Schooling is an investment – a lifetime investment. You can’t afford to get it wrong with a University choice. The wrong choice will haunt you throughout your life and probably force you to start studying again or risk passing up your dream life. That’s why you should master the tips I’m about to teach you in this article and also consider my recommendation of the top 10 online MBA programs. It’ll help you make the right option about higher education studies every time. I’m giving you a general guide in case you decide to join a school not covered in this post. The guide applies to both domestic and international students.
So how do you choose the best school to study? The short answer is to Research the options thoroughly. The long answer is … pretty long, so keep reading.
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While you research, have it at the back of your mind that there is more subjectivity than objectivity on the internet. Pretty much everyone is trying to sell you something and will say whatever they feel will trigger you to take some desired action. This is how you must view University rankings. That’s why the rankings conflict. So, take each with a grain of salt.
Table of Contents
1. Know Your Budget
You don’t want to start schooling only to realize you or your sponsors can barely handle the financial burden. You’re likely to underperform when you don’t have enough to stay comfortable at school. You may spend more time worrying about money than studies. Unfortunately, every university is full of snobs nowadays, and you don’t want to be their meal. It’s a horrible experience because I’ve been there.
2. Consider Only Schools You can Afford
There are thousands of universities worldwide, and most are accessible to foreign students. A quick web search will give you some financial information about a university. Student reviews on forums is a very trustworthy source – even better than established news websites and blogs. That’s because many students are commenting on their experiences, and from the many comments, you can easily see a trend to tell you if that school is a financial hot potato for you. You may also consider news websites and blogs, only that the likelihood of swallowing a sponsored article is much higher than that of a customer (in this case, a student) review.
3. Look for Hidden Fees
One great example is the University of the People (UoP). UoP is so skillful in hiding the true cost of its programs that you will think it’s free. But you’ll realize after starting that having an online degree will cost you at least $4500.
4. Check Reputation
It is important that your university of choice has a good reputation in terms of quality of education, especially online education. You can search for highly-rated schools or programs like top MBA in Canada or top business schools in US. It’ll be good to find a detailed article or articles criticizing the school and then confirm whether or not the criticism is fair.
5. Research the Study Destination
The town, city, or community you study should figure prominently in your research. You don’t want to wind up with an insecure or too expensive location to survive in. Look for places where the people are hospitable, like less racist societies, especially if you are a potential target. Your environment influences your moods and affects your concentration or the mindset in which you study.
6. Consult University Rankings
Rankings by different organizations can help you find the best schools. Always cross-examine the methodology used in grading schools, look out for biases, and compare different rankings. When a school consistently ranks high three or more reports, the chance is that it’s a good school. But still do your own background check against other factors. Sometimes the factors used to rank institutions is not important enough to dramatically influence your study experience. Provided the school offers quality education, it’s okay to study there.
Also read Top 10 Schools for MBA in Finance
Top 10 Online MBA Programs to Apply To
1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This school has its campus located along the shores of Lake Ontario. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has accredited the school for several MBA courses both online and offline. The good thing about the programs on offer is that most are affordable compared to its competitors. The Association of Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business accredits online programs offered.
The MBA program is a 36-credit program that students complete in 2 years. Their curriculum encompasses managerial finance, management science, International Business, and Marketing management. Depending on your qualifications, the school can decide whether you should do additional foundational credits. But this requirement is usually waved for students that have qualifying experience or a relevant course they did.
To qualify, you must have a Bachelor’s Degree with at least a 2.6 GPA, and you should have a GMAT score of at least 500 points. You must also submit your official transcript, a business essay of 500 – 1000 words. You’ll also submit a resume and recommendation letter. There is also department consultation to make.
2. University of North Dakota
The University is located at Grand Forks and it occupies 521 acres of land. The school offers over 350 traditional online programs and it is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. MBA is one of the courses it offers online at a very affordable cost to both local and international students. One of their advantages is that you can complete your course work according to your own schedule.
The course has between 34 – 43 credits to be completed in two years. What you will learn from this course include strategic supply chain management, quantitative analysis for management decisions, Business Intelligence, Organization Leadership, and Ethics, and Econometrics. Before graduating from this program, you must maintain a lining portfolio and submit a final presentation.
To qualify as a student of MBA, you must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA cumulative, a bachelor’s degree, official transcripts, statement of goals, GMAT score, and three recommendation letters. But if you have 3 years of professional experience they can waive the GMAT Score requirement. However, you must have at least a 3.25 GPA, eight years of professional experience with a 3.0 GPA in your undergraduate studies. Or you have a minimum of 3.0 GPA score cumulative and a GRE score within the past five years.
Also read 20 Best Schools for MBA in Canada
3. Mississippi State University
It offers international students several online and traditional degrees. Their courses have also been accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Students have 24/7 access to the classroom and they pay the same school fees as those studying on campus. To qualify you must meet some pre-requisites in Financial Accounting, Financial Management, Business Statistics Method, Principles of Microeconomics, and Management Information Systems.
4. University of Nebraska
The university offers a range of affordable degree programs both online and on campus. One such online offer is an MBA which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and is ranked among the best online MBA programs. It’s a 48-Credit program that encompasses courses like Business Analytics, Supply Management, Strategy Human Resource Management. The course grooms you towards becoming a higher-level business professional. It runs between 18 months to 3 years.
To qualify, you must have a bachelor’s degree and 3 years’ experience. The school also prefers candidates who have a 3.0 GPA in their previous college coursework.
5. Georgia College and State University
It is a university located in Millville and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. They have many online programs that include an accelerated MBA which has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. It is a program that takes 20 months to complete.
6. Washington State University
The University runs a number of online degree programs including an MBA through Carson College of Business. Their MBA courses have been accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. It’s a 36-credit program to be completed within 22 to 29 months. Students can select from courses in Marketing, Finance, International Business, or Hospitality Business Management. There are also foundations courses in Managerial Economics, Financial Management, and others.
7. University of Texas, Dallas
It’s one of the best options for online MBA programs and the University is ac the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. It’s a 53-credit program that students complete in 21 months and the curriculum covers areas like International Business Management, Organizational Behavior, Managing IT, and many others. A student can select from 15 electives to tweak the program according to their career goals.
8. Missouri State University
At this university to students can take MBA courses completely online. It is one of the most affordable programs offered by the university with a tuition of less than $10,000 and students can also pursue certification programs in different fields like Forensic Accounting, Financial Analysis, and others.
9. Emporia State University
The School of Business at Emporia State University delivers an online MBA for both local and international students. Everything can be done 100% online and students have options to pursue some more specific career studies in Marketing, Accounting, Information Systems, and others. It’s MBA program is a 33-unit course at a tuition of about $15000.
10. Clayton State University
Another premier school offering an online MBA at the College of Business. The good thing about this program by the university is the short completion time of 12 months. This not only saves a student time but also money. It’s a 33-credit unit course and everything can be done 100% online.
Also read 10 Best Business Schools in Africa
We have explained in detail how to go about choosing the best university for online or on-campus education. Our recommendations are certainly among the top options for an online MBA program, but you could choose something more affordable in your country. Just as long as the university delivers quality education and is acceptable in your country, there’s no harm in studying an MBA online at such schools.
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