OSU’s Watson Graduate School recognized in 2015 Best Online Education Program rankings
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Oklahoma State University’s online MBA program and the graduate business programs offered online through the Watson Graduate School of Management were recognized today as among the nation’s best. The OSU online MBA program was selected No. 41 and the graduate business programs (excluding the MBA) were ranked 46th in the 2015 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Education Program rankings, released today.
This is the second time since U.S. News began numerically ranking online programs three years ago that the OSU Spears School of Business has been selected as one of the nation’s top schools for online business education. More than 200 schools across the United States were evaluated for the online MBA rankings.
“We are pleased that the MBA and our other online graduate programs have been recognized for their exceptional quality and value,” said Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School. “Our faculty and staff are dedicated to providing a rich educational experience for our online students and it is gratifying to have their efforts recognized in this way. One of our goals is to be a leader in online, graduate education and these rankings are proof that we are on our way to obtaining this goal.”
It’s not the first time for the Spears School’s graduate programs to be recognized nationally. Just recently, the online MBA program was No. 15 in the Top Online MBA Super Ranking 2014-15 by Top Management Degrees. This ranking combines the results of six of the most influential business school and MBA rankings from around the world to create the most comprehensive and holistic ranking of online MBA programs available.
In addition, a story by U.S. News & World Report in 2013 showed that OSU was one of only four schools in the United States in which 100 percent of the full-time MBA students received jobs within three months after graduation. Also, the program is ranked a Best Buy among online MBAs for AASCB-accredited business schools.
“OSU’s Spears School of Business has been a leader in online education in general but we are particularly proud of our graduate programs,” said Ramesh Sharda, vice dean of the Watson Graduate School of Management. “The online MBA program has served members of industry and military in achieving their dream of earning a high quality, rigorous MBA degree. In addition, our specialized masters and certificate programs permit students to tailor their graduate education to match their career aspirations. We are proud of the accomplishments of our students and faculty.”
OSU’s Watson Graduate School offers degree programs via distance learning in:
- MBA
- M.S. in Entrepreneurship
- M.S. in Management Information Systems
- M.S. in Telecommunications Management
- Graduate Certificate in Business Data Mining
- Graduate Certificate in Information Assurance
- Graduate Certificate in SAS Business Analytics (for MBA students)
- Graduate Certificate in Non-profit Management
- Graduate Certificate in Business Sustainability
- Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship
- Graduate Certificate in Marketing Analytics
Also, the Spears School offers online undergraduate degree completion programs in:
- B.S. in General Business
- B.S. in Management
Five different factors were weighted in the U.S. News rankings of MBA programs, including student engagement (28 percent), admissions selectivity (25 percent), peer reputation (25 percent), faculty credentials and training (11 percent), and student services and technology (11 percent).
The methodology for graduate business programs offered online was student engagement (33 percent), admissions selectivity (20 percent), peer reputation (20 percent), faculty credentials and training (13.5 percent), and student services and technology (13.5 percent).
The OSU Watson Graduate School rankings will be included in the print and e-book versions of the Best Graduate Schools 2016 and Best Colleges 2016 guidebooks, published by U.S. News.
The Best Online Programs rankings are available via the U.S. News website: http://www.usnews.com/online.