Online Business Schools in South Dakota (SD) - MBAs

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South Dakota (SD) ranks #15 on Chief Executive’s 2019 list of Best and Worst States for Business, #16 on the Forbes 2018 list of Best States for Business, and #45 on U.S. News and World Report’s Best States for Business Environment.

South Dakota has some advantages and some disadvantages in the world of business. Its business costs are a huge advantage, as is the beneficial tax structure and legacy of a minimal regulatory environment. Despite these pluses, South Dakota is not a place for innovation with a less-than-average flow of venture capital, entrepreneurship, and low levels of patent creation.

Key industries in South Dakota include agriculture, manufacturing, mining, tourism, retail, finance, and healthcare. While South Dakota does not house any Fortune 500 headquarters, big companies in the state include Walmart, Hy-Vee, Citibank South Dakota NA, Larson Manufacturing Co., Tyson Fresh Meats, and Shaw Industries. Major incentives are available for business development. For example, South Dakota is offering funds, cost-offsets, fixed energy rates, and assistance with infrastructure.

Busy working professionals interested in moving into industries or networking with the business communities in South Dakota can make a step in the right direction by pursuing an online MBA offered by business schools located in the state. Online MBA programs are perfect for working professionals who cannot relocate or stop working, but wish to change careers, advance their current career in business, or take on higher-level leadership positions in the business arena. With the same accreditations and taught by the same professors as their on-campus counterparts, online MBAs offer the same quality of education as on-campus programs with the flexibility to choose the when and where of learning.

Keep reading to learn more about online MBA programs offered by business schools in South Dakota, the possibility to combine online and on-campus learning, and the distinguished professors behind the online learning experiences.

Featured Online MBA Programs in South Dakota

The online MBA offered through the College of Business and Information Systems at Dakota State University prepares graduates to hold top positions in business. Enrolled students can opt for a general MBA track or can choose from one of six emphases, including analytics, healthcare informatics, information systems, non-profit leadership, supply chain management, or sports leadership.

Coursework in the 36-credit program includes the legal and ethical environment of business, management and leadership, international management, and economics for decision making. This program can be taken synchronously or asynchronously. GMAT scores are not required for those with a business administration BA and a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Non-business majors must have two years of professional experience to apply.

Location: Madison, South Dakota
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Expected Time to Completion: Two to five years
Estimated Tuition: $465.80 per credit-hour

Embracing John Wesley’s Christ-centered model, Dakota Wesleyan offers a 100 percent online MBA designed to graduate students that will benefit the region in small- to medium-sized businesses. Students accepted into the program can choose between two concentrations in entrepreneurial and strategic leadership or trust management.

Coursework in the 36-credit program includes managerial economics, managing workplace environments, strategic business development, and leadership/corporate accountability. GMAT scores are not required to apply. Students with a non-business undergraduate degree will be required to take three to five self-paced leveling courses.

Location: Mitchell, South Dakota
Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)
Expected Time to Completion: 12 months
Estimated Tuition: $425 per credit-hour (strategic leadership), $450 per credit-hour (trust management)

The part-time online MBA offered through the Vucurevich School of Business at the University of Sioux Falls is best suited to experienced professionals with well-established careers who want a convenient, affordable, and accredited MBA taught through the lens of Christan values. Online students can choose between two concentrations in healthcare or management.

Coursework in the 36-credit program includes managerial communications, managing organizational dynamics, leadership and ethical management, and financial planning and control. No GMAT scores are required to apply. Students with a non-business background may be required to complete competency coursework in accounting, microeconomics, managerial/business finance, and statistics.

Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Accreditation: International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)
Expected Time to Completion: 21 months
Estimated Tuition: $390 per credit-hour

The online MBA offered through the Beacom School of Business at the University of South Dakota is designed to develop business leaders in industry and government and to prepare the academically inclined for study at a doctoral level. Students enrolled in the program can choose a 33-credit-hour general MBA, or can choose to complete a 39-credit specialization in business analytics, finance, health service administration, marketing, or operations and supply chain management.

Coursework in the programs includes managerial accounting, leadership development, business and its environment, and operations management. Students are expected to attend a five-day on-campus residency experience. GMAT scores are required to apply. GMAT waivers may be available to those with a 3.25 GPA and an AACSB-accredited undergraduate or graduate degree; those with LSAT, MCAT, or GRE scores of a certain level; those with a JD or MD from USD (earned or earning); or those with professional licensure (CPA, CMA, CFA, CAP, or PE). Students without a business background may be required to complete up to 21 credit-hours of foundational coursework.

Location: Vermillion, South Dakota
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Expected Time to Completion: Two years
Estimated Tuition: $465.80 per credit-hour

The online MBA offered through the College of Business, Accounting, and Technology at National American University is designed for students looking to increase business knowledge and skills. Students enrolled in the 45-credit program can choose among 11 specialties: accounting, advanced incident and consequence management, advanced security management, e-marketing, healthcare administration, human resource management, information technology management, international business, management, operations and configuration management, and strategic security management.

Coursework in the program includes managerial accounting, marketing administration, an introduction to leadership quality, and strategy and policy. GMAT scores are not required to apply. Students with a non-business background may need to complete up to four foundational courses in accounting, statistics, macroeconomics, and finance prior to starting MBA coursework.

Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)
Expected Time to Completion: Two Years
Estimated Tuition: $22,530 for the program

Hybrid MBA Programs in South Dakota

For some students, an MBA program’s value is partially in the ability to build solid business networks. For those living close to a college campus who wish to capitalize on the unique networking opportunities provided by face-to-face interactions, hybrid online/on-campus MBA programming can be an attractive choice.

In some cases, the hybrid format includes an on-campus residency or intensive, while in other programs, students have the opportunity to participate in a mixture of evening or in-person classes offered by the university. In addition to the online programming described above, the following South Dakota programs offer hybrid MBA options:

Professors to Know in Online MBA Programs in South Dakota

  • David Bishop, DSc Dakota State University

    Dr. David Bishop is an associate professor of information systems in the College of Business and Information Systems at Dakota State University, where he teaches graduate courses in information systems focused on systems analysis and design, database programming, and multi-tiered architectures. His research interests include agile software development, software requirements, secure software development, and databases. His scholarly work appears in the Information Resources Management Journal, and he has presented at multiple conferences, including the MWAIS (2013 and 2017) and the Hawaii International Conferences on System Sciences (2014 and 2018).

    Prior to joining academia, Dr. Bishop worked in state-level government as a development manager involved with new technology and project portfolio management. He earned his master of science in information systems and his doctor of science in information systems, both from Dakota State University.

  • Patricia Cole, PhD, MPA Vucurevich School of Business

    Dr. Patricia Cole is an associate professor of business and business administration (as well as the area chair) in the Vucurevich School of Business at the University of Sioux Falls. Dr. Cole’s expertise includes health are special topics, management/organizational behavior, data analysis, strategic planning, and event and facility management.

    Professionally, Dr. Cole has served as a consultant to regional corporations to promote sustainable workplaces and organizational development. Currently, her research centers around management techniques in LEED-certified facilities, in particular using case studies to examine and address issues in sport facility and event management. She earned her master of public administration and her PhD in urban and regional science—both from Texas A&M University.

  • Srini Ragothaman, PhD Beacom School of Business

    Dr. Srini Ragothaman is the Black Hills Corp. distinguished professor of accounting in the Beacom School of Business at the University of South Dakota. His research interests include PCAOB regulation, PCAOB inspection reports, asset write downs, auditing and accounting issues, internal control, neural networks and data mining, issues in business education, XBRL reporting, auditor oversight, financial statement fraud, and fraud cases.

    Dr. Ragothaman is an extensively published scholar, with over 45 publications appearing in refereed journals including the Journal of Accounting and Finance, the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, the International Journal of Business & Economics Perspectives, and the Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting.

    Dr. Ragothaman is also the recipient of many awards, including the 2018 Outstanding Research Award from the SET section of the American Accounting Association; the Teaching Innovation Award from the FIA section of the American Accounting Association; and the Faculty Excellence Award for Research at the Beacom School of Business in 2015. Dr. Ragothaman earned his master of science in business from Iowa State University and his PhD in accounting from the University of Kansas.

Becca Brewer
Becca Brewer
Writer

Becca Brewer is building a better future on a thriving earth by healing herself into wholeness, divesting from separation, and walking the path of the loving heart. Previously to her journey as an adventurer for a just, meaningful, and regenerative world, Becca was a formally trained sexuality educator with a master of education.

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