Florida is a state ripe with opportunities. The corporate world is welcoming and supportive of innovation and expansion. That’s why you’ll be hard-pressed to choose a better place in which to pursue your professional MBA online. When you graduate, there will be many in-state jobs available at top firms in various areas, enterprises that are blazing trails for how 21st Century business is done.
Find The Best Florida MBA Programs and Degrees
Your Guide to Career, Curriculum and Education
EARN AN ONLINE MBA DEGREE TODAY
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST MBA PROGRAM
It is of vital importance that you search well and choose the best online MBA in Florida for you. Specifically, it’s important to find one that fits your career goals. Just because a program has high ratings in a magazine or other media doesn’t mean that it has the best available education for you.
Before you make a decision, you’ll want to take into consideration a program’s available concentrations. Nearly every MBA program will consist of a set of core courses that will allow you to master the fundamentals such as marketing, finance, and accounting, to name a few. Once you’ve completed this main curriculum, you can choose a specialization. MBA specializations can include, but are not limited to the following:
- Hospitality
- International Business
- Supply Chain Management
- Sports Management
- Entertainment
- Operations Management
Percentage of students enrolled in online programs in Florida
Accreditation in Florida
Once you have found an MBA program that provides the concentration you’d like, check to see that they are fully accredited. Accreditation is a formality that is easy to overlook in the excitement that broadening horizons bring. However, it is an issue that can make or break your long-term success. That is, if you complete a program without these credentials, your potential employers might not be as impressed with your degree. Then, if you decide to continue with your education or desire to transfer to a different program, you might have trouble getting your credits validated by another institution. Those without accreditation also do not receive the support of federal financial aid, no matter how high their academics, faculty, or staff may otherwise be ranked.
One of the top accrediting agencies is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Their stamp of approval is considered the gold standard and it ensures that your level of learning will be in the top 20% of all business students worldwide. However, if your desired program is not AACSB accredited, make sure that they are certified by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, or the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.
Top Employers in Florida
Company | Industry | Headquarters | Number of Employees |
---|---|---|---|
Walt Disney World | Entertainment | Orlando | 62,000 |
Miami-Dade County Public Schools | Education | Miami | 54,300 |
Miami-Dade County Government | Government | Miami | 32,200 |
Hillsborough County Public Schools | Education | Tampa | 25,400 |
Naval Air Station Jacksonville | Military | Jacksonville | 23,000 |
Concurrent Degree Programs
You may find that some programs may have a policy on offering concurrent degrees. For instance, you might be able to graduate with a law degree alongside your MBA – the JD/MBA. Other programs combine business with disciplines such as engineering or computer science. Those are perfect if you have previous training in those fields and thus have a foundation for further education.
There are many advantages to pursuing a concurrent degree. You can not only expand on existing technical knowledge, but you can gain another area of expertise. One of the more popular concurrent degree choices is the JD/MBA, which might be perfect if your undergraduate degree is in business or the humanities. With that degree, you can go on to pass the bar exam and work with top-level financiers, or you could work for a top financial firm with the legal acumen it takes to navigate applicable legal statutes.
Keep in mind that you may have to apply to two departments at once, and that might mean taking two entrance exams. For a concurrent JD/MBA, for example, you might need both GMAT and LSAT scores to ensure that you can pursue the degree you desire. Additionally, these dual degree programs often require that you attend full-time and you may need to request a year or more off from work while you study. They are intense programs that contain the full content of the usual degrees, which you’ll learn at an accelerated rate. Completion of these programs takes around three years from admission, on average.
Scheduling
You may be considering an online degree because it would be easy to fit into your life. You don’t have to skip work and aren’t tied to restrictive deadlines for your assignments. However, some programs do have requirements that end up making you visit their website during specific hours. These synchronous programs will have streaming lectures and scheduled chatrooms where you must be in attendance. While that is less common these days, make sure that your program is asynchronous, and will thus allow you to log in whenever you want to download class videos, audio clips, or other materials at your leisure from anywhere in the U.S.
A part-time MBA program allows you plenty of time to work in the office and care for your family, though it takes longer to complete your degree in one of these programs because you earn credit at a slower rate.
TOP ONLINE MASTERS PROGRAM CHOICES
There are several online MBA programs based in Florida. Below you will find info on some of the finest business schools they have to offer. Each has both on-campus and online options, a resource offered for the development of the brilliant minds that will lead Florida through the 21st century.
Location:
Tallahassee, FL
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Location:
Tallahassee, FL
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Tuition
29,250
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Receiving financial aid
73%
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Student population
41,362
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Public
Location:
Gainesville, FL
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Location:
Gainesville, FL
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Tuition
59,807
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Receiving financial aid
58%
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Student population
7,400
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Location:
Miami, FL
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Location:
Miami, FL
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Tuition
42,000
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Receiving financial aid
99%
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Student population
9,904
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Public
Location:
Tallahassee, FL
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Location:
Tallahassee, FL
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Tuition
34,850
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Receiving financial aid
70%
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Student population
9,813
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Public
Location:
Melbourne, FL
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Location:
Melbourne, FL
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Tuition
32,256
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Receiving financial aid
38%
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Student population
6,402
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Public or Private
Private
Florida State University
FSU is a top MBA program is one of the top programs in the nation. US News & World Report ranks FSU’s online graduate program in the top twenty as an in-state program, in overall rankings, and for public institutions. Their program is AACSB accredited and has so much to offer.
To have access to such an incredible program and not have to move or alter your schedule to go to campus is a boon. You can take longer to finish if you attend classes on a part-time basis. Plus, FSU offers several specializations to online students:
- Business Analytics
- Management Information Systems
- Risk Management and Insurance
- Real Estate
Further, FSU’s online MBA program is quite a bargain. For online students who elect the real estate specialty, the total costs are $30,427 for Florida residents. Non-Floridians pay a bit more, $31,599, but the difference is nominal in light of the tremendous education.
University of Florida Warrington College of Business
The Gators of UF are not to be outdone by their Seminole cousins. The Warrington College of Business offers online graduate students a degree program that rivals the very best. Their online program mimics a traditional classroom experience at nearly every turn. The same professors who teach in Gainesville have designed the curriculum to be used online, and online students follow the same academic calendar as their on-campus peers.
Warrington also has something unique for students who have a bit of flexibility. That is, they offer a hybrid online option that takes either one or two years. These programs include on-campus residencies that are a full weekend, every four months. Hybrid programs also start off with a week-long residency that includes an orientation, team-building exercises, and a review of the foundations you’ll need to thrive as an online MBA student.
If you choose a hybrid degree path, you will still have an asynchronous structure for your regular classes. The key benefit of the hybrid approach is that you will have the chance to meet your fellow students face-to-face at occasional events. You’ll have loads to discuss after having had so much interaction online. This time will reinforce your bonds and help you form a fantastic network.
Florida International University Chapman Graduate School of Business
FIU’s Chapman Graduate School of Business offers an AACSB accredited online graduate program that is perfect for working professionals who have already started their careers. You can choose to accelerate your studies with two classes each quarter or take your time with one class each term. FIU also allows you to plan the number of courses each term to suit your needs. Take two this quarter then one the next.
FIU also offers a Residency Program that will help you associate faces and personalities with the avatars you see online. Each residency will offer an intensive learning experience on top of the face-to-face interactions. The opportunity for additional interaction will enhance your online experience. After all, a big part of the MBA is getting to know your cohort and establishing a network in the wider business community.
On top of all this, FIU offers a wide selection of specialty tracks so that your insight extends beyond a general MBA and allows you to focus on what you need to thrive in business. You can choose between the following:
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Finance
- Strategic Negotiations
- Business Analytics
- Leadership
Florida A&M
FAMU’s online MBA graduates are doing great things. Eighty-five percent find top career-track positions after graduation and the remaining 15% continue working towards a J.D. or Ph.D. As a student, you will find that the school has your life in mind at every turn. Included with your tuition, you will receive:
- Textbooks delivered in e-book format
- A laptop (though a back-up machine is required, at your expense)
- Short-term international business residency
The online program is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and boasts alumni that include a Board Chairman at Microsoft and entrepreneurs who have become wildly successful. When you choose FAMU for your MBA, you are surely on your way to the top.
Florida Tech
An MBA from Florida Tech places you at the precipice of greatness. Once you have graduated, you’ll have the skills to navigate your firm through the ups and downs of the tumultuous 21st century business environment. Florida Tech goes far beyond the general MBA by offering a wide array of specializations. You will be prepared to lead when you choose one of the following specialties:
- Accounting
- Healthcare Management
- Information Technology Management
- Management
- Marketing
- Project Management
Florida Tech’s regionally accredited online program will help you hone your skills to gain the career you desire. You’re on your way!