In 2019, certain trends surrounding the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program merit a closer examination. According to September 2018 article published by the Financial Times, overall interest in MBA degrees has slightly diminished in the United States, the spiritual home of this popular graduate program, but enrollment rates on a global level continue to rise, particularly in Canada and in many Asian nations. At a time when demand for business school graduates is still pretty strong, members of the Graduate Management Admission Council have looked into the lower MBA enrollment rates among American students, and they have made the following observations:
- Since 2019, quite a few international students have shown concern over the political climate in the U.S., thus causing them to look for fully online MBA programs instead of going through the visa application process.
- The red-hot American job market has prompted many MBA candidates to put off education endeavors for the time being; for example, supervisors are having an easier time jumping on the managerial track, at least for the time being.
Seasoned career counselors will tell you that delaying the pursuit of MBA degrees because of favorable employment conditions is not the best move. We live in times when the economic climate can shift dramatically from one quarter to the next. With business professionals enjoying an average $30,000 annual pay raise upon MBA graduation, the time to enroll in a program is now.
When it comes to finding the right masters program to earn your business degree while living in Miami, the options are plentiful. However, just because there are a vast array of options doesn’t mean that they’re all good. It is up to you to conduct a thorough assessment of the universities that will offer you a quality education that conforms to your current life situation.
How Florida National University Can Help
Florida National University (FNU) understands that not everyone has the time to commit to a traditional masters program. That’s why we give MBA candidates the opportunity to earn their degrees through a 100 percent online program, a smart and flexible option for working professionals and tech-savvy students.
Challenges of Earning a Traditional MBA Degree
FNU offers an MBA program designed for the busy professional and those who are managing other personal obligations. There was a time when busy individuals may not have been able to dedicate the proper amount of time towards earning their MBA degrees; they were expected to make drastic life changes like quit their jobs, or at the very least reduce the number of hours they work. Even then, not everyone was able to afford to be unemployed or reducing their paycheck for the length of time earning an MBA used to take.
Assessing the Time it Takes to Earn an MBA
Most MBA programs take two years or more to complete. Enrolling in a two-year program while working could be a strain for some students. The reality of any master’s degree program is that it will be challenging, but if you have the opportunity to earn your MBA at an accelerated rate, in as little as one year to be exact, wouldn’t this be a much better opportunity? Depending on the undergraduate courses you have already completed, you may be able to shorten your MBA education track, and your professional experience, as well as continuing education courses, may also count towards this goal. Even part-time students may be able to finish the FNU MBA program in two years with the right academic strategy.
What FNU Offers
The online MBA program offered by FNU can take less than a year to complete. With options such as evening classes and virtual education, students have a better opportunity in terms of managing their academic career. This type of flexibility is a great advantage for non-traditional students because they can arrange their academic schedule to work around their personal and professional lifestyle. With traditional, campus-only MBA programs, it is usually the other way around, and that typically makes it all the more challenging to pursue an MBA degree.
Since all of the courses offered in FNU’s MBA program are available online, you’ll have the flexibility to choose which classes you want to take online and which ones you prefer to take on campus. Our eight-week terms and small class sizes can help you earn your MBA degree faster while still getting all the academic advice and counseling you need.
Where You Live Doesn’t Matter
If you live further away from FNU, or even out of state, and prefer to earn your master’s degree completely online, you have the opportunity to do that as well. So, if you live in Georgia, Alabama, or far up north in the New England area—perhaps residing in Washington or elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, you still have the option to enroll in FNU and earn your MBA in just one year. If you are a student from the Bahamas, you should know that the National Accreditation and Equivalency Council of that Caribbean nation fully recognize FNU programs. International students are always welcome, contact one of our enrollment counselors to learn more.
Students who prefer a more traditional approach to higher education can take advantage of our campus locations in Miami and Hialeah. Some of our MBA students opt for a blended strategy that combines online and classroom education; in many of these cases, these are students who enroll in evening classes they can attend after work. By virtue of being on the cutting edge of the business world, MBA graduates are expected to be internet-savvy professionals, and this is why a substantial portion of MBA coursework is designed to be completed online.
Accreditation
Another important detail about FNU’s online MBA program is that it is offered at a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. This is crucial in terms of ensuring that you are receiving a quality education.
Having a master’s degree from a regionally accredited university means that your college has successfully undergone a thorough assessment by an accreditation body; in the case of FNU, this means the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This assessment requires that all colleges and universities adhere to the SACSCOC six core values of:
- Integrity
- Continuous Quality Improvement
- Peer Review and Self-Regulation
- Accountability
- Student Learning
- Transparency
These core values must be present in all coursework offered by FNU in order to receive accreditation. SACSCOC accredited colleges and universities also participate in continuing education, staying up to date on the latest technological advances that will propel a student’s education, and helping them become bright mind contributing to the improvement of our society as a whole.
View the full list of FNU’s accreditation range here.
Financial Aid
Along with federal aid, FNU offers various academic scholarships depending on the subjects you choose to study, and some of them can be obtained through our athletics department. It’s strongly recommended to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid, loans, and grants.
FNU also grants tuition discounts for federal employees and military veterans. View FNU’s list of financial aid opportunities and tuition incentives here.
If you are currently working, we recommend that you check with your bosses as they might have a tuition incentive program as a benefit to you. In the most ideal situation, they will reimburse up to 100 percent of your tuition. This type of financial aid varies depending on the company, so FNU strongly urges you to consult with your job’s Human Resource Department about this matter before enrolling in any classes. Do not wait for the next economic shift to take place; start forging your MBA career path today by getting in touch with FNU.
