Indiana State to Teach MBA Program at K-12 School District

• Indiana State University is offering a professional MBA program at Westfield Washington Schools, north of Indianapolis.
• The 21-month, cohort-based program aims to allow learners to work while earning their MBA.
• Professional MBA programs are typically geared toward working professionals, based in cohorts, and they offer classes outside of typical business hours.
• School officials hope the program will both help students' career prospects and boost central Indiana's workforce.

Master of business administration (MBA) students often have homes, families, and careers by the time they decide to pursue graduate school — and Indiana State University (ISU) is taking an innovative approach to make the sought-after degree available to working professionals.

Indiana State is accepting applications for an in-person professional MBA program to be taught at Westfield Washington Schools' administrative offices north of Indianapolis. The 21-month program will be taught by a faculty member from Indiana State's Scott College of Business, according to a LinkedIn post by the school.

"The Scott College of Business is committed to providing a distinct student-centered education in our Professional MBA program that combines world-class faculty with individualized career development and coaching to help professionals advance in business," Scott College of Business Dean Terry Daugherty said in the post.

"Strong community collaborations make this possible and we are proud to serve the Indianapolis area."

The collaboration between a major university and a local school district puts a spotlight on the need for accessibility and flexibility in MBA programs, which often serve working professionals looking to advance their careers without leaving their current jobs or communities.

School officials hope the accessible program offering will both help students with professional development and boost central Indiana's workforce.

"We are extremely excited to partner with Indiana State University to offer our local communities a chance to continue their professional development at such a high level right here at home," Lindsay Tomamichel, the director of college, careers, and strategic initiatives for Westfield Washington Schools, said in the LinkedIn post.

"With the state's fastest-growing cities and many professionals looking to advance their career in Hamilton County, we know that this partnership will be beneficial to our county's workforce development and economic stability for many years to come."

Most professional MBA programs are geared toward working professionals and cohort-based, offering classes outside of typical business hours to allow students to keep their jobs while pursuing their degree. An MBA degree typically prepares students to take on leadership roles with a broad and intensive core curriculum, although some allow students to specialize in particular areas.

Indiana State's professional MBA program at Westfield Washington Schools will provide students with meals on class nights. Most of the administrative work of the course will be managed by Indiana State, including helping students with registration and textbook delivery.

The program "is developed specifically to meet the needs and goals of central Indiana career professionals who are balancing work and family responsibilities," according to the LinkedIn post.

An MBA program can often be a hefty investment, but it can also pay off in the long run.

The average MBA degree-holder salary was $95,000 in April 2023. The average total cost of an MBA program is roughly $55,200 for a full two-year program, although costs vary based on program format, with part-time and online programs typically running less than intensive full-time programs.

One boon of professional MBA programs like the one offered by Indiana State is the cohort model, which can lead to a host of networking opportunities within the program.