FSU Online MBA Among U.S. News & World Report’s Best

Fayetteville State University's (FSU) Online Master of Business Administration (MBA) is ranked No. 88 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2020 Best Online MBA Programs. FSU jumped 13 places from last year's ranking of No. 101. The Online MBA also is ranked the No. 49 program for veterans.

FSU's Online MBA program is the third-highest ranked program in North Carolina, only behind the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (tied for No. 1) and North Carolina State University (tied for No. 15). For veterans, it's second among North Carolina Schools. North Carolina State comes in at No. 11. No other historically black college and university (HBCU) in the nation is ranked in either listing.

"It is truly gratifying to know that our MBA degree is recognized as one of the best in the country, by such a prestigious and well-regarded organization," said Dr. Lee Brown, Dean of the Broadwell College of Business and Economics at FSU. "Our faculty and staff work hard to provide an environment in which our students can thrive and develop into successful business leaders and this ranking is validation that our efforts are working."

The 2020 Best Online MBA Programs rankings evaluate schools based solely on data related to their distance education MBA programs. U.S. News has assessed non-MBA graduate business degrees in areas such as finance, marketing and management separately for a different ranking, Best Online Graduate Business Programs. Schools with MBA and non-MBA business programs offered online are included in both rankings, but they are evaluated on entirely separate data. For the 2020 edition, U.S. News ranked online MBA programs using the five following categories:

• Engagement (30%): Quality online MBA programs promote participation in courses, allowing students opportunities to readily interact with their instructors and classmates, as is possible in a campus-based setting. In turn, instructors are not only accessible and responsive, but they are also tasked with helping to create an experience rewarding enough that students stay enrolled and complete their degrees in a reasonable amount of time.

• Expert Opinion (25%): A survey of high-ranking academic officials at MBA programs helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that statistics do not capture. Also, employers may hold in high regard MBAs earned from programs that academics respect.

• Faculty Credentials and Training (15%): Strong online MBA programs employ instructors with academic credentials that mirror those of instructors for campus-based programs, and they have the resources to train these instructors to teach distance learners.

• Student Excellence (15%): MBA student bodies entering with proven aptitudes, ambitions and accomplishments can handle the demands of rigorous coursework. Furthermore, online degrees that schools award judiciously will have greater legitimacy in the job market.

• Student Services and Technologies (15%): MBA programs that incorporate diverse online learning technologies allow greater flexibility for students to take classes from a distance. Outside of classes. 2 strong support structures provide learning assistance, career guidance and financial aid resources commensurate with quality campus-based programs.