This week, U.S. News & World Report issued some new rankings for online-degree programs, growing in popularity because of their convenience and flexibility. The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University received the No. 1 ranking among the nation’s online graduate business programs for veterans.
“We’re honored to be ranked No. 1 in providing a stellar online graduate business education for our veterans,” says Amy Hillman, dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business. “The W. P. Carey School was one of the first highly respected schools to offer online courses more than a decade ago. We utilize the same MBA degree and the same faculty members online as we do in our highly ranked face-to-face MBA programs, making it convenient for active-duty military members and veterans to participate in a top program from any Internet-accessible location.”
U.S. News & World Report already ranks the W. P. Carey School’s undergraduate business, full-time MBA and evening MBA programs among the Top 30 in the nation in their categories. Earlier this year, U.S. News also ranked the school’s online graduate business programs (online MBA and online master’s in information management) No. 2 in the nation. The new ranking covers the same two online programs for high quality, but it also adds a focus on meeting the unique needs of veterans.
The new rankings consider only distance-education programs housed in accredited institutions and performing well in areas including program reputation, faculty credentials, high student graduation rates and low graduate debt loads. The new rankings also consider criteria related to whether course credits are portable and relatively inexpensive for veterans, such as whether the institution is certified for the GI Bill, is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium, and participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Arizona State University overall has been recognized for its strong commitment to veterans on G.I. Jobs magazine’s “Military Friendly Schools” list five years in a row. Military Times Edge magazine also named ASU on its “Best for Vets” list. ASU has the Pat Tillman Veterans Center to help bolster engagement and guidance for the veteran population in areas like housing, career services, tutoring, and health and counseling services. The university has awarded more than 1,500 degrees using GI Bill benefits.
“Veterans and those serving in the military have repeatedly chosen the W. P. Carey School’s online programs because we feature a team-oriented, flexible approach,” says Stacey Whitecotton, senior associate dean for W. P. Carey School graduate programs. “In the online MBA program, for example, students work in small, personalized teams with peers from other industries, typically focusing on one course at a time. We also offer one of the few online MBA programs that allow students to customize their degrees with an area of emphasis, such as finance, international business, marketing or supply chain management.”
Among those who have completed the online MBA program is Lt. Col. Scott Coulson – a recipient of the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a Combat Action Badge for his service in Iraq. He completed his MBA degree while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
The school’s online Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) program is also popular, designed to prepare graduates for a career in the fast-growing information technology (IT) field. American Express, Intel Corporation, Mayo Clinic and US Airways are among the companies that send students to the school’s MSIM programs.
To learn more about the W. P. Carey School’s online programs — all offering small class sizes, a dedicated financial-aid specialist and a career center for help with job searches — visit www.wpcarey.asu.edu.
Also today, GraduatePrograms.com issued a new ranking, placing the W. P. Carey School of Business’ full-time MBA program among the Top 25 worldwide. The new No. 21 ranking is based on student experience. The site conducted a survey of both current and recent graduate students.
