By Jeff Murphy, February 20, 2023
WARRENSBURG, MO 鈥 Students who want to pursue a Master of Business Administration
(MBA) degree, but require a flexible pathway to degree completion, may want to consider
the 欧美视频. Recent rankings by list UCM鈥檚 MBA among the best online and part-time programs in the nation. This follows
other rankings throughout the 2022-2023 academic year which have named UCM鈥檚 MBA among
the best programs locally, regionally and beyond.
Recognizing that classrooms are evolving into a more digitalized environment opening
up more options for students to pursue their college degrees, Fortune Education developed
its rankings to help students navigate what it calls the 鈥渘ew, rich and somewhat overwhelming
world of education.鈥 During the current academic year, Fortune named UCM #9 on a list
of Midwestern institutions that offer the , and #55 nationally for both the and Best Part-time MBA programs. It also ranked UCM #16 among institutions with the .
This recognition was most recently followed by UCM鈥檚 MBA being named #3 in the metropolitan
region by , which considered factors such as fall 2022 enrollment, cost of tuition, and credit
hours. The MBA also was ranked nationally this academic year by sources such as US
News & World Report, Intelligent.com, and University HQ.
UCM鈥檚 MBA is offered within the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies
(HCBPS) under the leadership of Dan Jensen, an associate professor of management who
serves as the program director.
While rankings aren鈥檛 as widely discussed by faculty and students as other aspects
of earning a degree, including accessibility, cost, course delivery, and accreditation,
Jensen and colleagues in HCBPS believe the rankings help validate the dedication and
hard work of individuals who contribute to the success of the MBA program and its
students. Students who enroll in the MBA, whether it鈥檚 online, part-time or in-person,
can be assured that the courses they are taking are taught by faculty members who
have a high level of real-world experience combined with academic business training,
and who have knowledge that is current in their field. Additionally, these faculty
members are affiliated with a college that is accredited by the a designation that means business programs including the MBA have met a rigorous
set of international standards in business education.
In its online feature, Fortune Education notes the value of an MBA stating that in
2020 recruiters reported median salaries of $115,000 a year for top MBA graduates.
Considering job opportunities and potential for career growth, the publication added,
鈥淣ot only is the MBA alive and well 鈥 it鈥檚 thriving.鈥
In discussing rankings, Mark Suazo, who became dean of HCBPS in July 2022, said the
college 鈥渢akes pride in being mentioned鈥 by Fortune Education and other ranking organizations.
He added that the 鈥淢BA is the flagship program鈥 of the business college so this is
a designation that will catch the attention of many students, particularly those who
want to advance in their careers.
Betsy Kreisel, associate dean of HCBPS, echoed that sentiment, but added, 鈥淭his shows
value. It is recognition for the hard work of our faculty. Sometimes you don鈥檛 get
to see that if you鈥檙e not in the classroom, or get to hear about it, so it is great
external recognition.鈥
UCM鈥檚 MBA has proven to be an attractive option for working professionals who are
looking to move up the career ladder either through promotions or transitioning to
a different employer. This may apply to a variety of management positions in various
settings, ranging from corporate jobs to work with nonprofits, small businesses and
other types of organizations. A student who enrolls in the MBA program is required
to complete 33 semester hours of study. On the road to degree completion, they take
core and foundations classes and specific courses that are tailored to one of many
specialized concentrations. These range from finance and general business and marketing
to the nation鈥檚 first AACSB-accredited MBA in Airport Management, which prepares aspiring
airport executives. The first graduate of this program will complete their degree
this spring.
Jensen said the MBA is offered in 鈥渕inimesters,鈥 which consist of eight-week classes
that allow students to begin their studies on one of five different start dates during
the year, two of them in the fall, two in the spring, and one in the summer. A student
never has to wait more than eight weeks to start their classes.
Many students who enroll in UCM鈥檚 MBA program will appreciate not being required to
take the GMAT or the GRE for program admission. Anyone who is just now becoming an
online learner also need not be concerned about the opportunity for interaction with
professors. MBA program faculty continue to seek new ways to reduce 鈥渢ransactional
distance鈥 so that students still feel a strong connection to professors and other
students enrolled in the course, Jensen said.
鈥淭here are a lot of different educational technologies that will allow us to shrink
that transactional distance to feeling almost like we are in the same room together.
That is what we are focusing on,鈥 he added. 鈥淲e are known for our small class sizes
in our online programs, so you are going to get to know other students, and you are
going to get to know your faculty member who is teaching the class.鈥
Suazo stressed that the college faculty are committed to employing the best practices
in the field. This not only applies to in-person learning but particularly to the
online educational experience, which is continuing to evolve.
鈥淲e know that teaching online is different from teaching in person, it takes a different
skill set,鈥 he said. Suazo noted that faculty members who are actively engaged in
online teaching understand the difference between educating students in a digital
environment and teaching face to face, 鈥渁nd they are good at it鈥.They don鈥檛 just replicate
what they do in their (in-person) classroom.鈥
In addition to recognition by Fortune Education and other rankings organizations related
to the MBA, UCM also has been ranked in many other areas by
organizations across the nation. To learn more about UCM鈥檚 rankings, including those
that apply to programs within the College of Business and Professional Studies, please
visit the rankings website.
Individuals who want to know more about UCM鈥檚 MBA program are encouraged to visit
the program website at ww.ucmo.edu/mba, email Jensen at jensen@ucmo.edu, or call him at 660-543-8039.