Oklahoma Christian University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program may not be among the cheapest in the nation, but graduate professors and admissions counselors say it remains a value for recent graduates and experienced professionals looking to advance their career.
Last month, graduate school information website GradSchoolHub ranked the least expensive online international business MBA programs in the U.S. and placed Oklahoma Christian’s on the list, which has an annual tuition of $10,840.
According to director of the MBA program Ken Johnson, GradSchoolHub miscalculated the true cost of the program when researching statistics from a national database.
“Our MBA program is a one-year program,” Johnson said. “You could stretch it out to seven years if you wanted to, but you can finish it in one year, which is what most of our international students do. What I found was [GradSchoolHub] was using our tuition number and assuming it would take two years to finish the degree. So, the cost of our program is right at $21,780.”
After dividing the true tuition number in half, GradSchoolHub described the international business degree path as a “12-month curriculum” in their ranking.
Despite being misrepresented in the article, graduate admissions counselor Angie Ricketts said the $21,780 figure makes Oklahoma Christian’s MBA program the third most affordable regionally, behind Oklahoma State University and Southern Nazarene University. Along with being priced competitively, Ricketts said flexible hours and low fees make Oklahoma Christian an attractive postgraduate education option compared to other regional schools.
“You do not have to miss work,” Ricketts said. “At some places, like [the University of Oklahoma] and [Oklahoma City University], their classes are during the day. If you’re online, you can do your work at 2 a.m., you can do it on weekends. Even if you come on campus, it’s still in the evenings one or two nights a week.”
For admission into Oklahoma Christian’s MBA program, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.5 GPA, receive three references from professors or employers and pass a General Management Admission Test (GMAT) .
Testing requirements are waived for students with a GPA of 3.25 or higher, but those who majored outside the college of business administration may be required to take introductory leveling courses.
Graduate students have the option of attending courses in person or online, with an additional, per-hour technology fee. Several of the 177 current MBA students live outside of Oklahoma and even the U.S.
“We are blessed with a wide diversity of students from all over the world,” Johnson said. “Fifty-two of those [177 students] are in Kigali, Rwanda, so we have a program over there, which allows us to have a learning center and a couple of staff members there. They provide a nice area for students to study, take tests and collaborate, as well as have excellent internet service.”
The number of Americans holding a postgraduate degree is rising, with 11.57 percent of adults over the age of 25 having one in 2014. According to senior graduate admissions counselor Danny Henderson, having a postgraduate degree is becoming more and more necessary for working professionals looking to set themselves apart.
“Speaking from experience working in a government agency, [a master’s degree] can enhance your opportunity for advancement, including pay raises,” Henderson said. “Does it guarantee it? No, but it sure gives an edge when it comes to competition opportunities.”
A total of 36 credit hours are required to graduate. The majority of graduate classes are seven weeks long, and many students take two classes at a time, allowing them to complete their degree within one year.
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