PULLMAN, Wash. – For the second year in a row, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Washington State University among the top 10 best online graduate business programs for its MBA and Executive MBA degrees. WSU’s College of Business was recognized for continued strides to provide a world-class education that is personalized and convenient to students.
“We have seen more change in higher education in the past 20 years than in the previous 900 years, and we will see another quantum leap in the next five years,” said Eric R. Spangenberg, college dean. “It is critical we keep pace with the rapid advances in technology and with the changes in the way people work and live. It is an exciting time to be in higher education as we face the challenges of delivering richer and more convenient learning experiences for working professionals.”
WSU is committed to meeting the specific and evolving needs of its students with high quality programs that are convenient and relevant while helping local, state and national business communities connect with tomorrow’s business leaders. To maintain these levels of quality education, the College of Business continues to enhance its online graduate programs based on direct student feedback, dialogues with today’s industry and business leaders and ongoing evaluation of traditional and online education across the academic landscape.
In the second year of U.S. News and World Report’s ranking for online graduate business programs, the results were determined by peer assessment, rated by business school deans with online graduate business programs and top distance learning higher education academics. Other factors included admissions selectivity, student engagement, faculty credentials and training and student services and technology.
“My goal for earning an Executive MBA at WSU was to advance my career, and the program significantly helped me achieve my career ambitions even before graduation,” said Joseph Jasser, CEO of Dignity Health Medical Foundation. “WSU’s online graduate business program was a great investment that provided relevant, real-world coursework and delivered specific business experiences and knowledge pertinent to my current role.”
In addition to WSU’s most recent graduate program ranking, the online MBA and online Executive MBA were also ranked as the No. 1 online graduate business programs for veterans and military service members in 2013 by U.S. News and World Report. This recognizes the university’s graduate degree programming and commitment to supporting veterans and active service members as they prepare to transition into their lives as civilians and careers beyond active duty.
Fast facts about WSU’s College of Business online graduate business programs:
• In 2014, U.S. News and World Report ranked WSU’s online graduate business programs No. 7.
• WSU has developed online education for more than 20 years with online undergraduate programs ranking in the top 25 by U.S. News and World Report. In 2012, the university created its Global Campus as a way to expand program offerings and degree options online.
• In the last two years, the College of Business has grown its online MBA program more than 150 percent and the online Executive MBA program more than 40 percent
• The college is among the top 2 percent of business schools worldwide to be accredited at all degree levels by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
• The online MBA program is geared toward students who may or may not have an undergraduate degree in business, with varying levels of work experience, and who wish to obtain deeper knowledge by earning concentrations in international business, finance and marketing.
• The online Executive MBA program requires at least seven years of managerial work experience and is targeted to business professionals looking to advance their careers to higher level executive positions.
• Nearly 20 percent of the students in the online MBA and online Executive MBA are active military or veterans. WSU continues to develop resources to better support military service members’ financial and educational needs.
Contacts:
Sue McMurray, WSU College of Business, 509-335-7578, sue.mcmurray@wsu.edu Andrea Baseler, Edelman Public Relations on behalf of WSU’s College of Business, 206-664-7817, Andrea.Baseler@edelman.com