The MBA is an internationally recognized business graduate degree covering a wide range of business fields such as marketing, finance, accounting, and management. In 2011, 56% of MBA students were enrolled in part time MBA programs while working full-time.
These programs offer many students the flexibility and potential cost savings you’re looking for while earning a Master of Business Administration.
Many colleges and universities offering the MBA degree have tailored their programs to the working professional student with part-time flexible class schedules offered at night or online, hybrid MBA programs that blend on-campus and online courses, and those that have flexible start dates. Below is a list of 10 sponsored school partners offering a part-time or self-paced MBA degree program.
Canisius College is a private university consistently ranked among the top regional institutions in the Northeast. Located on 72 acres in a residential neighborhood of Buffalo, Canisius is one of 28 Jesuit, Catholic colleges in the nation.
The Richard J. Wehle School of Business at Canisius College develops leaders for the globally competitive marketplace who will behave as ethically and socially responsible individuals.
Canisius College’s flexible MBA program was developed with input from students, faculty, alumni, and corporate leaders. The program enables students to study at their own pace, without interrupting their career. Students can complete the degree program in as little as 18 months, while choosing from day, evening, and online courses in five concentration areas:
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Chatham University was founded as a small women’s college in 1869 and has grown to a dynamic coeducational private institution with over 60 degree programs. Recognized as a leader sustainability, the Eden Hall Campus is being built from the ground up as a unique, fully self-sustaining learning environment with a mission to serve as a beacon to those who wish to imagine and model sustainable learning and living.
Chatham University's MBA program was developed for working adults, with core coursework that can be completed online or on campus in the evenings.
Students have the opportunity to take one course per term from institutions including Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh, and access to a seasoned Executive-In-Residence (EIR) brought to campus to offer contacts for seminars, symposia, mentoring, and advice.
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The University of Hartford is a private university on a bucolic 350-acre campus in Connecticut with a diverse student body hailing from 48 states and 63 countries. UHart aims to educate students as citizens of the world, encouraging study abroad experiences, community service involvement, and responsibility for the planet.
The university is known for its small class size, excellence in business (among other areas), and a focus on mentoring all students. The university’s Barney School of Business has been listed as one of the nation's "Best Business Schools" by The Princeton Review.
Students can enroll in a Hartford University MBA program that is exclusively taught online, attend all classes on campus, or combine the advantages of both by building a hybrid program of some online courses and some in the classroom. This blended model of learning gives students a flexible class schedule so they can self-pace their part time MBA coursework.
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Sacred Heart University is one of the nation’s fastest growing Catholic colleges and is known for its tight-knit community, its social justice mission, and a strong tradition of community service. With an average class size of about 22, the student body is a diverse group hailing from all 50 states and over 30 countries.
The Welch MBA program at Sacred Heart University combines interdisciplinary theory with real-world applications so students are exposed to the complexities of doing business in our changing times. Students of the program can self-pace their studies for flexibility and convenience, and create their own path by taking two courses per trimester to complete the program in 24 months or be selecting one of five concentrations:
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Loyola is Chicago’s Jesuit, Catholic university with faculty, staff, and students from all faiths and backgrounds. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1, Loyola’s small classes stress the importance of knowledge, curiosity, global perspectives, and cura personalis, or “care for the whole person.”
Loyola’s Quinlan MBA degree program offers courses both on campus at the Water Tower Campus location in Chicago as well as online, for maximum flexibility. The program works on a 10-week quarter system, and students can begin the program in any quarter.
Students are taught by nationally recognized faculty with a focus on real-world management issues and are welcomed into an impressive network of 30,000 business school alumni, many of whom have achieved leadership positions in their fields.
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Utica College is a private institution on a 128-acre campus in the heart of Central New York, offering a broad range of academic programs taught by outstanding faculty, combined with the intimacy and personal attention of a smaller school. The average class size is about 20 students, and the diverse student body draws from 45 states and 39 countries.
Utica’s MBA program takes a modern, real-world approach to graduate-level business education with flexible, tailored coursework based on actual, current business scenarios and case studies. Students can access their courses entirely online, or in a blended format that gives them the opportunity to structure their studies in the way that best suits their schedule and learning style.
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Northcentral is a regionally accredited online university serving students across the globe with a unique one-on-one mentoring approach. In every course, each student is paired with one doctoral faculty member, resulting in a class size of one.
This approach lends to personalized feedback, a deeper understanding of the material, and a real relationship built on mutual respect between professor and student that often leads to lasting professional connections.
The Northcentral University online MBA program offers coursework and mentorship in a wide variety of specializations and concludes with a capstone immersive simulation to test students’ knowledge across every business discipline in a real-world, competitive virtual environment.
NCU allows students to self-pace their education and tailor it to their schedule, with weekly course starts instead of traditional semesters, the ability to overlap courses, and online classes that students can attend any time throughout the day.
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Benedictine University is a private university founded by Catholic monks in 1887. The main campus is 25 miles outside downtown Chicago, with satellite campuses elsewhere in Illinois, Arizona, class sites in China and Vietnam, and online programs. The university offers a broad-based, liberal arts education and boasts a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1.
Benedictine University’s MBA program connects students with practicing professors in a variety of industries so they can explore new career paths and expand their network while working toward their professional goals.
Designed for working adults who are learning part time, the program allows for flexibility of scheduling with six starting dates available throughout the year, and online coursework can be completed at any time of day. Students can supplement their online coursework with on-campus classes through Benedictine’s Goodwin College of Business.
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The University of Tampa is a private university on a 110-acre residential campus in the heart of downtown Tampa, Florida, that offers over 200 areas of study through a core curriculum rooted in a liberal arts tradition, which draws students from all 50 states and 140 countries.
The University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business MBA program is one of the largest, most established and most exclusive in Florida. The part-time/evening program is designed for students who work full-time jobs and would need to complete the program at their own pace. Courses are held once a week in the evening, and students can complete the coursework in as little as 24 months.
For students with more work experience, the Professional MBA program and the Executive MBA program are also offered in a flexible, part-time format. Students in any of these MBA programs will improve their capacity for leadership and build a portfolio of applied professional activities and projects.
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Winthrop University is a public, coeducational university in Rock Hill, South Carolina and began in 1895 as a single classroom women’s school for training teachers. It has since grown to a comprehensive university of distinction serving over 6,000 students. The online graduate programs offered at Winthrop focus on building practical professional knowledge that students can apply to their current and future roles.
The Winthrop University online MBA is an academically rigorous, customizable program with small class sizes taught by many of the same faculty who teach Winthrop’s on-campus program. Throughout their coursework, students receive advising, career guidance, and degree progression support from the school’s director of graduate student services.
Students can self-pace their MBA education, and if completing one course at a time, every seven weeks, they can earn their degree in as little as two years—with no residency or campus visits required.
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Sponsored Listings
Earning a traditional MBA usually takes full-time students two years to complete. Part time or self-paced MBA programs vary in format and credit hours required. Although 36 months may be typical of a part time MBA timeframe, completion time can vary considerably and many schools are offering accelerated options for part time students.
Some factors that may influence how quickly you can earn a part time MBA:
The required number of credits differs across part time MBA programs and can range from 30 to 48. Make sure to look into the degree requirements—and any caps on credit transfers—when selecting a program.
Usually, part time MBA programs offer one course at a time to suit working professionals, but accelerated MBA programs are sometimes available for the motivated student willing to take more than one class at a time. This may reduce the time it takes to earn your degree.
Some MBA programs will allow you to take advantage of your career by translating related work experience into program credit hours.
A program that follows a trimester schedule, rather than semesters, may allow you to fit more courses in per year, speeding your path to graduation.
Click on any of these sponsored listings or complete the form on this page to get matched to the perfect part-time or self-paced MBA program for you. Or, continue reading to discover online MBA programs no GMAT required and the types of MBA specializations.
