Your Guide to the Online MBA

One of the oldest public colleges in the United States, UNC is also home to one of the country’s top online MBA programs, a highly flexible degree that combines asynchronous coursework with live virtual meetings. Classes maintain a student-faculty ratio of 15:1, giving degree candidates unparalleled access to professors who are top researchers and consultants in the business world. While courses are conducted online, MBA candidates can also participate in immersion experiences, which provide in-person learning opportunities both at the UNC campus and in cities around the world. On-campus immersion sessions allow students to network with peers and faculty, participate in leadership development activities, and explore Chapel Hill. Off-campus immersions offer a glimpse into the world of national and international business in global hubs, such as New York, Shanghai, or London.

Students pursuing the UNC online MBA have eight concentration options: corporate finance, data analytics and decision making, entrepreneurship, global supply chain management, marketing, investment management, sustainable enterprise, and management consulting. The degree requires 66 total credits, including 36 credits of core business courses that build skills in fundamental topics, such as marketing strategy, business communications, leadership, and operations management. Elective courses comprise an additional 30 credits, with suggested course sequences that allow students to pursue a concentration that matches their professional interests. UNC also allows MBA candidates to create their own custom concentration, taking elective courses from different disciplines to develop a specialized skill set. The school offers dozens of elective options that vary between semesters, including digital marketing, new ventures discovery, mergers and acquisitions, and leading from the middle.

To add an even greater degree of customization, UNC allows online students to take complementary cross-university courses offered through graduate programs at other colleges. Going beyond the MBA curriculum into other relevant disciplines, the cross-university program enables degree candidates to pursue courses in areas including public administration, public health, social work, and law. Participants in the program include George Washington University, American University, and the University of Southern California.

Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins is one of the country’s most prestigious research colleges. The school’s flex MBA program offers both online and hybrid formats to accommodate the schedules of professional students. Degree candidates in both the online and hybrid programs can choose from three concentration options: financial businesses, healthcare management, and leading organizations.

The MBA curriculum includes 54 total credits, with 30 credits allocated to core business courses and 24 credits allocated to elective or concentration courses. Most online courses feature both asynchronous and synchronous components, combining scheduled virtual class meetings with online coursework that can be completed at any time throughout the week. Students in the hybrid program choose from campus courses that meet once per week, either in the evenings or on weekends. Both online and on-campus courses follow the same eight-week course format. While Hopkins does offer most courses online, some electives may only be available on campus, and three foundational courses require short campus residency sessions in either Baltimore or Washington, D.C.: business communications, leadership in organizations, and negotiations. The business communications and leadership courses require three-day sessions, while the negotiations course requires a one and a half-day session. Most students graduate in around two and a half years, though the college allows up to six years to complete the program.

Hopkins’ online MBA degree students receive full access to the school’s academic and professional resources, including academic advising, library services, student services, technology support, and career development. The school’s career development office offers support for both current students and graduates, including networking opportunities, resume and cover letter assistance, job search management, interview training, and career transition guidance. Hopkins reports that within six months of graduation, 93% of MBA graduates find full-time employment or internship positions, pursue further education, or start their own business. Nearly half of all students move into consulting positions, though the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare industries are also popular professional choices.

Founded by industrial magnate Andrew Carnegie, it’s no surprise CMU hosts a strong business program that is one of the top online MBA degrees in the nation. Offered through the prestigious Tepper School of Business, CMU’s online MBA degree is a unique hybrid program based around principles of strategic analysis and leadership development. The curriculum includes a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous course materials; students attend two virtual class meetings each week, held in the evenings and taught by the same professors who conduct the on-campus courses. The rest of the week is dedicated to asynchronous online coursework, such as pre-recorded lectures and assignments.

CMU offers several specialization options that allow students to develop and refine their professional focus, in the form of both concentrations and tracks. Concentrations are automatically awarded after candidates complete three or more elective courses in a subject area, such as communications, organizational behavior, or marketing. The MBA curriculum requires at least one concentration, but most students earn three or four. Professional tracks are more specialized, encompassing eight to 10 electives and a capstone course. CMU offers five unique options, preparing students for specialized work in particular fields or career paths after graduation: business analytics, energy business, entrepreneurship, management of innovation and product development, or technology leadership. Students who choose not to pursue a professional track still complete one of the program’s capstone experiences, which includes study abroad options or business simulation exercises.

While most coursework is held online, CMU also hosts in-person “access weekends” six times each year in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley. These required immersion sessions occur in between each mini-semester, giving students the opportunity to meet with faculty and peers and develop professional connections outside of online courses. Access weekends serve as the starting point for new classes, allowing online learners to build deeper connections to classmates through face-to-face interactions. Students also participate in workshops, meet CMU alumni, and gain firsthand knowledge of advanced business practices through visits to partner companies.

Based in Washington, D.C., GWU offers students unique opportunities at the intersection of government and business. While the school’s MBA is available entirely online, students have the option to attend a four-day residency in D.C., participating in face-to-face learning activities and gaining firsthand experience though the observation of local businesses and government organizations, such as the Federal Reserve and the World Bank. GWU’s online MBA degree combines business theory and analytical skills with a global, ethical focus, training candidates to develop both business organizations and society at large.

This 55.5-credit degree includes six concentration options and allows students to choose up to two: consulting, finance, global management, government contracts, information systems and technology management, or project management. GWU also allows degree candidates to create their own focus through a customized selection of elective courses. The degree takes around three years to complete, with students typically taking six credits per semester. The first two years are dedicated to foundational and advanced business fundamentals courses, while the third year consists of mostly concentration elective courses. The program combines synchronous and asynchronous learning, with one live virtual classroom session held weekly for each course. These live sessions take place on evenings or weekends and include lectures, group activities, and case discussions, allowing students and faculty to collaborate. Asynchronous course content includes videos, podcasts, animations, traditional readings, and other material that students complete on their own schedules.

Along with the traditional MBA, GWU also offers a fully online healthcare MBA that explores business and leadership approaches to healthcare, combining knowledge in medicine, health sciences, nursing, public health, law, international affairs, and business. This highly customizable degree draws students from both the business and health fields, and the program’s design accommodates all levels of healthcare experience. As part of the curriculum, candidates can earn one of seven professional graduate certificates: healthcare quality, health sciences, regulatory affairs, integrative medicine, clinical research administration, clinical research practice, and clinical and translational research.