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At #39 on Chief Executive’s 2019 list of Best and Worst States for Business, #49 on the Forbes 2018 list of Best States for Business, and #50 on U.S. News and World Report’s Best States for Business Environment, the critics agree that West Virginia is not the best place in the U.S. to do business. While the state is involved reform efforts, West-Virginia’s low ranking rests on its reliance on coal and mineral resources whose value is declining because of ecological and safety concerns, as well as the lowest college attainment rate in the country and being one of the least business-friendly states in the U.S.
Major industries in West Virginia include energy, biotechnology, and chemicals. While there are no Fortune 500 companies headquartered in West Virginia, Hino Motors Manufacturing USA, Toyota, Proctor & Gamble, Murray American Energy, TeleTech, ResCare, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and Amazon all have major presence in the state. West Virginia is currently looking to attract businesses through hefty corporate tax credits, especially for companies that bring high-tech manufacturing jobs and those that create higher-than-the-median-wage jobs.
For those who are interested in taking on the challenge of doing business in West Virginia, earning an online MBA from universities based out of the state can be the first crucial step to connecting to the business community there. Online MBAs are designed for busy working professionals who wish to advance into leadership in a way that doesn’t require the termination of one’s job or a complete relocation. Because most universities are concerned with meeting standards for high-quality education, the accreditation that is applied to on-campus MBA programs is also applied to the online counterpart as well. In addition, professors teaching on-campus courses are often the same professors teaching online.
Read on for more information on online MBAs programs offered by accredited business schools in West Virginia, the distinguished professors who fuel the high-quality education, and options for hybrid on-campus/online MBA programming.
Featured Online MBA Programs in West Virginia
The “online hybrid MBA” offered through the Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University is designed for those looking for good ROI from a nationally recognized university. Students enrolled in the program take most coursework online and are required to attend four in-person residences: three in Morgantown and one in Washington DC.
Prospective students can choose a general MBA track or can choose to emphasize in energy finance, forensic accounting and fraud examination, or integrated marketing communications. Coursework in the 48-credit-hour program includes managerial and team skills, decision analysis for executives, macroeconomics, and integrated global business. GMAT scores are required to apply. Waivers may be available to those with five or more years of relevant professional experience. Applicants are also required to have two years of professional experience prior to applying.
Location: Morgantown, West Virginia |
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
Expected Time to Completion: As little as 21 months |
Estimated Tuition: $1,038 per credit-hour |
The online MBA offered through the School of Business and Leadership at the University of Charleston provides students with a business education that emphasizes leadership, team building, and innovation. Those enrolled at the University of Charleston can choose a general MBA or can choose to concentrate in management, healthcare management, or business analytics.
Coursework in the 33-credit program includes management, international business and trade, strategic decision making, and applied marketing. No GMAT is required to apply to the University of Charleston. Prerequisites in accounting, economics, and statistics are required, but may be met through McGraw Hill short-courses and/or professional work experience.
Location: Charleston, West Virginia |
Accreditation: Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
Expected Time to Completion: 16 months or less |
Estimated Tuition: $590 per credit-hour |
The 100 percent online MBA offered through the Gary E.West College of Business at West Liberty helps graduates to gain the advanced knowledge required to be a strategic and resourceful business professional. Students enrolled in the program can choose between three concentrations in management, accounting, and healthcare.
Coursework in the 30-credit program includes managerial accounting decision analysis, social responsibility and business ethics, and integrative marketing management. No GMAT is required to apply to West Liberty.
Location: West Liberty, West Virginia |
Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) |
Expected Time to Completion: 12 months or more |
Estimated Tuition: $460 per credit-hour |
The online MBA offered through the Brad D. Smith Graduate School of Business helps participants to advance and achieve in their careers through adaptivity to a dynamic global marketplace.
Students enrolled in the 36-credit-hour online program can choose a general MBA, or can opt for a concentration in management or military management. Coursework in the program includes profit planning and controls, management information systems, business policy and strategy, and organizational behavior. No GMAT is required to apply to Marshall University. Those without a background in business who are accepted into the program may need to complete up to five foundational courses before enrolling in MBA coursework.
Location: Huntington, West Virginia |
Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) |
Expected Time to Completion: Two years |
Estimated Tuition: $468.50 per credit-hour |
The online MBA offered through the School of Business at American Public University is designed for graduates looking to become a corporate executive or entrepreneur. Students enrolled in the 39-credit program can choose a general MBA track or can choose one of 13 concentrations: accounting, analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, global business management, government contracting and acquisition, healthcare administration, homeland security resource allocation, information technology management, marketing, nonprofit management, sports management, or cybersecurity.
Coursework in the program includes legal and ethical issues in management, applied decision making, marketing management, and strategic management. No GMAT scores are required to apply to APU. Those with an undergraduate business degree from an ACBSP or AACSB accredited program may be able to waive nine credit-hours of foundational coursework.
Location: Charles Town, West Virginia |
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). |
Expected Time to Completion: Two years (full time) |
Estimated Tuition: $350 per credit-hour |
The online MBA programs offered through the Salem International University School of Business prepare graduates for global business leadership based on a foundation of integrity and international perspective. Prospective students can choose one of 12 MBA specializations: accounting, engineering management, finance, healthcare management, information technology management, international business, management, project management, retail management, sales management, and sports and recreation management.
Coursework in the 36-credit programs includes commercial law, corporate finance, management information systems, and organizational theory. No GMAT scores are required to apply. The GPA threshold for admission is 2.0, lower than most other online MBA programs.
Location: Salem, West Virginia |
Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Candidate |
Expected Time to Completion: Two years (full-time), three to six years (part-time) |
Estimated Tuition: $27,900 for tuition and fees |
Hybrid MBA Programs in West Virginia
For those living nearby to a college campus or for those who have the occasional flexibility to travel, hybrid MBA programs can be a best-of-both-worlds MBA experience. In hybrid MBA programs, the majority of coursework is completed in a flexible online format. It can include in-person or on-campus requirements like residencies, immersions, or orientations that are minimally invasive to the schedule of an employed professional. The in-person experiences gives the student networking opportunities, and the online coursework gives the student flexibility. The following MBA programs in West Virginia are offered in an online format: