USM Online MBA Program Receives Impressive Ranking

Tue, 08/23/2022 - 12:32pm | By: Van Arnold

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has received a No. 8 ranking for Best Online MBA Programs in the South by online resource guide Fortune Education. No other Mississippi college or university is ranked in the top 30.

The Top-10 ranking marks a significant jump for USM, which was ranked No. 19 last year. Dr. Steven Stelk, MBA Director and Assistant Teaching Professor of finance at USM, notes that faculty and leaders within the College of Business and Economic Development recognized several years ago the value of online delivery for students.

“The MBA was first available online in 2015, and our faculty have been continuously improving the program since it began,” said Stelk. “As a faculty member, I am thankful for the training and support we receive in developing online courses in the College of Business and Economic Development, the Office of Online Learning, and the Center for Faculty Development. The knowledge and support we receive helped improve the program’s quality, which has steadily improved our rankings over the last two years and helped attract more students.”

As the fall 2022 semester gets underway, approximately 160 students are actively enrolled in USM’s online MBA program.

Standardized entrance exams (GMAT and GRE) are indefinitely waived for all applicants to USM’s MBA program. Three letters of recommendation are required. Last year in-coming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and an average of more than 13 years of work experience. Students must complete 33 credits to graduate.

“All the recent rankings for our grad programs have been worth celebrating. This one is just a bit special as it highlights our standing with MBA programs from other Southern Universities,” said Dr. Jamye Foster, Director, School of Marketing. “At USM, we try to tap into southern hospitality as we work to build genuine connections with our students — including our online only students. When we are more connected, we are better able to make sure our program is meeting students' needs and adjust if needed. I like to think this ranking suggests that approach is working."

To determine the rankings Fortune Education invited more than 200 online MBA programs to participate. In all, 104 programs completed the questionnaire. That information, along with data collected from companies and executives, was used as the core of each ranking. The final ranking is made up of four components: Program Score, Fortune 1000 Score, Brand Score, and Prestige Score.

As Stelk points out, USM’s online MBA is an established program designed and delivered by experienced faculty trained in online curriculum development.

“We are engaged with stakeholders who help us identify valuable in-demand skills that we can incorporate into the program,” said Stelk. “We are committed to offering a flexible and affordable program that helps graduates improve the value they bring to their professional and personal communities.”

To see the full rankings, visit: https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-online-mba-programs/south/.

To learn more about the MBA program at USM, call 601.266.4831 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/graduate-programs/business-administration.php.