B-School Search
Coming in third on Chief Executive’s 2021 list of Best and Worst States for Business, #7 on the Forbes 2019 list of Best States for Business, and #16 on U.S. News and World Report’s 2021 Best States for Economy, Tennessee is a promising state for creating companies.
Tennessee is attracting investment and expansion from large companies through its “Drive to 55” program. By offering high school seniors free tuition to a two-year community college or technical school, the initiative aims to ensure 55 percent of the residents have a post-secondary education by 2025, thereby adding skilled labor to the Tennessee workforce. Tennessee is also a very financially stable state; it’s ranked #1 by U.S. News and World Report in long-term fiscal stability, #11 in short-term fiscal stability, and is the #3 most financially stable state in the nation.
Major industries in Tennessee include advanced manufacturing, chemicals, energy, entertainment, medical devices, logistics, mining, logging, construction, and automobiles. There are ten Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Tennessee such as FedEx, HCA Healthcare, Dollar General, International Paper, Unum Group, Autozone, Community Health Systems, Tractor Supply, Eastman Chemical, and Delek US Holdings.
Online MBA programs offered by Universities in Tennessee can be a cost- and time-effective pathway for those looking to tap into the industries that are the lifeblood of the state of Tennessee. Built for professionals who wish to remain working as they advance their careers and expand their business acumen, institutions of higher learning in Tennessee offer a range of high-quality, accredited online MBA programs that rival on-campus programs. Coursework can be completed at times and places that fit into the busy lives of professionals looking to advance into management, without the need to visit a physical university campus.
Keep reading to learn more about accredited online and hybrid (online/on-campus) MBAs in the state of Tennessee and the distinguished professors driving MBA education.
Featured Online MBA Programs in Tennessee
The 100 percent online MBA offered through the Rollins College of Business at UTC aims to create well-rounded professionals with a grasp of theory, practice, and experience. Students interested in earning an MBA from UTC in an online format can choose a general MBA or can concentrate in business analytics or healthcare administration.
Courses in the 36-credit program include economics for managers, information technology for business, corporate entrepreneurship and innovation, and quantitative decision analysis for business.
UTC has a slightly lower GPA threshold than many online MBA programs, requiring a cumulative 2.7 undergraduate GPA or higher. GMAT/GRE scores are required for admission, although GMAT waivers may be available for those who have a graduate degree with a 3.0 GPA, a BA GPA of 3.25 with five years of professional experience, or a 3.2 GPA in AACSB upper-division business courses with a 3.0 cumulative BA GPA.
| Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
| Expected Time to Completion: Part-time (two years), full-time (1.5 years) |
| Estimated Tuition: $2131 per three-credit course (out-of-state) |
The UT Martin MBA is a 100 percent online MBA for students with two years of post-bachelor’s experience working full-time who wish to advance their careers in a program taught by full-time faculty in small 20-person cohorts. There is a 30-credit general MBA program or a 42-credit MBA with an agricultural focus.
Courses across both programs include accounting for managerial decisions, legal and ethical environment of business, organizational theory and design, and operations management: analytics and application.
In addition to two years of professional experience, GMAT or GRE scores are required for admission. GMAT/GRE waivers may be available to those with seven or more years of full-time business experience in combination with a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.
| Location: Martin, Tennessee |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
| Expected Time to Completion: 18 months |
| Estimated Tuition: $688 per credit (out-of-state) |
A Christian faith-based institution, FHU College of Business offers a 100 percent online MBA for professionals who wish to graduate with an ethical, character-driven perspective on business that will help them to advance their careers. Prospective students applying to FHU can choose between a general MBA or an MBA in healthcare management.
Courses in the 30-credit program include economic thought, leading teams and organizations, marketing management, and strategic decision making. GRE and GMAT scores are not required for admission to FHU. Applicants to FHU’s online MBA must meet Common Professional Component (CPC) requirements as recognized by ACBSP. Those with an undergraduate degree in business satisfy the requirement, while those without will need to have a transcript evaluation to determine if CPC requirements have been met.
| Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Expected Time to Completion: One year |
| Estimated Tuition: $610 per credit |
As one of the top online MBAs in Tennessee, Fogelman College’s program at U of M is for ambitious professionals with demanding schedules who want straightforward education they can apply immediately to today’s business problems. In alignment with this philosophy, UofM’s program does not have any prerequisite course requirements to begin its core MBA curriculum.
Classes in the 33-credit program include creativity and innovation, information systems in the global enterprise, financial and managerial accounting for managers, and economics for the global executive. GMAT and GRE scores are required for admission for those with a bachelor’s degree. The GMAT/GRE requirement is waived for those with an earned master’s degree from an accredited U.S.-based program.
| Location: Memphis, Tennessee |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
| Expected Time to Completion: Two years |
| Estimated Tuition: $808 per credit (out-of-state) |
Designed for students with two years minimum professional experience, King University’s 100 percent online MBA implements a blend of case analysis, individual and preparation, small group discussion, and contemporary applicability to the student’s current professional position.
Students enrolled in the 36-semester-hour program can choose from six concentrations including healthcare management, human resources management, marketing, management, management information systems, and project management. Coursework in the program includes instruction in the economics of architecture and strategy, business and organizational ethics, international business, and leadership.
GMAT scores are not required to apply. However, students are required to have prerequisite coursework in statistics, marketing, finance, economics, financial accounting, and computer applications. Students without these prerequisites will be required to complete them before the corresponding MBA course occurs in the program sequence.
| Location: Bristol, Tennessee |
| Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| Expected Time to Completion: 16 months |
| Estimated Tuition: $605 per credit |
The online MBA offered through the Goodfried School of Business at TWU is designed for those who want to serve as managers in their organization or advance their careers into leadership roles.
Prospective students can apply to be a part of a general MBA program or can choose to concentrate in management or accounting. Classes in the 30-credit program include corporate sustainability, financial management of organizations, leadership in a global economy, and human capital management. No GMAT is required for applicants to this MBA program. In addition, the GPA threshold for acceptance into this program is 2.75, lower than many other online programs.
| Location: Athens, Tennessee |
| Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) |
| Expected Time to Completion: Part-time (two years), full-time (one year) |
| Estimated Tuition: $500 per credit |
Union University’s McAfee School of Business offers a flexible online MBA program where students will learn how to lead and manage in organizations through the lens of the Christian faith. Students enrolled in the program can choose a general MBA or can concentrate in accounting, human resources management, leadership, or marketing. Students interested in nursing also have the option to earn a dual degree MBA/master’s of science in nursing (MSN) completely online. Union also offers online graduate certificates in human resources, leadership, and marketing.
Coursework in the 36-credit MBA program includes units in managerial economics, managerial accounting, business policy and strategic management, and production operations management. GMAT scores are required for admission, but they may be waived for those with five or more years of significant business experience.
| Location: Jackson, Tennessee |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
| Expected Time to Completion: One to two years |
| Estimated Tuition: $655 per credit |
With seven concentrations, the online MBA at Lincoln Memorial University School of Business offers students the opportunity to tailor their education to their interests. The concentrations include business analytics, healthcare administration, general business, management, marketing, operations management, and sports management. There is also the option to complete this MBA with a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM), or a doctor of jurisprudence (JD).
The general MBA program requires only 30 credits to complete, while an MBA with a concentration requires 36. Admission requirements for this program include an online application, a response to an essay question, a current resume, two letters of recommendation, and a bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.75 GPA. A GRE or GMAT is not required.
| Location: Harrogate, Tennessee |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Expected Time to Completion: One to two years |
| Estimated Tuition: $530 per credit |
Hybrid MBA Programs in Tennessee
Students living near college campuses who wish to retain the flexibility of online programs while benefiting from in-person networking opportunities may want to consider hybrid MBA programs. Hybrid MBA programs blend elements of both online and on-campus programs by providing the flexibility of asynchronous didactic coursework with minimally intrusive on-campus residencies, orientations, or course intensives. The following Tennessee Universities offer hybrid MBA programs for those who wish to learn in a blended format:
- Tennessee Tech – School of Business
- Cumberland University – Edward A. Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
