The Best Online MBA In Leadership Programs

The MBA in General Business requires 24 credit hours of core courses and 6 credit hours of specialty courses, chosen as two graduate-level courses at the 5000 level or above. Core coursework covers finance, accounting, economics, behavioral management, research and data analysis, and students build skills through applied business projects and a course covering all aspects of entrepreneurship. The program can be completed in as few as 12 months, and its calendar lets students start soon after applying.

Applicants qualify with a bachelor's degree and a 3.0 GPA overall or in the last 60 semester hours, or with a 2.5 overall GPA (or 2.75 in the last 60 hours) combined with either three years of continuous professional work experience or an application portfolio, each with the program coordinator's approval. The program is built for both business and non-business graduates. Those without a business degree can satisfy prerequisites online through four 1-week leveling courses.

The General MBA totals 30 credit hours, offers multiple start dates and can be completed in as few as 12 months. Its core covers managerial finance and accounting, marketing, strategic management, economics and international management, ending in a capstone strategic management course, and one core slot is a choice of two courses, one of which trains students to run business processes in SAP through an ERP simulation game. Students then select three electives, with options including a course built on Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and another on FranklinCovey leadership.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum 2.5 GPA, cumulative or in the last 60 hours, and the GMAT/GRE is waived at that level; below 2.5, admission uses a formula of 200 times GPA plus the GMAT score, totaling at least 1,000 points. Students with non-business degrees may need two leveling courses, ACCT 5315 and FINC 5300, which graduates of AACSB-accredited business programs have waived. A Pre-MBA option lets students with a 2.50 GPA take up to 9 graduate hours toward the MBA.

The Online MBA is 10 courses (30 credits), seven core courses and three electives, plus a required orientation course, Strategies for Success, taken before the program begins. Courses run 10 weeks, with starts in January, March, May, August and October; the program is meant to be completed in 12 to 24 months, and students have up to four years to finish.

Applicants need at least three years of full-time professional work experience, and no GMAT or GRE is required. Students can take one or two classes at a time or pause between sessions, and each has a designated student success advisor.

The MBA is offered at the Vermillion campus, in Sioux Falls and online, and students have access to the same faculty wherever they take classes. Specializations listed as online include Business Analytics, Health Services Administration, Marketing, and Operations and Supply Chain Management.

No GMAT is required for students who hold a bachelor's degree from a U.S. college or university. The program emphasizes decision making, data analysis and social responsibility, faculty provide one-on-one advising, and the online option is aimed at working professionals who value flexibility.

The general online MBA is 33 credit hours and can be completed in as few as 14 months, with multiple start dates each year. The core opens with Business Process Integration, where students solve a complex, integrated real-life business problem, and Information Resources and Industry Analysis lays the groundwork for the Portfolio. Emphasis options include Business Analytics, Cybersecurity Management, and Hospitality and Tourism Leadership.

The GMAT/GRE requirement is temporarily waived for all applicants. Applicants need a bachelor's degree and a professional résumé showing increasing responsibility, and those with a GPA below 3.0 may still apply for holistic review. An undergraduate business degree is not required, and accelerated MBA foundation courses cover proficiency in accounting, economics, statistics, finance and management.

The online MBA totals 38 credits, or 44 with an MBA major, built on 11 core courses and 3 electives. Students can finish in as few as 12 months full time or study part time, when most take one to two courses per semester, and sessions start in spring, summer and fall.

The GMAT and GRE are optional, and a minimum of two years of work experience is preferred rather than required. Applicants lacking successful coursework in non-introductory statistics, calculus or linear math, or relevant work experience, may be asked to complete a GMAC Business Fundamentals course, and online students learn from the same faculty as the on-campus program.

The Part-Time Online MBA is completed entirely online and includes required coursework in finance, legal frameworks and data privacy, management, marketing strategy and supply chain management. Concentrations span emerging technology, analytics, finance, marketing and leadership, among them Applied AI in Business and Financial Analytics and Valuation, and students can also build a customized concentration with an academic advisor. Drexel moves from quarters to semesters in Fall 2027, and students starting in Spring 2027 begin under the quarter-based calendar.

GMAT and GRE scores are not required, although applicants may submit them to be considered for additional merit scholarships; all applicants need a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. The program is built for working professionals who want to advance or change careers, with team-based projects and cases that mirror cross-functional decision-making. Those who want in-person time in Philadelphia can choose the separate Part-Time Hybrid MBA.

The 72-unit program can be completed in as little as 24 months, with four start dates a year (fall, winter, spring and summer). Students take 10 core courses plus electives, and concentrations are offered in Business Analytics, Finance and Accounting, Leadership, and Marketing. Self-paced video lectures and case studies are combined with live online classes scheduled outside of standard business hours.

GMAT and GRE scores are optional, and admissions decisions weigh professional experience and leadership potential alongside a resume, personal statements, professional recommendations and transcripts. The format is designed for working professionals. In the Integrated Management Project capstone, students work on the executive team of a simulated startup, where they formulate and defend a strategic vision.

The 36-credit MBA can be completed online or in person, full time or part time, using eight-week courses. Each student picks one emphasis area, and emphases such as business data analytics, cybersecurity, finance, logistics and project management are offered through fully online courses. Classes are scheduled at night and on weekends.

Prior credentials can shorten the degree: students in the human resources emphasis who hold qualifying certifications may receive up to six graduate credits, and some professional certifications may qualify for credit-by-exam in the project management emphasis. Students can also pursue SAP certification and Lean Six Sigma training integrated into classes, and the college runs an SAP Next-Gen Chapter and an annual New Ventures Competition for start-up ideas.