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Master of Business Administration (MBA)

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MBA

What fuels your professional ambition? A higher salary? Increased status? Opportunities to lead? A highly respected MBA can help you reach your goals. Fuel your drive to leadership—earn your MBA.

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WGU's College of Business programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

Overview
A surprisingly affordable online MBA program focused on management, strategy, and teamwork.

What will get you noticed in today's job market? Successful business leaders never stop sharpening their management skills and strategic acumen. If you’re ready to drive your career forward, and you’re looking for the best way to get to that next level, a high-quality MBA can be the difference-maker—the asset that sets you apart from the competition.

WGU’s online MBA program is designed for experienced business professionals focused on advancing their careers. It can also benefit anyone who wants to further develop their knowledge of business, management, and strategy. The curriculum emphasizes the principles of effective management and leadership that maximize performance and improve the bottom line.

69% of graduates finish in

6–18 mos.

WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
See how it works

Tuition per 6-month term is

$3,750

Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees. Finish faster, pay less!
See how time is money

Graduates who recommend WGU:

97%

The vast majority of alumni say WGU delivered on its promises. In fact, over 50% of students found WGU thanks to a friend's recommendation.
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Tuition as of January 1, 2018.

Make an executive decision to boost your career.

Shrewd business leaders are required in every industry—professionals with the strategic and management skills to navigate a path to greater success. WGU's highly regarded, online MBA program, with a focus on strategy and management, incorporates teamwork, development, and simulations that will help you master the knowledge and skills necessary to qualify for executive positions—or to start your own successful business.

Learn about our grads' careers
Master the principles of effective business management that maximize performance.

The WGU Master of Business Administration is an affordable, online MBA program designed for experienced business professionals who seek to advance their careers. As a WGU MBA student, you will learn the role and functions of a manager, personal leadership styles, approaches to self-awareness and self-assessment, and application of foundational leadership and management skills.

Download Program Guide

To ensure WGU graduates acquire the knowledge and skills sought by today’s employers, our Master of Business Administration—like all of WGU's College of Business programs—was developed with significant input from experts and business leaders who serve on our Business Program Council.
Key Subject Areas

Your program consists of courses focused on business function, leadership, and management, including:

Managing Organizations and Leading People

Managing Human Capital

Management Communication

Operations Management

Global Economics for Managers

Marketing

Accounting for Decision Makers

Ethical Leadership

Financial Management

Data-Driven Decision Making

MBA Capstone

See all courses
Areas of Study

The competencies you gain through this program will span these crucial topical areas:

Management

Economics

Marketing and communication

Accounting

Leadership

Finance

Strategy

Explore the curriculum
The WGU Difference

We reimagined the path to a degree. How it works for you:

It’s doable.
Efficient, flexible, individualized, and supportive, WGU puts you in the driver’s seat—allowing you to advance as quickly as you're able.

It’s surprisingly affordable.
Low, flat-rate tuition and the opportunity to speed up your program allow you to control the cost of your education.

It’s worth it.
Employers love WGU graduates. And grads report greater satisfaction, career advancement, and income growth after earning a WGU degree.

See how we do it
A supported, personalized experience.

WGU is unlike any university you’ve experienced before—in the best possible way! Take a look at what we mean:

Faculty Learning Assessment Capstone Alumni Support

Faculty

SUPPORTING YOU:

An entire team of faculty members has one goal in mind: your success. Your Program Mentor is your individually assigned faculty member, providing program guidance and instruction from the day you start to the day you graduate. In addition, Course Instructors provide subject-matter instruction and support, typically one-on-one, exactly when you need it.

Learning

Establish YOUR ROADMAP: A personalized learning plan.

Your program is made up of a series of courses, each a personalized journey toward subject mastery. A preassessment provides insight into what you already know. You’ll then learn what you still need to learn, using online learning resources—available 24/7—along with one-on-one or cohort-based faculty instruction.

Assessment

Learn it, PROVE IT: Show you know your stuff.

WGU measures learning, not time, so each course in your program culminates in an assessment—a test, paper, project, or presentation that allows you to prove what you know. As soon as you’re ready, you take the assessment—including the ability to take proctored exams from the comfort of your own home— via webcam, any time of day!

Capstone

Apply it to the REAL WORLD: You’ll solve a problem.

Throughout your program, you will focus on acquiring and proving specific competencies. At program’s end, you’ll complete a final capstone project that allows you to show off everything you’ve learned by proposing a solution to an relevant issue in your industry. Your mentor can help you select your capstone topic.

Alumni Support

Once you're a WGU Night Owl, you're ALWAYS a Night Owl.

Continued support after you graduate includes many opportunities for professional development and enrichment, career support, and networking. WGU Night Owls may be independent learners, but they also become highly engaged in our active alumni community through apps, groups, and in-person events.

The accreditation you need, plus industry respect and recognition.

One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.

Accredited

In addition to WGU's regional accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, WGU's College of Business programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Respected

“I’m impressed by the results in places like Western Governors University. Its low-cost online programs rely on competency-based progression, not class time or credit hours. It uses external assessments to evaluate student proficiency.”
Bill Gates
“Why American Colleges Have to Change”

Recognized

Value is a combination of low cost and high quality. University Research & Review has named WGU a Best Value School several years running—a strong measure of return on investment!

Accredited

Respected

Recognized

Our programs check all the boxes. If this degree is your goal, get started toward becoming a student today—programs start the first of each month.

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Cost & Time
When we say affordable, we mean it.

$3,750

Tuition per 6-month term

+

+$145

Flat fee for e-books and learning resources, saving you hundreds per term

=

=$3,895

TOTAL PER TERM

+$65

One-time application fee

Apply FREE this week
Control the cost of your program: Our tuition links cost to time.

By charging per term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.
Flat-rate tuition of $3,895 per term links cost to time.

By charging per 6-month term rather than per credit hour—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or can learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees.

Adjust the time and see your costs change

Your time

2 yrs

Your cost

1 yr
1.5 yrs
2 yrs
2.5 yrs
3 yrs

1 yr
1.5 yrs
2 yrs
2.5 yrs
3 yrs
There's help if you need it.

Financial aid is available.

WGU is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits.

View more about financial aid.

WGU students borrow less than half the national average.

Our goal: You graduate with little or no debt.

The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2016 (among those who borrowed) was less than half the national average. WGU’s three-pronged approach to keeping your debt low and your return on investment quick: One, provide useful information and advice on responsible borrowing before enrollment. Two, keep tuition low while you're enrolled. And three, offer degree programs that lead to better-paying jobs after graduation.

Read about our Responsible Borrowing Initiative.

Degree Cost Comparison*

U. of Phoenix ($740 per credit)

$26,640

Southern New Hampshire U. ($627 per credit)

$22,572

$13,000

WGU if completed in 2 years

Earn your MBA for about half what you'd pay elsewhere.

Low tuition and the ability to accelerate make WGU a more affordable option than most other schools. When you compare us with most any other university, WGU’s MBA program offers rigorous curriculum with competitive post-graduation results for around half the cost—or even less—of similar degree programs.

*Estimates based on July 2017 WGU and comparable universities' tuition data. Learn more about WGU's tuition and how it compares.

Transparent fees and no hidden costs.

The cost of attending college often includes much more than tuition and fees. WGU is designed to be different, and that translates to cost savings everywhere from books to babysitting.

Other universities bury you in unexpected costs. Not WGU.

Click to explore the extra costs:

Tuition Books

Parking Gas

Library / resource fees Babysitter every week for
nighttime classes

WGU

Other online college

Traditional
4 year school

This demonstration shows how various costs—including official fees and incidental costs of attending school—can add up in different learning environments. It's meant as an illustration only.

Scholarships make our already low tuition even more affordable.

WGU offers a wide variety of scholarships. Here are a few you may be eligible to apply for:

$2,000

Sage Scholarship

$2,000

WGU Alumni Master’s Scholarship

$2,000

Women in Leadership Scholarship

The affordable, flexible programs offered at WGU put high-quality education within your reach. Start working toward your future.

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Courses & Competencies

A career-focused curriculum that ensures you’ve mastered the things employers want you to know.

Program consists of:
11 Courses
Total courses in program
Download Program Guide

At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to ensure your degree is proof you really know your stuff.

Every course focuses on a set of clearly defined competencies that you must prove you’ve learned—through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. Demonstrating mastery is how you pass a course, so learning what it takes to be outstanding in your career is at the heart of WGU’s MBA curriculum.

That means what you learn is often directly applicable the next day at work—and it means what you’re doing at work frequently informs the work you’re doing in your courses. It’s all about real-world applicability so every moment spent studying is time well spent.

Courses in this program.

This program is composed of the following courses. You will typically complete them one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized Degree Plan. You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and master the material. As soon as you’re ready, you’ll pass the assessment, complete the course, and move on. This means you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.

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Management

Managing Organizations and Leading People

This course covers principles of effective management and leadership that maximize organizational performance. The following topics are included: the role and functions of a manager, analysis of personal leadership styles, approaches to self-awareness and self-assessment, and application of foundational leadership and management skills.

Managing Human Capital

This course focuses on strategies and tools that managers use to maximize employee contribution and create organizational excellence. You will learn talent management strategies to motivate and develop employees as well as best practices to manage performance for added value.

Management Communication

This course prepares you for the communication challenges in organizations. Topics examined include: theories and strategies of communication, persuasion, conflict management and ethics that enhance communication to various audiences.

Operations Management

This course focuses on the strategic importance of operations management to overall performance. This course also emphasizes principles of supply chain management relevant to a variety of business operations ranging from manufacturing goods to retail services. You will examine the various planning, control, and decision-making tools and techniques of the operations function.

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Economics

Global Economics for Managers

This course examines how economic tools, techniques, and indicators can be used for solving organizational problems related to competitiveness, productivity, and growth. You will explore the management implications of a variety of economic concepts and effective strategies to make decisions within a global context.

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Marketing and Communication

Marketing

This course will focus on the marketing function and its impact on the overall success of an organization. Topics include consumer behavior, marketing theories and strategies, product positioning, the competitive environment, and effectiveness of the marketing function. A key element of the course will include the relationship of the “marketing mix” to strategic planning.

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Accounting

Accounting for Decision Makers

This course provides you with the accounting knowledge and skills to assess and manage a business. Topics include the accounting cycle, financial statements, taxes, and budgeting. You will improve your ability to understand reports and use accounting information to plan and make sound business decisions.

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Leadership

Ethical Leadership

This course examines the ethical issues and dilemmas managers face. This course provides a framework for analysis of management-related ethical issues and decision-making action required for satisfactory resolution of these issues.

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Finance

Financial Management

This course covers practical approaches to analysis and decision making in the administration of corporate funds, including capital budgeting, working capital management, and cost of capital. Topics include financial planning, management of working capital, analysis of investment opportunities, sources of long-term financing, government regulations, and global influences. You will improve your ability to interpret financial statements and manage corporate finances.

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Strategy

Data-Driven Decision Making

This course presents critical problem-solving methodologies, including field research and data collection methods that enhance organizational performance. Topics include quantitative analysis, statistical and quality tools. You will improve your ability to use data to make informed decisions.

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Capstone

MBA Capstone

This course is the culminating assessment of the MBA curriculum and covers all previous assessment topics. You will work with a real-world organization to develop a solution to a business problem. In addition, you will work in teams of three or four students to simulate running a business. One unique aspect of the simulation is that there are scheduled dates each week for simulation decisions. Since all teams are required to meet the deadlines and work at the same pace this aspect of the assessment cannot be accelerated.

Plan to work hard: Program requirements and expectations.

The MBA program is an all-online program that you will complete by studying and working independently with support and instruction from WGU faculty. You will be expected to complete at least 8 competency units (WGU's equivalent of the credit hour) each 6-month term. (Each course is typically 3 or 4 units.)

The first person you speak with at WGU will be your Enrollment Counselor, an expert in your program who can explain all the requirements and expectations in more detail. You can also read more about each course in the Program Guide.

Request info from an Enrollment Counselor.

Download the Program Guide.

Special requirements for this program:

Capstone project: WGU’s online MBA program includes a capstone project that challenges you to work in teams of three or four students to simulate running a business, using what you’ve learned in the program and applying it to a real-world situation.

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A results-focused MBA curriculum developed by experts in business leadership.

Program councils—teams of industry and academic experts—drive the creation of our programs, providing input on the competencies a successful graduate needs to have mastered.
How You'll Learn
Flexible and competency-based. You control where, when, and how fast you learn and earn your degree.

Schedules are tight and often unpredictable for busy professionals. That’s why we offer a flexible, personalized approach to how education should be. No interruptions to your work and family obligations. No rigid class schedules. No barriers to earning your degree on your own terms. Just a solid, career-focused MBA program that meshes seamlessly with your current lifestyle.

“Because of WGU's competency-based program, I didn't have to get into things that I already knew. Instead I was able to use that for the things that were more challenging for me to learn.” Alvyn Joy Halili,
Master of Business Administration

Designed for working adults.

At WGU, you’re not committed to attend class at a certain time, complete homework on a given schedule, or log “attendance” hours. You’ll earn your degree by proving what you’ve learned—either from your studies or what you already know through your work and life experience. How quickly you progress is largely up to you.

Once you’ve mastered the concepts in your coursework, you’ll prove your competency through tests, papers, projects, or other assessments. You’ll build solid professional credentials specifically designed to help you prepare for a career in mid- to upper-level management positions in business, industry, and nonprofit organizations.

Competency-Based Education (CBE)

How it helps you

Efficient

Save time and money by focusing your efforts where they matter the most.

How much do you already know? How fast can you learn? Today’s adult students come from different professional backgrounds with varying levels of knowledge and experience. Competency-based programs empower you to take the most efficient path to complete your studies.

Flexible

Learn on your own terms.

What works best for you? No two students—or their schedules—are the same. Whether you’re at your best in the early morning or more energized when you get home from work, your study schedule can be personalized to accommodate your lifestyle and responsibilities.

Results

Know you’re learning real-world skills.

Who will recognize your management credentials? Today's employers look for management professionals who have the knowledge, skills and experience to improve organizational performance. WGU’s online Master of Business Administration program consists of balanced areas of study relevant to the needs and demands of a competitive marketplace, competency-based assessments, and a capstone project to showcase your executive-level decision-making prowess.

Finish courses by proving what you know, as soon as you’re ready.

With competency-based education at WGU, success is measured by actual learning, not class time. You advance by demonstrating that you've mastered the course subject matter—whether you learned it through your study at WGU or picked up that knowledge through years of work experience.

Your progress through a course is driven by you.

How quickly you learn

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The time you devote to studying

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How much previous knowledge you bring
See it in action

Play the game to see how a competency-based course works at WGU.
competency, noun

Demonstrated knowledge, skill, or ability required to advance in a degree program.

At WGU, course competencies are defined by an expert council, including employers.

For this course, there are 3 areas you need to prove competency in.

Start

First, let's take a pre‑assessment.

Determine what you already know from previous work and education experience, and where you need to focus your studies. Prove your competency in 3 areas in this exercise.

Start Pre-Assessment

Competency 1: Retrieving results...
Competency 2: Retrieving results...
Competency 3: Retrieving results...

Start Course

Second, study course materials.

Click on the free learning resources created by education experts that will help you master the competencies.

E-textbook

Web-based Tutorials

Online Classes

Simulations

Learning Communities

Course Mentors

Ready? Take Assessment

Result:

Try Again

Measuring:

Skills

Knowledge

X
Your experience pays at WGU.

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Career Outlook
Ready for a corner office? A respected MBA can prepare you for a successful management career.

Problem-solving leaders are required in every industry, and strategic thinking is necessary at every successful company. If you're ready to broaden your business knowledge and advance your career, WGU's MBA can prepare you to be an effective leader and produce successful results wherever you go. Your business management career starts here!

8%

Employment of top executives is projected to grow 8% from 2016 to 2026.
—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
MBAs from WGU are leading teams and businesses in diverse industries.

Our 5,300-plus MBA grads have great jobs and satisfying careers:
Top Jobs

Owner

President and CEO

Vice president

Executive director

Chief strategic officer
Top Industries

Private companies

Healthcare organizations

Nonprofit organizations

Government

Colleges and universities
Top Employers

American Airlines

Yahoo!

Edward Jones

Intermountain Healthcare

Mayo Clinic
Explore an MBA's career opportunities.

Get salary info, job outlook data, work environment description, and more.

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WGU is a university committed to producing successful grads.

The ultimate test of your degree's value is whether it helps you become an outstanding employee and advance your career. Our happy grads—and their happy employers—confirm that WGU is the path to that kind of degree.
Happy employers

Happy grads

They're Prepared.

Employers said that WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs.

They Perform.

Employers rated WGU graduates' job performance as very good or excellent.

They Wow.

Employers said their WGU graduates have exceeded their expectations.

They're Confident.

Graduates said the majority of their coursework was related to their jobs.

They're Working.

Graduates are working full-time.

They're Satisfied.

Graduates said their degrees were worth the cost of their education.

Source: 2016 Harris Poll survey of 301 employers; 2016 Harris Poll Online survey of 1,403 new college graduates nationwide compared with survey of 1,207 WGU graduates; WGU--Gallup 2016 Report
“It's never too late to learn and grow. I am so glad that I made the decision, at 44 years old, to get my MBA. It's already paying off in my career and will continue to do so for year and years to come.” Victor Perez
Master of Business Administration

Close the gap between you and your dreams.

Online degree programs start every month.

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Admissions
Your master's degree in business administration is attainable—start by applying today.

Next Start Date

Aug 1

Start the 1st of any month—as soon as you complete enrollment!
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Get your questions answered and take the next step: Talk to an Enrollment Counselor.

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Your Enrollment Counselor is there to help you make an informed decision.
The first step toward change can be the hardest—we get it. Your "welcoming committee" at WGU is made up of Enrollment Counselors, Admissions Specialists, and faculty members. Your initial interactions at WGU will be guided by an Enrollment Counselor who specializes in the programs you're interested in.

Your Enrollment Counselor is ready with as much help as you may need:

Get your cost and admissions criteria questions answered.

Assess WGU's fit with your career goals.

Get started toward enrollment!

Contact an Enrollment Counselor.
Admission requirements unique to this degree.
To be considered for this program, you must:

Submit a transcript verifying receipt of your bachelor’s degree from a recognized, accredited institution.

Submit a résumé demonstrating at least three years of significant experience in business, industry, or at a nonprofit organization.

View general admission requirements
Making an informed admission decision.

WGU seeks to admit individuals who have the capacity and determination to complete a rigorous WGU degree program … and graduate. The admission process is designed to help you and the university reach an informed decision about your likelihood of success.

At WGU we want you to graduate, not just enroll. Consequently, not every applicant is admitted because not every individual is a good fit for WGU’s programs and competency-based, online academic model.
Programs begin the 1st of any month.

New students can begin their first term at the beginning of any month. So you can start when you’re ready, rather than rushing (or waiting) for fall or spring enrollment. There's no need to wait!

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“WGU allowed me to continue doing the things I love, spending time with my family, and traveling for my job. Another major plus was that the competency-based system enabled me to focus my time in the areas I needed to learn to further my career.” Shonna Wessels
M.S. Management and Leadership

WGU is school on your terms.

School can fit into your life—start working toward your better future now.

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