At the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, we've long known the value of the revolutionary business education we offer to working professionals through our Online MBA program. And now, we're thrilled to report that some of the most valued adjudicators of business education are starting to take notice of our Online MBA: U.S. News & World Report has placed William & Mary at No. 28 on its list of the Best Online MBA Programs for 20201, a remarkable achievement for an extraordinary program.
What Goes Into the Online MBA Rankings?
The online MBA rankings compiled by U.S. News & World Report are derived from a five-point methodology designed to result in a comprehensive, holistic assessment. Each of the five factors taken into account in this process is weighted to reflect its importance to a top-quality online MBA experience:2
- Engagement (30%): Weighted the highest due to the crucial importance and relative difficulty of fostering an interactive community in an online program
- Expert Opinion (25%): An assessment of intangible factors that affect a program's reputation, compiled via a survey of officials at peer institutions
- Faculty Credentials and Training (15%): Ensures the quality of education in an online program reflects that of the university's on-campus MBA program
- Student Excellence (15%): Based on the logic that ambitious, accomplished students both signify a program's appeal and contribute to its intellectually rigorous dynamic
- Student Services and Technologies (15%): The nuts and bolts of a successful online program, including learning management system (LMS) software and apps, as well as technical and academic support staff
How W&M Stacks Up
We've taken real steps to foster a standout experience for our Online MBA students in each of the five categories assessed by U.S. News & World Report.
Our program prioritizes collaboration, communication and networking. Students meet each other, their faculty and other local business leaders in person at the program's on-campus residency weekend. They continue to interact regularly with one another through online chat apps, during group assignments and on message boards within each course in the LMS.
William & Mary enjoys a sterling reputation among its peers, rooted in its historical legacy as a "Public Ivy" institution and supported by its revolutionary record of innovation. The quality of the business education at W&M is routinely validated by academic peers through the AACSB accreditation process.
The faculty at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business is particularly highly regarded, ranked the No. 6 Best Business Professors by The Princeton Review.3 They are a vibrant mix of full-time educators and adjunct instructors who take time away from their work on the leading edge of their respective fields to contribute in the online classroom at W&M. They possess more than 150 years of combined teaching professional experience, and have worked for global organizations such as IBM, 3M, ExxonMobil and many more.
The intellectually curious students that comprise our Online MBA cohorts come to us from standout companies like Microsoft, BMO Harris, Boeing, Target and Amazon.4 More than 70 percent of these ambitious students report a salary increase within three years of graduation from the Online MBA program, and over 60 percent of our Online MBA alumni report a promotion within the same time frame.5
And last but certainly not least, William & Mary takes great pride in the technical and support infrastructure at the backbone of our Online MBA program. Our online classroom is a dynamic, interactive experience designed specifically to foster collaboration and networking. The W&M Connect mobile app makes this experience accessible from wherever you are, whenever you want to sign in. Our team of dedicated Student Success Coordinators ensure that our students are able to navigate the LMS, budget their time, complete their coursework and generally get the most out of the Online MBA experience.
Join Us at the Top
Now that you know everything that has gone into earning this elite ranking for our Online MBA program, don't you think you'd like to be a part of our continued growth?
Check out the admissions requirements and upcoming application deadlines for our Online MBA program, and start an application today if you're ready to join our revolution in business education.
Sources
1. Retrieved on February 17, 2020, from usnews.com/education/online-education/college-of-william-and-mary-231624
2. Retrieved on February 17, 2020, from usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/mba-methodology
3. Retrieved on February 17, 2020, from princetonreview.com/business-school-rankings/ranking-methodology
4. Based on cumulative self-reported W&M Online MBA student profile data collected from all cohorts between spring 2016 and spring 2018
5. Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from William & Mary’s Online MBA alumni from graduating cohorts between 2016 and 2018, including respondents who indicated they expect to receive a salary increase and/or promotion within six months from the time of their response