Finding the Top Part-Time MBAs in Florida
Florida may not be the first U.S. state that comes to mind when rising business leaders consider where to make their mark. But don’t be fooled by the “Florida Man” meme; the Sunshine State is not only home to three of the highest-ranked “boomtowns,” but it also has the nation’s fourth-largest GDP and total personal income. It makes perfect sense why Forbes ranks Florida #7 on its 2018 “Best States for Business” list.
For prospective MBAs interested in part-time business school opportunities in Florida, we took a closer look at several stand-out options.
The Best Florida Part-Time MBA Programs
Ranked 32nd on the U.S. News & World Report list of the best part-time MBAs in the U.S., the University of Florida’s Hough Graduate School of Business offers several part-time MBA tracks.
The Weekend Professional MBA is available in both a two-year and a 16-month accelerated course to those who have completed an undergraduate business degree within the previous seven years. For those without an undergraduate background in business, a two-year track without prerequisites is also offered.
For students seeking options outside the Gainesville area main campus, University of Florida’s MBA Sunrise Center in Southern Florida offers another two-year track.
Part-time online options are also available. Tuition is reported at $26,622 per year in-state $26,622 and per year out-of-state.
Located in the capital city of Tallahassee, FSU’s College of Business offers multiple business degree options for those seeking a part-time MBA option. Overall, the program currently ranks 57th on the U.S. News & World Report ranking.
The Evening MBA format presents a seven-semester program tailored to working professionals, including a pathway for “Florida’s state-employee tuition waivers, giving state workers the opportunity to pursue an exceptional graduate business degree at minimal cost.”
The school also offers an Online MBA and a hybrid Online part-time with Real Estate track. Tuition is reported at $780.18 in-state and $810.24 out-of-state
UCF’s College of Business Administration offers two part-time MBA options, earning the 89th spot on the U.S. News & World Report part-time MBA ranking. The Evening MBA program allows a flexible pace with weekday evening classes at UCF’s main campus in Orlando.
The AACSB-accredited part-time Professional MBA program “features convenient evening classes at the UCF Executive Development Center each summer term and at UCF regional campus locations on a rotational basis.” Tuition is reported at $370 per credit in-state and $1,194 per credit out-of-state.
The Muma College of Business at University of South Florida offers a part-time MBA “designed with the full-time working professional in mind.” Located in Tampa Bay, Muma draws students from across the Tampa Bay area and boasts notable alumni such as FedEx Co-CEO and CIO Robert Carter and Dell Chief Innovation Officer Jim Stikeleather. The part-time program holds the 99th spot on the U.S. News & World Report part-time MBA ranking.
With a curriculum focused on “data analytics” and developing creativity in its business leaders, an accelerated calendar and evening courses are also offered to part-time MBA candidates. Tuition is reported at $467 per credit in-state and $913 out-of-state.
The Chapman Graduate School of Business at Florida International University offers a variety of part-time MBA options, including a Professional MBA Weekend, Professional MBA Downtown, Professional MBA Flex, and an the Professional MBA Online. In all, the school currently holds the 109th spot on the U.S. News & World Report part-time MBA ranking.
Each option is tailored to particular needs of the working professional, ranging in options from accelerated course schedules to flexibility in electives and field specialization.
Chapman’s Online program is AACSB-accredited and the school’s part-time programs boast a $103,000 average salary. Total in-state tuition is $48,000 while out-of-staters can expect to pay $54,000.
School v. School: UVA Darden v. Duke Fuqua
When you have two top MBA programs on your list that seem almost precisely the same at first glance, how do you choose the right program for you? You can’t just close your eyes and point to one, hoping for the best. Instead, you need to narrow down each program to the essentials that matter most to you such as location, rankings, cost, employment, and offerings.
Our School v. School series offers a point-by-point comparison of two highly respected MBA programs on the east coast: UVA Darden School of Business and Duke Fuqua School of Business. Read on to find out how these two schools stack up to each other. Continue reading…
Where Should You Go? The Benefits of a Mid-Tier MBA
You have an MBA acceptance letter from both Harvard Business School and Cornell SC Johnson. Which do you choose?
Your gut reaction might be to choose Harvard’s top-ranked MBA program without a second’s pause. After all, aren’t business school rankings—like those compiled by the Financial Times and U.S. News & World Report—the most important consideration when choosing your MBA program?
In some cases, you might be right. If you’re most interested in reputation, then ranking is all important. However, there are many times when rankings should be taken with a grain of salt. They tell a story, but not the whole story, especially when it comes to you as an individual candidate.
Just because a specific school is top-ranked, does not mean it should be the top rank for you. Many mid-level MBA programs are just as impressive and could be a better fit for you depending on your needs.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at when and why you should choose a mid-ranked MBA program over a top-ranked program. Continue reading…
The 5 Best Part-Time California MBA Programs
Despite the various challenges of doing business in California, the Golden State remains a powerful driver of business and tech innovation in the U.S. The state even outpaces Great Britain’s GDP in 2018, making it the world’s fifth-largest economy.
For business leaders looking to advance their careers in California without interrupting their current gig, a part-time MBA might be the optimal choice. Let’s take a look at the five best part-time California MBA programs.
5 Best Part-Time California MBA Programs
The UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Evening and Weekend MBA program was named best in the nation by U.S. New & World Report in 2019. This part-time MBA degree is typically completed in two-and-a-half-to-three years, affording students easy access to the Bay Area’s plethora of internship and employment opportunities. The experiential learning focus of the program ensures students have ample opportunities to take on hands-on projects as part of their studies. Tuition for part-time in-state students is $3,363 per credit and $3,363 per credit for out-of-state students.
The UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Fully Employed MBA Program (FEMBA) has been touted as “#1 in SoCal” for over 20 years by U.S. News & World Report. Anderson FEMBA students have three choices when it comes to the scheduling of their part-time MBA: Classes all-day on Saturdays, Tuesday, and Thursday evening classes, or the hybrid schedule, which combines online study with one weekend visit to campus each month. Participants can expect to spend two-and-a-half-to-three years to complete the FEMBA (with both accelerated and extended study options also available). FEMBA has a distinctly international focus, with a diverse student body, access to international study opportunities, and a required international project. Tuition is $42,420 per year.
The USC Marshall School of Business part-time MBA is ranks among the top 15 in the nation, according to U.S. News. The degree is designed specifically for early-career professionals and managers looking for a flexible schedule. The curriculum is divided into core business courses, all taken in the first year, then over 100 electives from which to choose. First-year MBAs can opt for one of two campuses in Los Angeles proper and just outside the city limits. The program duration is three years, and both accelerated and extended are available. With “deep roots” in Southern California and a global alumni network, part-time tuition is $1,912 per credit.
Santa Clara Leavey’s School of Business Evening MBA ranks in the top five part-time programs both among California state schools and national Jesuit schools. With evening classes twice per week, participants can expect to take two years to earn their MBA and must have at least three years of related work experience to begin the program. Located in Silicon Valley, Leavey offers students prime geographic access to tech companies for networking and employment opportunities. Part-time tuition is easily among the most affordable of the high-ranking CA schools, at $1,108 per credit.
The part-time MBA at UC Davis’s Graduate School of Management ranks in the top 9 percent nationally (28th overall). Students take Friday and Saturday classes at campuses in either Sacramento or the Bay Area and can choose between a two-year and four-year pace for their degree. The flexibility in location allows students the option of access to professional benefits of Bay Area or Sacramento. UC Davis also boasts an 83 percent first-year ROI following graduation. Tuition for part-time students is $1,520 per credit for in-state and out-of-state applicants.
The 5 Best Northeast Part-Time MBA Programs
As applications to full-time MBA programs have waxed and waned in recent years, there is understandably quite a bit of speculation about the future of the degree. While full-time applicants might be dipping in the U.S., the explosion of part-time programs making the business school experience more accessible to a whole new swath of people.
We’ve already taken a look at the best part-time offerings in the Midwest and DC metro, but which programs come out on top when it comes to the Northeastern U.S.?
The 5 Best Northeast Part-Time MBA Programs
The NYU Stern School of Business’s Langone part-time MBA rates as the fourth best part-time MBA program by U.S. News and World Report.
The program features an accelerated option allowing students to opt for a flexible class schedule, as well as evening and weekend courses to complete their MBA in two years without interrupting their work schedule. Current Langone students, faculty, and alumni have access to the Langone Speaker Series, which “… provides a unique platform to deepen conversations about timely events with the decision-makers that are helping shape today’s industries.”
Students can also expect the Langone LAB, a concentrated one-day orientation program that connects incoming participants with classmates, professors, clubs and other opportunities.
The current tuition rate for the NYU Stern part-time MBA is $2,228 per credit. Over the course of the required 60 credits, this total comes to $133,680; which does not include the cost of living on campus for those opting to live near the university.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management, one of the more underrated business schools in the crowded academic metro, offers a customizable part-time MBA to fit the student’s preferred focus, available in one of six areas: business analytics; entrepreneurship; finance; healthcare administration; marketing; and sports management.
Classes can be taken either completely online (Isenberg’s online MBA was first in the country, founded in 2001) or in-person at the Amherst campus. To help expedite the education process, part-time MBA applicants can even choose to take up to two courses during the application process. In addition, the UMass Amherst part-time MBA tuition is among the most affordable in the entire Northeast, at a total cost of just $35,100 ($900 per credit). For the 17th highest ranked part-time MBA program in the entire U.S., the cost saving is hard to ignore.
The Boston College Carroll School of Management’s part-time MBA program, ranked 28th overall by U.S. News & World Report, operates much like the aforementioned Amherst part-time program, with the option to take classes both in person or online. However, the entire program cannot be completed remote, with a maximum of 30 percent of classes available online.
A staggering number of electives are available in the program: over 150 overall. Students can complete the program on a fairly flexible schedule, with the option to complete it in two, three, or four years. In addition, the BC Carroll part-time program is one of the only ones on the list that does not require GMAT/GRE scores for entry.
The part-time FLEX MBA program at Lehigh University’s College of Business and Economics is geared toward working professionals who want more control over the pace of their MBA learning experience. Program formats include part-time, accelerated, and online. The ClassroomLIVE feature offers students the option to attend classes in-person, on campus, or in real-time online.
Students can also opt to get their feet wet with an Executive Certificate as part of the part-time MBA track. Tuition for Lehigh’s Flex MBA program $38,700 for the full 36-credit program, with the current cost per credit hour at $1,075.
Villanova School of Business, the 35th ranked part-time program in the country, offers part-time MBA students two distinct format options: The accelerated “Fast Track” program, and the “Flex Track” program, which offers evening, weekend, half-semester, and online course choices so students can work at their own pace.
Tuition and the length of time to complete Villanova’s various part-time programs varies. The Fast Track program costs $1,190 per credit and takes 24 months to complete, while the Flex Track costs $1,065 per credit and typically takes three years to complete. However, the Flex Track can last as long as seven years.
Top 5 Part-Time MBA Programs in the Midwest
Balancing a job and graduate school isn’t easy. You have to make a lot of sacrifices when it comes to how you spend your time. Hanging out with friends will be replaced with studying, and staying late at work or working on weekends will be replaced with heading to class. It’s a difficult path through the results should be well worth the effort if you choose a quality part-time MBA program.
For those living in the Midwest, choosing the right part-time MBA program is not easy. Many of the highest ranked part-time MBA programs (according to the U.S. News & World Report) call the Midwest home. So, what’s the best program for you and why?
We’re taking a look at the top five part-time MBA programs in the Midwest and telling you how they rank and why you should consider them. Continue reading…
