The Corporate MBA, a fully online program offered through the College of Business at Florida International University (FIU), captured the top spot in a ranking of online MBA programs with no GMAT requirement option. Fifty programs earned the “awesome” designation.
Results were based on MBANoGMAT.com’s evaluation of nearly 300 schools. The criteria, in order of importance, were accreditation, type of testing required for admissions, cost, minimum time required to earn an MBA degree, amount of work experience required, number of MBA degrees and concentrations available, whether the school is considered military friendly, and whether it has a social media presence. In fact, FIU Business was recently ranked 22nd in the country for its social media efforts.
Flexibility is key.
“The Chapman School of Business is at the forefront of innovation to deliver education content via the web—-and to have students use social media to discuss that content,” said FIU MBA Executive Director Angel Burgos. “Business today focuses on accessibility and immediacy—and so must our degree programs. Online education is integrated into all our MBA programs because we believe that it can help students learn in the most effective way while maximizing their time as much as possible.”
Many schools now consider admissions screening methods other than standardized tests to evaluate whether a student is prepared for the program.
“The days of one-size-fits-all education are over,” Burgos said. “Flexibility in place, time, and content delivery is key to helping students achieve their professional goals. So is flexibility in how students are evaluated for admission to different programs.”
Among the requirements for FIU’s Corporate MBA are a grade point average of 3.0 or better based on upper-division coursework and four years of professional work experience.
The university launched its Corporate MBA in December 2009. The 18-month program has already graduated 578; the newest cohort has 57 students.
“We learn from each new class how to make the program better and stronger,” Burgos said. “‘Awesome’ is something we strive for every day.”
