Find The Best Pennsylvania MBA Programs and Degrees

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EARN AN ONLINE MBA DEGREE TODAY

There are several reasons to obtain a Master of Business Administration (MBA). On the practical side of things, you might want to move up the career ladder, and the next step requires an MBA. Then again, you might love what you do now, but your company pays more to those in your position who have attained an MBA. Perhaps you want to change career paths altogether, if you have an undergraduate degree, an advanced degree may be the best option to let you do that.

Whatever your reason, Pennsylvania has a wide range of academic programs to search and choose from. Whether you are working or have other responsibilities in your life and need a part-time program, are ready to dive in full-time with academics offered on campus, or need MBA online courses that support working professionals, you’ll be able to find business education that suits your requirements from anywhere in the U.S. In addition to a variety of schedules and access, the organizations in Pennsylvania also have an array of concentrations. Concentrations are areas of special focus from business schools that provide learning that dovetails with particular careers, industries, or educational goals.

Depending on your individual lifestyle, time commitments and availability, checking out what it takes to get an MBA in Pennsylvania and your options are good first steps.

WHY CONSIDER AN ONLINE MBA?

The Princeton Review gave the green light to Pennsylvania MBA programs when it named several of the state’s business school MBA programs, including Carnegie Mellon University – Tepper School of Business, Drexel University – LeBow College of Business and Penn State Erie, The Behrend College – Sam and Irene Black School of Business among the best general MBA programs in the nation.

If you are considering a residential program in Pennsylvania, the area has plenty to do when you are not attending class, studying, or working. The state’s main attraction is the Liberty Bell, of course, but there are also parks, museums, and other great places in which to spend time. Lancaster County is home to a working Amish community. Consisting of 12 acres, you can see in person how the Amish live and purchase from their food and craft products.

The well-known Bushkill Falls, also known as the Niagara of Pennsylvania provides a beautiful experience with nature. Opened in 1904, the attraction features eight natural waterfalls for viewers to explore. No reason to skip seeing this. Deep in a wooded area, you and your friends can visit and get a full day’s hike or walk in before heading back into academia to learn.

If You Get it, The Money Will Come

Quick Facts: Human Resources Managers
2017 Median Pay $110,120 per year
$52.94 per hour
Typical Entry-Level Education Bachelor’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation 5 year or more
On-the-job Training None
Number of jobs, 2016 136, 100
Job Outlook, 2016-26 9% (As fast as average)
Employment Change, 2016-26 12, 300

There is no denying that obtaining an MBA exponentially raises your financial clout almost any industry.

Credit: Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Nationwide Growing Need for MBA Graduates Continues

The business world is an ever-changing entity, that ebbs and flows with the economy, however, for the most part, an MBA has always provided an advantage. Currently, the need and opportunities for those who complete an MBA is growing and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) this trend holds until at least the year 2026. For example, if you are in the field of market research analysis, you are among 750,000 market analysts in the nation. More importantly, an anticipated 12,300 additional jobs are going to open in the field by 2026.

Getting your MBA should give you an edge over other applicants, and that edge will not only be in getting hired, but also in the network you can create and the salary you’ll be offered. Pennsylvania MBA programs offer skillsets for better communication, analytical skills, business management, and marketing; all things important in any organizational environment, regardless of the field.

Percentage of Students Enrolled in Online Programs in Pennsylvania

MBA Concentrations for Students

Though most MBA programs have similar required core coursework, there is also specific content designed for each concentration. A concentration is a focus on an individual industry or area of business. The specializations offered across the country differ but often include international business, law and legal studies, change and innovation, and more. Though a regular MBA make take only 18 months, a complex focus can be completed in 2-3 years if you attend part-time. Pennsylvania MBA programs have a variety of concentrations focused on the industries in the state.

Entrepreneurship

This provides the foundation for opening your own company. Start-up companies, franchises, and inventions are all areas where a focus in entrepreneurial skills is useful. Well-known entrepreneurs who held were alumni from MBA programs include:

  • Frank Batten – co-founder of The Weather Channel
  • Phil Knight – co-founder of Nike
  • Elon Musk – co-founder of Paypal

Coursework in this area will center on giving you the confidence you need in designing a business plan for your start-up operation, understanding the workings of working capital, and analyzing the potential success of your ideas.

Healthcare Management

The field of healthcare management continues to grow as the field of medicine continues to diversify and break off into specializations. The BLS predicts a 22% growth in this field through 2024. Admission to a concentration in this area can strengthen your ability to oversee medical facilities, entire hospital networks, and public health systems.

You also might decide to become a specialist in analyzing policy and procedure in these facilities. An MBA with a specialist concentration in healthcare management gives you an advantage in not only the application process but also in the salary you desire.

Business Analytics

Working in business analytics is like being a detective in the business world. You’ll be responsible for gathering real data from all sources in your company including outside data and examining it. The goal for this position is to analyze past, current, and future trends, then hold that against different variables in the economy with a goal of reporting your results to management and helping develop future policy and procedure.
You’ll be confident in using various analytical methodologies to gather and analyze information. What you compile and report can then be used by management to steer the future of the company.

Human Resource Management

As a human resource manager you’ll be expected to keep up with state and federal labor laws. In addition, you’ll develop training materials for new employees and continued training for employees. Compensation policies, organization charts, benefits, and performance reviews are all things that you can manage for the company. Today, HR managers are typically included in executive meetings as part of the corporate structure development.

A concentration in this field includes coursework designed to prepare you for today’s human resource management career.

Accreditation in Pennsylvania

Accreditation is one of the terms that is an important factor in the world of MBA attainment. The Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is the gold-standard for national accreditation in MBA programs. It means that the faculty and courses are approved as meeting the highest educational standards. This organization only presents accreditation to the top 5% of MBA programs throughout the world, therefore, choosing a program that holds this honor, assures you of a top-notch education.

If you cannot find a suitable program with AACSB accreditation, you can instead focus on those accredited by a regional agency. Though it may not seem like it, regional accreditation is often even more prestigious than national, especially if you are looking to work in the same region where you obtain your degree. Regional accreditation still promises the knowledge, coursework, or credentials to make it worth getting the MBA. The regional agency for Pennsylvania is the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

When you leave school and begin applying for positions, many companies are not going to consider your MBA if it came from a non-accredited school. The accreditation lets potential employers know that you have been provided with a curriculum that rises to the standards necessary. It means that your school’s research department and various programs are up to par and that students in the MBA program are succeeding.

CAREER AND JOB OUTLOOK FOR GRADUATES

Post-graduation employment looks good for Pennsylvania MBA graduates. This holds true whether you stay in Pennsylvania to work or decide to branch out to another state.

As of November 2018 the unemployment rate was approximately 4.3% nationwide.

The average salary for MBA’s was $84,000 in 2018. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an increased job need in healthcare management, human resources management, and finance through 2020.

EARNING POTENTIAL WITH AN MBA IN PENNSYLVANIA

The earning potential with an MBA in Pennsylvania varies depending on the field that you work in. An MBA does give you access to higher salaries in almost all industries, however, the pay range among the different industries does fluctuate.

A newly minted MBA graduate can expect to make $77,000 to $87,000 annually, depending on the industry.

That number increases once you get some experience behind you. For example, a human resources manager earns an average of $110,120 per year.

Pay

The median annual wage for human resources managers was $110,120 in may 2017. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The Lowest 10 percent earned less than #65,040, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $197, 720.

In May 2017, the median annual wages for human resources managers in the main industries in which they worked were as follows:

Management of companies and enterprises $124,540
Professional, scientific and technical services 124,350
Manufacturing 106,170
Goverment 98,270
Helthcare and Social assistance 94,620

Most human resources managers work full time during regular business hours.

Credit: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Top MBA Careers in Pennsylvania

Typical annual salary: $110,000 - $150,000

In this position you would be charged with the development and implementation of company strategies that will enhance the company's overall financial health and performance.

This will include improving the financial performance all company assets/properties as well as overseeing the asset department.

Key duties:

  • Maintain the company's financial performance portfolio
  • Work with department heads and executives by providing strategic procedures
  • Measure and analyze all operating metrics and recommend future strategies to improve performance

This position is perfect for the MBA who loves technology.

Typical annual salary: $86,707 - $275,707

Key duties include:

  • Monitor security measures and implement changes as needed
  • Review, purchase, and oversee all hardware and software use within the company
  • Design and implement the company-wide networking system
  • Determine goals for future IT health within the company
  • Maintain all company software licenses and make sure they remain current

Typical annual salary: $94,000 - $120,000

Key responsibilities:

  • Analyze various data to determine where marketing and branding efforts should be concentrated
  • Develop and oversee a brand for the company
  • Implement marketing strategies to promote the brand
  • Oversee the social media platform for the company to ensure consistency in brand recognition efforts
  • Develop ways to gather consumer, client, customer feedback and use the data to continue to improve strategies for branding purposes

Typical annual salary: $99,000 - $140,000

Key responsibilities:

  • Design and implement a recruiting strategy
  • Oversee the hiring and termination policies
  • Remain current on federal and state labor laws
  • Design and implement all staff training
  • Remain current on discrimination laws, bullying laws, sexual harassment laws, and hostile work environment laws
  • Meet with executives and department managers

Typical annual salary: $80,000 to $175,000

Key responsibilities:

  • Provide recommendations to management and executives
  • Study market and financial trends industry-wide
  • Steer the financial health of the company through early recognition of needed adjustments and implementation of them.
  • Predict outcomes for your company based on those trends and your company data

TOP ONLINE MASTERS PROGRAM CHOICES

Location:

Villanova, PA

Tuition:

$ $ $ $ $

  • villanova_niversity
  • Tuition

    64,800

  • Receiving financial aid

  • Student population

    10,967

  • Public or Private

    Private

Location:

Philadelphia, PA

Tuition:

$ $ $ $ $

  • drexel_university
  • Tuition

    63,994

  • Receiving financial aid

    63% overall

  • Student population

    24,190

  • Public or Private

    Private

Location:

Pittsburgh, PA

Tuition:

$ $ $ $ $

  • carnegie_mellon_university
  • Tuition

    115,000

  • Receiving financial aid

    35%

  • Student population

    13,896

  • Public or Private

    Private

Location:

Philadelphia, PA

Tuition:

$ $ $ $ $

  • temple_university
  • Tuition

    59,760

  • Receiving financial aid

    60% overall

  • Student population

    39,967

  • Public or Private

    Public

Location:

University Park, PA

Tuition:

$ $ $ $ $

  • penn_state_smeal_college
  • Tuition

    56,880

  • Receiving financial aid

    73% overall

  • Student population

    47,119

  • Public or Private

    Public

Location:

Philadelphia, PA

Tuition:

$ $ $ $ $

  • university_of_pennsylvania
  • Tuition Program Tuition

    109,450

  • Receiving financial aid

    46% overall

  • Student population

    4,962

  • Public or Private

    Private

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST MBA PROGRAM

1

Explore all concentrations in a program to be sure you find one that will suit your career-path upon graduation.

2

Consider the return on investment (ROI) with each school, based on tuition expense versus probable salary in your chosen field once you get your MBA.

3

Be sure the school you choose is properly accredited.

4

Try and locate a graduate or two from the school you are considering and ask about their experience before making your final choice. Consider attend events where alumni of various programs might be present so you can speak to them about their experiences.

5

Have a back-up plan. Make sure there is a second school for you to apply to in the event you are not accepted at your first choice or if something comes up that prevents you from attending.