Online Master of Business Administration

Become a Data-Driven Leader

Lifelong Learning for a Lifetime of Success

Become a Competitive Player in Today’s Evolving Business Climate

Program Details: 2 years | $718 Cost per Credit | 36 Credit Hours

Program Benefits

  • Expert Faculty
  • No GRE or GMAT Required
  • Fully Online and Asynchronous
  • No Application Fee
  • Transfer Credits Accepted
  • Customizable Curriculum

Regarded as one of the top-ranking master’s institutions for academic quality and return on investment, both in the Midwest and nationally, Drake University is now offering its Master of Business Administration degree 100% online. According to 2023 rankings from U.S. News & World Report, our MBA is No. 58 in Best Online MBA Programs, moving up 22 spots from 2022 and claiming the top spot in the state.1

Drake’s online business master’s program is designed to prepare effective communicators, ethical stewards of organizations, data-driven problem solvers, and global citizens. In addition to providing a broad foundation in advanced business principles, the online MBA program allows you to customize your degree based on your interests and career aspirations.

Customize Your Drake Experience

Led by expert faculty who are recognized scholars and experienced practitioners, Drake’s online MBA curriculum focuses on a balance of strategic decision-making, ethical leadership, and analytical reasoning that can be brought into any workplace immediately. The 36-credit hour program can be completed in two years, attending part-time. Classes are six weeks long.

The online MBA curriculum includes several areas of emphasis:

  • Accounting
  • Business Analytics
  • Health Care Management
  • Cybersecurity Management
  • Leadership & Human Capital Development
  • Public and Nonprofit Management
  • Individualized – Select nine credit hours tailored to your unique interests from among all specialization courses offered.
View CurriculumView Faculty

Program Outcomes

With an online MBA degree, graduates will become:

  • Effective Communicators: Demonstrate the ability to effectively and appropriately communicate professionally, using oral and written communications.
  • Ethical Stewards: Critically assess ethical responsibilities as stewards of an organization.
  • Data-driven, Strategic Problem Solvers: Utilize a strategic perspective supported by qualitative and/or quantitative data when developing, evaluating, and implementing sustainable organizational strategies to achieve competitive advantage.
  • Global and Multicultural Citizens: Develop the ability to critically examine interdependent global systems to craft effective solutions to complex problems. Cultivate an understanding of the role cultural differences play in determining appropriate and effective personal and professional interactions.
  • Proficient in the Field: Synthesize knowledge in the different functional areas of the firm to develop and improve organizations.

Admission Requirements

  • Complete the online application.
  • Submit your official transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities.
  • Submit an electronic copy of your résumé or curriculum vitae.
  • Submit a typed, one-page essay detailing how a graduate education at Drake University will help you reach your academic and professional goals.
  • Submit contact information for two professional recommendations.

Explore our admissions requirements here.

Tuition Details

Drake University takes pride in delivering the best value education possible to our students. With our online MBA, which costs $718 per credit hour, you’ll be prepared to pursue your career goals with skill, knowledge, and confidence.
Explore our tuition details here.

Go Farther in Your Business Career

Drake’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree will help you move ahead in your career path, whether you’re interested in healthcare, human resources, marketing, finance, and more. Business-related careers are growing fast. Overall employment in business and financial occupations in the U.S. is projected to grow 7% from 2021 to 2031, adding about 715,100 new jobs over the decade.2
Sample MBA career paths and their average annual salaries:

    • Marketing Manager: $135,030 per year3
    • Human Resources Manager: $130,000 per year4
    • Finance Manager: $139,790 per year5
    • Hospital Administrators: $104,830 per year6
    • Operations Director: $189,660 per year7

Faculty Spotlight

Matthew C. Mitchell, PhD, Associate Professor of International Business and Strategy — Matthew is an Associate Professor of International Business and Strategy at Drake University, and founding partner of Bâton Global LLC, a strategy and research advisory firm.

Matthew is a recipient of Drake University’s Madelyn M. Levitt Teacher of the Year Award and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. He has served as Executive Editor of the journal International Business: Research, Teaching, and Practice and is a Fellow of the largest national chapter of the Academy of International Business.

Matthew earned degrees in physics, math, and an MBA from Rollins College. He earned his PhD in International Business from the University of South Carolina — the world’s leading program in international business. His research investigates the relationship between firm strategy, politics, and religion in global markets. He has written and published extensively on these topics. Matthew advises Fortune 500 companies, governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations around the world. He has traveled, lived, and worked in more than 75 countries.

Research, teaching, and consulting expertise:

  • Strategy: strategic management systems, agility, and facilitation
  • Innovation: digital transformation, ideation, and data analytics
  • Leadership: workforce engagement, culture, and coaching
  • Research: benchmarking, scales, and customized insights

Student Testimonials

Amy Staebler, MBA — Amy pursued her online MBA to communicate better with upper management. “It [the MBA program] was super applicable to my job, and the six-week courses kept me interested.” The coursework exposed her to applicable software and skills. “Drake gave me the background needed to clearly communicate information.” Additionally, her decision to earn her MBA propelled her to a new career path. “The classes I liked the least as an undergraduate were business analytics. But in graduate school, I found them to be super interesting. Now I’m actually in a business analyst role.”

Cooper Christiano, MBA — Earning an MBA has been a goal since high school. Initially skeptical of the online format of Drake’s MBA program, Cooper quickly realized it was the right choice for him. “My professors went above and beyond to provide guidance. It was like talking with a friend.” While personally fulfilling, it has also paid off professionally. “My classes put me ahead of the game. My boss recognized that and moved me up to the regional vice president.”

 

About the Zimpleman College of Business

Do well by doing good.

Drake’s Zimpleman College of Business empowers you to prosper by using the influence of free enterprise to lead positive changes in the world. We put your ambitions and values at the center of our tailored educational offerings. We position you for a lifetime of career advancement by enabling you to do work that aligns with your values and generates economic opportunity and income for yourself and others.

Upon graduation, you will be equipped with the technical skills, business acumen, empathy, and experience necessary to innovate and lead in a globally complex, diverse, and dynamic world. You will be: 

  • Proficient in your field
  • A data-driven, strategic, and innovative problem-solver
  • An effective communicator
  • A socially and ethically responsible leader
  • A global and culturally competent citizen

In addition to university accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, the Zimpleman College of Business is an accredited member of AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. 

A A C S B Accredited

Sources

  1. Drake University. “Drake University ranks among the Best Online Programs by U.S. News & World Report.” Retrieved on February 14, 2023, from https://news.drake.edu/.
  2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Business and Financial Occupations.” Retrieved on January 25, 2023, from https://bls.gov/.
  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers.” Retrieved on January 25, 2023, from https://bls.gov/.
  4. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Human Resources Managers.” Retrieved on November 28, 2023, from https://bls.gov/.
  5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Financial Managers.” Retrieved on November 28, 2023, from https://bls.gov/.
  6. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Medical and Health Services Managers.” Retrieved on November 28, 2023, from https://bls.gov/.
  7. Operations Director Salary. Salary.com. Retrieved December 18, 2023, from https://www.salary.com/.