B-School Search
With Iowa ranking #16 on Chief Executive’s 2019 list of Best and Worst States for Business, #13 on the Forbes 2018 list of Best States for Business, and #44 on U.S. News and World Report’s Best States for Business Environment, there are mixed reviews as to whether or not Iowa is a good state in which to do business. Iowa ranks high due to low operational costs, a lax regulatory environment, an educated workforce, and high quality of life. Where Iowa struggles to keep pace with other states are when factors like job growth and labor supply come into consideration.
Major industries in Iowa include agriculture, food processing (especially cereals and popcorn), financial services, manufacturing, machinery production, and biotechnology. Three Fortune 500 companies call Iowa home, including Casey’s General Stores, Rockwell Collins, and Principal Financial. Iowa is also home to other big companies like Tyson, Accumold, Workiva, MetalCraft, and Archer Daniels Midland. Notably, with 92.1 percent of Iowans attaining high school degrees, the education and business sectors are collaborating to help state residents receive job training beyond high school.
Online MBA programs based out of Iowa can be a flexible, minimally invasive way for busy professionals to advance into positions of leadership and management while connecting to the business network unique to the state. For those who want to continue to work, can’t relocate, or have demanding schedules, asynchronous courses offered online facilitate the learning that can lead to increased competition in the job marketplace, career change, or the ability to advance into positions of leadership or management. Many programs in Iowa offer online MBAs that mirror their on-campus counterparts, and offer the same high-quality degree taught by qualified, experienced faculty. For those looking for the opportunity to expand their business networks, some universities also offer hybrid online/on-campus MBA programs.
For more information on online MBA programs offered through universities based out of Iowa, hybrid programs available in the state, and the distinguished professors offering courses in these programs, please keep reading.
Featured Online MBA Programs in Iowa
The 100 percent online MBA offered by the Purdue University Global’s School of Business and Information Technology prepares graduates for a competitive job marketplace by cultivating understanding of global issues, intercultural relationship management, and business growth in emerging markets. Students enrolled in the program can choose a 60-credit general MBA or a 76-credit MBA with a concentration. Concentrations include finance, healthcare management, human resources, information technology, marketing, and project management.
Coursework in the program includes business perspectives, financial accounting principles and analysis, ethics in business and society, and leadership strategies for a changing world. No GMAT or GRE scores are required to apply. Students with an undergraduate GPA of less than 2.5 may still be considered for admission.
| Location: Des Moines, Iowa |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Expected Time to Completion: Less than two years (full time) |
| Estimated Tuition: $485 per credit-hour |
The online MBA offered through the College of Business at St. Ambrose University is designed for those looking to advance their careers, increase their salaries, or transition in leadership and management. Students enrolled in the 36-credit-hour program can choose to concentrate in human resources management, international management, leadership, marketing management, or general business.
Coursework in the program includes ethical and social responsibility of business, human behavior in organizations, managerial economics, and strategic management. GMAT scores are not required to apply to St. Ambrose.
| Location: Davenport, Iowa |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Expected Time to Completion: 14 months (full-time), 24 months (part-time) |
| Estimated Tuition: $675 per credit-hour (non-resident) |
An extension of the brick-and-mortar program offered for over 60 years, the University of Iowa’s online MBA program enables graduates to become more competitive in the job market and launch management careers based on achievement.
Coursework in the 45-credit-hour program includes marketing management, managerial economics, business integration, and foundations in strategy. Electives in the program are offered in subjects including entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and management and leadership.
GMAT scores (or the GRE equivalent) of at least 520 are required to apply. GMAT/GRE waivers may be available to those with a terminal degree (PhD, MD, JD, etc.) with a 3.0 GPA or higher, six or more years of progressive work experience, or a record of strong academic performance. Applicants must have at least 18 months of professional, full-time work experience to apply.
| Location: Iowa City, Iowa |
| Accreditation: Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
| Expected Time to Completion: Two years |
| Estimated Tuition: $2,100 per course |
The online MBA in sustainable business offered by the Maharishi University of Management enables graduates to grow profitable, life-sustaining businesses that help the environment. In addition, MUM is a radically different program than other MBA programs because of the focus on inner growth for students through methodologies like transcendental meditation.
Coursework in the 60-credit-hour program include organizational change for sustainability, environmental law, sustainable technologies, and socially responsible investing. GMAT/GRE scores are not required to apply, but are recommended. Applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA, or a 3.2 in the final two years of undergraduate.
| Location: Fairfield, Iowa |
| Accreditation: International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) |
| Expected Time to Completion: Three years (six semesters) |
| Estimated Tuition: $4,800 per semester |
Hybrid MBA Programs in Iowa
By combining the flexibility of online coursework with the unique opportunities provided by in-person networking, hybrid MBA programs are perfect for those looking for a best-of-both-worlds MBA experience. Someone living close to a university in Iowa or has the life/job flexibility to travel on occasion are those for whom a hybrid program could be of greatest benefit.
The following universities in Iowa offer hybrid in-person/online programs:
- Drake University – College of Business and Public Administration
- Iowa State University – Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business