The world of entrepreneurship continues to grow and thrive in today’s global business. There was a time when an entrepreneur was seen as an inventive idea-person who might struggle in the realm of traditional business. This false persona of what an entrepreneur looks like is no longer valid as many traditional organizations have benefitted from what all there is to learn from an entrepreneur’s perspective on business.
Entrepreneurs are innovators who often must take risks to grow a business. An entrepreneur may be one with an excellent product idea who needs financial backing. She may also be someone who can spot someone else’s good idea and put things into motion to develop a robust business model around it. In both scenarios, it is essential for someone venturing out as an entrepreneur to have a good handle on the many facets of business leadership.
Specialists in just one area of business management enjoy the luxury of other department heads overseeing the operations outside of their focus. This is not something that entrepreneurs usually get to enjoy. Entrepreneurs are often called upon to be in charge of all tasks related to a budding product or service. An entrepreneur must be able to market well, communicate a product’s purpose, keep good records, manage inventory, and oversee shipping. For these reasons and many more, an entrepreneur should consider a graduate’s degree in business like the online MBA.
An online Entrepreneurship MBA will give a student a solid foundation for business management. This top-notch degree will also speak into many of the unique qualities that an entrepreneur must possess to become and stay successful in business. Topics like finance, economics, marketing, and leadership will be a part of any online MBA worth its salt. Here are 25 of the nation’s best online Entrepreneurship MBAs.
Methodology
Over 570 online MBA programs were examined to find the best Online Entrepreneurship MBA programs in the country. The top programs were ranked based on their affordability, reputation, and convenience.
Affordability
Each program’s base tuition was calculated based upon the data given on each program or university website. It was calculated for the entirety of the online MBA degree, excluding fees, books, or lodging. The Affordability Score is the base tuition inverted and then placed on a 100-point scale. It attributes to 33% of the final ranking score.
Reputation
The reputation for each online Entrepreneurship MBA was calculated by data from national MBA ranking sources: US News and World Report, The Economist, and Businessweek. These rankings were converted to scores on a 100-point scale and then averaged to find a balanced consensus on each online MBA’s reputation. This Reputation Score attributes to 33% of the final ranking score.
Convenience
Each Online Entrepreneurship MBA program’s convenience is based upon if it can be completed in a 100% online format, and if the GMAT/GRE admission requirement is waived or omitted during the application process. This Convenience Score attributes to 33% of the final ranking score.
An online Entrepreneurship MBA is offered at the John Massey School of Business at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Some key factors that make this program so unique, and a chart-topper of this ranking, is its excellent balance between academic integrity and financial value for the graduate student. It is no question that the MBA yields a high return for graduate students. A tuition rate of just over $10,000 associated with this 33-credit hour online MBA means that a distance learner does not have to go into a significant amount of debt while hoping for a higher paying position in business leadership. Besides a 100% online delivery, this program features no GMAT requirement during the acceptance process. Accounting, Aerospace Logistics, Strategic Communication, Finance, Healthcare Information Systems, Native American Leadership, Hospitality Management, Human Resources, Management, Marketing, Safety, and Strategic Communication are also included in the online program’s list of potential emphases.
The Naveen Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas delivers an online MBA with a concentration in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The online MBA offered at the school in Dallas, Texas, consists of 53-credit hours. The AACSB International vouches for the Naveen Jindal School of Management with a stellar business accreditation. This level of business accreditation is one distance learners can appreciate, and hiring organizations may find impressive on a potential employee’s resume. The business school considers a GMAT test score of no more than five years to be relevant for submission during the acceptance process. There is a GMAT waiver for qualifying applicants of this online MBA. Accounting, Systems Engineering & Management, Business Analytics, Energy Management, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Healthcare Leadership and Management, Real Estate, Information Technology Management, and Internal Audit can also be attached to this online MBA as emphases. The main campus of the University of Texas at Dallas is in Richardson, Texas.
The D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University delivers an online MBA with a concentration in Innovation Entrepreneurship. The business school and this online MBA are no strangers to accolades and rankings by some of the most respected entities in higher education today. Businessweek’s Best Business School Rankings includes the D’Amore-McKim School of Business as the 78th best in the nation. The Economist calls this online MBA the 83rd top program in the country. The business school has also been deemed the 58th best in America by U.S. News & World Report. The GMAT and GRE are not required when applying for this program. All course requirements are satisfied with a 100% online format. The tuition rate for this highly respected online MBA sits just over $80,000. Students seeking an on-campus residency as part of their education can apply for one. Students looking for another specialization can choose from Finance, Healthcare Management, Sustainability, High Technology Management, Supply Chain Management, International Management, and Marketing.
Ohio University’s College of Business provides an online MBA in Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship. There are excellent classes offered to distance learners throughout this degree. Some of the courses included in the program’s syllabus include Data Analysis for Decision Making, Management of Operations, Strategic Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Accounting for Executives, Strategic Use of Information, and Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management. The GMAT has long been used as an element of the admissions process to ensure a student’s chances for success in a degree like the online MBA. Some students who are less successful at standardized tests seek to forgo the placement test and lean on other aspects of their business school application. The College of Business at Ohio University does not require that business school candidates report GMAT or GRE test scores to be accepted into the online MBA. The AACSB International grants the College of Business its business accreditation.
An online MBA in Entrepreneurship is provided by the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. Health Care, Finance, Management and Organizations, Management Information Systems, and Marketing are also top-notch concentrations offered by the university. The tuition rate for this stellar online MBA is just north of $50,000. The AACSB International accredits the Eller College of Management. Survey of Finance as Analyst, Business Strategy, Leadership in Organizations, Economics for Managers, and Strategic Management of Information Systems, Communication for Managers are classes the business school provides to distance learners to give them an edge in business leadership. Every assignment, project, resource, and test provided to the graduate student is done so through the internet requiring no campus visits to the school in Tucson, Arizona. Students are given excellent convenience and flexibility by having the choice of taking up four years to complete all program requirements. Working professionals with many personal and professional responsibilities may find this feature helpful when taking just one course at a time.
The Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University provides an online MBA in Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization. This online MBA is constructed of 40-credit hours of content. The tuition rate for this hybrid degree is just over $45,000. Raleigh, North Carolina is a beautiful and historic city in the south. Graduate students enrolled in this program will have the opportunity to visit the town when they go on campus for two residencies included within the degree’s syllabus. These short residencies consist of two required visits to the school that each last three days. There are several key convenience characteristics associated with this program, including no GMAT requirement during the acceptance process. The GMAT waiver is offered to both online and Professional Evening students enrolled in the business school. Other depth areas a distance learner can study include BioSciences Management, Supply Chain Management, Financial Management, Innovation Management, and Marketing Management.
The College of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University offers an online Entrepreneurship MBA. Students looking for a high-quality business education will appreciate the rigorous curriculum of this online MBA. Other excellent benefits in the area of convenience and flexibility include a GMAT waiver for qualified candidates. Leading Organizations, Managerial Accounting, Business Analytics, Business and Society, Data Analytics, Managerial Economics, Financial Management, and Modern Marketing are some of the courses led by the business school’s competent staff of business educators. The highly respected AACSB International grants the College of Business and Economics its business accreditation. The tuition rate for this degree is just between $5,000 and $10,000. This 39-credit hour online MBA is the most affordable program within this ranking. Business, Finance, Project Management, Healthcare Management, Marketing, International Business, and Management are other emphases that go with this online MBA. Graduate certificates in Business, Project Management, Cybersecurity Management, and Healthcare Management are also available to distance learners.
The Lutgert College of Business at Florida Gulf Coast University delivers an online MBA with an Entrepreneurship concentration. Financial Management, Managerial Accounting, Data Driver Decision Making, Strategic Leadership, Business Strategy, Global Supply Chains, and Managerial Economics. This 33-credit hour program is a good fit for students who have obtained a business degree at the undergraduate level as well as those who have not. Understanding Corporate Finance, Fundamentals of Economics through the Ivy Software, Managerial Accounting, and Financial Accounting are leveling courses that students needing to take prerequisites will need to complete before moving on to the core courses within the degree. The tuition rate of less than $10,000 places this program as the second-most affordable distance degree in this ranking. Other high-quality specializations delivered with this degree include Accounting/Taxation, Information Systems, Management/Leadership, and Data Analytics. Florida Gulf Coast University features a campus in Fort Meyers, Florida and maintains a student body of 15,031.
An online MBA with an Entrepreneurship certificate is provided at the College of Business at Missouri State University. Graduate degrees can be expensive as some are well into six figures for tuition rates. Finding an attractively priced online MBA which still offers academic integrity is no small task. The College of Business at MSU delivers just that with a tuition rate of less than $10,000. This 33-credit hour degree is within the top three for most affordable programs within this ranking. Other certificates delivered by the business school include Computer Information Systems, Tax Accounting, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Finance, Marketing, Financial Analysis, Forensic Accounting, International Business, and Leadership. Students enrolled in this online MBA are not required to visit the campus in Springfield, Missouri, and may take all classes 100% online. Candidates wanting to waive the GMAT requirement during the acceptance process will want to contact the admissions office to learn about how to take advantage of that offer.
Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business offers an online MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. OSU’s online MBA has received many accolades over the years for providing a first-class degree at an attractive tuition rate. For just over $20,000, a business professional can pursue this 42-credit hour degree. All program requirements associated with the online MBA in Entrepreneurship can be satisfied 100% online. A GMAT waiver is available to business school candidates with qualifying academic and professional credentials. AACSB International offers one of the most respected business accreditations in the world, and this accrediting entity grants its business accreditation to the Spears School of Business. Other stellar specializations delivered by the business school include Business Sustainability, Non-profit Management, Data Science, Marketing Analytics, Energy Business, Global Marketing, and Information Assurance. Distance learners interested in a high-powered online MBA but not interested in a concentration can complete this degree as a general MBA.
Southern Arkansas University provides an online MBA degree with a concentration in Social Entrepreneurship at the David F. Rankin College of Business. The business school offers a plethora of convenient opportunities for the online MBA student. Graduate students with access to the campus in Magnolia, Arkansas can take night classes after work or can take some classes online and others in the classroom. An attractive feature of this 30-credit hour degree is the chance to take all courses online. Accounting for Decision Making, Managerial Economics, Enterprise Resource Planning, Strategic Marketing, Human Behavior in Organizations, Managerial Finance, and Strategic Planning and Analysis are some classes included in the program’s curriculum. This online MBA is one of the lowest-priced degrees in this ranking with a tuition rate of just over $10,000. The admissions office at the David F. Rankin College of Business offers a waiver for the GMAT adding to the program’s overall convenience.
Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business provides an online MBA in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The AACSB International accredits the prestigious Kelley School of Business with its excellent business accreditation. The business school enjoys an excellent reputation which will surely add to a graduate student’s resume. This online MBA is comprised of 54-credit hours and features a tuition rate of just under $75,000. The core courses of Topics in Directed Business Interaction, Economics, Topics in Directed Business Analysis, Quantitative Analysis, Strategic Management and Business Planning, Accounting, Strategic Marketing Management, Operations Management, and Financial Management are just some of the classes distance learners will enjoy during this online MBA. The course plan for the degree includes Business Fundamentals, In-Residence credits, Integrated Cores, Major Courses, and Electives. The In-Residence credits attached to this hybrid program include Topics in Business Analysis and Topics in Directed Business Interaction. These short residencies offer an excellent chance for networking.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette features an online MBA in Entrepreneurship at the B. I. Moody, III School of Business Administration. The attractive tuition rate associated with this online MBA is well under $15,000. No corners have been cut by the business school in order to deliver a budget-minded program as the AACSB International grants the business school its business accreditation. Graduate students setting a fast-paced course schedule can graduate in as few as 16 months. The degree consists of 33-credit hours. B. I. Moody, III School of Business Administration’s online MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship is advertised to do more than teach distance learners business concepts and practices. It has been designed by the business school to help business professionals test their ideas in a safe and risk-free environment. Graduate students can expect to build a strong professional network while gaining confidence in business leadership. The 100% online program is built using accelerated eight-week courses which are sure to help the graduate student complete their MBA without taking time off from her career.
The University of West Florida offers an online MBA with an Entrepreneurship emphasis at the College of Business. Accounting and Supply Chain Logistics Management are the only other emphases the business school provides. The convenience level is high with this degree. A student not interested in taking the GMAT may be able to submit to the business school for a waiver. A GMAT waiver saves time and money as the placement test will cost a business school candidate a fee and requires an ample amount of study time. The cost of this online MBA will be attractive to budget-minded distance learners. For just over $15,000, a student can pursue this 36-credit hour degree in Entrepreneurship. Some graduate students are looking to take their time through the program, and others are attracted to a face-paced curriculum. Online MBA students wanting an accelerated experience will be pleased to know they can graduate in as few as 16 months.
Texas A&M University-Commerce provides an Entrepreneurship-focused online MBA at the College of Business. Advanced Managerial Accounting, Management and Organizational Behavior, Statistical Methods, Applied Business Research, Financial Management, Managerial Economics, and Macroeconomics for Managers are some of the classes students enrolled in this stellar online MBA will take throughout the program’s duration. Qualified distance learners with the proper academic background will not be subject to leveling courses and can graduate with this degree by taking only 39-credit hours. The program cost will be attractive to students looking for great value and a high-quality curriculum. Tuition rate for the degree is just over $15,000. No visits to the campus in Commerce, Texas are required of program participants. All classes are delivered 100% online so students can take coursework from virtually anywhere in the world that provides internet access. There are currently 12,411 students seeking degrees at the undergraduate to doctoral levels at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
The University of North Dakota provides an online MBA with an emphasis in Social Entrepreneurship at the College of Business and Public Administration. The benefits of this degree are numerous and will attract graduate students looking for a flexible and convenient online MBA. There are no residencies attached to this program, so students do not have to visit the campus in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Program candidates lacking the GMAT or who did not perform well on the graduate school placement test can apply for a waiver. The length of this online MBA is 43-credit hours. Some programs like this one feature only 30-36 credit hours so students will appreciate the opportunity to get even more business training. The tuition rate for this program delivered by the College of Business and Public Administration is less than $20,000. The AACSB International grants the business school at UND with its business accreditation.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell features an online MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship at the Robert J. Manning School of Business. Accounting, Healthcare, Information Technology, Marketing, International Business, Finance, and Managerial Leadership are other emphases the business school currently offers. Distance learners wanting an online MBA without a focus can pursue the general track. An online MBA is a great fit for anyone looking to get into a new field of business or learn more about how to manage in the area of work they are already a part of. Some business professionals have experience yet did not receive an undergraduate degree in business. Business schools across the country will feature different qualifications for their applicants. The Robert J. Manning School of Business allows for program candidates who lack an undergraduate degree in business. These types of students may be subject to up to 12-credit hours of leveling courses before moving on to core classes included in the online MBA’s curriculum.
The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota delivers an online Entrepreneurship MBA. Some online MBAs only feature ten or so courses. This 52-credit hour degree is designed to comprehensively train a business professional in a broad range of business elements with a bend towards entrepreneurship. Financial Accounting, Business Ethics, Strategic Management, IT Solutions, Managerial Economics, Financial Management, Data Analysis for Managers, Managerial Accounting, Marketing Management, and Leading Others are just a few of the stellar classes included in the 52-credit hour program. While some 100% online degrees advertise convenience with no travel fees, there is no substitute for well-spent time interacting with fellow students and business school staff. This online MBA allows for this component of education with short residencies mixed into the syllabus. Graduate students will enjoy meeting for several short residencies at the campus in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These meetings will count toward course credit and give online MBA students a chance to network. The base tuition for this degree at the Carlson School of Management is just over $80,000.
Central Michigan University provides an Entrepreneurship-focused online MBA at the College of Business Administration. Many online graduate students make tuition a top priority when choosing a program. The 36-credit hour degree at Central Michigan is offered at less than $25,000 in tuition. A value like that for an online Entrepreneurship MBA is one well worth the effort for the graduate student. The curriculum for this distance degree includes high-quality courses like Managing Information Systems in a Global Economy, Risk Management, Managerial Accounting: A Management Perspective, Financial Analysis, Managing, and Leading Individuals and Groups in Organizations, Global Business and Sustainability, Data Analysis for Managers, and Marketing-Based Management. The AACSB International grants the College of Business Administration at Central Michigan its business accreditation. Other stellar concentrations that are available at the business school include ERP Emphasis using SAP Software, Value-Driven Organization, Human Resource Management, Logistics Management, and Marketing. The business school features a GMAT waiver.
The Citadel delivers an online MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship at the Tommy & Victoria Baker School of Business. Finance and Supply Chain Management are two other excellent emphases business school students may pursue. The tuition rate for this entrepreneurship-focused degree is just over $25,000. There are zero campus visits required to Charleston, South Carolina. A 100% online experience means all expenses related to this program go exclusively to the completion of the degree. There are no travel, hotel, or parking fees within this MBA, which are included in other programs that feature short residencies. The Citadel online MBA has been designed to equip a distance learner with the knowledge, analytical abilities, social awareness, and skills needed to advance in a successful managerial career. Flexible class schedules will serve working professionals. Active-duty military members will also want to look into this online MBA. Classes are presented in the evening and online by the distinguished staff of the Tommy & Victoria Baker School of Business.
The Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University delivers an online MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Wayne State has a 36-credit hour online degree. The tuition rate for this online MBA is less than $30,000. The business school shows a lot of flexibility and convenience passed on to the distance learner. Students can traditionally complete classes by meeting at the school’s campus in Detroit. The online program is divided between core courses and concentration classes. Some graduate students take all courses through online education with no campus visits. Managerial Accounting, Strategic Management, Corporate Financial Management, Social Perspectives on the Business Enterprise, Managing Organizational Behavior, and Marketing Strategy are some of the classes within the core course syllabus. Accounting Systems, Taxation, Auditing, Corporate Governance, Sport and Entertainment Management, Finance, Financial Accounting, Information Systems Management, Management, Internal Audit, and International Business can also be pursued as worthwhile specializations attached to this online MBA.
The Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida offers an online MBA with an Entrepreneurship emphasis. International Finance and Marketing are two other concentrations currently available at the business school. The AACSB International accredits the award-winning business school at Florida. The online MBA offered there has a duration time of just 16 months. There are some short residencies included in this program which allow distance learners the chance to meet staff, and other students face to face. The bulk of this program is offered online, and the tuition rate of the degree is less than $50,000. U.S. News & World Report calls this online MBA the 25th best in the country. The Economist awards this program as the 21st best in America. Businessweek rates the Warrington College of Business as one of the best in the country. Students within this program can be expected to take courses like Professional Writing, Financial Accounting, Economics of Business Decisions, Financial Management, Operations Management, Problems and methods in Marketing Management, and International Finance.
The Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst delivers an online MBA with a specialization in Entrepreneurship. Distance learners looking for other concentration options may want to consider Business Analytics, Sport Management, Finance, Marketing, and Healthcare Administration. The Isenberg MBA with a specialization in Entrepreneurship gives the graduate student a mix of general business and entrepreneurship elective classes. These courses are designed to meet an online MBA student’s specific educational goal. The entrepreneurial emphasis is ideal for individuals wanting to launch a business, lead a unit within a larger enterprise, or revitalize an established organization. Online MBA students need to complete a total of nine elective credits to satisfy the optional focus area set by the program’s syllabus. Classes included in this degree are Lean Management, Business Turnaround Strategies, Ecommerce Logistics, Digital Marketing, Investment Decision & Strategies, Private Wealth Management, Real Estate Investment, and Strategic Technological Innovation Management.
The Brock School of Business at Samford University delivers an online MBA with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship. Finance and Marketing are two other concentrations the business school gives to online MBA students. A GMAT waiver is available to graduate students with the proper academic credentials. This waiver is essential to students lacking the test scores or who were not successful in achieving a high score on the placement test. Another element of convenience added to this 39-credit hour degree is the fact that all courses are offered 100% online. Students lacking a business undergraduate degree may have to take extra leveling courses of up to nine credit hours. Managerial Communications and Analysis, Managing Corporate Integrity, Accounting for Decision Making, Operations Management, Economics of Competitive Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Managerial Finance, and HR and Organizational Management are some of the courses included in this degree. The tuition rate for this program comes in at less than $35,000.
Florida International University offers an online MBA with a focus in Entrepreneurship at the Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Graduate School of Business. Other high-powered specializations that accompany this degree include Innovation, Healthcare, Strategic Negotiations, Finance, International Business, Business Analytics, and Marketing Channel Strategy. This online program has been nationally recognized as one of the best for years. Graduate students can pursue this online MBA and spend less than $45,000 in tuition fees. All classes within the MBA are delivered online, so there are zero campus visits to Miami required throughout the degree. The AACSB International grants the Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Graduate School of Business its business accreditation. Students can be confident that this prestigious business accreditation means the business school offers an excellent curriculum and practices integrity throughout its infrastructure. Business school candidates with an undergraduate degree in business and a corresponding GPA of at least 3.25 can waive the GMAT requirement when applying for the program.
Webster tells us that an entrepreneur is one who manages, organizes, and assumes the risk of a venture or business. “Entrepreneurship” is a sixteen-letter-word that few may know how to define, or even spell for that matter, but it cannot be denied that everyone’s life throughout modern history has been touched and even changed by an entrepreneur.
When asked to name a modern entrepreneur, most in America might mention tech wizards Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, while some might remember a contestant they were rooting for on the television program, Shark Tank. America is a country fascinated by the idea of entrepreneurship and an individual coming from nothing and being able to beat the odds by having just one great idea that would turn them into a millionaire.
In 2006, box office megastar Will Smith told the story of Chris Gardner who found himself homeless with $21 to his name and a young son to care for. Gardner works hard to impress his bosses while working a non-paying position as a stockbroker. Just when it seems that Gardner and his son will be unable to support themselves, Gardner’s tenacity and hard-work pays off in the form of his getting hired as a full-time fund manager. The film’s conclusion shares that Chris Gardner went on to start his own multimillion-dollar brokerage firm.
Movies like this shape our idea of what it means to be an entrepreneur as an individual who defies odds to go on to do great things in business by never giving up and believing in themselves and their goals.
Who are some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs?
There have been entrepreneurs for as long as there have been businesses. The act of taking funds and/or resources and attempting to make a profit is at the heart of what an entrepreneur does. Sometimes she is successful and reaps the benefits of an innovative idea, and sometimes she crashes and burns by losing millions of dollars. For every successful entrepreneur in history, there are countless others who have lost on the gamble of launching a business or a great idea.
Among America’s most successful entrepreneurs, is Benjamin Franklin. Known as one of the United States’ founding fathers, Franklin was one of this nation’s first entrepreneurs. In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, the reader is introduced to a man who wore many hats as a scientist, inventor, statesman, printer, and author. Many students will recall that Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence but looking deeper into the life of this exceptional American will show his entrepreneurial spirit as the inventor of such technologies as the bifocals, water-harmonica, and lightning rod.
In more recent history, you need only look down the street to find the evidence of another entrepreneurial great. In 1955, the now global hamburger giant McDonald’s got its start. Carrying marketing of “billions and billions served,” there is no question that McDonald’s is the world’s most successful hamburger. However, few know the story of the brand’s successful, albeit controversial founder, entrepreneur Ray Croc. Croc died in 1984, but penned Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s in 1977 to share how he capitalized on opportunities and leaned down the fast food industry for major profits.
What does an online Entrepreneurship MBA entail?
With entrepreneurship carrying a romantic idea of someone with a million-dollar idea working hard to see dreams become a reality, some may erroneously imagine that entrepreneurs do not need formal business training. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, business leaders who are considering going into business for themselves need all the solid business training they can get.
A degree like the online MBA with an Entrepreneurship specialization will be an amazing asset to a graduate student looking to strike out on her own as a consultant, inventor, independent marketer, or small business owner. The online MBA has a curriculum designed to expose students to the key concepts of accounting, marketing, finance, organizational behavior, and economics. As entrepreneurs are often called upon to carry the many burdens of what it means to get a start-up company off the ground, the comprehensive business curriculum in an online MBA can be a perfect fit for these multitasking business leaders.
Obviously, traditional students in a brick-and-mortar program will benefit from meeting daily or weekly with professors and fellow students in the classroom. For years, students who chose distance learning as the context for their education suffered from not being able to network the same way that other students who attended courses on a school’s campus could. Technology and creative course structure have changed this in a major way. Business schools today that offer degrees like the online Entrepreneurship MBA are still able to offer excellent networking opportunities. MBA programs that use an online software like Blackboard or Moodle build a curriculum that is highly reliant on virtual communication between peers and professors. This online format can sometimes even give way to more communication than an in-person class can. Online students will still participate in group projects, and some business schools even offer mentoring programs.
An online MBA with an Entrepreneurship specialization will train a business professional in a convenient and flexible way without requiring that the graduate student moves to another state or city to live near a college campus. This aspect of a program can be especially appreciated by a working professional who may be trying to save funds to launch a start-up.
What is a great book on entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurs are sometimes portrayed as adventurers with a passion for blazing new trails and taking big-time risks on a daily basis. While they often are self-motivators who want more than the status quo of a nine-to-five job, a solid education in business will serve entrepreneurs even more than a fire in the belly, or a new idea. A degree like the online Entrepreneurship MBA has been designed to equip potential entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge they will need for all the many aspects of business leadership. With a good education also comes exposure to good books on business.
There is an ocean of books written for entrepreneurs each year. Some titles deal with specific business practices that business leaders need to be performing while others deal with general ideas of philosophy and storytelling. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses is now eight years old and continues to be relevant for those interested in creating a start-up business. Author Eric Reis challenges the reader to see entrepreneurship less like an art form and more like a science. This New York Times Bestseller is a true asset for any aspiring entrepreneur’s library.
Whether looking to make waves in the areas of finance, tech, retail, or hamburgers, entrepreneurs are burdened with all the risk and sometimes reap great rewards. They need to be equipped with grit and tenacity, resourcefulness and problem solving, as well as education and experience. Those learning from the past, dreaming for the future, and supported with a strong business education like an online Entrepreneurship MBA, can go on to push boundaries for generations to come.
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