MBA@American is the online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program delivered by American University’s Kogod School of Business. MBA@American is designed for mid-career professionals who want to learn strategic management and communication skills that will help them advance into leadership roles.
The Kogod School of Business takes an inclusive and forward-thinking approach to business education, prioritizing diversity and recognizing that 21st century development requires a global perspective. The curriculum focuses on foundational business practices and takes advantage of Kogod’s Washington, D.C. location by giving students the opportunity to create new connections within our nation’s capital during in-person immersions.
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The following rankings represent the global respect and recognition our online MBA program has solidified in today’s hyperconnected business world.
#69 Online MBA
Our program is ranked among the 69 best online MBA programs by U.S. News & World Report, based on factors including student excellence, faculty credentials, and student support.1
#50 for Veterans
U.S. News & World Report lists our program among the top 50 online MBA programs with financial benefits available for veterans, based on affordability, accessibility, and reputation.2
#15 for General Management
Our online MBA program produces managers who drive their businesses forward. U.S. News & World Report ranks us as the No. 15 online MBA for general management in 2022.33
#16 in North America, #32 Worldwide
Secure your position as an international leader by earning your degree from the online MBA program ranked No. 16 nationwide and No. 32 worldwide according to QS World University Rankings.4
#38 in the U.S.
The Princeton Review ranks the online MBA program No. 38 in the United States based on career outcomes, technological infrastructure, and academic rigor, among other factors.5
American University’s Kogod School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). AACSB accreditation is known worldwide as the longest-standing, most recognized form of specialized and professional accreditation an institution and its business programs can earn.
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The online MBA program prepares students to apply leadership and financial analysis skills to help businesses operate more effectively across a wide range of industries. The curriculum features in-person immersions, during which students learn from leading experts in business capitals around the world, and the opportunity to select electives that personalize learning toward career goals.
Most students complete the program on a 24-month course sequence, but the program can also be completed on a 12-month, 15-month, or 18-month track.
To emerge as a leader in your field, you need to first have a solid understanding of core business principles. You will take Business Fundamentals as the first course in the online MBA curriculum, where you will learn to think critically about all aspects of business and develop a strong foundation before diving further into advanced concepts in your core courses.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Students with exceptional professional experience and an existing understanding of the skills covered in the Business Fundamentals course may be considered for Advanced Standing.
If you apply to the program and are granted Advanced Standing, you will not take the Business Fundamentals course. Instead, you will take an additional elective of your choosing, totaling 9 elective credits.
You will be notified if you meet the requirements for Advanced Standing once your application is reviewed.
Students can choose from seven pre-designed focus areas of study or create their own by selecting electives that best suit their goals. Focus areas include:
Entrepreneurship
Students in this focus area develop the entrepreneurial mindset needed to lead businesses of all sizes that create meaningful change in the world. Exploring course topics such as innovation, social entrepreneurship, and startup operations, students gain access to AU Center for Innovation resources—and have the opportunity to prepare new venture ideas to apply to the AU Entrepreneurship Incubator.
Finance
Students in the finance focus area will study how organizations make investments and manage risk in an ever-changing economy. Courses include Fraud Examination and Litigation Support, International Finance, and Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management.
Business Analytics
Through the business analytics focus area, students gain data analysis skills to solve a variety of business challenges and help them make data-driven decisions. Courses include Business Insights Through Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Business Intelligence, and Database and Big Data.
Cybersecurity
In this focus area, students look at cybersecurity through a management lens, focusing on strategies to prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond to cybersecurity attacks. Courses such as Cybersecurity Risk Management, Database and Big Data, and Cybersecurity Governance are designed in coordination with the Kogod Cybersecurity Governance Center (KCGC).
Consulting
Students in this focus area study a wide range of consulting topics and learn problem-solving methods involving research and analysis. This focus area combines analytics and management courses, such as Management Consulting Practices and Methodologies, Business Intelligence, and Integrated Marketing Communication.
Legal Studies
Business professionals need core legal knowledge to make confident business decisions. The legal studies focus area helps students develop an understanding of the US legal system and legal terminology. Students will learn how to effectively apply the law when dealing with contracts, negotiations, transactions, and other business procedures.
Marketing
The marketing focus area explores strategies and tools for creating marketing campaigns, helping students advance their knowledge of brand management, advertising account management, sales promotion, media planning, and market research. Courses include Brand Strategy, Integrated Marketing Communication, and Business Intelligence.
You will have the option to pursue an Analytics Certificate in addition to your MBA degree for no additional cost or time to complete. The certificate is designed to prepare you to predict behaviors and make sound business decisions using data analysis. In addition to your 12 core MBA courses and two immersions, you will complete three analytics electives:
The curriculum includes two in-person immersions that allow students to solve business challenges with real companies. Each year, at least one of these sessions takes place in Washington, D.C., where students collaborate with peers in group projects, network with D.C. professionals and faculty, and explore the nation’s capital. Immersions are also hosted in international cities such as Beijing, Madrid, and Brussels that provide students with new perspectives on how different cultures conduct business.
Throughout the online program, students will have the opportunity to gain real-life experience working for a DC-based company that aligns with their career goals. Working virtually as pro-bono consultants, students develop close relationships with local companies to help them grow and adapt to changing markets—all while building key skills that will give them a leg up in the job market.
This past spring and summer, six groups of students—ranging from first-year undergraduates to second-year MBA students—worked alongside six growing small businesses in the DC area through the Kogod in Practice initiative, to help these companies solve real business problems. Learn more about their experience in the initiative and how they produced results for their clients in our article here.
Request information to learn more about our specialized focus areas.
The entrepreneurship incubator serves as a think tank space on the AU campus where you can develop your ideas into business models and eventually successful revenue-generating ventures.
As an online student, you will have access to the incubator and its resources for pitch days, competitions, networking, workshops, and guest speakers—and you can apply to the incubator for help launching a new venture. If you are not local, you can use this resource and participate as an online student. If you live nearby or visit the area, you can also come to campus to use the incubator space for in-person collaboration and live events.
During pitch days and competitions, you have the opportunity to vet your business ideas and gain insight on everything from strategic consulting to branding. You will gain experience giving 30-second elevator pitches and formal investor presentations that showcase your ideas to outside investors, influencers, and other entrepreneurs.
If you select Entrepreneurship as your MBA focus area, you can choose to focus on a new venture concept—working closely with peers and mentors to finetune your concept, develop your business plan, perfect your pitch, and prepare to apply to the incubator.
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Online MBA students learn from the same experienced Kogod faculty who teach on campus. Made up of entrepreneurs, CEOs, educators, executives, and board members of Fortune 500 companies, our faculty are dedicated to lending support and remaining accessible to their students.
Sarah McCue
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer
Sarah is a well-known advocate for the innovative use of information and communication technology in developing countries.
Résumé Highlights
Focus Areas: international business, international consulting
Thomas Kohn
Professorial Lecturer
Thomas is a three-time CEO—two for-profits and one nonprofit—who has worked with companies on issues of strategy, fundraising, messaging, business development, and more.
Résumé Highlights
Focus Areas: entrepreneurship, consulting, strategy
Allan Mink
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer
Allan focuses on analyzing trends in government needs and identifying differentiated technologies or approaches to create winning strategies for his clients.
Résumé Highlights
Focus Areas: IT, consulting, entrepreneurship
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Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university to apply. GMAT and GRE scores are not required. To complete the application, you must submit the following:
The MBA program has four start dates throughout the year. Kogod accepts applications on a rolling basis.
The final deadline for the April 2023 cohort is February 21, 2023.
Gain a competitive advantage in business by learning new perspectives and enhancing your strategic thinking skills.
The data in the graph above represents all students enrolled in the program between 2017-2021. The circle graph shows percentage breakdown of race: 41% White/Caucasian, 33% Black or African American, 11% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 5% Two or More Races, 2% Unknown, 0.2% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native.
Your classmates and online MBA alumni are located across the world with connections to top U.S. and international corporations. This network is in addition to the larger AU and Kogod alumni bases that you will join when you graduate. No matter where you live and what industry you work in, our alumni are available to help you reach your career goals.
20,000+
Kogod Alumni
130,000+
AU Alumni
The map displays states of residence for all students enrolled in the MBA program since the inception of the online program, including: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, DC, and West Virginia.
The value of an online MBA can differ depending on program ranking, rigor of the curriculum, faculty quality, and overall alumni network size. The demand for MBA graduates, however, remains high, with 95 percent of U.S. consulting recruiters reporting in 2021 that they planned to hire recent MBA graduates within the consulting sector.6
While most MBA programs take two to three years to complete on a full-time or part-time basis respectively, the online MBA at American University can be completed in as few as 12 months. Designed for working professionals, our program can also be completed in 15, 18, or 24 months.
You must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in order to apply to Business@American. GRE and GMAT scores are not required to apply.
Some MBA programs are now accepting standardized test scores instead—like the GRE—or even waive the GMAT altogether. Business@American, however, goes one step further: We do not require GRE or GMAT scores to apply, and instead take a holistic approach to reviewing applications.
While hiring practices differ from organization to organization, our Business@American graduates find career success by applying their new business expertise to their roles in real time. Graduates of our online MBA program have been employed or continue to be employed at leading organizations such as Amazon, Citibank, ExxonMobil, JPMorgan Chase, and Lockheed Martin.
Develop the interpersonal and marketing skills you need to lead diverse teams and make cost-effective decisions. Request more information about the online MBA program today.
1 Best Online MBA Programs (2022). U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 2022.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
2 Best Online MBA Programs (2022). U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 2022.arrow_upward
Return to footnote reference3 Best Online General Management MBA Programs (2022). U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 2022.arrow_upward
Return to footnote reference4 Best Online MBA Program in 2022 by QS World Rankings. Online MBA Rankings 2022 (2022). Retrieved March 2022.arrow_upward
5 Online MBA Programs (2022). The Princeton Review. Retrieved March 2022.arrow_upward
6 Graduate Management Admission Council. (2021)Return to footnote referencearrow_upward
