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Master of Business
Administration (MBA)

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Home » Programs » Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Achieve Your Business Career Aspirations with an Online MBA Degree

Gain the knowledge and skills you need to successfully manage organizations in the ever-changing business environment. You’ll learn relevant management skills in both domestic and global business settings, effective team building, quantitative and qualitative decision-making, and creative problem-solving skills that you can immediately apply in your professional life.

Our MBA degree program also offers specializations that’ll help you stand out in the competitive business field and prepare you for its challenges. Specializations include Entrepreneurship, Financial Management, Global Business Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership Studies, Project Management, Strategic Marketing and Supply Chain Management.

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The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accredits public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S.

National University’s MBA program is currently pending state authorization and approval in Georgia, Kansas and Minnesota

Program Learning Models

Everybody learns differently, so NU has created two unique learning models for earning your MBA. Select the path that works best for your own personal style of learning.

1-on-1 Personalized Education

Taking the 1-on-1 pathway allows for more personalized instruction. This modality offers weekly starts, flexible online learning options, and 8-week classes.

The one to one model is accredited by Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).  As a leading accreditation association for business education, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) “develops, promotes, and recognizes best practices that contribute to continuous improvement of business education.” The Association emphasizes the importance of “learning how to learn,” balancing teaching and research activities to enhance the quality of classroom instruction and contribute to student learning. To learn more about the ACBSP, visit their website.

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Class-Based Education

The class-based option is a more social approach to learning, with the pathway including teamwork, group projects, and collaboration. This modality offers monthly start dates, 4-week course options and more structured timelines.

Programmatic accreditation by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education is mission-driven and outcomes-based, and involves an independent, external evaluation of the business programs offered by an institution’s academic business unit. The effectiveness of the academic business unit is evaluated by reviewing the educational processes related to teaching and learning in the institution, and by an assessment of the outcomes of the teaching-learning process. The class-based model is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) located at 11374 Strang Line Road in Lenexa, Kansas, USA. For more information about IACBE, please visit their website

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Not sure which version is right for you? Click here to reach out to an Enrollment Advisor.

Courses Details

1-on-1 Courses

In this course, you will consider the impact of current trends such as 21st century leadership related to globalization and sustainability through the utilization of management and technology tools. The subsequent core courses will provide a greater in-depth knowledge of business concepts and areas in an integrated fashion.

This course is designed to prepare you to lead in today’s global environment. You will examine concepts and strategies regarding global leadership. You will acquire skills relevant to managing human capital and teams, ethical decision-making, navigating organizational change, and budgeting/allocating resources across borders and cultures.

The competitive marketplace gives consumers choices. Marketers need to understand the dynamic nature of consumers’ needs and wants, gather relevant data, conduct analyses of both consumers and the competition. To maintain their competitive edge, marketers need to launch innovative products at opportune times. In this course, you will research what makes a product innovative and the challenges marketers face to make innovative products available in the marketplace with the right marketing mix and effective marketing strategies. You will study the need for performance measures to determine if marketing objectives will be met in a timely manner.

You will develop skills to effectively formulate strategic plans utilizing R&D, marketing, production, finance, human resources, and TQM to determine strengths and weaknesses. This will include the use of SWOT and PEST analysis techniques for assessing market position and direction for growth.

Class-Based Courses

This course presents a customer-oriented view of operations within an organization. Guided by the organization’s strategic plan, operations deliver the products and services to the customers. This course explores how this delivery is accomplished with efficiency and effectiveness. Components of the course include issues of quality, physical design, and systems management.

Students focus on major corporate applications of information technology, learning how business decisions are facilitated by these tools. Specific applications include the effective and efficient management of projects, inventory and transportation. The course concludes with the evolution of logistics into the broader scope of supply chain management, focusing on how enterprise-wide information systems enable this cross-functional, inter-firm collaboration that leads to new competitive advantages.

Specializations

The Entrepreneurship MBA at NU takes you beyond the classroom as you build and test your entrepreneurial ideas in real-world scenarios. In our Online MBA Entrepreneurship specialization, you will explore various business disciplines, including marketing, finance, operations and strategy, as you develop skills in building businesses, investing in businesses, raising capital and evaluating business opportunities. Entrepreneurship courses emphasize analysis, decision-making and business planning of a real new venture product or service. As a graduate, you can expect to have a solid business plan that is ready to be presented to investors, banks, or private entities.

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The Financial Management specialization works best for those seeking leadership and analysis positions in the growing, global field of financial management. With coursework applicable to domestic and international businesses, nonprofits, and governmental organizations, your studies will focus on growth and diversification policies, portfolio management, investment banking, merger strategies, exchange rate movement and risk, and case or research projects that analyze contemporary financial issues.

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Students completing this specialization will learn about strategic financing decisions such as capital structure and dividend policy decisions, risk management, corporate mergers, and multinational financial management. Additionally, students will be prepared to appraise global business strategies that MNEs have used in emerging economies and identify factors contributing to the foreign debt crisis and its prevention. Students will also learn about human resources planning processes, including the selection process, employee orientation and integration, performance management, and current trends in employee outsourcing.

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Modern business activities have an increasingly global reach. From supply chains to expanding consumer and B2B markets, successful companies and professionals must thoroughly understand international business environments to grow and thrive. With the International Business specialization, you’ll explore cultural, economic, and legal issues, as well as international exporting, licensing, franchising, foreign direct investment, outsourcing, risk analysis, and human capital development. You’ll also be able to travel to a foreign location for a full-immersion international experience.

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This graduate-level specialization focuses on the interrelationships between human resource capital, leadership, and the business organization. Students will explore all aspects of human resource management, and address the increasing human resource issues in the economy.

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The leadership studies specialization prepares professionals to become problem-solving, change-oriented leaders in diverse, dynamic organizations. The instruction, coursework, and experiential exercises are for those desiring to understand and apply the technical and reflective processes that accompany leadership opportunities in the modern workplace — whether business or nonprofit, domestic or international.

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In NU’s online MBA Project Management specialization, you will explore principles, concepts, tools and techniques to improve project performance and organizational effectiveness. Under the guidance of mentoring professors, our MBA in Project Management specialization will have you examine all aspects of company projects, including cost estimates, budget management, cost control, risk assessment, bid negotiation and contracts, and performance reporting critical to the success of any organization.

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The Strategic Marketing Specialization at the graduate level transcends traditional marketing by focusing upon emerging trends in the 21st century in marketing management and marketing research. Students will focus on thought leadership-driven strategic marketing, encompassing contemporary and emergent marketing management methods, global product management, precision pricing, advanced promotional methods, and proven distribution techniques. At the conclusion, students will be well prepared for the marketing workforce of tomorrow.

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While globalization and outsourcing impact nearly every market and industry, supply chain management skills have become essential for competitive businesses, professionals, and managers. The Supply Chain Management specialization examines the integration of logistical planning, inventory deployment, and transportation networks to achieve the most efficient physical connections between firms. Global corporations, nonprofits, healthcare providers, and government agencies demand the increased performance, timeliness, and cost savings that result from supply chain expertise.

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Program Learning Outcomes

  • Evaluate financial statements and quantitative information for decision-making using appropriate information systems and tools.
  • Analyze the competitive environment, employing both external and internal factor analysis, and apply appropriate strategies for an organization, emphasizing the practice of ethical decisions and actions.
  • Create and communicate business plans and reports in an efficient and compelling way, orally and in written form.
  • Design solutions to logistical and operational problems using critical thinking skills and innovative approaches to generating alternatives.
  • Assess the global business environment and generate alternatives for companies to succeed in different countries and cultures.
  • Assess the economic environment within an industry and choose appropriate financial decisions for the firm.

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To that end, we’ve simplified and streamlined our application process, so you can get enrolled in your program right away. Because we accept and review applications year round, you can begin class as soon as next month, depending on your program and location of choice.

Learn more about undergraduate, graduate, military, and international student admissions, plus admissions information for transfer students. You can also learn more about our tuition rates and financial aid opportunities.

To speak with our admissions team, call (855) 355-6288 or request information and an advisor will contact you shortly. If you’re ready to apply, simply start your application today.

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We’re proud to be a veteran-founded, San Diego-based nonprofit. Since 1971, our mission has been to provide accessible, achievable higher education to adult learners. Today, we educate students from across the U.S. and around the globe, with over 230,000 alumni worldwide.

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“National University has impacted my career. You can immediately apply what you learn in class to your business.”

-Francisco R., Class of 2016

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FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
We know your life may not happen on a 9-5 schedule, so we offer courses online or on-site at locations across California.

Master of Business Administration Degree FAQs

Yes. National University offers online programs that can be completed 100% online, one class at a time. By taking one class at a time, adult learners can earn their degree faster while balancing their busy lives.

Given the popularity, scope, and evolution of online degrees, recruiters say that most employers accept online MBAs from candidates. The reputation of where you get your degree remains the most important factor.

Yes. Not only does an MBA give you further experience and a better understanding of business, but it also opens the door for work in other industries. An MBA can help you hone your soft skills, be more marketable to employers, and advance your career. Plus, our MBA program allows you to earn it online.

Business and management are powerful industries, and projected salary reflects that. Employees with postgraduate business and management qualifications have reported significant salary growth.

Students should expect to spend roughly nine hours in class, divided into two sessions per week (Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday). Additionally, students will need to attend two Saturday sessions (three if a weekday holiday makes it necessary) per month, with each being four and a half hours long. For a week with a Saturday session, MBA students can spend up to 13.5 hours working toward their degree. It is worth noting, however, that the MBA program is self-paced and can be adjusted to fit your schedule.

Mastering soft skills is a must in the business world. Decision-making, digital literacy, and other core components of day-to-day operations are critical and must be addressed by an MBA program. With our online format, you can gain teamwork experience as you improve your digital literacy. Plus, you do it all at your pace, one class at a time.As you complete the program, you’ll be better able to think critically and communicate more effectively. All of these skills are crucial to career development and success in the business landscape.

The courses in the MBA program also have a workplace impact: you can take all of the aspects of business you learned and readily apply them to your workplace set-ting. With an MBA, you can hone the skills that are in demand and ensure success in the business sphere.

The business landscape is highly competitive. If your resume stands out, you have better luck succeeding in the field as you gain more opportunities and expand your growth in a rapidly evolving market. The NU MBA program allows you to show employers — in various industries — that you have the in-demand skills they seek to meet the demand of an industry expected to grow by 19% within the next decade according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, the demand for business expertise has trickled into other industries. An MBA could give you the established skills you need to advance to a new field, such as the tech industry. Silicon Valley, Amazon, and other companies are interested in hiring MBA graduates.

MBA graduates can expect higher salary outcomes: the BLS also states that, in some business sectors, employees with a master’s degree can earn up to 89% more than their bachelor’s counterparts. The BLS’ data also points out that the median wage for management occupations was $109,760 in May 2020 — the highest wage of all major occupational groups.

Learn more about the benefits of an MBA degree and which industries are looking for MBA graduates in our article, “What Can You Do With an MBA?”.

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The Key Grant Scholarship

Do you qualify for a needs-based scholarship? Learn more about the NU Key Grant Scholarship and other scholarship opportunities to unlock the door to your dreams!

Program Disclosure

Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.

Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.

NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.

All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.

National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.