A cutting-edge curriculum matched with highly-qualified, engaged faculty has resulted in Ball State University’s online business programs once again earning national recognition.
Ball State’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program tied for 17th overall in this year’s U.S. News & World Report “Best Online Programs” list, which was released this week. Ball State’s Miller College of Business also ranked highly in two specialty categories: Best Online Bachelor’s Programs — Business (tied for 11th) and Best Online MBA Programs — General Management (tied for 17th).
Ball State’s MBA program, which finished with a top-20 online ranking from U.S. News & World Report for an eighth straight year, placed in the top-six percent of 324 total eligible programs, and performed better than five other in-state schools.
“The Ball State online MBA and bachelor’s programs in business provide students with a high quality, flexible degree at a competitive cost,” said Dr. Stephen Ferris, Bryan Dean of the Miller College of Business. “We are proud that our efforts are once again being recognized by U.S. News & World Report.”
Ball State’s continued excellence in its online business offerings is perhaps no surprise, given the fact that the experienced Miller College of Business faculty have been delivering professionally produced, distance education for more than 30 years. Online students can earn their MBA at Ball State without a residency requirement, while interacting with on-campus students in a virtual classroom setting.
Ferris and his staff believe a few other major factors contribute to the success of Ball State’s online business programs:
- Award-winning faculty: Miller College of Business’ highly-qualified faculty actively engage with students, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in today’s business world. The faculty have long embraced the use of technology to improve their teaching and to engage students by using video-recording tools to bring lectures and other classroom activities into online teaching. Thousands of hours of Zoom meetings are used to engage students in teaching and learning activities.
- Functional course design: Ball State offers a full staff of certified instructional designers who assist Miller College of Business faculty in course development and delivery, all while remaining one of the higher-ranked, low-cost programs in the nation. Recent curricular enhancements have also made the programs more attractive to highly qualified students. Ball State’s cutting-edge curriculum has been streamlined to consist of stackable certificates, which can be completed by working professionals in two years. In addition, the Miller College of Business recently added six new MBA concentrations and graduate certificates, three of which are interdisciplinary.
- Student resources: Ball State’s online business programs’ success is reflective of the support services it provides. For example: MBA advisors facilitate the selection of courses that meet the students’ professional objectives, and the career services area assists in the placement of students into well-paying jobs. Plus, students and faculty have access to apps that enable them to learn and teach effectively.
For more information about Ball State’s online Master of Business Administration, visit the program’s website. For more information on other highly-ranked online programs at Ball State — such as the Bachelors in Business Administration — visit bsu.edu/online.