Best Online MBA Programs in Chicago

Concordia University Chicago is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Lutheran Church. As a leader in distance education, CUC offers an online MBA designed by educators and business leaders. Students choose a two-year or one-year fully online option or a hybrid program that blends on-campus and online courses. The online MBA incorporates four pillars: ethics and social responsibility; critical thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset; communication and human relations; and global interconnectedness and inclusiveness.

The 36-credit curriculum for one of the best MBA programs in Chicago examines core topics such as organizational behavior, financial management, accounting for decision-making, and managing human capital. Each core course culminates in a signature project that highlights students' accomplishments and skills. The MBA at CUC offers ample opportunities for customization, with specializations such as accounting, digital marketing, school business management, and leadership and change management. Admission requires a minimum cumulative 2.85 GPA. CUC does not require GRE or GMAT scores.

Concentrations

• Accounting
• Chief School Business Official
• Digital Marketing
• Finance
• Healthcare Management
• Leadership & Change Management
• Not-For-Profit Management
• School Business Management
• Sports Management
• Digital Marketing Certificate
• Finance Certificate
• Healthcare Management Certificate
• Leadership and Change Management Certificate
• Not-for-Profit Management Certificate
• Sports Management Certificate

National Louis University, one of the oldest colleges in Chicago, offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate programs. The fully online or blended MBA at NLU cultivates effective business leaders and change agents by developing students' strengths as problem-solvers and strategic managers. Students can begin the 39-credit curriculum with two gateway courses that give them foundational knowledge in core business areas, including leadership and organizational behavior. The degree core examines topics such as managerial economics, financial management, strategic marketing, and macroeconomics.

Students may opt for a nine-credit concentration that provides specialized training in entrepreneurship, accounting, nonprofit management, health services administration, or human resource management. The capstone course focuses on management, teaching students how to make strategic decisions in functional areas across an organization.

Students pursuing this degree, one of the best online MBA programs in Chicago, pay the same tuition rate, regardless of residency. Admission requires school transcripts for the last 60 credits of undergraduate coursework.

Concentrations

• Entrepreneurship
• Nonprofit Management

North Park University continues a long tradition of education that blends liberal arts and Christian faith. NPU offers a fully online or hybrid MBA that prepares competent, knowledgeable, and ethical managers. The curriculum develops learners' proficiency in areas such as financial accounting, organizational behavior and ethics, financial decision-making, and quantitative decision analysis.

During a capstone course, each student uses a computer-based management simulation to develop and test business strategies in a competitive environment. Learners can use elective credits to add one of 16 diverse certificates in areas such as finance, conflict management, healthcare management, and higher education administration.

Students who choose a hybrid format can attend classes online and on the main campus in Chicago or at a satellite in suburban Grayslake. All students pursuing this degree, one of the best MBA programs in Chicago, pay the same tuition rate regardless of residency. Admission requires a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Students with a lower GPA should submit GRE or GMAT scores.

Concentrations

• Accounting Certificate
• Church Administration Certificate
• Conflict Management Certificate
• Economics Certificate
• Finance Certificate
• Fundraising Management Certificate
• Healthcare Management Certificate
• Higher Education Administration Certificate
• Human Resource Management Certificate
• International Business Certificate
• Leadership Certificate
• Marketing Management Certificate
• Nonprofit Finance Certificate
• Nonprofit Governance Certificate
• Nonprofit Management Certificate
• Nonprofit Marketing Management Certificate
• Operations Management Certificate
• Organizational Development Certificate

Founded in 1867, Northeastern Illinois University enrolls about 8,000 students in one of the most diverse public colleges in the Midwest. NEIU offers a 33-credit MBA that learners may pursue in a fully online or hybrid format. All students complete an MBA core that develops their competencies in areas such as managerial accounting, marketing management, applied business research, and business policy and strategy.

Enrollees can use three elective courses to acquire expertise in areas such as forensic and investigative accounting, tax research and procedure, investment strategies, or mergers and acquisitions. The extensive suite of electives also features several options in international business, including international financial management, international business law, and global marketing.

NEIU prides itself on its affordability, noting that the program's tuition is lower than any other MBA in Illinois. Students with a business degree may enter the program with advanced standing. Admission requires a minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA and scores from the GMAT or GRE.

Concentrations

• Accounting
• Finance
• Management
• Marketing