Students who are considering an online MBA may want to turbocharge their graduate education and go for a dual degree. These online programs are growing in popularity and allow you to pursue an MBA and another graduate level degree from the same university. If you are considering an online MBA dual degree program, US News and World Report says you should ask yourself these questions:
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- What career goals do you have and do you want to work in management: Experts say people who aim for a dual MBA online degree should look to grow knowledge in a certain field and also grow their career, especially in management.
- What is the program structure, and will it meet your needs: You should be able to save time and money compared with getting two separate online degrees. For example, at Indiana University, you can earn an MBA degree and another graduate degree with approximately 63 credit hours, compared to at least 80 to earn the degrees separately.
- Do you meet the application requirements: You usually need to be accepted by both schools or departments that offer the different degrees, and application requirements can differ. The dual MBA degree at Benedictine University, for example, has separate application requirements for each degree.
- Are there on campus requirements: Each degree program may have on campus requirements, but some dual degree programs may be 100% online.
Now that you have an idea what to look for in dual online MBA programs, below are some of the best program options to consider to further your business education:
#1 Northeastern University
Northeastern University offers an online Master of Business Administration through the D’Amore-McKim Business School and a Master of Science in Finance that will help you develop your leadership potential and practical finance skills in vital areas including valuation, mergers and acquisitions, insurance and investments.
The online MBA program is accredited by the AACSB and is currently ranked as the #8 online MBA according to the Financial Times. It is 100% online and has eight MBA concentrations available:
- Finance
- Healthcare management
- High technology management
- Innovation entrepreneurship
- International management
- Marketing
- Supply chain management
- Sustainability
The dual degree program can be completed in three or four years. MBA course requirements include:
- Financial Statement Preparation and Analysis
- Identifying Strategic Implications in Accounting Data
- Managing People and Organizations
- Managing the Global Enterprise
- Management of Service and Manufacturing Operations
- Value Creation Through Financial Decision Making
- Information Analysis
#2 Arizona State University
Arizona State University offers a dual online Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering that is a great fit for experienced business professionals who work for a variety of engineering companies in the public or private sector. There are a total of 18 classes to complete with a total of 56 credit hours.
The online MBA is offered through the prestigious W.P. Carey School of Business and is offered entirely online. The online MBA currently is ranked in the top five in the US by US News and World Report. All students have complete access to a professional career services team and also world leading business and engineering faculty.
The online MBA program is AACSB accredited, so you may be confident that you are earning a high quality MBA that will be recognized for quality by employers and peers. Required courses for the online MBA program are:
- Statistics for Managers
- Leading People, Teams and Organization
- Operations and Supply Management
- Create and Deliver Customer Value
- Ethical Issues for Managers
- Managerial Accounting
- Finance: The Art of Managing Resources
- Financial Performance Reporting
Required courses in the industrial engineering program include Information Systems Engineering, Simulating Stochastic Systems, Design Engineering Experiments and Applied Deterministic Operations Research.
#3 Auburn University
Auburn University offers an online Master of Business Administration combined with a Master of Science in Finance for business professionals who want to focus their careers on both business management and finance. Those who want to focus their careers on the information systems space can also choose to pair the MBA with a Master of Science in Information Systems.
The online MBA is recognized as among the best in the nation by US News and World Report for 2018. It also is ranked as one of the best in the nation for veterans by the same publication.
The distance portion of the dual MBA program is delivered to students by the highly regarded student learning platform CANVAS. Students use this system to view lectures, work with faculty and professors, ask questions and hold discussions with their peers.
The online MBA program has 13 classes with nine core business courses and four electives. The online MBA can be completed in 2.5 years, while the dual degree programs are usually completed within 3.5 to 4 years. Required courses are:
- Financial Analysis
- Quantitative Analysis
- Strategic Analysis and the Competitive Environment
- Marketing and Consumer Theory
- Operations Excellence
- Cost Analysis and Systems
- Organizational Leadership and Change
#4 Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University offers an online dual Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Leadership. This four year, dual degree program gives you the chance to blend the concepts of finance, accounting, operations management and accounting with the vital principles of servant leadership. This dual degree program is offered by the Colangelo College of Business and is a great fit for working professionals.
The curricula in this MBA/MS degree program features a total of 66 credit hours and includes a variety of cutting edge courses that are most relevant to modern business. Students are exposed to the fundamentals of business management before focusing on any concentration area. Students will develop a better understanding of business, management, administration and effective leadership. Key areas covered in the four year program include:
- Managerial strategies and concepts that relate to operations management in service and manufacturing environments
- Problem solving models for various types of businesses and how to apply them practically
- Macro and microeconomic concepts that are most relevant to modern businesses
- Quantitative techniques and tools that are used to model business applications and functions
- The most important concepts of contemporary business leadership
Your required courses include:
- Accounting Practices
- Leadership and Organizations
- Finance Principles
- Applied Business Probability
- Economics
- Managerial Finance
- Strategic Management
- Leadership Styles and Development
- Servant Leadership
- Leadership and Innovation
- Marketing Management
- Managerial Accounting
#5 Benedictine University
Benedictine University offers a dual Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Health online that provides you with the business management skills to be a public health leader.
Graduates of this dual degree online program will be able to complete the program in approximately 3.5 to 4 years, which is at least 1.5 years less than if you took each program separately. The dual degree program consists of 24 course, as opposed to 33 if you took the programs one after another.
Students will gain a deep understanding of accounting, finance, marketing, strategic planning, international business and entrepreneurship. This is knowledge that will make you a better leader in a public health environment, such as a manager in a community health agency or in a corporate wellness department. Having both business management and public health skills are highly valuable for many professionals and help you to stand out from the crowd.
Your required courses include:
- Financial Accounting
- Macroeconomics
- International Business
- Managerial Accounting
- Managerial Economics
- Ethics and Leadership in a Global Environment
- Operations Management
- Marketing Management
- Biostatistics
- Public Health System
- Epidemiology
- Community Health Analysis
- Health Policy
#6 West Virginia University
West Virginia University offers an online Master of Business Administration paired with either a Juris Doctorate (JD), PharmD, or Master of Science in Nursing.
The popular dual MBA/JD program will prepare you for exciting career opportunities in business areas including corporate law, patent, trademark and intellectual property law. After you complete your first year of law classes, you will start to take your online MBA courses along with legal courses. Twelve of the 48 online credit hours are completed through the JD part of the program. This means you only need to complete 36 more credit hours to complete the online MBA.
Coursework for the MBA/JD program includes:
- Managerial and Team Skills
- Business Research
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Decision Analysis
- Managerial Economics
- Corporate Finance
- Marketing Strategy
- Decision Analysis
The MBA/MSN program will prepare you to take on a top leadership position in a healthcare organization. You will have the knowledge and skills to serve as a nursing and business leader for many types of healthcare organizations.
Graduates of this dual degree program can work in private practice, hospitals, nonprofit organizations and the public sector. It is a blended program that totals 67 credit hours and is done mostly online, combined with four residencies in Morgantown, WV. The program can be completed in eight semesters of full time study.
References
- 4 Questions to Ask about Online Dual MBA Degree Programs. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2016-01-04/4-questions-to-ask-about-online-dual-mba-degree-programs
