Best Online Business Degrees 2021

Located in Tallahassee, FSU offers an online master of business administration. Students may complete the program part time, with no residency requirements. Most students complete the degree in just seven semesters.

Business core courses include the legal and ethical environment of business, information and technology management, and marketing strategy in the global environment. Students may choose from five specialization tracks to align more closely with career goals, including business analytics, management information systems, marketing, real estate, or risk management and insurance. Students choose electives based on their chosen emphasis. 

Admission to the MBA program requires GMAT or GRE scores. Students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 and a 3.2 GPA in FSU upper-division business courses, or more than eight years of management work experience, may apply for a waiver.

FSU is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Based in Charlottesville, UVA offers an online master of science in business analytics. Students learn to use data to build business strategies and inform decision-making.

The 12-month program combines mid-week online classes, self-paced learning, and nine weekend residencies at UVA's Arlington and D.C. campuses. Students take courses arranged in five modules, including enterprise analytics, descriptive analytics, and a corporate analytics capstone. The modules contain a deep-dive course series to provide students with the skills businesses need.

Applicants need at least two years of professional experience and must show strong analytical skills through a combination of cumulative undergraduate GPA and GMAT or GRE scores.

UVA is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Located in College Park, UMD offers an online master of business administration. The program prepares students for data-driven leadership positions. Students may choose from five specializations, including accounting, finance, marketing, supply chain management, or information systems and business analytics.

The 54-credit program requires two residencies — one orientation at the beginning of the degree and a capstone experience at the end. Core courses include corporate finance, the global economic environment, and executive powers and negotiation. The final capstone residency includes a business simulation, allowing students to apply problem-solving and critical thinking skills to a business model to demonstrate skills mastery.

The school strongly recommends at least two years of professional work experience before applying to the program. All applicants must take the GMAT or GRE regardless of work experience or cumulative GPA.

UMD is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Located in Tampa, USF offers an online master of business administration. Students choose from four concentrations, including cybersecurity; data analytics; healthcare analytics; and compliance, risk, and anti-money laundering.

The program begins with a two-day on-campus orientation. Students take foundation and core courses such as accounting concepts for managers, organizational behavior and leadership, and data analytics for business. From there, students take electives in their chosen emphasis. Students may choose a thesis option instead of six credits of electives and take either a capstone experience or a comprehensive exam.

Applicants must submit GMAT or GRE scores unless students possess a 3.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA from USF or other approved schools. Students may also waive test scores with professional licensure or at least three years of managerial work experience.

USF is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Located in Ruston, Louisiana Tech offers an online master of business administration. Online students follow the traditional MBA track and cannot pursue the concentration coursework available for on-campus students.

Foundational courses include accounting analysis for decision-making, financial management, managerial economics, and global perspective in management, as well as one elective course per quarter. A strategic management capstone experience gives students the chance to apply critical thinking skills and problem-solving in practice.

Applicants must submit a GMAT score from the last five years to qualify for admission. The school allows students to transfer up to 12 credits toward their degree. 

Louisiana Tech is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins offers an online master of business administration. Students choose from seven concentrations: entrepreneurship, financial business, healthcare management, interdisciplinary business, leading organizations, marketing, and real estate and infrastructure.

Students take the majority of courses online, with three residencies required throughout the program. Business core coursework includes accounting and financial reporting, business leadership and human values, and economics for decision-making. From there, students in the general track take a variety of electives, while those in specializations focus on concentration-specific elective tracks.

Students must possess an undergraduate degree from an accredited university with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. The school also requires GMAT or GRE scores. Students with 10 years of progressive managerial experience, or an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and five years of work experience, may apply for a waiver.

Johns Hopkins is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Based in Houston, Texas, UH offers an online master of science in management and leadership. The program caters to non-business undergraduate degree holders wanting a bridge degree into the business world.

The 30-credit program includes business core coursework such as fundamentals of business, organizational behavior and management, and ethical leadership and critical reasoning. Elective courses cover several business disciplines, including global leadership, people analytics, and cultural issues in global management. Courses happen solely online with no residency requirements.

Applicants must submit GMAT or GRE scores, but the school offers waivers for recent UH graduates (within three years). Students do not need an undergraduate business degree or work experience to apply for the program.

UH is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Lehigh offers an online master of business administration. Students participate in synchronous online classes and can also opt into on-campus courses whenever they choose. Guiding program principles include structured and unstructured decision-making, leadership, ethical and social responsibility, inclusive thinking and communication, and developing a comprehensive understanding of domestic and global business.

The 36-credit program includes business core coursework such as managing financial and physical resources, basic statistics for business and industry, and managing products and services. An integrative experience offers students the chance to demonstrate mastery through a business simulation, case presentations, and a project.

Although not required, applicants may submit GMAT or GRE scores to bolster an admission packet. Lehigh is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Located in Hoboken, New Jersey, Stevens offers an online master of business administration. The program offers synchronous online courses, as well as other online events, such as networking meetings, career development services, virtual training, and bootcamps. Students can complete the program in as few as 18 months.

The 39-credit program includes business core coursework such as marketing management, managerial judgment and decision-making, and supply chain analytics. Students can choose from six degree specialties, including finance, business intelligence and analytics, or project management. A capstone project gives students the chance to consult with a business and provide feedback and solutions to a challenge.

Applicants must provide GMAT or GRE scores to qualify for admission. Stevens is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Located in Richardson, UT Dallas offers a professional master of business administration. The coursework happens 100% online, with no residency requirements. Students can choose from 15 concentrations, including accounting, business analytics, international management, and supply chain management.

The 53-credit course schedule includes managing IT in the analytics age, international business management, and international strategic management. Students must complete two prerequisites before beginning the core courses, including quantitative foundation of business and communications for business. MBA students may also earn a dual MS/MBA, including degree options in energy management, marketing, and business analytics.

Applicants must submit a GMAT or GRE score. Students can apply for a waiver if they possess either an undergraduate degree from UT Dallas with a minimum GPA of 3.5 or a business degree from another school with a minimum GPA of 3.6. Students with a master's may also apply for a waiver regardless of focus.

UT Dallas is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The school boasts programmatic accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.