B-School Search
Indiana ranks #42 on U.S. News and World Report’s Best States for Business Environment, #11 on the Forbes 2018 list of Best States for Business, and #5 on Chief Executive’s 2019 list of Best and Worst States for Business. If one’s main focus is growth prospects—including factors like venture capital, entrepreneurship, and labor supply—Indiana ranks much lower than other states. However if regulatory environments and business costs are one’s central focus, then Indiana is a good state for business.
Major industries driving the economy in Indiana include durable goods manufacturing, non-durable goods manufacturing, finance, agriculture, insurance, logistics, rental, leasing, and real estate. In addition, the state exports large numbers of cars and pharmaceuticals and produces 36 million tons of coal annually. There are also eight Fortune 500 companies, which call Indiana home, including Cummins, Steel Dynamics, Eli Lilly and Co., Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Berry Global Group, Thor Industries, Elkhart, and Simon Property Group.
For those looking to take advantage of established industries, online MBA programs offered through Indiana-based universities could be an avenue for networking and career advancement. Built for busy professionals who cannot relocate or stop working but wish to advance into leadership, management, or create more competitive resumes, online MBAs are often an affordable and flexible choice. Because distance-based MBA programs are based off of their on-campus counterparts, these options boast the same rigorous, high-quality, education as MBAs offered in-person.
Also, for busy professionals living or working near a college campus, hybrid programs offer didactic coursework in a flexible online format, with a few on-campus experiences that provide face-to-face connection and networking opportunities.
Keep reading to learn more online MBA programs offered by accredited universities in the state of Indiana, the professors who provide the rigorous virtual academic environments, and a few options for programs offering hybrid online/on-campus MBA options.
Featured Online MBA Programs in Indiana
The online MBA offered by the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University prepares graduates to lead an organization’s key business operations through a blend of theory and practice-based education.
Courses in the 51 credit-hour program include information technology, strategic management and business planning, global business, and organization designs for strategic advantage. By taking just four additional courses, students enrolled in the MBA program can choose to earn a dual master of science (MS) degree in finance, global supply chain management, information technology management, business analytics, or strategic management.
Students in this program are also required to attend two one-week intensives on campus where they work on a live business case for a real client. GRE/GMAT scores are required, although limited waivers may be available to those with five years of work experience (ten years preferred), an advanced degree, or are Kelley School of Business alums with a 3.2 GPA. Those with a terminal or doctoral-professional degree are automatically awarded a waiver.
Location: Bloomington, Indiana |
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
Expected Time to Completion: Two years |
Estimated Tuition: $1.330 per credit-hour |
The 100 percent online MBA offered through the Romain College of Business at USI is designed for those who want to earn the advanced business expertise needed to be competitive in the job market.
Students at USI can choose a general MBA, or can choose to earn an MBA in concentrations including accounting, data analytics, engineering management, human resources, or healthcare administration. Coursework in the 30 credit-hour program includes financial management and financial markets, strategic and international management, managerial economics, Lean Six Sigma, and leadership skills and innovation.
Applicants are required to submit GMAT/GRE scores to be admitted to the program, although waivers may be available to those with a graduate degree, a BA/BS (GPA of 3.0) with two years of work experience, a BA/BS (GPA of 2.5) with three years of work experience.
Location: Evansville, Indiana |
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
Expected Time to Completion: As few as 11 months |
Estimated Tuition: $430 per credit-hour |
The 100 percent online MBA offered by the Indiana Tech College of Business is for working professionals looking to gain the practical skills needed to advance into leadership positions or start their own entrepreneurial journey.
Indiana Tech offers five different MBAs in accounting, healthcare management, human resources, management, and marketing. All MBA programs are 36 credit-hours except for the accounting MBA, which requires students to complete 42 credit-hours. Coursework includes instruction in executive management, managerial economics, financial management, and business statistics.
No GMAT or GRE scores are required for admission, unless the student does not meet the minimum GPA requirement of 2.5. Despite the low GPA threshold, this program does require two years of significant work experience prior to admission. MBA students must also have completed following four prerequisite courses with a ‘C’ grade or better: principles of management, principles of marketing, accounting principles, and corporate or managerial finance. Applicants to the MBA in accounting must have 24 undergraduate credits in accounting, 24 credits outside of accounting in business and economics, and an accredited undergraduate degree.
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana |
Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) |
Expected Time to Completion: Two years |
Estimated Tuition: $515 per credit-hour |
The online MBA offered through the Falls School of Business at AU is focused on helping students apply rigorous practical learning to a broad range of industries.
Students can choose a general MBA or by adding two extra courses, they can concentrate in accounting, finance, human relations, international business, marketing, new venture development, or project management. The general MBA program is 37 credit-hours, and those pursuing a concentration complete 41 credit-hours.
Courses include leading organizational change, business and society, competition and strategy, and managerial economics. There are no stated requirements for GRE/GMAT scores, nor a stated minimum GPA threshold to apply to AU’s 100 percent online MBA program. AU is a Christian Faith-Based university operating based on Church of God principles.
Location: Anderson, Indiana |
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
Expected Time to Completion: Less than two years |
Estimated Tuition: $579 per credit-hour |
A competitively priced program, the 100 percent online MBA offered through the Ketner School of Business at Trine University focuses on delivering a high ROI to professionals looking to advance their skills in business and finance.
Coursework in the 30 credit-hour program includes executive communication, micro and macro economic decision making, federal tax pass-through entities, and executive communication.
GRE/GMAT scores are only required for those who do not have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution. The minimum undergraduate GPA threshold for admission to Trine is a 3.0; however, students with a lower GPA can apply for conditional admission by submitting a one-page narrative explaining the circumstances of their GPA, an additional letter of recommendation, and a CV demonstrating applicable knowledge and skills.
Location: Angola, Indiana |
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
Expected Time to Completion: As little as one year |
Estimated Tuition: $11,970 per semester (nine credits) |
Graduates of the online MBA at Indiana Wesleyan University DeVoe School of Business are prepared to solve complex business problems, develop managerial self-awareness, plan for financial growth, and tackle business through critical lenses.
IWU offers online MBAs with concentrations in healthcare administration, project management (online only), and school administration. The programs in project management and school administration are not AACSB-accredited at the time of this writing (June 2019).
Coursework in the 42 credit-hour program includes ethical and legal aspects of management, statistics for business decision-making, leadership and organizational change, and business strategy and policy. No GRE/GMAT scores are required and those whose undergraduate GPA is less than a 2.5 may still be admitted on a probationary basis. Courses at IWU are taught from a biblical perspective.
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana |
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), The Higher Learning Commission |
Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 26 months |
Estimated Tuition: $499 to $584 per credit-hour, depending on major |
The online MBA at the University of Saint Francis offers an MBA where students focus on organizational impact and personal growth. Taught from the perspective of Catholic Franciscan values, the MBA is a balance between quality and affordability.
Prospective students can complete a generalized MBA or can choose between MBAs in management information systems, marketing, or sustainability. Coursework in the 36 credit-hour programs include business policy and strategy, Franciscan values and ethics in business, leading change, and international business.
GRE and GMAT scores are not required to apply to any USF online MBA programs, unless the applicant does not have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited university. Students whose cumulative undergraduate GPA is less than 2.75 may submit GMAT scores for review or their CV if they have five or more years of professional work experience.
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana |
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
Expected Time to Completion: 12 months (full-time); 24 months (part-time) |
Estimated Tuition: $525 per credit-hour |
The online MBA program at Bethel University emphasizes leadership, boasts a 12-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio, and is taught with a Christ-centered approach. Graduates are prepared for practical, and leadership after working with instructors teaching from a biblical perspective.
Coursework in the 36 credit-hour program includes business policy and ethical decision making, organizational communication, contemporary issues in business administration, and fundraising and board development.
GRE/GMAT scores are not required for admission, but may be submitted to assist applicants with a GPA lower than 2.5 to gain conditional admission. Applicants to the Bethel online MBA must have two years relevant work experience.
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana |
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission |
Expected Time to Completion: One to two years |
Estimated Tuition: $445 per credit-hour |
Hybrid MBA Programs in Indiana
One hundred percent online MBA programs are excellent for flexibility, while on-campus programs excel with respect to networking and the intangibles that come from in-person interaction.
Students who live in Indiana close to university campuses who are looking for a “best of both worlds” MBA experience may want to consider hybrid MBA programs. Hybrid MBA programs combine the flexibility of online didactic coursework with the in-person interaction of on-campus programs by offering students the ability to attend on-campus experiences like intensives, orientations, or capstone experiences. The following universities in Indiana offer hybrid online/on-campus MBA programs.
- Ball State University – Miller College of Business
- Purdue University – Krannert School of Management
- Taylor University – Graduate School of Management