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Online Master of Business Administration

About Our Master of Business Administration Program

Our cohort-based, online Master of Business Administration program takes only 16 months to complete but delivers both in-depth business coursework and hands-on opportunities.

The Online MBA program consists of 36 total credits, including 24 core course units and 12 concentration units. Students may customize their MBA experience by selecting from a range of concentration options and pairing their degree with relevant graduate certificates to align with their professional goals. Admission to the program requires prior professional work experience, ensuring a collaborative, practice-driven learning environment. This flexible structure allows students to tailor their academic path while building advanced business knowledge that can be applied immediately in the workplace.

Our graduates have gone on to work for highly respected firms including KPMG, Raytheon, Grant Thornton, Vanguard, and other leading organizations across industries. Alumni also report significant career advancement following completion of the MBA, including promotions into leadership roles, expanded management responsibilities, and competitive salary increases as they leverage their enhanced strategic and business expertise.

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Why Get an MBA from NAU?

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Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Our program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a merit held by only 5% of business schools worldwide.

MBA Program Cost

Our program offers one of the most competitive tuition rates among AACSB-accredited MBA programs while delivering personalized support and real-world learning. On average, our total program cost is 30–40% lower than comparable AACSB-accredited MBA programs, providing exceptional value without compromising quality.

Visit NAU’s tuition expenses for more information about the Master of Business Administration program costs.

Our Small Cohort Size Makes a Big Difference

Our intentionally small cohorts foster meaningful connections with both faculty and peers. With typically 25–30 students per cohort, you benefit from highly accessible faculty, personalized support, and an environment where your ideas are heard and your professional growth is prioritized.

What you learn in the classroom can be applied immediately in your professional role. The curriculum emphasizes real-world problem solving, strategic thinking, and practical decision-making, drawing on examples from both local and global organizations to ensure relevance across industries.

How to Apply

You can apply online at the following website: ApplyWeb. Qualified candidates with complete applications are interviewed and admitted on a rolling basis.

When applying, you will need to submit the following:

  • Completed graduate college application
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Short answer essay questions
  • Resume
  • Two references (The references must be from two academic sources if you are transitioning directly from an undergraduate program)
  • GRE/GMAT Scores (possible waiver)

After an application is submitted, it is reviewed by the MBA committee. If the application is selected, the next step is the interview. The virtual interview is usually about 30 minutes long and is held by three to four MBA committee members.

Entrance Exam Requirement

The entrance GRE/GMAT exam requirement will be waived for applicants of any major with a GPA of 3.25 or higher from an accredited university.

If you have been out of school for several years and have work experience, we may also waive the GRE/GMAT requirement.

Admission Considerations

The NAU Graduate College requires that applicants have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 out of a 4.00 scale for their bachelor’s degree to be considered for regular admission.

MBA Healthcare

The MBA Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach to candidate evaluation by considering academic ability and potential, communication and interpersonal skills, relevant professional experience, and motivation to pursue professional and career success. No particular undergraduate major is necessary for students applying to the MBA program. Instead, as a candidate, you must demonstrate competency in background business subjects if you do not have a foundational business background.

Academics

Core Courses

The Online MBA program consists of 36 credits. All students in the cohort take the following core courses, totaling 24 credit hours.

BA 521- Accounting for Managers

Students will develop an understanding of financial and managerial accounting from a user’s perspective and will be able to prepare financial reports, analyze and appropriately use financial information to inform business decisions.

BA 609- Business Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance

The course focuses on several areas of substantive commercial law relevant to the business manager, and is designed to foster the manager’s ability to recognize legal and ethical issues and there managerial implications, minimize the frequency and expense of legal conflict and litigation, as well as to discern the distinction between what is legal, what is ethical, and what is in the best interests of the firm and its stakeholders.

BA 658- Leadership and Organizational Behavior

This case-intensive course is designed to help students develop the necessary skills for leading others in organizational settings. Students will learn theoretical content, and then practice applying that content through case studies. Additionally, students will practice the development of leadership action plans to provide opportunities for leadership actions to be analyzed.

BA 660- Financial Analysis and Decision Making

Coverage includes valuation of financial assets; risk and return tradeoff, the capital asset pricing model; corporate investment tools and pitfalls; firm and project valuation based on accounting statements; financing and debt policy; mergers and acquisitions; lease financing. Special topics may include forecasting and cash flow management; contemporary issues such as FinTech and applications.

BA 657- Strategic Marketing Management

Overview of the role marketing plays in developing business strategy and operations. How to think strategically about an organization’s customer-driven purpose and how to deliver profitable offerings. Use insight and frameworks to make marketing decisions. Develop and evaluate marketing strategies and tactics. Explore select ethical issues that arise in marketing practice.

BA 649- Process Management

An overview of the analysis, improvement, and management of processes in organizations. The focus is primarily on operational processes that create the services and products offered to the organization’s customers and clients.

BA 690- Strategy

Students evaluate strategic business challenges, considering managerial implications of organizational issues, to make high-level decisions and determine proper leadership to implement those decisions. Students use analytical tools and class discussion to formulate and implement strategy.

BA 643- Business Consulting Practicum

MBA student teams analyze real business problems, develop implementation plans, and provide recommendations to solve strategic problems, enhance organizational efficiency or effectiveness, or evaluate business opportunities.

Concentrations

The Online MBA program consists of 36 total credits, including 24 core course units and 12 concentration units. Students may customize their MBA experience by choosing from a range of concentration options or pairing their degree with relevant graduate certificates to align with their professional goals, or they may choose to remain with the standard Business Management concentration.

For this concentration, you will take 12 credit hours.

Business Management

BA 654- Managerial Decision-Making

Managerial decision making, focusing on analytic techniques used for quantification of the information necessary for informed and profitable business activity. Analytical techniques for control and performance evaluation inside the firm; Short term budgeting and working capital management.

BA 644- Data Strategy

This course is designed to build the decision-making and technical abilities of learners in a healthcare context. Learners will develop and strengthen basic and advanced spreadsheet skills while processing, analyzing, and visualizing health data. Learners will obtain and apply modeling and decision-making skills in simulation and analysis projects. This course will provide opportunities for learners to grow in their abilities to make data-driven decisions and to effectively present data to support their decisions.

BA 610- Personal Branding, Systems Thinking, and Self Awareness

This course introduces a systems-based thinking perspective on personal branding and development efforts and utilizes an innovative teams-based approach allowing students to develop short- and long-term professional objectives and goals.

BA 599- Contemporary Developments

Examines recent trends and investigations in a selected area of a particular field of study. May be offered no more than three times before being submitted for a permanent course number.

Let’s Connect

For additional information regarding admissions or to schedule a pre-advising appointment, please contact our Program Coordinator at 928-523-1903 or via email at FCB-gradprog@nau.edu.

Ready to apply?

MBA applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Students apply for the summer term of their intended academic year. The application is open now!

Community of distinction

As an alumnus of the MBA program, you will be part of a group that is very connected to NAU and each other.