University of Jamestown to Debut Online MBA Program

• The University of Jamestown in North Dakota will launch an online MBA program in fall 2024.
• The program will feature high-demand credentials for students, allowing them to customize their degree.
• Those credentials will allow students to specialize in areas like supply chain management, business analytics, healthcare management, and more.
• A growing number of small, private universities are embracing online MBA programs.

An online master of business administration (MBA) degree is coming to a small rural university, adding to a growing trend of small schools embracing the high-demand business degree.

The University of Jamestown, a private university in Jamestown, North Dakota, will launch an MBA program through its online division starting in fall 2024. That program is set to be uniquely valuable to its students because it will offer "specialized micro-credentials," allowing students to build a custom degree with industry-ready experience.

University of Jamestown Provost and Vice President Paul Olson said in the school's press release that the program's curriculum "has all the essential elements of an excellent MBA program and has the added bonus of micro-credentials that allow students to specialize in the areas that best meet their professional goals and needs."

Nondegree credentials are on the rise in higher education, with students and employers alike seeing their value. Those credentials can bolster students' career and earnings prospects by equipping them with job-relevant skills in various industries — and the University of Jamestown's online MBA program offers eight credentials across high-demand industries and skill sets.

Students will select two of the eight microcredentials to add to their degree.

Microcredentials available to students via the University of Jamestown's online MBA will include:

• Business analytics. The field of business analytics prepares students to forecast future trends using data and statistical methodology and is a growing field, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Organizational leadership.
• Supply chain and operations management. A growing number of MBA programs are incorporating supply chain management into their curriculum, and the field is projected to have both strong growth and lucrative opportunities for graduates.
• Healthcare management. As the medical field grows, the need for healthcare administrators and managers is growing with it. Healthcare management training prepares students to step into those high-demand leadership roles.
• Digital marketing. Another key field for growth as companies increasingly rely on digital avenues to reach their customers, digital marketing can prepare students for a rapidly changing industry.
• Financial development. Emerging technologies and the explosive growth of the financial technology (fintech) industry make a credential in finance an asset to students regardless of their field.
• Sports management. The field of sports management helps prepare students for management and leadership roles within the industry, which is dealing with major shifts and developments such as sports betting.
• Agribusiness. Whether in crop production and distribution, farm equipment, or other agriculture-related industries, agribusiness can prepare students for a host of roles in and surrounding agriculture.

The University of Jamestown program offers flexibility to students, according to an information sheet from the school, with around-the-clock access to courses online so students can learn around their work and personal schedules.

Including the microcredentials, students are expected to complete 30 credits in total, and most students are expected to finish the degree in 12-18 months. Students who don't have an undergraduate business degree will need to take a business fundamentals course, bringing their credit hour total to 33.

If students aren't ready to complete a full MBA program, they also have the option to complete microcredentials on their own. They can later apply those graduate-level credits to an MBA program at the school.

The degree program will launch starting in fall 2024. The University of Jamestown offers eight-week, year-round courses that start in January, May, and August.

A growing number of small, private universities have embraced online MBA programs. Central Methodist University in Missouri, Voorhees University in South Carolina, and Ursuline College in Ohio all announced online MBA programs last year.