Texas A&M to Launch Online MBA Program
Contributing Writer
Editor & Writer
Contributing Writer
Editor & Writer
- Texas A&M will launch an online master of business administration program in August 2024.
- The program will feature asynchronous learning so students can work toward a degree on their own time.
- Students will need a bachelor's degree and at least two years of work experience to qualify for the program.
- A growing number of business schools are offering online MBA programs, which offer flexibility for working students — often at a lower cost than their full-time counterparts.
Texas A&M University is joining a growing number of business schools in offering a flexible online master of business administration (MBA) program, school officials announced in November.
The Flex Online MBA program from Texas A&M's Mays Business School will debut in August, according to a press release from the school. The mostly asynchronous program is designed to allow working professionals to earn an MBA on their own schedules, with curriculum focused on upskilling students for the future.
MBA degrees can provide students with a broad range of leadership and business skills to boost their career and earning prospects — and flexible, online formats have been in high demand among working professionals in recent years.
An MBA can lead to a high return on investment, and online MBA programs tend to come at a lesser cost than their traditional, full-time counterparts.
"The Flex Online MBA program will provide the benefits of a Mays MBA to students on their schedule and at their location," Jerry Strawser, associate dean for graduate programs, said in the press release.
"This program will strengthen the Aggie network through a new source of MBA graduates who exhibit the Aggie core values as they become leaders in the business world."
Students will need a bachelor's degree and at least two years of work experience to qualify for the program.
A growing number of schools across the United States are adopting or boosting their online MBA programs, including others in Texas: The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) announced its own online MBA program in June, according to a press release.
UTEP officials underscored the importance of flexibility and convenience in announcing that program.
"We are thrilled to introduce our online MBA program, which combines the academic rigor of our on-campus programs with the flexibility and accessibility of online learning," James Payne, dean of UTEP's Woody L. Hunt College of Business, said in a release at the time.
"This program empowers aspiring business leaders to advance their careers, gain practical skills, and make a lasting impact in their respective industries."
Small colleges and universities have joined large- and mid-sized schools in debuting online MBA programs. Central Methodist University in Missouri, Ursuline College in Ohio, and Voorhees University in South Carolina have all announced online MBA programs this year.
MBA graduates have reported good job and earnings outcomes this year.
Several business schools, including the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, have reported starting salary increases for their MBA graduates.
Darden's full-time class of 2023 earned the highest average starting salary in school history at $167,899, according to a school release, with a median starting salary of $175,000. Both of those figures are record highs for the school.
At the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) Scheller College of Business, 2023 MBA graduates had a 96% job placement rate and $154,679 average base salary, according to an announcement from the school. That salary figure represents a 12.25% increase over the previous year for Georgia Tech graduates.
The online MBA is only part of the Mays Business School's new Flex Online degree portfolio. The school is also offering flexible online graduate degrees in management information systems (MIS) and accounting.
