Educational Background
Is an undergraduate degree in an area of business required to get the MBA?
No. A bachelor's degree in the area of business is not required; however, to be considered for the program, applicants must have a bachelor's degree.
If an applicant's undergraduate degree is not in business, are additional courses required?
No additional courses are required. However, webinars are required by all students, no matter their undergraduate degree. Webinars in the following areas are completed prior to quantitative-based core coursework: accounting, spreadsheets (Excel), statistics, finance and economics.
Each webinar must be completed prior to taking the corresponding course in the Online MBA curriculum. Webinars are self-paced, can be repeated, and serve as a reference tool. The webinars serve as a review for those with a business education background, and an instrument for those without a business education background to enter into MBA courses with the confidence to succeed.
What math knowledge and skills do applicants need to be proficient in to start the program?
Students should be proficient in algebra. Some exposure to intuitive calculus is helpful, but the subject can be learned while in the program.
Is the MBA degree online program different from the on-campus version?
No, our online MBA degree is the same as the on-campus degree. You’ll receive the same expert instruction, but with flexibility when it comes to location and scheduling.
What are the benefits of choosing Kent State’s online MBA program?
Along with being able to complete the program from the comfort of your own home or wherever you’d like to work, you’ll reap benefits that include:
- Study abroad opportunities
- Courses taught by noted academic leaders and experts in various fields of business
- Multiple concentration options
- Completion in as few as 12 months, or spread out over a longer period of time, allowing you to work at your own pace
Program Academic Details
What is the course delivery like?
Classes are taught asynchronously, meaning students do not need to access the course at set times with other students or the instructor. Further, online classes occur within the Blackboard Learn learning management system. All course materials, including lectures, videos, course assignments, discussion boards, etc. are contained in Blackboard Learn.
What are the major differences between the Online and Executive MBA programs?
While both are designed for the working professional, the Online program offers flexibility and the opportunity for the student to go at his or her own pace. Students have the option of taking electives in the same subject area and pursuing a concentration. No prior work experience is required for admittance to the Online MBA program.
The Executive MBA program, designed for the more experienced professional, delivers courses to a cohort. The EMBA cohort meets one weekend per month, supplemented with online content. The EMBA program's summer session is entirely online. Additional features of the EMBA program are a beginning residency, an international business experience and an ending capstone project. Seven years of full-time, professional, work experience is required for admittance to the EMBA program.
Program Administrative Details
When does the Online MBA program begin?
This flexible program can be started any semester: fall, spring or summer. Application deadlines are typically about six weeks before the start of the intended term.
What happens if I have to stop the program for work or family issues?
In cases where the student will be out for a year or more, a formal Leave of Absence request is required to keep the student active in the University's system.
Completing the Degree
How long do I have to complete the Online MBA Program?
Students have six years to complete the Online MBA, however the average time to complete the program for those working full-time while pursuing the MBA is two to two and a half years. Time approved as a Leave of Absence does not count toward the six-year limit.
How are employer tuition benefits handled by the Bursar's Office?
Kent State has deferred billing for those with tuition benefits. A form is submitted each semester with the student/employee’s information. Find more details about employer tuition assistance and the form.
Financial Assistance & Scholarships
A limited number of competitively based $500 academic merit scholarships are available to admitted Online MBA students. Students are automatically considered for this scholarship upon admission to the Online MBA program. There is no separate application and students will be notified if selected.
For a review of other financial resources including the FAFSA and loans, please contact the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center.
There is a separate fee for webinars which come in an 18-month subscription. These five self-paced instructional webinars provide an introduction and review of the subjects that may cause some challenges when pursuing the MBA degree online: accounting and spreadsheets, finance, economics, and statistics. The subscription is comparable in cost to that of books and supplies for one course.
Ambassador Crawford College MBA Scholarship
- Deadline: April 15