Aurora University Online Master of Business Administration (MBA) & Dual MSW/MBA

Designed for working professionals, Aurora University offers an online master of business administration (MBA) that emphasizes critical business topics, including organizational behavior, marketing, finance, accounting, and leadership. The online MBA allows students to customize their education by choosing a concentration in leadership, marketing, or a combination of both.

Aurora University also offers an online dual master of social work and master of business administration degree through the George Williams School of Social Work. The MSW/MBA program is designed for professionals seeking a credential that combines key social work topics and relevant field experience with substantial business education.

The online MBA with a concentration in leadership prepares students to manage operations, motivate teams, and make ethical decisions in complex business environments. The marketing concentration helps students build skills for leading successful marketing efforts.

The leadership and marketing concentration combines both areas of study. Students gain leadership strategies while also developing marketing expertise in brand strategy, consumer insight, and operations management.

Students in the dual MSW/MBA program gain hands-on learning through experiential internships. Graduates are prepared to pursue management roles in social services or enter corporate social work through positions that promote ethical and responsible business practices.

Courses in both the online MBA and the dual MSW/MBA are offered year-round, and students are encouraged to share their experiences, knowledge, opinions, and ideas with classmates through chat rooms and interactive discussion boards. Instructors use freely available open educational resources in place of traditional textbooks when possible, which can help lower the total cost of earning a degree.

Aurora University is a private university in Aurora, Illinois, and is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The university’s master of social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

What to Expect from the Aurora University Online MBA and Dual MSW/MBA

Admission Requirements: Applicants to the Aurora University online MBA or dual MSW/MBA program must hold a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA will be considered on a case-by-case basis. No GRE or GMAT is required. Application materials for the online MBA include a completed graduate application for admission, official transcripts, and a professional resume. Additional letters of recommendation or an interview with the program director may also be required.

Application materials for the online dual MSW/MBA include a completed graduate application for admission, official transcripts, a professional resume, two letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited liberal arts institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Study Plan: The online MBA requires 36 credits and can be completed in as little as one year when studied full-time. Courses are eight weeks long, and students can customize the MBA by selecting a concentration in leadership, marketing, or leadership and marketing.

The online dual MSW/MBA program requires 84 credits and has an estimated program length of four to five years. Courses in this program are also eight weeks long. The MSW curriculum is the foundation of the dual degree, and students complete experiential internships as part of their social work education.

Aurora University offers courses year-round. Note that students must maintain a grade of B or higher in all courses to graduate. As well, approved graduate courses transferred in must be from an accredited institution with a grade of B or higher.

Online MBA Curriculum: The Aurora University online MBA includes core courses in marketing management; leadership and organizational behavior; budgeting and financial management; operations management; ethics and decision making; and strategic management. In addition to the core courses, students in the general option complete 18 credits of electives.

Students in the MBA leadership concentration complete the same six core courses and then choose nine hours of elective courses from the following options: human resource management; nonprofit management and leadership; comprehensive healthcare management; leading organization development; leading strategically; and leading high-functioning teams.

Students in the MBA marketing concentration complete the six core courses along with consumer insight for marketing decisions; marketing analysis and data storytelling; and brand and campaign planning.

Students in the MBA leadership and marketing concentration complete human resource management; leadership and organizational behavior; budgeting and financial management; operations management; ethics and decision making; and strategic management. They also complete consumer insight for marketing decisions; marketing analysis and data storytelling; and brand and campaign planning. In addition, students choose nine credits from the leadership concentration elective list: human resource management; nonprofit management and leadership; comprehensive healthcare management; leading organization development; leading strategically; and leading high-functioning teams.

Online Dual MSW/MBA Curriculum: The MSW portion includes social welfare policy and institutions; building professional social work competence; life course development; social work research methods; social work practice with individuals and families; social work practice with groups; social work practice with communities and organizations; field instruction I and II: generalist internship; social work perspectives on psychopathology; clinical social work practice; advanced clinical social work; advanced social policy; diversity, equity, inclusivity in social work practice; and field instruction III and IV.

The MBA portion of the dual degree includes the same six core courses mentioned above. Students also complete the social work leadership administration track, which includes nine credits of coursework in leadership and organizational behavior, human resource management, and nonprofit management and leadership. Students who complete the MSW leadership administration track may apply those hours to their MBA studies as well.

Online Experience: Aurora University’s online programs provide an interactive and dynamic learning environment designed and taught by the university’s dedicated faculty. Courses are offered year-round in convenient five- to eight-week modules, and students share their experiences, knowledge, opinions, and ideas with classmates through chat rooms and interactive discussion boards. Students must have unrestricted access to a mobile device or computer with high-speed internet to participate in online courses.

On-Site Requirements: There are no on-site requirements as the AU online MBA is 100 percent online. The dual MSW/MBA program includes experiential internships and social work field placements, which require students to complete supervised field instruction hours at approved placement settings.

Paying for the AU Online MBA and MSW/MBA Programs

Online MBA and dual MSW/MBA tuition numbers are listed in the tables below and do not include additional fees. AU graduate students may have access to graduate student loans in accordance with the FAFSA. Online graduate students are also encouraged to check with their employers regarding a tuition reimbursement program and seek funding from other outside sources such as community and organizational scholarships and grants.

Aurora University participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program and offers other GI Bill benefits to veterans and military personnel. Interested parties should contact the AU Dunham School of Business and Public Policy for updated costs, military benefits, and financial aid.