications year-round. There is also an option for students to earn a Healthcare concentration, which requires the same three courses of electives as listed above. Students in the program are allowed to take up to two consecutive semesters off from the program, this is referred to as "continued matriculation". Students with eight or more years of relevant work experience or sufficient undergraduate GPA may waive the GRE/GMAT requirement.
Format: Online
#5. FITCHBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
Fitchburg State University is a public university located in Fitchburg, MA. Fitchburg has a Master of Business Administration program that can be completed fully online in as few as 12 months. Students are required to complete 30 credit hours of coursework, which includes 18 hours of core courses, nine hours of management concentration courses, and a three-hour elective. Core courses cover subjects including Marketing Management, Corporate Finance, and Accounting Practices for Managers. Students must then complete the following three management courses: Human Resource Function and the Manager, Management Theory and Process, and Special Topics in Management. Students then finish the program with a course focusing on economic theory and managerial decision-making.
Students are not required to submit GMAT scores for the Fitchburg State online MBA program. Fitchburg offers five different start dates for the program throughout the year, and students who complete their application materials at least one month prior to the start date are eligible for admission during that period. Start dates occur in May, July, September, October, and January. Applicants to the program should have an overall undergraduate GPA of no less than 2.8. Students with below this GPA requirement may be considered for admission, depending on their professional work experience and letters of recommendation. Some courses are only offered during certain sessions and students are responsible for fulfilling core requirements when they are offered.
Format: Online
#6. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS – DARTMOUTH
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a public university located in Dartmouth, MA. Dartmouth has an online Master of Business Administration program that is designed to be completed in 24 months. It is a 30 credit hour program, which starts with core courses covering Marketing Strategy, Advanced Operational Analysis, and Finance for Decision-Making. Students also choose a series of elective courses, which can cover a wide range of topics, including Logistics Strategy and Management, eCommerce, and Strategic Cost Management. Students are assigned to an individual advisor, who helps to guide them through the program and in the selection of elective courses that best pair with a student's career goals.
Students may waive the requirement for submitting GMAT scores as a part of the admissions process if they have at least five years of managerial/supervisory work, have earned a terminal graduate degree, meet a 3.0 minimum GPA requirement in any major/discipline, or possess a relevant professional license. Students who have had the GMAT requirement waived may still be required to complete foundation courses as a part of their degree path. Foundation courses require students to complete an extra nine credit hours on top of the 30 credit hours required by the main program. Graduates from the program have gone on to pursue careers in engineering, educational, managerial, and entrepreneurial fields.
Format: Online
#7. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS – BOSTON
The University of Massachusetts Boston, located in Boston, MA, is a public university. UMass Boston offers a number of different Master of Business Administration programs, including a fully online version. Students are able to pursue one of three high-level specializations in the program, choosing between Business Analytics, Health Care Informatics, and Finance. The program includes 12 courses, divided between the main core and concentration electives. The business core covers the first 10 courses in a student's program. Core courses include Economics for Managers and Financial Management. Example elective courses are as follows, from the Business Analytics focus: Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence, and Enterprise Data Mining for Predictive Analysis. The program ends with a Strategic Management capstone course.
In addition to the fully online version of the program, Boston also offers a Summer Start MBA, One-Year MBA, and a traditional on-campus MBA which can be taken full-time or part-time. The full-time and part-time MBA program has 10 additional specializations that are not available for the online version of the program, including Environmental Management, Internet Marketing, and Nonprofit Management. Massachusetts and New England residents are eligible for lowered tuition rates at UM Boston. In addition to concentration options, students may also choose to pursue one of five graduate certificate options to supplement their degree. The program does accept substituted courses to satisfy course and specialization requirements, contingent upon course equivalency and transcript review.
Format: Online
#8. WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, located in Worcester, MA, is a private university. Worcester offers a Master of Business Administration program that is designed for STEM professionals. The program is delivered in a blended, cohort-style format, with online courses that require two in-person classes each semester on Friday/Saturday during the middle and end of each course. The curriculum includes 48 credit hours of coursework, which includes a series of pre-set core courses, along with two elective courses. Core coursework covers Accounting and Financial Fundamentals, Strategy in Technology-based Organizations, and Financial Decision-Making for Value Creation. Students also have a choice in their core coursework between taking a course in Leading Change or Negotiations. The program ends with a capstone course, which allows students to apply skills, methods, and knowledge to solve a real-world problem for an actual client.
There are two admissions cycles available, one each for the Fall and Spring semesters. The Foisie Business School, which the program is run out of, prefers for applicants to have a minimum score of 500 on the GMAT, or the equivalent on the GRE. Students applying with above a 3.0 GPA or with at least two quantitative courses with a grade of 3.0 or higher can have the testing requirement waived. Students are also eligible for the waiver if they have three or more years of work experience, a professional certification relevant to the MBA field, or an existing terminal degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Format: Hybrid
#9. NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
The New England College of Business is a private, for-profit online college based out of Boston, MA. NECB has a Master of Business Administration program designed to give students relevant and actionable experience in a broad range of business topics. The base MBA program includes 36 credit hours of coursework, starting with foundation and core courses including Managerial Economics and Managerial Finance. Students can choose between one of five available concentrations which are Finance, Business Ethics, Global Finance Trading, Healthcare, and Human Resources. Concentrations are made up of three elective courses, which add additional credit hour requirements onto the program. The base program is 36 credit hours and the program with concentrations courses is 45 credit hours. The final course in the program is a Strategic Planning & Decision-Making capstone course.
There are four prerequisite courses for the program, which cover topics such as Financial Accounting, Economics, Principles of Management, and Statistics. Students must either complete these courses before beginning the MBA or have taken and completed equivalent courses during their undergraduate degree program. NECB has eight graduate sessions throughout the year and admits students on a rolling basis throughout the year. Almost all of the students in the program are working professionals, and nearly two-thirds were hired by organizations that have Corporate Partnership relations with the New England College of Business. The program uses its team-building and cross-sector focused curriculum to help grow networking opportunities between students in the program. The program is generally designed for middle- and senior-level managers who are looking to take the next step in their careers.
Format: Online
#10. SIMMONS UNIVERSITY
Simmons University is a private women-focused university located in Boston, MA. Simmons has an online Master of Business Administration program, which emphasizes the unique role of women's leadership and diversity in the workplace. The MBA program is co-ed but places an academic emphasis on the way that gender-based obstacles affect the workplace and helps students to develop tools and strategies for combating these obstacles. The majority of the coursework is completed online, but online MBA students are required to attend two in-person immersion courses. It is a 48 credit hour program, which is broken out between 14 core business courses, two electives, and the two immersion courses. Students who are taking two courses per term are able to complete the program in as few as 24 months.
The required in-person immersion courses allow students to develop relationships with faculty and peers, as well as to network with guest speakers and to participate in hands-on collaborative learning experiences. Recent immersion experiences have included "For Profit, For Good", designed around the idea of the special, social responsibilities that managers have, even when working for for-profit groups. Topics covered included microfinancing, gender lens investing, and blended value (between social and economic outcomes). Sample courses from the core sequence include Negotiation and Conflict Management, Business, Government, and the Global Economy, and Leading Organizational Change. Applicants to the program should have at least one year of progressive full-time work experience.
Format: Hybrid
#11. LASELL COLLEGE
Lasell College, located in Auburndale, MA, is a private college. Lasell College has a Master of Business Administration program. The program is designed to be completed in between 12-24 months, with students completing 36 credit hours of pre-set coursework. The core sequence of 12 courses begins with Leadership Roles in the 21st Century Organization and Organizational Role in Ethics & Social Justice. Students then progress on to higher-level courses covering Strategic IT Alignment, Entrepreneurial Strategy & Venture Creation, and Global Market Strategy & Dynamic Supply Chain. The final course in the sequence is a Global Strategy for Continual Success course. Courses are designed to give students a comprehensive skill set in organizational development and quantitative analysis.
The program is offered fully online and there are six enrollment periods available in September, October, January, March, May, and July. Students entering the program are required to demonstrate proficiency in statistics and microeconomics. If a student did not complete these courses during their undergraduate coursework, they can meet the requirement by progressing through self-paced tutorials in introductory statistics and economics. Students who wish to enter the program should have a minimum of two years of professional work experience. Applicants do not have to submit GRE/GMAT scores as part of the admissions process. Classes are capped at 23 students to ensure a student-focused learning experience. Lasell provides a wide range of academic support systems including career counseling, academic advising, and enrollment counseling.
Format: Online
#12. SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY
Suffolk University, located in Boston, MA, is a private university. Suffolk has an online Master of Business Administration program designed to give students real-world immersions into the business world. It is a 36 credit hour program. Students participate in live interactive learning sessions with guest professionals and leaders from Boston-based companies. Students also have the option of choosing a concentration that fits their career goals, such as Accounting Principles, Business Intelligence, or Finance. Students may also elect to simply take 12 hours of general elective courses, rather than gearing these towards a concentration. Core courses include options such as Value-Based Financial Management, Marketing, and Innovation. There is also an option for a travel seminar course, which gives students direct economic and cultural experience in a global market.
Students with an undergraduate degree in business, or a related field, can complete the program in as few as two years. Students with a degree outside of business or related fields can complete the program in just over two years. Each student is assigned a Student Success Advisor, who provides personalized support designed to keep students on-track for graduation. Skills taught in the program are drawn from business leaders looking for graduates with practical skills such as Analytical Reasoning, Global Awareness, and Change Management. Courses last for seven weeks each, and there are start terms available in the fall, spring, and summer. Students required to complete business fundamental courses could be required to complete up to 51 total credit hours, depending on prior coursework.
Format: Online
#13. BENTLEY UNIVERSITY
Bentley University, located in Waltham, MA, is a private university. Bentley has a Master of Business Administration program, which includes six core courses and then elective/concentration work. The regular online program has eight concentration options including Finance, Information Technology, and Law and Taxation, among others. Core courses cover Global Strategy, Designing for Value Chain, and Law, Ethics, and Social Responsibility. The most recent cohort of students entering the program had an average age of 30, along with bringing an average of five and a half years of professional work experience into the program. Four out of five students are enrolled in the program full-time. Courses can be delivered through on-campus, online, or hybrid formats.
Bentley offers the MBA program as a full-time, part-time, and fully online program. Bentley also offers a fast-track MBA program that can be completed in as few as 18 months. The fast-track MBA allows students to pursue a leadership concentration, which is designed to give students the knowledge and skills to successfully lead multinational and multicultural organizations. Leadership is the only concentration available for the accelerated online program. Graduates from the program earn an average salary of just under $100,000 per year. Bentley's Career Placement services were also ranked No. 1 by the Princeton Review and services are available for alumni and graduates for life. Students complete one course at a time, with courses lasting six weeks each.
Format: Online
#14. WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY
Western New England University is a private university located in Springfield, MA. Western New England has an online Master of Business Administration program. The 36 credit hour program is delivered through optional in-class sessions and the online learning management system. Each course consists of 11 class sessions, with around half being offered both online and in-person, while the other half will only be offered online. MBA candidates working a full-time job generally can complete the program in 18-22 months. Students have the option of pursuing a concentration during the program in Accounting, Leadership, Business Law, or Public Relations. The GMAT or GRE is a required part of the admissions process unless an applicant shows sufficient criteria to have this waived.
International students will be required to attend courses that offer six on-ground class sessions in order to comply with visa requirements. Students who take one course per term will generally be able to complete the degree requirements in around three years. Students have up to eight years to complete the program once they have begun it. Applicants to the program are required to have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Business majors and related fields are common, though a wide variety of academic backgrounds are considered. Students should have prerequisite experience in accounting, finance, and statistics, or else they may have to complete prerequisite courses before beginning their graduate work. Minimum GRE/GMAT scores are based on a student's undergraduate GPA.
Format: Online
#15. BAY PATH UNIVERSITY
Bay Path University is a private university located in Longmeadow, MA. Bay Path has a 36 credit hour Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurial Thinking & Innovative Practices program which is divided between 10 core courses and two elective courses. Classes are offered in eight-week accelerated formats, and students generally complete the degree in one to two years. Required courses from the program include Compensation and Employee Benefits, Accounting for Business Decision Makers, and Entrepreneurial Finance. The final courses in the program focus on Entrepreneurial Management Strategies and Business Project Development. Elective courses cover topics such as risk management, high-performance leadership strategies, and business growth strategies. Applicants are preferred to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, but students below this may be admitted based on supplemental qualifications.
The Bay Path MBA can be completed through online or blended MBA courses. On-campus components or courses are offered at Bay Path's Longmeadow campus. The program has start dates every February, June, and October. Applicants to the program are not required to submit GRE or GMAT scores. Students may combine the MBA program with a Graduate Certificate program in Strategic Fundraising or with a Master of Science in Communications & Information Management degree program. The former requires students to take 15 courses and generally takes 18 months to complete, while the latter requires 20 courses and around two years to complete. Bay Path also offers separate graduate programs in Nonprofit Management, Higher Education, and Communications & Information Management.
Format: Online