In 2021, 91% of recruiters reported that they planned to hire MBA graduates, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s 2021 Corporate Recruiters Survey. Many business schools have been trying to keep up with that demand by launching new MBA programs and expanding existing ones.
Alabama State University became part of this trend in early May when the school announced it would launch an online MBA program this fall. This historically Black university did not previously offer an MBA degree, but has seen great demand from current undergraduate business students and alumni for the program.
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Almost 90% of current ASU students and alumni reported they were interested in earning their degree from the school, according to surveys conducted as part of the planning process for the program, Caterina Bristol, ASU assistant provost and dean of the Graduate School, tells Fortune.
“We expect to see students from various levels and diverse backgrounds,” Bristol says. “Already we have had interest from more mature adult learners to traditional-aged students as well as military learners and international students.”
The program will launch in Fall 2022 with an online format, and 80% of classes will be held live while other components are asynchronous. ASU’s online MBA program will include seven core courses and three electives. MBA students will also choose a specialization in project management, enterprise resource planning, or general business—and the program itself will be focused on data and analytics.
“This is a giant step for the College of Business Administration,” Kamal Hingorani, dean of the Percy J. Vaughn, Jr. College of Business Administration, said in a statement. “We will have a graduate program in business that has great demand from our students, alumni, and residents of Alabama and surrounding states.”
How to apply
Applications for ASU’s online MBA program opened on May 9. Candidates must submit a resume, official transcripts, three professional letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. The school waived its GMAT/GRE requirements for the fall 2022 term.
The school expects students to have an undergraduate degree in business with a GPA of at least 3.0, but applicants who don’t are eligible for conditional admission. Applicants must also complete a series of undergraduate courses in accounting, finance, management, and marketing, Bristol adds.
“The program is looking for individuals who want to advance their education and skills to improve performance in their current position, grow their business, or secure a new, in-demand job,” Bristol says. “The candidates will demonstrate a strong commitment to professional growth [and] have good communication skills.”
See how the schools you’re considering landed in Fortune’s rankings of the best master’s in public health programs, business analytics programs, data science programs, and part-time, executive, full-time, and online MBA programs.
GMAT waivers are available for the online MBA from Rice Business, ranked a Top-20 Online MBA by U.S. News & World Report. Ranked #1 in graduate entrepreneurship in the U.S. by the Princeton Review for 2024, aspiring entrepreneurs can earn their MBA in as few as 24 months.
