The Top Online MBA Programs
Covid-19 has dramatically impacted MBA programs in 2020 especially the educational delivery for current students. If you are considering an MBA right now, it is important to know that many of the in-person programs have transitioned to either a fully virtual learning environment or a hybrid learning environment. As the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19’s impact on higher education continues, there is no guarantee that these programs will move back to their traditional in-person format. The 2020 Top 5 Online MBA Programs in the U.S. should be considered for applicants.
As you review your MBA options, it is clear that five U.S. online MBA programs stand out above the rest of the uber-competitive market. According to 2020 rankings published by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, those programs are Kelley Direct Online, MBA@UNC, the University of Florida Online MBA, the USC Marshall Online MBA, and the Tepper School of Business Online MBA.
Why Choose a 2020 Top 5 Online MBA Programs in the U.S.
- Online programs excel at delivering a high-quality virtual education: The top online programs are already accustomed to providing virtual learning, career services and resources. If you are considering an in-person program, keep in mind these programs may struggle with the new virtual format. You have to consider that you might not receive the same value from those programs that you would expect for the original online MBA programs.
- Ultimate Flexibility: Fully online programs offer the most flexibility for working individuals and families. Also, if you were to attend an in-person program or even a hybrid format, you may have to change your work/life balance if classes were to ultimately return to in-person classroom learning. Keeping COVID-19 in mind, you also eliminate traveling or being in a classroom setting which may increase your risk of contracting the disease.
- Better prepare for the virtual workplace: It won’t be a surprise if companies provide employees with greater workplace flexibility in the future due to COVID-19. Companies are finding that with the right tools in place, employees can function at the same capacity virtually. An online MBA can help develop your virtual communication, leadership, and team-building skills as you complete your program.
Kelley Direct Online 2020-2021: Application Deadlines and Program Start Dates
Kelley Direct 2020-2021 Online MBA Application Deadlines and Program Start Dates
| Application Round | Application Deadline | Program Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| Online MBA Spring ’21 Term | Jan. 15, 2021 | Feb. 22, 2021 |
| Online MBA Fall ’21 Term | July 15, 2021 | Aug. 23, 2021 |
Highlights of the Kelley Direct Online MBA Class Profile
If you are researching programs and deciding on where to apply, it is important to understand where you stack up against the competition. Below are important metrics for the Kelley Direct Online MBA.
| Category | Statistics |
|---|---|
| Average GMAT | 640 |
| Average Years of Work Experience | 5.3 years |
| Mean Base Salary Upon Graduation | $122,000 |
| Average GPA | 3.45 |
| Average Years of Professional Experience | 9 years |
| Class Split | 72% male, 28% female, 11% military |
Additional Resources as you Prepare your Application
- To research more information about program cost, financial aid and curriculum, check out the Kelley Online MBA profile here.
Application Requirements
Along with a $75 application fee, applicants to the Kelley School of Business Online MBA program must submit GMAT or GRE scores, although these may be waived under special circumstances. As well, students must submit official school transcripts of academic records, one letter of recommendation, a 500-word personal statement, and a resume. Students may be invited to take part in a 30-minute phone interview with the school admissions team.
International students who were either born in a non-native English speaking country or have not earned an undergraduate or graduate degree at an English-speaking institution may have to provide either TOEFL or IELTS test scores to prove English fluency.
The application process for domestic and international students, including the Kelley Direct Online application deadlines, can be found on their How to Apply page. KDO has a two-part application process. The first part is free and takes 5 minutes to complete. Applicants encourage you to start it ASAP—before taking the GMAT or GRE—as you continue to consider your options. Once you complete part one, you will be paired with a dedicated admissions staff member who will walk you through the rest of the application process and conduct an enrollment interview with qualified applicants.
The End of Non-Compete Clauses, and More – Toronto News
Representatives from some of Toronto’s strongest business schools have made many contributions to help better their communities this week. Check out some best stories from the week.
Restaurant Brands International to Review ‘No-Poach’ Franchise Agreements – Vancouver Courier
Restaurant Brands International, one of the largest global quick service restaurant companies, indicated that it may be re-thinking the ‘no-poach’ clause in employee contracts. ‘No-poach’ clauses (also known as non-compete clauses) prevent employees from one franchise location from moving to different competing franchise location within the same chain. Experts, including Maurice Mazerolle, Associate Professor at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management, believe the clause prevents wage growth for people working in this field.
Restaurant Brands International, which operates Canadian-mega chain Tim Horton’s, may be ditching its “no-poach” clause for its employees.
“In theory, in a tight labour market it basically means you’re not going to be able to bid up wages to compete for those experience workers,” Mazerolle said in an interview with the Vancouver Courier.
Restaurant Brands International owns Canada staple Tim Hortons, as well as Burger King and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, with franchises in the U.S. and Canada. Representatives from the fast-food giant have said that they will be consulting their franchisee advisory boards to discuss changing the ‘no-poach’ clause in employee contracts.
You can read more about ‘no-poach’ franchise agreements here.
Medicine by Design and Creative Destruction Lab Partner to Accelerate the Commercialization of World-Class Research in Regenerative Medicine – Medicine by Design
Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a seed-stage program for science and tech companies that was launched University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management in 2012, has partnered with Medicine by Design to support the monetization of and nationwide access to regenerative medicine. CDL Executive Director Sonia Sennik said:
“The Creative Destruction Lab has a strong history of supporting health-based companies, and we are very excited to deepen this area of focus through our Health Stream. By partnering with Medicine by Design, we can expand a successful model to include companies on the cutting edge of cell therapy and regenerative medicine.”
Medicine by Design’s regenerative medicine initiative perfectly complements the CDL’s commitment to providing resources for health innovators. The CDL has locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax, and New York City.
Read more about the partnership here.
Recycling Provides Manufacturers With Economic Advantages, Study Say – Indiana University
Gal Raz, associate professor at Western University Canada’s Ivey Business School, and Gilvan C. Souza, professor at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, co-authored a study that appeared in Production and Operations Management. In the study, “Recycling As A Strategic Supply Source,” the researchers investigated how recycling could provide lucrative resources for companies in today’s changing supply market. The researchers found that recycling can prove to be a wise fiscal decision for companies in the metal cutting tool and inserts industry.
“Because you become your own supplier—you sell your products and you collect them and you recycle them—it gives you your own source of raw materials,” Souza said. The professors’ research showed that recycling can protect companies from changes in the market. According to Souza, recycling “insulates you from the volatility of the market, at least partially. You’re still buying some portion of your raw materials from the commodity market, which is volatile, but if that’s a smaller and smaller portion, then that’s a significant benefit.”
Read more about the recycling study here.
Finding The Right Online MBA For You
With so many amazing online MBA programs available throughout the country—and without location making the decision for you—it can seem nearly impossible to choose which Online MBA degree program is right for you.
With the increasingly available option to customize your degree in a particular area of emphasis—just as most full-time MBA programs offer—students can gain a competitive edge in their field without ever having to leave their house. In addition, the kind of specialization offerings at each program may help students narrow down the perfect Online MBA for them. Whether your looking to gain industry expertise in accounting or entrepreneurship and anything in between, understanding the areas of emphasis and structure of each degree can be a big help when confronted with such a vast number of impressive programs to choose from.
We take a look at most in demand concentrations available at each of the schools in MetroMBA’s new Online metro, finding what sets each program apart and may make it the perfect degree for you.
Fox School of Business – Temple University
At Temple University’s Fox School of Business, accounting is seen as much more than just calculating numbers—at Fox, it’s “the language of business.” It’s also the most popular area of concentration for students pursuing their MBA online.
The Department of Accounting at Fox focuses on an intense study of the field of accounting, providing students with several opportunities to gain “real-world” experience in the discipline. This sort of experience provides a competitive edge no matter what career path accounting students choose to pursue, which both include and go beyond public accounting.
In addition to students who choose to concentrate in accounting, the Online MBA at Fox is already strongly rooted in the accounting discipline, with all students being responsible for taking an accounting course as a key part of the degree and its curriculum.
Hough Graduate School of Business – University of Florida
If you are looking for a flexible degree that can expand your entrepreneurship knowledge, the Hough Graduate School of Business’ Online MBA may be the perfect degree for you. One of the four options in which students can focus their degree, Entrepreneurship skills are a core part of the Hough School’s curriculum.
Students looking for a more immersive or even global entrepreneurship experience can also take the courses for their concentration within just one week on campus in Gainesville, or taken during a one week international study trip. Of course, students who don’t have the ability to take a week off for this purpose may choose to pursue their Entrepreneurship electives online, as with the rest of the core courses of the degree.
Kelley School of Business – Indiana University
Students looking to focus their MBA in finance will find themselves in good company at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Studying the discipline with the same highly ranked faculty who teach in the full-time MBA program, online students have the chance to round out their degree with electives that particularly focus on the financial applications of their MBA degree.
One reason the study of finance is so popular for online MBA students at Indiana University may be the opportunity to pursue a dual degree, combining their MBA with an online MA in subjects like Finance, Strategic Management, and Business Analytics, among other options. Such an interdisciplinary degree with a strong finance background will give Kelley graduates a competitive edge as they enter the workforce.
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Kenan-Flagler Business School – University of North Carolina
The Online MBA@UNC provides students with a world-class MBA curriculum that allows students to specialize their degree within one of eight special areas. In high demand at UNC is the Management Consulting degree, which prepares students for positions as business consultants.
Even though online programs don’t typically scream “hands on,”the MBA@UNC is build this way, providing consulting students with ample experiential learning and guided practice to gain the necessary leadership and client management skills for success in the consulting field.
Tepper School of Business – Carnegie Mellon University
The Tepper School of Business, ranked as the second best Online MBA by the U.S. News & World Report, is a top MBA for students interested in specializing in Business Analytics.
Students at Tepper have the chance to set their MBA within a particular track, and with the decision to focus on Business Analytics students will be provided with the necessary skills to transform massive amounts of data into usable and analyses to improve the worlds of both business and technology. Graduates from the Business Analytics track at Tepper have accepted jobs from such companies as Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, McKinsey, and more.
W.P. Carey School of Business – Arizona State University
Students looking to specialize their MBA in Supply Chain Management/Logistics may find the perfect degree at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. With so many of the degree’s core courses centered around logistics- such as ‘Decisions, Market Structure and Games’ or ‘Operations and Supply Management’—MBA students can use their electives to even further customize their degree with courses like ‘Supply Chain Cost/Design Issue, ‘Suppler Management and Negotiations,’ among others.
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.
Been Waitlisted? Here’s What to Do (And Not Do)
There’s an art to the waitlist, and it can be mastered.
Remember, you’ve probably been waitlisted for a reason. For one, you’re qualified. Otherwise, you would have received a denial. Unfortunately for you, other candidates had a bit more of an edge. Maybe their GMAT scores or GPA was higher. However, your dream school might not be theirs, so there’s always that chance that enough applicants will deny the offer, and the school will, in turn, offer a place to you.
The waitlist can also serve as a sort of test for applicants the school isn’t 100 percent sure about. Here are a few simple tips to help you put your best foot forward while on the waitlist and show your dream school that it needs you just as much as you need it.
Follow Instructions
Schools are pretty clear about how they want you to respond to their notice. If they ask that you not send a letter, then don’t—no matter how much your heart aches to. If they ask for another letter of recommendation, send one as soon as possible. It’d be even more effective if a former colleague or mentor who attends/attended the school or works at it write the letter (assuming they know you personally). Don’t hesitate to do whatever the school asks from you, especially if it is your first choice. That’s the kind of attitude that may lead you where you want to go. But don’t do too much if the school doesn’t ask for it.
Last year, Clear Admit wrote about this dilemma, saying, “ignoring the adcom’s instructions is ultimately going to reflect badly on you. Though policies discouraging communication from waitlisted candidates may seem frustrating or unfair, it’s important to respect and abide by the preferences of each school.”
Clarify Your Intentions
If you plan to wait it out, it may be important to let the school know. If the school is your first choice, let your contact there know as well. Whatever it is that you plan to do next, inform the school. You must do all this, of course, without appearing too cloying and without disregarding whatever instructions the school provided in the waitlist notice. If schools know, however, that you’ll definitely accept their offer, there’s a better chance they’ll offer it to you than that waitlist applicant from whom they never heard back. They also want to know how interested you are, so keep in touch.
“There are candidates who are offered a place on the waitlist and then we never hear from them again. And there’s candidates who don’t overwhelm us with contact but at least stay in touch and help us remember them,” said James Holmen, Director of Admissions and Financial aid at Indiana University—Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business, to U.S. News.
Retake GMAT
Even if a school doesn’t ask this from you, it still might be a good idea to retake the GMAT. Some of the most common gaps in applications include a low GMAT score and GPA. If a school doesn’t accept you the first time around, chances are it had something to do with one of those factors. And your GMAT score, at least, you can change. Unless you scored an 800. Then, you’re a genius, and something is really wrong with the school to which you applied.
Really, though, any time something changes in your application, feel free to inform the school, which includes updated GMAT scores. But if you receive a promotion or a job change, that’s something worth telling them too.
Consider Plan B
This really is a personal decision. Are you in a rush to get that MBA? If so, then it might be a better idea to hop on it as soon as you can and forget that waitlist. You’ve likely been accepted into a number of other MBA programs. But have you been waitlisted at your dream school? Is it one of the best in the world? Well, then, it might be worth waiting it out because you have a chance. If they don’t go with you this time, you can increase your chances next round by doing some of the tips laid out above.
“If you’re wait-listed, it means you’re a great candidate,” U.S. News reported. “You can apply next year. So, honestly, a year plus or minus doesn’t change things.”
Good luck, and chill out. Everything will turn out for the best in the end.
