Within 20 years of its creation, N.C. State’s Jenkins Master of Business Administration program moved up the ranks to number 20 in Bloomberg Businessweek’s list of the country’s best part-time MBA programs.
The ranking was created using three criteria including student satisfaction, academic quality and post-graduation outcome. Other schools among the top 20 included Carnegie Mellon, University of California at Berkeley, Elon University and Emory University.
The N.C. State MBA program rose from the number 30 spot in 2011, and will only continue to rise, according to the associate dean for graduate programs and research, Steve Allen.
Allen said he believes the increase in ranking this year is a result of an “outstanding” program that is committed to high-quality education at an affordable price.
He also said the faculty members involved with the MBA program said they are pleased with this recognition, and that it will help to improve an already excellent program. Bloomberg Businessweek gave it an A for teaching and curriculum.
Allen further attributed this jump in ratings to the rise in student satisfaction with the program and the increase in overall academic quality at N.C. State.
The N.C. State Professional Online MBA program also gained ground by coming in at number 36 for a similar ranking by U.S. News & World Report.
Despite opening just two years ago, the online program is gaining recognition. Allen said this is a testament to the quality of instructors and the overall program at N.C. State. The program was judged by the level of student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and student services.
Allen also said the MBA programs at the University could be affected by the $140 million initiative for N.C. State, which President Barack Obama announced last week. But with only a fraction of the initiative’s details released so far, faculty members from the MBA programs here are unsure of their future role, but they are optimistic.
The program aims to bring together businesses and students to emphasize real-world applications of business including technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and more. In addition, the N.C. State’s MBA program’s mission statement is to “create an innovative and intellectual environment with an emphasis on leadership and management in a technology-rich, global marketplace.” With the president’s aim to transform Raleigh into the United States’ second manufacturing innovation institute, the MBA program here has a bright future, Allen said.
Additional information about the Bloomberg Businessweek rankings can be found online.