Graduate students seeking a degree in business management will be interested to know that some of Florida’s excellent colleges and universities now feature some of the nation’s best online MBA degrees. For years, MBA students have had to make the difficult choice of finding a program at a local college, so they may be able to stay working for their current employer, or pull up stakes and move to a city where a university offers an attractive MBA degree. Those days are no more since the advent of the online MBA.
Explorer Ponce de Leon is credited for naming Florida on Easter in 1513. The word means “flowery.” Florida’s nickname is the Sunshine State. The lower-east coast state happens to be the 4th most-populated state in the nation and is attractive to people wanting year-round sunshine and higher temps. There is more coastline in Florida than any other state in the contiguous United States.
Some might attribute the state to Disney World or famous musicians like Jim Morrison, Tom Petty, and Pat Boone who all hail from the Sunshine State. But the state is also highly regarded for its fiscal stability, and it sits as the #3 state in the nation in regard to education. This education ranking takes into account the amount of debt the residents go into for their education, their K-12 education scores, as well as their higher education. Florida actually sits in the #1 spot for higher education with low student debt, low tuition and fees, and high graduation rates. With this in mind, Florida is one of the best states in which to pursue an online MBA degree.
The Online MBA
The online MBA programs in Florida present the perfect balance between a flexible schedule that a graduate student can structure and convenient course access that allows a full-time business employee to use weekends and evenings to pursue a degree. Many online MBAs are packaged within 30 or more credit hours of courses and take two years to complete when taking one course each term. Some MBA degrees in Florida offer an even quicker graduation time with shorter terms or when students take more classes each term. It is common for some online MBA degrees to feature an accelerated graduation time of 12 months or shorter. With these factors and many more in mind, we present the top five online MBA programs in Florida.
Methodology
Five hundred and seventy US online MBA programs were examined to find the best Online MBA programs in Florida. The Florida-based programs were researched and ranked upon their affordability, reputation, and convenience.
Affordability
Because affordability is an important aspect for all students, the base tuition rate for each online MBA program in Florida was found. The tuition information was collected from each university website, calculated for the entire degree, but excludes fees, books, or lodging. The Affordability Score is 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 MBA program was calculated by data collected from national MBA ranking sources: US News and World Report, Businessweek, and The Economist. The rankings were converted to scores and then averaged to find a balanced consensus for every online MBA’s reputation. This averaged Reputation Score was placed on a 100-point scale and attributes to 33% of the final ranking score.
Convenience
The convenience for each online MBA program was based upon if the GMAT/GRE admissions requirement is waived or omitted, and if the degree can be completed 100% online. This Convenience Score attributes to 33% of the final ranking score.
The Lutgert College of Business at Florida Gulf Coast University provides Florida’s best online MBA program. This online MBA is set apart from the competition with a stellar curriculum, excellent business school reputation, and extreme value for tuition rates. The program is a wonderful training degree for students seeking knowledge and experience across the wide spectrum of business disciplines. This 33-credit hour degree brings with it excellent options for a field of expertise, including Management/Leadership, Accounting/Taxation, Data Analytics, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. There are a total of eight core courses included in this exemplary online MBA including courses like Managerial Accounting, Global Supply Chains, Managerial Economics, Data Driven Decision-Making, Financial Management, Adv. Marketing Analysis and Strategy, Business Strategy, and Strategic Leadership. Program applicants able to maintain a 3.0GPA at the undergraduate level can be granted a GMAT waiver while applying for admission into this online MBA. All courses offered within Lutgert College of Business’ degree are done so 100% online.
Affordability Score: 100.00
Convenience Score: 75.00
Reputation Score: 9.47
The College of Business at the University of West Florida offers an online MBA that shouldn’t be overlooked. Tuition cost is one of the most important factors for many students when considering an online MBA. The business school at the University of West Florida is well aware of this and has made it easy to consider a high-quality 33-credit hour program with a tuition rate of just over $15,000. This cost of education pouts this particular degree at the top of this list for most-affordable degrees in the state of Florida. In addition to a GMAT waiver that certain program applicants can pursue, this degree offers the convenience of a 100% online format. No campus visits save graduate students time and money compared to their traditional classroom-based counterparts in education. Distance learners may pursue this degree as a 33-credit hour online MBA with no specialization or add three hours of content with the addition of a high-powered concentration. Emphases with this degree include Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics, Information Security Management, Accounting, Supply Chain Logistics Management, and Human Resources Management.
Affordability Score: 96.87
Convenience Score: 75.00
Reputation Score: 9.47
The Kate Tiedemann College of Business at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg delivers an online MBA with concentrations in Corporate Social Responsibility, Marketing Strategy, Finance, Forensic Accounting, Information Systems Management, International Business, and Management. There are twelve courses offered within this 36-credit hour program, which consist of courses like Organizational Behavior, Financial Statement Analysis, Organizational Strategies for the 21st Century, Global Business Environment, Regulatory and Reporting Environments, and Managerial Analysis. The business school, which is granted its business accreditation through the AACBS-International, gives distance learners the option of enrolling as part-time or full-time students. There is also an option to take 100% of this curriculum online or experience a hybrid schedule by adding some classroom-oriented courses to the degree. While the Kate Tiedemann College of Business does utilize GMAT test scores as an element of a student’s acceptance, certain circumstances of a candidate’s prior academic and professional experience may allow them to waive this requirement.
Affordability Score: 95.10
Convenience Score: 75.00
Reputation Score: 9.47
The D. Inez Andreas School of Business at Barry University delivers an online MBA. The attractive tuition rate of this 36-credit hour distance degree is less than $20,000. The D. Inez Andreas School of Business is bolstered by business accreditation through the AACSB-International, which allows students to be assured the business school is at the top of academic transparency and integrity. Excellent concentrations like Marketing, Management, International Business, and Health Services Administration are available to students interested in this 100% online MBA. The business school values an accelerated approach to this degree with a 12-month time period for completion available to students taking courses at a fast pace. Nine of the included courses within this degree are core courses, while three are electives of the student’s choice. Core courses include Leadership and Advanced Management Concepts, Social, Legal, and Ethical Aspects of Business, Strategy Formulation, Implementation, and Entrepreneurship, Marketing in a Dynamic Environment, and Technology and Information Systems.
Affordability Score: 91.47
Convenience Score: 75.00
Reputation Score: 9.47
An online MBA with a focus in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and International Finance is provided at the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida. With a tuition rate of just under $60,000, this exemplary online degree brings with it lots of endorsements and accolades as one of the best MBAs in the nation. The Warrington College of Business was recently named the 25th best business school in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and the 67th best in the country by Businessweek. This specific online MBA has been deemed the 21st best program in the country by The Economist. Flexibility is the name of the game when considering this program, which can be taken as a one-year hybrid degree, two-year hybrid degree, or two-year 100% online program. Professional Writing, International Finance, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Economics Organizations and Markets, Economics of Business Decisions, Problems and Methods in Marketing Management, Financial Management, Organizational Behavior, and Operations Management are just some of the classes to be experienced throughout this rigorous curriculum.
Affordability Score: 45.84
Convenience Score: 50.00
Reputation Score: 100.00
What are the Top Industries in Florida?
There are many reasons to love Florida. The beaches, the warm weather, and the diverse culture make it a place that many people want to visit and even live in. While other great attributes that make Florida a great place to live and learn are the industries that keep the state in solid economic shape. Here are three top industries that are thriving in the state of Florida and ways a business professional can find a management career in the state.
Florida has a Booming Tourism Industry
Year after year, Florida remains at the top of the list of most-visited states in the United States for a number of reasons. In 2018, over 126 million tourists from around the world visited the Sunshine State. Some of the most popular places to visit in Florida include Disney World, the city of Miami, The Florida Everglades National Forest, beaches including Panama City Beach and Cocoa Beach, and the city of Orlando. Orlando offers tourists a one-two punch with Disney World and the Universal Studios Theme Park being located there. While Disney World is famously known as being the “Happiest Place on Earth,” the Florida-based theme park employs 70,000 people, making it the largest employer at one location in the United States. The Everglades in Florida is also an important tourist destination as the natural feature generates over $100 million annually for Florida.
Florida has a Successful Real Estate Industry
Florida’s optimal tropical climate makes it a destination for vacationers year-round. People looking to move to the state to avoid the harsh winters in the north are also attracted to Florida. Because of these factors, Florida real estate continues to be a hot commodity. Over 20% of investors see real estate as a profitable venture, and areas of Florida are enjoying this fact. While the Miami area has suffered in recent years from the impact of climate change and rising sea levels, the value of real estate continues to climb.
Florida has an Incredible Aerospace and Aviation Industry
While many would consider oranges to be Florida’s most popular export, it is actually aircraft and aircraft parts that top the list. Of the nine total active spaceports in America, two are located in the state of Florida. Cecil Field Spaceport and Cape Canaveral Spaceport continue to operate and employ workers. While NASA may be grounded, private launches continue to take place there, and of the 17 private launch licenses in the country, eight are retained in Florida.
One common factor to consider when thinking about the industries that drive Florida’s economy is the workforce required to keep them going. Managers at multiple levels are needed with industries like real estate, aerospace and aircraft, and tourism. Professionals managing within these industries will often have acquired a degree like the online MBA, as it is designed to equip managers to lead organizations. With so many excellent universities currently offering the degree, an online MBA program in Florida is within reach.
Related Resources:
Best Undergraduate Business Programs
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Fastest Online MBA Programs
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